Everyday more and more organizations are recognizing the benefits of partnering with State High School Athletic or Activity Associations. As the dialogue develops between the two parties, inevitably we come to the discussion about goals and objectives or more simply put - what is the partner trying to accomplish and how will they deem the partnership a success vs. (we don't want to go there)! We have had many conversations about this specific topic with our Association partners and will continue to do so in the future. However we thought it would be useful to post an article that was straight from the partners. The article below appeared in IEG Sponsorship Report (6/14/10) and discusses from the partner perspective what they are looking for in a partnership and how ultimately they will measure the partnership.
Sponsors Spell Out What Properties Can Do To Help Them Measure
Properties should devote resources to collecting audience data that sponsors will find useful. 6/14/10: According to the most recent IEG/Performance Research Sponsorship Decision-makers Survey, sponsors believe providing measurement assistance is the most important service a property partner can provide.
“In an era of increased accountability for business metrics, properties and brands need to work together to crack the code on measurement and ROI,” said Todd Fischer, manager of national sponsorships with State Farm Insurance Cos.
While nearly every property knows that a sponsor’s return on investment and/or return on objectives is critical to renewal, just how can properties help sponsors measure success?
IEG SR editorial director Jim Andrews speculated in a recent opinion column that the answer to that question lies equally with audience data that reflects the impact of a sponsorship on its target, and in a commitment to helping deliver value as much as measure it.
Subsequent interviews with leading sponsors support that line of thinking
From Bank of America Corp.’s point of view, a good property partner is one “that can help us anchor measurement data and be accountable for delivering results,” said Ray Bednar, the company’s global sponsorship executive. “Real accountability is the sum of science and good judgment.”
Below, sponsorship professionals from BMO Financial Group, State Farm and Subaru of America, Inc. weigh in on how properties can help sponsors evaluate success:
BMO Financial Group
Offer in-depth audience research; keep sponsors updated on social media efforts
For BMO, properties should provide audience research that goes beyond standard demographic information to include data on lifestyle interests and how they view and interact with a property.
“That type of information helps us better leverage the partnership,” said Sandy Bourne, vice president of advertising, sponsorships, merchandising and special events.
For example, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment uses audience surveys to track the percentage of BMO customers among attendees at NBA Toronto Raptors and NHL Toronto Maple Leafs games at the Air Canada Centre, providing a key metric the bank uses to track its sponsorship results.
“They have information that can help us evaluate and rationalize whether or not the property should be part of our roster,” Bourne said.
Properties also can help sponsors by keeping them up to date on what the property is doing in the social media space, she added.
“As properties expand into new technologies, it’s important that they keep sponsors informed so we can work together to develop better activation programs.”
State Farm Insurance Cos.
Properties should work with sponsors to establish metrics and determine roles and responsibilities at the beginning of a relationship; consider third-party research
To enable themselves to help measure success, properties must—from the start of the partnership—have a firm knowledge of a sponsor’s business and what it is trying to achieve.
“You can’t measure if you don’t understand our business and the objectives we’re trying to accomplish,” Fischer said.
Properties should work with sponsors to figure out how those objectives will be measured as part of the contract negotiation, he added. “Measurement on the back end is only as good as objectives set on the front end.”
Once measurement goals are set, properties should work with sponsors to determine roles and responsibilities on both sides to ensure there will be no gaps and no overlap in data collection, Fischer noted.
Determining those responsibilities, as well as the appropriate data to collect, will ensure the property is compiling relevant information: “Measurement is new territory for many properties. If a partner doesn’t view information as valuable, it’s a waste of the property’s time and resources,” Fischer said.
Where possible, Fischer believes properties should enlist the help of a third-party research firm.
“Results from a property always come with an asterisk because of the possibility the information could be self-serving to justify a sale or make an upsell,” he said.
Citing MLB and other properties that use research firms to measure TV broadcast exposure and Scarborough Research to track a sponsorship’s influence on consumer behavior, Fischer said, “That data is looked at more favorably because it’s from a neutral source.”
Subaru of America, Inc.
Provide post-sponsorship documentation that includes credible data; include sponsors in post-event attendee surveys
Properties can help sponsors measure success by providing fulfillment reports and other wrap-up documents that highlight a sponsor’s impact.
“Anything a property can do after an event to show they were genuinely interested in making the event a success in the sponsor’s eyes is a bonus,” said Todd Lawrence, promotions and sponsorship manager with Subaru of America, Inc.
Echoing State Farm’s Fischer, Lawrence pointed to the need for results featuring reliable data.
