Schools play a huge role in their community, yet many struggle to convert that to sponsorship revenue.
If you’re wondering why, keep reading as Sponsorship Ready covers off the most common mistakes schools make with Sponsorship.
- They talk to benefits instead of understanding objectives
All too often a school will engage with a prospective sponsor and just start offering benefits like signage, or apparel positions or activation opportunities but they are making a BIG mistake. How could they possibly know their marketing and business objectives without having this ‘discovery’ meeting. Your school will find once they explore the prospects commercial, brand and community engagement objectives it will be decidedly easier to find the right sponsorship platform.
- They confuse fundraising and sponsorship
If your school can deliver on business objectives it can succeed in sponsorship and change the narrative from a $500 donation to that of genuine sponsorship. Schools are powerful conduits to thousands of people in a catchment and this is worth more than mere donations. Think in terms of what the prospect is spending on its current marketing activity and raise the bar!
- They go to market and pitch for Sponsorship with collateral which misses the mark
An invitation to sponsor the school is an opportunity to engage with the community, improve outcomes for students, showcase programs the school is running, professionally promote its purpose, vision and values and good governance and so much more. It has some specific and unique ingredients which includes but is certainly not limited to a) great photography and an image bank that captures the heart of the school (and not all enrolment facing images!), b) compelling copy and c) defines the schools reach and impact.
Some other key reasons include:
- They have not considered what they really have to sell
- Their selling tools do not target the audience
- They are simply not sponsorship ready when they approach the market
- Who is going to manage a sponsorship program once its created?
Sponsorship Ready’s leading and proven 3-step framework provides peace of mind for school’s wanting to successfully deliver on business, brand, and community engagement objectives, while effectively conveying their school’s purpose, vision, and values.
Find out how your school can become Sponsorship Ready with a FREE 30-minute strategy session and start succeeding in sponsorship at your school today.