Ask Eliza : Searching for Sponsors

Eliza Reid, Music SA Project Officer
04/05/2005

Searching for Sponsors 101  -  20 January 2005

I hope you're all enjoying a safe and happy start to the New Year. Although it's certainly been a time of tragedy with some unprecedented and devastating natural disasters, we can at least be proud that musos and punters alike have been doing their best to aid relief efforts the best way we know how. There is no shortage of benefit gigs out there at the moment, so let's make sure we're all lending our support when it's needed the most!

Speaking of benefits, I received an email recently from a young muso who is pulling together a charity show in the upcoming weeks, and she was after some advice on approaching companies for donations or sponsorship.

Not my favourite thing to do by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly a necessity, and a useful skill for any artist to develop. I can offer a few meagre tips for beginners, but am most interested in hearing from the rest of you who have some success stories to share in our corresponding forum topic (follow the link at the bottom of this column).

In my experience, one of the most important things is to be very prepared with details about what you are OFFERING to potential sponsors, not just what you WANT from them. Foremost in their mind will be 'What do we get out of it?'   'The personal satisfaction of helping needy artists and charity causes' is a noble answer, but back here in the real world......

Of course they will get their name/product promoted at an event. But you should be armed with the answers to:  promotion by whom, to whom, where, when, how', and why them* (*meaning why you thought their company was relevant to the event).

Sponsors will want your punters to be in their market or target demographic. You should be thinking of this as you select your potential companies in the first place. Again, this is beginners' stuff, but if you're promoting a country/western acoustic themed night, perhaps a hardcore punk streetwear label shouldn't be your first port of call....  Does your line-up cover a range of genres, or is it specific to one niche scene? What do these punters like - not just in music, but also in lifestyle - what food? drinks? travel? clothes? toys? etc.  How many you are expecting to attend?

Another time to get specific is when you are pitching the other promotional opportunities you will be pursuing for the event.  Are you taking out print ads or doing posters/flyers?  If so, will there be space for sponsor logos to appear?  How do you (and the venue owners...) feel about sponsor posters or banners displayed during the gig? Do you have webspace & mailing lists you can use to promote your gig and its fabulously generous sponsors? Can you offer naming rights - like "The Wonderful Company presents this Great Gig for a Cause?"

In terms of your wish list of press coverage, be careful of making promises you can't guarantee, but absolutely mention anything that you have inked in as a way to promote the gig - are you scheduled for any radio or print press interviews?  Even if you can't spruik a company name directly in these cases, they'll want to know that you are making a huge effort to get more folks along, who will be exposed to their name/logo etc at the gig itself.

Think timing as well. What have you got planned as a follow-up?  Will there be live footage or recordings that can extend the 'life' of the event? Why not send another blurb to your mailing list that details how much $$ was raised for the cause (if applicable), or how many music-loving folks turned out for a great event.

Of course play up any special features, such as 'celebrity' endorsement/participants, details of how the proceeds will help a charity, and also any experience you have in organising similar events.
 
Plenty of ideas here, but the point is: the more organised you appear, the more significant the event seems, and the more you can 'pitch' yourself through details rather than BS,  the better chance you have of decent support.
 
A word on the 'gimme' part:  You should also be specific about what you want from them.  A specific $ donation?  How did you arrive at that figure and how will it be spent?  Do you want in-kind support like a service or a prize? What $ value do you expect?  And so on.
 
Finally, be kind to your sponsors.  This does not mean sucking up. It means for goodness sake thank them in a meaningful (and perhaps public) way. Follow through after the event, even if it's just directly to them and not a promo opp, and let them know about your success. It was made possible in part by them.  You never know when you might have to ask again...

So much for the generic word on the issue. Please head to the current Ask Eliza topic in our forum and help out SA artists and aspiring event coordinators with your own 'real life' tips!