“If it seems like the numbers were just pulled together without any thought or solid reasoning, it’s a waste of time. A third-party market research firm can help produce a very good, unbiased report.”
Lawrence also called out the inclusion of sponsor questions in audience surveys as an important benefit properties can provide.
“Attendee surveys are a great tool if the sponsor is allowed to add a few sponsor-related questions,” he said.
Lawrence noted that sitting down to review data and survey results is a “great way to find things to make the next event better and is a perfect tool to begin renewal discussions.”
“In an era of increased accountability for business metrics, properties and brands need to work together to crack the code on measurement and ROI,” said Todd Fischer, manager of national sponsorships with State Farm Insurance Cos.
While nearly every property knows that a sponsor’s return on investment and/or return on objectives is critical to renewal, just how can properties help sponsors measure success?
IEG SR editorial director Jim Andrews speculated in a recent opinion column that the answer to that question lies equally with audience data that reflects the impact of a sponsorship on its target, and in a commitment to helping deliver value as much as measure it.
Subsequent interviews with leading sponsors support that line of thinking
From Bank of America Corp.’s point of view, a good property partner is one “that can help us anchor measurement data and be accountable for delivering results,” said Ray Bednar, the company’s global sponsorship executive. “Real accountability is the sum of science and good judgment.”
Below, sponsorship professionals from BMO Financial Group, State Farm and Subaru of America, Inc. weigh in on how properties can help sponsors evaluate success:
BMO Financial Group
Offer in-depth audience research; keep sponsors updated on social media efforts
For BMO, properties should provide audience research that goes beyond standard demographic information to include data on lifestyle interests and how they view and interact with a property.
“That type of information helps us better leverage the partnership,” said Sandy Bourne, vice president of advertising, sponsorships, merchandising and special events.
For example, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment uses audience surveys to track the percentage of BMO customers among attendees at NBA Toronto Raptors and NHL Toronto Maple Leafs games at the Air Canada Centre, providing a key metric the bank uses to track its sponsorship results.
“They have information that can help us evaluate and rationalize whether or not the property should be part of our roster,” Bourne said.
Properties also can help sponsors by keeping them up to date on what the property is doing in the social media space, she added.
“As properties expand into new technologies, it’s important that they keep sponsors informed so we can work together to develop better activation programs.”
State Farm Insurance Cos.
Properties should work with sponsors to establish metrics and determine roles and responsibilities at the beginning of a relationship; consider third-party research
To enable themselves to help measure success, properties must—from the start of the partnership—have a firm knowledge of a sponsor’s business and what it is trying to achieve.
“You can’t measure if you don’t understand our business and the objectives we’re trying to accomplish,” Fischer said.
Properties should work with sponsors to figure out how those objectives will be measured as part of the contract negotiation, he added. “Measurement on the back end is only as good as objectives set on the front end.”
Once measurement goals are set, properties should work with sponsors to determine roles and responsibilities on both sides to ensure there will be no gaps and no overlap in data collection, Fischer noted.
Determining those responsibilities, as well as the appropriate data to collect, will ensure the property is compiling relevant information: “Measurement is new territory for many properties. If a partner doesn’t view information as valuable, it’s a waste of the property’s time and resources,” Fischer said.
Where possible, Fischer believes properties should enlist the help of a third-party research firm.
“Results from a property always come with an asterisk because of the possibility the information could be self-serving to justify a sale or make an upsell,” he said.
Citing MLB and other properties that use research firms to measure TV broadcast exposure and Scarborough Research to track a sponsorship’s influence on consumer behavior, Fischer said, “That data is looked at more favorably because it’s from a neutral source.”
Subaru of America, Inc.
Provide post-sponsorship documentation that includes credible data; include sponsors in post-event attendee surveys
Properties can help sponsors measure success by providing fulfillment reports and other wrap-up documents that highlight a sponsor’s impact.
“Anything a property can do after an event to show they were genuinely interested in making the event a success in the sponsor’s eyes is a bonus,” said Todd Lawrence, promotions and sponsorship manager with Subaru of America, Inc.
Echoing State Farm’s Fischer, Lawrence pointed to the need for results featuring reliable data.
“If it seems like the numbers were just pulled together without any thought or solid reasoning, it’s a waste of time. A third-party market research firm can help produce a very good, unbiased report.”
Lawrence also called out the inclusion of sponsor questions in audience surveys as an important benefit properties can provide.
“Attendee surveys are a great tool if the sponsor is allowed to add a few sponsor-related questions,” he said.
Lawrence noted that sitting down to review data and survey results is a “great way to find things to make the next event better and is a perfect tool to begin renewal discussions.”
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