Sponsorship – Sport, Entertainment & Events

Sponsorship is still a misunderstood and underutilised part of marketing and communications. This is largely because the modern day benefits of sponsorship are not understood by decision makers. 

Pilote can broker sponsorship deals in many areas including sport, entertainment and events. We can arrange partnerships that involve cash or in-kind sponsorships where companies may provide goods, services or expertise.

A Sponsorship and Marketing Agency

Our Approach

We approach sponsorship from a brand’s point of view. That means we ask questions that the board will ask when we present to them, so we are prepared to justify the value of all the deals we work on. Questions like:

• What are the objectives of the sponsorship?
• What markets will the sponsorship be seen or activated in?
• What are the demographics of the audience of the opportunity?
• Are there any risks that I need to consider? Could my brand be damaged?
• How will success of the sponsorship be measured? Is ROI important?

For Sponsors.

For brands and companies that want to maximise their sponsorship investment, we offer a range of sponsorship consulting, activation and evaluation services.

• Analysis and advice including Sponsorship Audits, Market Activity Reports and identification of sponsorship opportunities that fit with your brand strategy.
• Managed service to handle inbound requests for sponsorship.
• Creation of integrated campaign designed for specific objectives.
• Negotiation of contracts and legal issues.
• Activation of sponsorship using multiple platforms including; content marketing, field marketing, hospitality, PR and communications, advertising and online strategies including social media.
• Measurement and evaluation of campaign.

For Rights Holders

Some rights holders have done this before, have got their offer down, know their numbers and understand how they can provide value to sponsors. Some rights holders need help with this. We can work with either type to find the best fit. We do this though the following services:

• Packaging. Understanding the real, differentiated offer of your opportunity and distilling it into a straightforward, easy to understand pitch that can be presented at the highest level.
• Sponsorship collateral. This may include presentations, promotional films, photography, online and social media presence and PR.
• Acquistion Strategy. Identifying sponsors that will see the value in your proposition, who have operations in the markets where your product is being delivered, who have challenges that can be solved by sponsorship of your opportunity.
• Negotiation. Understanding commercial terms and rights and closing the deal!
• Account Management. Once you have done the deal, the sponsorship has only just begun. We can help you deliver the objectives that your sponsor has bought into, leaving you to get on with what you do best. This can include managing hospitality, appearances, PR and communications, online and more.

Our Sweet Spot.

Every sponsorship opportunity is different. Understanding the value that a property can deliver can take a long time. At Pilote, we have a wide network of experts who can deliver anything from an F1 team to a Star-Trek convention, but we specialise in two areas in particular:

• Sailing  – Including the America’s Cup, Vendee Globe, the Ocean Race, and more localised events and regattas.
• Motorsport – Including F1, Endurance Racing, NASCAR, V8 Supercars, etc…
• Action Sports (Surfing, Skating, Snowsports, BMX etc)