How To Get Sponsors For Barrel Racing

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Companies Who Sponsor Motorsport – from Nascar to Motocross and Everything in Between

If you've ever watched a motorsport race on Television before, from the big names like NASCAR to smaller organizations, information technology'southward no clandestine that this sport relies a lot on sponsorships. Everywhere yous look–from the gear to the stands to the cars themselves–sponsorship opportunities grow. Whether yous're an owner of a motorsport company looking to get big name recognition or even an individual driver who needs funds and promotion, how exercise you get racing sponsors?

Motorsport Sponsorship: How to Get Racing Sponsors

Here are the steps to follow to earn a motorsports sponsorship:

Cull a target sponsor company that's affiliated with motorsports or has sponsored motorsports organizations in the past
Determine your most worthy avails and put them on a valuation list
Work on your sponsorship package and sponsorship proposal
Come across with the sponsor to discuss ideas
Document the meeting and keep from there

Ahead, I'll lay out these 5 steps in more than item equally they pertain to motorsports so you can find the racing sponsors you lot need for your consequence to be a smashing success. I know that most motorsports events often use a bevy of sponsors, so having a clear-cutting, proven strategy to use will salve yous a lot of wasted time and guesswork.

Besides, if you're a commuter looking for sponsorship, you lot'll be able to find a sponsor who could stick with yous for years. Because bigger motorsports organizations rarely will take on drivers without at least ane sponsor, yous need to know how to secure sponsorship as well.

Let's become started!

Follow These five Tips to Observe Your Racing Sponsor

Choose Your Target Sponsor Company (Should Accept Some Affiliation with Motorsports)

A quick look at this list of NASCAR sponsors over the years includes but nigh every big-proper noun brand y'all tin can retrieve of. For case, there's Arby's, Best Buy, AAA, 5-Hour Energy, Lowe's, AOL, Miller, Nicorette, McDonald's, Burger Rex, Pepsi, Good day's, Full general Mills, and Wonder Bread.

Some of NASCAR'south sponsors brand sense, like Interstate Batteries, Hot Wheels, Valvoline, Haas Automation, GM Goodwrench, STP, Fastenal, DeWalt, Contrivance, and Citgo. The rest? They run the gamut from cereal to mucilage for quitting cigarettes.

Farther, this CBS Sports article notes that in 2020, the four big NASCAR sponsors were appear as Xfinity, Geico, Coca-Cola, and Busch Beer. Those brands take zero, goose egg to practise with motorsports.

That said, it's easy to come across why these large-name brands would want to partner with NASCAR. For one, they get lots of exposure as their names and logos are featured on the racetrack and sometimes fifty-fifty the cars. Also benefitting the brand'south exposure is that NASCAR regularly attracts near two 1000000 viewers per event if not more than, especially big ones like the Sprint Cup, which is similar the Super Bowl of motorsports.

Also, these brands might be able to negotiate airtime such every bit commercials, incentivizing NASCAR viewers to purchase a box of Cheerios, a six-pack of Coke, or yes, even a pack of Nicorette glue.

Beyond fifty-fifty that, if a brand tin get their name prominently displayed on a NASCAR vehicle, when that vehicle is then reproduced on t-shirts, replica cars, and other merchandise, it's like free promotion for the make.

With then many brands of all different types getting involved in racing sponsorship, you might feel a little overwhelmed. How do you lot cull which target sponsors to focus on?

First, I recommend showtime with an honest assessment of your arrangement, its size, prominence, and status. Unless y'all're NASCAR or some other motorsports system on par with NASCAR, then you probably won't take your pick of the litter when it comes to sponsorship options. Could Coca-Cola sponsor you? Sure. Would information technology be better to cull a somewhat smaller brand to offset with? Aye, at least if yous want to get sponsors in time for your outcome.

As well, don't just cull your sponsors purely based on name recognition lone. Yep, in motorsports, it's of import that your sponsors are a who's who of brands, but that can't be your but criteria.

