Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted August 25, 2021 | In Marketing Sportivo, MotoGP, MotoGP, Sponsorizzazioni Sportive, Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
Kicking off a MotoGP sponsorship program for your business takes time and a clear set of goals and priorities. While all major sport sponsorship programs may start from the very same foundation, the principles being the same for every discipline, it’s very different to build a program in motor racing and, let’s say, sailing or tennis. Not just because every sport has their own assets and nuances, but also because the schedules, the procedures and the active activation opportunities differ.
Today we’ll have a quick look at how to build a MotoGP Sponsorship Program for your business.
We will break down the whole process in 15 steps. Each and every one of those actions would need of course another good amount of elaboration, but for the minute let us stick with the bigger picture.
Before we dive headfirst, a word of caution: the following steps are meant for those companies wishing to fly solo without the help of a professional sports marketing company. We cannot stress enough how important the role of an agency is, especially for those firms dipping their toe in the water for the first time. However, while we are biased, we also understand there’s a number of people who prefer a more direct, DIY approach. Hopefully the following paragraphs will make it easier for them to understand how to enter a rather complex (not rocket science, not a piece of cake either) scenario.
Here are the 15 steps you need to take in order to build your MotoGP sponsorship program
If there’s one thing we have learnt in our 25-year experience as a motorsport sponsorship agency, is that this is the most important item on the list. A clear understanding of your company’s goals – both on the marketing and sales front- of where you are as a business, of your timings and of your vision as a brand are paramount for every sponsorship program.
Contrary to what some marketing officers seem to think, no, the budget is not there if management likes the project. Having a clear idea of how much money is available for the whole operation is crucial, as different properties have different price tags and different levels of sponsorship have different prices. Also, keep in mind that you’ll also need coin for the activation, the additional staff and the logistics where needed.
Sports marketing is not the only marketing. Make sure you and your team know very well why and how sports can be beneficial for your company. We are not saying to take a sports marketing college course, but to look around at the best practices and that extra bit of theory that might help you understand the lingo, the procedures and the processes.
To be effective, a good sponsorship program needs time and staff. Make sure you have your deadlines and key moments nice and clear and make plans accordingly. Also, engage with your staff and your team and work so that everyone is on the same page. When sports marketing projects are shared, enjoyed and appreciated by everyone inside the company, they become a fantastic ride for everyone.
Different teams have different legacies, values and heritage. The same goes for riders, classes, circuits, events, and every kind of sports property. Understanding what’s the best fit for your brand is hard work. The name of the game here is to create the best possible combination to engage with your target market, product line, identity and presence. Your ego, and your gut feeling, should definitely sit this one out.
Once you have scouted the field, you should have a short list of possible names you’d like to talk to and work with. Ideally, that list should have 3-5 names in it: not too many, not too few. It’s time to get in touch with the key people inside the sport properties and ask them to send you a partnership proposal.
Not all sponsorship proposals are created equal. Pay close attention to what’s in every package and remember the devil is in the detail: how many social posts, how many paddock passes for your guests, how many riders’appearances, how many press releases and what kind of B2B support are just a few of your usual suspects.
Do ask for add-ons or edits to what you see on the proposal. If there’s something in the document you not need, get rid of that and streamline the marketing rights as much as you need to fit your objectives and identity. Your aim is to have something that’s as tailor-made as possible and that suits your business.
Time to make a decision and take a step forward. Once you and your team are happy with what you see, ask the property for a proper contract and, congrats, you are in business. Chances are that, before the formal document you’ll be asked to sign a pre-contract: it’s good for both parts so go ahead and don’t overthink it too much. Quick tip: it’s an important moment in your brand’s history and one that will go down in your books. Remember to celebrate.
The formal and official sponsorship contract will feature all the benefits, conditions and agreements of the sponsorship deals. It must be immaculate both on the formal and the substantial front. We recommend you ask a lawyer or your legal department to carefully review the document and, again, make the needed amendments. As always, don’t just trust the digital versions and demand for paper copies to be sent to your offices.
Time to get creative. A sponsorship plan is the overall system of actions that must be put in place for the sponsorship to generate the maximum value. There are several opportunities to do this, in the form of a calendar or a GANTT chart. The point here is to put on paper all the activations, events, races, promotions and so on in order to have everything at the ready when the lights go green.
You will need bodies and minds, even if the sport properties will offer some support from their side. However, the more activations you have in mind, the more people you’ll need around to manage the several areas of you program. Make sure your team is up to speed, well informed and properly introduced to the key people. Remember: a good MotoGP sponsorship (every good sponsorship, to be honest) is not something you can set and forget. Rather, you’ll have to perform daily maintenance and work, but do not worry: it’ll be worth it
When a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? MotoGP is one of the world’s most popular sports, the resonance and coverage of the discipline being worldwide and super broad. It’s time to take advantage of the hundreds of media outlets and make a solid media planning to tell the world what you and your team are doing. Press releases, photo-ops, PR, press conferences and so on are your best friends. Stay in touch with the media and keep them informed on your actions: you’ll have plenty of resonance.
Is everything set? Are the staff ready? Have you planned your media, changed the graphics on your website and checked the calendar (like, don’t announce your partnership on Christmas Eve or on the day of the Champions League final)? Great, let’s do this. Try and launch your sponsorship in a robust, organic way and make it a proper milestone for your brand. Simply put: make it unforgettable, make it remarkable, make it consistent, make it powerful.
Once you have hit the ground running, you can finally sit back and relax, right? Wrong! No rest for the weary. Continuous analysis, reporting and fine tuning are key in every sponsorship program. Keep an eye on the data and ask the sport property for visibility reports and have your team run ROI measurements. The good news is that in this day and age there’s a ton of data available on everything and countless technological devices and softwares to help you in your reporting.
This, of course, is but the surface of things. There’s so much more to MotoGP sponsorship, from the endless data and expertise that it’s needed to make a decision to the rich phonebooks of contacts you’ll need to get in touch with the right man at the right time. In a closed paddock there’s just so much room for mistakes.
It doesn’t mean -again- that MotoGP sponsorship is super complicated: this is no rocket science and there’s absolutely no hurdle that cannot be left behind with hard work, dedication or perseverance. Still, it’s a tricky business, and one that requires some finesse in the negotiation and a clear view of the playfield. Should you or your business need help from a professional sponsorship consultancy firm, do not hesitate to get in touch.
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blogDecember 23, 2024
The sports sponsorship represents an extremely effective marketing tool for companies, capable of creating deep emotional bonds with audiences through the passion and enthusiasm that characte[...]
Read MoreNovember 29, 2024
Motorsports offer brands a unique opportunity to engage with highly passionate and loyal fanbases while showcasing their products and services on a global stage. However, maximizing the retur[...]
Read MoreNovember 29, 2024
We publish in full the speech we gave at the Third Edition of the Event “Sport and Sustainability: A Growing Trend because Distinctive Factor,” held at the Civic Aquarium in Milan[...]
Read MoreIn an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blogFebruary 3, 2025
Formula 1 is a sport that combines technology, precision engineering and performance at the limit, and it often raises questions even about aspects that seem taken for granted in the world of[...]
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2025
The recent sponsorship agreement between Alpine and the Yamaha Pramac MotoGP team has captured the attention of motorsport insiders and fans, marking a significant shift in the industry&rsquo[...]
Read MoreFebruary 2, 2025
Formula 1 single-seaters are equipped with power steering, a system that facilitates steering by reducing the effort required from the driver. This component is critical for handling the high[...]
Read More