Welcome aboard, sponsorship people. Captain Obvious speaking here. This is a short flight, but you’ll still want to buckle up. You know, turbulence, etc.
Let's start with the basics. Effective sponsorship requires an effective process of setting objectives, weighting them, setting and weighting KPIs, setting targets, and then recording and reviewing results in the context of those metrics. That’s a fairly long list of steps, but actually a very simple process.
Missing the Mark
As simple as it is, many (actually most) sponsorship execution falls short of the ideal engagement in this process. Why is that?
I’ll start by telling you what the answer isn’t.
It isn’t because the process is too complicated or too difficult for mere sponsorship practitioners to comprehend. This isn’t brain surgery. It’s common sense, and maybe that’s part of why so many take it for granted.
Very often when I discuss this ‘process’ with brand sponsorship leaders, or agency execs, or even rights-holders the response is something along the line of “well, yeah. Duh.” They’re telling me YES, of course that’s what they SHOULD be doing. So why aren’t they?
Knowledge vs Habit
I believe the answer lies largely with the fact that this PROCESS is not habit. The simplicity and obvious nature of the concept actually works against itself because there is an assumption that knowing = doing. Actually, doing requires knowing, but is not guaranteed by it. Heck, knowing doesn’t even make the doing likely… if you follow.
Once this strategic process (objectives > weightings > KPIs > weightings > targets > results > review) is understood and begun, there must be a system in place that begets a practice of frequent engagement with the process. The power of the strategic process comes not from knowing or starting, but from doing, and doing, and doing again. The power is in the HABIT.
Have you ever tried to lose weight? If not, good for you. You’re one of the lucky ones. For the rest of us, we all know the formula: less bad food + more exercise = reduced ‘poundage.’ Simple. As simple as simple could be. So why is it so hard to maintain? The simplicity makes it really easy to start, but most fail to follow through - no habit established.
Tools of the Trade
For most of those who do find a way to follow through, they use a system, or a tool to help them. An app, or a spreadsheet, or a wall chart is often the key to forcing engagement with the simple process that you know like the back of your hand. It seems silly, but the tool can make all the difference by forcing you to engage with the ‘duh’ system.
Like the kid that we want to do their homework, or clean their room or practice piano, the star chart on the wall is the key to driving engagement with the process. Same deal here. The tool drives engagement on the way to developing the habit that we KNOW will result in better performance.
That’s where so many are with sponsorship. We know what we should be doing, but we’ve grown comfortable with our current ways. The results maybe aren’t as good as they could or should be, but we’ve grown accustomed to some degree of mediocrity. We’re OK with a few extra pounds… or 10.
Sponsorship Matters
But sponsorship should be better than that. For many it’s significant money invested in important business that impacts many lives…not to mention your career. So why not engage with the process more deeply and more often to improve that important performance? Use a tool that drives that habit that seems so obvious.
Of course, I can suggest a great tool you can use, but the point is more that you find a way. Find a system that works for you… and your sponsorship. One that you look at and think about every week, if not every day. If it sits in a file - out of sight, out of mind - the sponsorship just gets fat.
Knowing is not the same as doing. Sponsorship strategy is a process, and good sponsorship is a habit.
What’s your habit?
Comments