ringerWe all know that branding and sponsorship go hand in hand, and that the world’s sporting stars are so heavily branded and sponsored it’s amazing they can stay upright under the weight of all the decals and logos. So how can you get some of this action for yourself?

Look for local opportunities. One small local firm sponsors branded aprons for the children at a local primary school to wear during arts and domestic science activities. Every year the best artist and best cook are celebrated in a school assembly where their names are added to a school cup and they are given special T-shirts to wear during the classes, to commemorate their success. It brings great local brand recognition, helps support local education, and results in local news coverage every year when the presentation is made.

Run competitions. A sandwich delivery firm runs regular ‘invent the sarnie’ competitions for its customers. The best sandwich filling is made, a free sandwich with that filling is given to the winning customer every day for a week and he or she is filmed in a company branded hat and T-shirt eating their winnings! Again, this results in good local press coverage, with details of the competition being announced on local radio each time it’s run, and it builds customer loyalty.

This kind of sponsorship may not be quite as good as having Jensen Button on your team, but the rewards can be substantial.