| Author | Message | ||
     Firemanjim |
How do all you racer guys with big name sponsors go about landing these deals? Can you give me some pointers/tips/examples of letters etc. I am interested in hitting up some big ticket folks,not necessarily motorcycle mainstream for next year,building new bike,bigger motor,new bodywork,etc. I can actually string more than 2 words together without spelling mistakes, just need guidance on format etc. I realize posting a motorcycle related topic here is akin to heresy, but-- | ||
| Lorazepam |
Remember Jim, It's not gay if you get the sponsorship.  | ||
| Tramp |
Jim- Sponsorship was how i earned my living for over a decade in alpine snowboard competition. airfare, lodging, salary, matched earnings, half-match, etc., it's really simple....and actually, I was one of the most oversponsored folks around considering my underwhelming race results... first, look at industry print, ie mags, etc., esp. those which deal with sports only slightly different from your own- for instance, look at some mx mags, etc., and compile a list of advertisers. (these will be the firms who are looking to reach out to a new demographic). forget the existing sponsors of mc roadracing, their budgets are likely set in stone and tapped. let's say, for instance, that you see that paul mitchell hair products (BIIIIGGGG pro-snowboarding sponsor, last year....and actually, the demographic has a nice crossover) sponsors, say, mountain biking. get their web address, and send them a CV which includes race results, with a statement at the bottom reading thusly: "sponsorship history available on request" this shows class, as many sponsors do not like their athletes bandying about their need for more sponsorship. here's the most important part: DO THE MATH FOR THEM don't make some assistant director of mkt'g. try to figure out a good package for you- give THEM a number. try what i did in snowboarding: for a 4x4 sticker on my board, which will be made visible at podium, I 'd ask for $1200 per season. for a 2x2, i'd ask for $850. to paul mitchell products, of course, this is chump change. yet after you've gotten 10 such sponsorships, it's ahealthy stipend with which to start your season. hardgoods sponsors (tires, helmets, etc.) are a simpler tack- just ask 'em to set you up with 6 tires per season in exchange for a 2x6 breast patch on your leathers...until you become a real results guy. the wild card sponsorships are by far the coolest: when i wroked the qualifiers for the US olympic snowboard team, this past season, i met a young pro who's sponsored to the yin-yang by stihl chainsaws. his dadhas a freind in stihl marketing, etc., and it just fell together. being they're spomnsoringa snowboarder, why wouldn't they sponsor a motorcycle racer? the precedent's there, and i'd bet you'd be the first to approach them. I had a fat sponsorship from swissair, tehy just issued me a STACK of vouchers in exchange for wearinga patch and a stciker on y board. THAT sponsorship was like GOLD to me, as it made it easier for me to hit events (and thus accrue points) that i might have otherwise had to have pased on. use your noggin', be creative, and think WAAAYYY otside the typical sponsor box. PM me if i can help further Jim, I love the sponsorship game, and I kick a$s at it. maybe I should become an agent.... trampy macguire....hmmmmmm you had me at hello | ||
| Tramp |
incidentally, SWATCH paid me out over $20,000.00 one season, for simply earing their patch and sticker. They didn't even care if i won anything at all. Power bar paid me insane cashish, as wel. it's all in approach. be imaginative. look for deep-pocket companies who seem to be trying to reach the adreneline market. try gatorade, axe,dell, etc. | ||
| Bomber |
wow, Tramp -- if I ever decide to try to parley my skill at anything for sponsorships, you're getting drafted as my bidness manager -- good work, sir! great advice, as well! no if I onlhy had said skill . . . . there simply MUST be one out in the garage somewhere | ||
| Henrik |
For Bonneville a company like Gatorade or similar would actually make sense with the heat and dehydration and all that; "Life in the fast lane - Gunning for 200 MPH you need to stay focused - you need to stay hydrated" (picture of FMJ on the Salt, sweating like a race horse in full leathers). or "Fireman Jim knows all about heat and dehydrations ..." etc.  Henrik | ||
| Eboos |
While I rode freestyle BMX, I had unlimited flow (free parts) from Odyssey (one of the largest manufactures of BMX parts). I gave the company feedback on how their parts worked (I really beat the snot out of my bike parts), and that helped in their product development. I did not have to go to contests, or do anything formal. I would talk up Odyssey's products because I did believe that they were the best on the market, or else I would be riding something else. With their exceptance of a part that I designed, they formalized a deal that had been sort of a hand shake thing for years. I continued with them until I sustained a knee injury that took me out of BMX riding all together. I am very grateful to have been associated with that company for so long. | ||
| Tramp |
yep- you had an 'area ambassador/product dev.' deal. an excellent way to get a foothold in sponsorship, as well. 'swag and flow', as we used to say in the 80s-90s...'swag and flow'..... | ||
| Hammer71 |
WTF? | ||
| Firemanjim |
Thanks for the thread hijack. | ||
| Eboos |
I was thinking the same thing. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Cochise, You were wrong to hijack Jim's thread about sponsorship -- wrong, wrong, and wrong. I don't know the story with you and Tramp and don't want to know. No more thread jacking, please thank you, and I'm out. G2 PS I'm moving some posts in this thread and it has nothing to do with censorship,,,it's for thread clarity. | ||
| Cochise |
I know, I know, I am sorry Jim for hijacking your thread. Move away, Bigdadddy, no complaints from me, over and oot. | ||
| Crusty |
Oh, man; I can picture the ad already. A shot of a fireman in a blazing building. He comes out to chug a quart of Gatorade, and wipe his sooty face. Announcer, "What does a Fireman do to relax after battling intense heat?" Scene changes to shot of a bike racing over the salt flats. Numerous quick shots of thermometers, sweating competitors, etc. finally focusing on our Fireman guzzling Gatorade while being congratulated for setting another record. "Gatorade. Have you got IT in you?" I'd love to see it. | ||
| Henrik |
Hey, I'd edit that add pilot. Henrik | ||
| Slaughter |
Hey Jim, Are you getting some of this down? Get some pics, write the ad copy and PRESENT IT! Some of the above suggestions seem really do-able! | ||
| Buellgirlie |
when you write to the companies - always remember to tailor it to THEM and how it can BENEFIT them. they dont really want to know about how great you are...they want to know how you can help them. point out new customers, new markets, new applications, new messages, etc. that you can help deliver. its always easier to get "in-kind" donations (products, services) than cash. start with that kind (or settle for a substantial discount), and then move up to free product/service, and then to cash sponsorship as you prove yourself to them. offer to do product testing and development - offer customer and usage feedback, etc. then, whenever you say/write/act/do anything, be sure to thank them publicly, and send them a copy/transcript/picture of it. wear/display their logos on your vehicle, your outfits, your trailer, your pit area, etc. through banners, stickers, apparel,etc. give them regular updates to keep you and your results at the top of their mind. it worked for me in the 4WD world..... here's the old sponsor thank you page from my company http://www.adventure4wd.com/sponsors.htm D |