You also need to look for audience alignment. If you read this weblog often enough, then I may audio like a broken record here, only that'south only considering this is and so important. Your audience is a huge asset to a sponsor. Like I said before, if a sponsor tin get a commercial during your broadcast, that gives them a chance to sell to your audition and gain new customers.

Even if your motorsports event won't be televised, seeing ads for Arby'due south plastered all over the track will definitely go a few attendees' mouths watering as they begin craving Arby'south.

That said, if your organization is associated with veganism, then partnering with any meat-loving make is a bad idea. Y'all'll alienate your audience just for clout, and that'south not worth information technology.

So yep, choose a handful of sponsor brands, perhaps a dozen or two dozen depending on how many sponsors you lot want for your racing outcome. You tin can target peradventure ane or two long-shot big brands, simply I'd recommend creating a list of target sponsors more than probable to say yeah than no.

Then research their audience to ensure there's an alignment. And yeah, double-cheque that you lot and the target sponsor are aligned on goals and values likewise.

Once you take that shortlist, it's time to move on to the second stage of the equation.

Decide Your Assets and Brand Your Valuation Listing

That 2nd stage is your list of assets, aka the reason the target sponsor is going to requite yous a resounding yes instead of a no (at least, hither's hoping!).

If you're new to this blog, allow me explain assets for a moment. Assets are anything valuable that you have to offer your target sponsor, including tangible and intangible avails akin. For example, a tangible nugget would exist a branded sticker on your motorsport car for the large race. A non-tangible asset is your audience, which your target sponsor should be interested in.

For now, merely think virtually everything you could offer a sponsor that would make their time, money, and promotion worthwhile. Then write it all downwardly. Yes, I mean everything, no thing how inconsequential an asset may seem to you lot now. You never know what it's worth, at least non notwithstanding!

In motorsports specifically, your avails may include:

Branded logo placement on the racecars
Branded logo placement on the racer's gear
Branded logo placement effectually the track
Branded signage and props
Sponsor's name appears in the name and logo of the race (for case: Coca-Cola presents the fifty^th Minneapolis Motorsports Caricature)
Commercial advertisements or other airtime

You also want to have activation ideas on your listing of avails. What is activation? Typically an interactive experience, sponsorship activation opportunities requite your sponsor a chance to advertise and promote themselves.

The great thing near the motorsports manufacture is that interactive events and activities are a dime a dozen. At NASCAR events especially, in the hours leading up to the race, you'll see motorcar companies displaying the latest vehicles likewise as giveaways aplenty and sponsor company booths giving y'all gratis samples. Smaller and mid-sized companies sometimes even get to pair upwardly with racers for Q&A sessions, which is a fantastic opportunity.

Come up up with your ain activation ideas that your sponsor could partake in. Perhaps they get primary booth space in a highly visible area or a big space for putting on a small testify to get people'due south attention. Y'all really do accept almost countless options, so don't be afraid to get extra creative with your ideas.

In one case you're done rallying up all your avails, it's time to value each one. In other words, you lot're determining the value of your asset. How do y'all practice that? By categorizing the asset past its type, your geography, and your audience. Your sponsor's input tin also aid in this expanse.

Subsequently completing your valuation, you should have a list of most a dozen strong assets that you lot tin use to convince the sponsor visitor that your motorsports system is worth working with.

Come up with an Amusing Sponsorship Parcel and Proposal

Side by side, you have to make up one's mind how y'all'll present your list of assets. These go into your sponsorship package. I've talked about the standard 3-tier organisation of gilt, silver, and bronze packages on this blog quite a bit, but that'due south merely because it's the wrong approach to take. I don't want to come across you make the same fault.

It may seem similar mutual sense to put your all-time and well-nigh highly-valued assets as role of a pricy package that costs more than than the others, merely nearly sponsors won't bite. That's especially true if yous're pitching to seasoned sponsors who take worked with many motorsport organizations or drivers in the past. They've likely seen every type of sponsorship package and won't autumn for the gold, silver, and statuary system. It's super played out at this point.

Why do these three tiers not work for your sponsorship package? Well, because when you put all your great assets in your gold package, you're forcing the sponsor to pay the almost to go the good stuff. Sometimes, if a sponsor actually wants only one or 2 assets, they feel similar they have to buy the golden package even if they accept no involvement in your four other avails. And then they'll do it, simply not happily.

In motorsports, long-term sponsorship relationships are crucial. Drivers can hold onto the same sponsor for years, like I said, so taking your sponsor for a ride (not a literal ride) and making them pay more is non the best start to that relationship. The sponsor might decline to work with you lot over again.

What practise I recommend instead? Create a customizable carte for your sponsorship packet, and don't only rely on the insights and opinions from within your organization. During those initial conversations with the sponsor (more than on this in just a moment), speak to your sponsor and get a feel for what their upkeep looks like and what their interests are.

Then organize your sponsorship package menu based on this invaluable information. This doesn't mean that you shortchange yourself and fetch less coin for your best assets, but information technology does mean you cost your avails in such a fashion that'south amusing to both you lot and the sponsor. This way, they're much more than probable to agree to a continued partnership with you.

Next, you lot accept to work on your sponsorship proposal, which includes your sponsorship parcel as well as a writeup about your consequence and your organization. By reading this certificate in full, the sponsor should brand upward their heed nearly a partnership.

A sponsorship proposal, when done the right way, is more about the target sponsor than you though. Skip the 20-folio writeup on what you practice or the causes you support. Instead, keep your proposal outline to no more than six pages per my recommended sponsorship proposal template.

Okay, and then technically, you're really only writing similar five pages since that first page is your name, logo, and the name of your race. On the 2nd page, discuss your audition, including who they are and what they like.

As you movement on to page three, devote one paragraph to your upshot and the 2nd paragraph to the opportunity for sponsorship within your event. Then, the fourth page spells out your sponsorship package (remember, a carte, not a golden, silver, and bronze tier), and the fifth folio is all those cracking activation ideas you lot came up with.

The sixth page is how the target sponsor tin can reach you, so it'southward really one of the well-nigh important. I'd suggest adding a call to action to really drive your signal dwelling so the sponsor visitor feels inclined to get in touch with you right away.

As a few words of caution, refrain from using verbiage like "sponsorship proposal" or "sponsorship package" in your proposal. These terms come up across as amateur and tin plough off some sponsor companies.

Meet with Your Sponsor

With your sponsorship packet and proposal both assembled, hopefully with the involvement of your target sponsor, yous're just most washed. But side by side comes one of the most nerve-wracking steps, and that's meeting with your target sponsor face to face.

By this point, y'all 2 may have interacted purely via email or peradventure even with a few phone calls mixed in. Now comes the time to sit down for an official coming together.

You don't need your sponsorship proposal quite yet. I know, leaving the proposal backside feels like walking out of the house without pants on, you lot're that exposed, but information technology'southward okay. There will come a time for your sponsorship proposal, but it'due south not correct this second. Instead, y'all want to bring a pencil or pen, some notebook paper, and your winning personality. That's information technology.

This first meeting is non about selling or securing a deal. It'south about feeling out each other if that hasn't happened prior. More importantly, it'due south nearly discussing the ideas that accept just started to blossom betwixt y'all and the target sponsor when y'all talked near your assets.

I recommend going into that first coming together thinking more about funny jokes or other good icebreakers rather than selling. Y'all as well want to keep your discovery questions at top of mind. As the proper noun tells you, discovery questions are queries you enquire the target sponsor virtually their history, their audition, and their goals.

That link to a higher place has more than 30 great discovery questions that yous can rely on to get you started. Some of them include "are there any 'must-take' benefits that y'all like to see?" and "what are some of your biggest challenges in connecting with customers?"

You can also inquire well-nigh how customers travel through the target sponsor'due south sales funnel or about their engagement methods, or fifty-fifty near the interests and values of their customers. All those questions and many more than are on the listing for your perusal.

Experience free to read those questions and, if any of the questions spark related ideas, jot downward your own discovery questions. Depending on what you know and don't know nearly the target sponsor, some discovery questions will be more relevant to you lot than others.

That's proficient, because you can't inquire 30 questions of the sponsor. Heck, y'all can't even ask 10. I would recommend picking 5 to seven must-ask questions and using those. Memorizing them is best, but if you lot must write them downward, that's okay likewise.

Oh, and don't just ask the questions one after another after another if you lot can assist it. That can make it seem like you're grilling the sponsor. Remember, this is just a friendly business organisation conversation. Naturally pepper in your questions when the fourth dimension is right. If the meeting is about to cease and you lot didn't get to ask a question or two, so yous can say something like, "hey, I have a few questions to ask, is information technology okay if I practice that now?" The sponsor should say yeah.

The start sponsorship coming together will betoken to your target sponsor whether they're interested in proceeding. That said, nothing definitive will happen at this phase. If both parties want to go ahead, so you'll come across over again and sometimes fifty-fifty a third or fourth fourth dimension earlier you can officially get downwards to business.

Put It All Together in Writing

Throughout these meetings, the target sponsor may ask you for documentation. This can include records of the ideas thrown near during your initial meetings. They could also want to run into your sponsorship packet or your official sponsorship proposal.

If you held off on writing the proposal until now, you lot can use all the information that you know interests your target sponsor and create the best darn proposal ever. Feel gratis to become back and tweak your sponsorship package if you recall it would help, but prior discussions with the target sponsor should have left you feeling pretty good about things.

And then, transport all that information along to the target sponsor. Some other in-person meeting, or at least a telephone call may follow to discuss the information in your proposal. If zippo happens later about a calendar week, follow upwardly.

The sponsor may request a few more alterations to your sponsorship program. Otherwise, if they're happy, then you can proceed knowing your motorsports event is well-nigh to be awesome.

I practise want to say, that because yous may be courting several sponsors at once ahead of your race, you absolutely must exist able to keep one sponsor split from some other. You lot likewise want to individualize your approach to each sponsorship opportunity. Just considering the last three target sponsors you spoke to all wanted prominent branding doesn't mean every sponsor necessarily will.

My best advice will e'er be to let the sponsor tell you lot what they want and then utilize that as the footing for your assets listing pricing and your proposal. Otherwise, y'all're merely bold what a sponsor needs, and yous know what happens when you lot assume.

Conclusion

Motorsports organizations rely heavily on sponsors, and often handfuls at a fourth dimension rather than one or 2. Even individual racers need sponsorship to fund them and then they can possibly accomplish the big leagues.

In motorsports, you take lots of bang-up sponsorship opportunities, including branded cars and gear every bit well as signage on or around the rails. You're also lucky in that you have lots of room for activation ideas, from interactive booths to contests or giveaways.

Now that you lot know how to secure sponsors in motorsports, you tin can put on NASCAR-like events and win some major clout!

Most THE Author

Chris Baylis is the President and CEO of The Sponsorship Commonage and a cocky-confessed sponsorship geek.

After several years every bit a sponsor (that'southward right, the i investing the coin!) Chris decided to cross over to the sponsorship sales side where he has personally airtight tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship deals. Chris has been on the front lines of multi-million dollar sponsorship agreements and has built and coached teams to do the same.

Chris at present spends his time working with clients to value their assets and build strategies that bulldoze sales. An accomplished speaker and international consultant, Chris has helped his clients heighten millions in sponsorship dollars.

Connect with Chris via: The Sponsorship Collective | Twitter | LinkedIn