The brands and sponsors I speak to complain about properties who pitch proposals that are not effective for them, are outside budget ranges, or have no alignment with their corporate goals and objectives (business or otherwise).

What is worse, these brands and sponsors say they get such proposals from sponsorship selling agencies and brokers whom they feel should know better than just to “peddle product” and pitch packages. It infuriates them that proposals are not customized nor are they based on face-to-face discovery sessions and research to see if the property even works for the brand.

In a perfect world, agencies selling sponsorships on behalf of properties would be professional, presenting proposals to prospective sponsors based first and foremost on the needs of the sponsor with available assets from the property’s inventory.

It should be a match made in heaven every time a broker agency is involved. Then the sponsors’ and brands’ time is not wasted and properties are not being misled about opportunities that “may” exist by their representative agency.  If it is otherwise then why are they even employing such an agency?

This is perfectly reasonable, but too often sponsorship selling agencies do just that… peddle product. They should, however, be matching and partnering the properties they represent with brands that align. They should be bringing brands and sponsors proposals that will help them achieve their goals and objectives. Most importantly, the representing agency needs to do true and in-depth discovery meetings with brands and sponsors, as well as solid research, before they start matching opportunities.

Last month, in this crowded yet underserved market of broker agencies, a new company emerged. Unlike so many agencies that focus only on tier one level sponsorships (those big naming rights and major annual investments of $200,000+ for a single deal), this new organization can serve that top tier market, but also fills a massive void in the marketplace.

The company has been developed to provide service to organizations that are trying to raise $50,000 to $500,000 a year in sponsorship revenue, which could mean everything from $15,000 golf packages to $25,000 gala packages to $100,000 per year naming rights or program sponsorships.

The company was launched in Canada last month, with Jim Perry, Manager of Sponsorship Development, as its operational head. According to Jim, “too many organizations across Canada have been told by the tier one sellers, ‘sorry, you are too small, we can’t help you.

Our company, Sponsorship Connections™, is designed specifically to serve these organizations. Furthermore, we have the resources, connections and expertise to sell right up to and including tier one opportunities.”

According to Jim, one person recently described Sponsorship Connections™ as “the e-Harmony of sponsorship” where investigative and “real matches that work” are delivered.

I think this is what the industry needs – a sponsorship selling agency that is focused on delivering mutually beneficial partnerships between brands and properties, not one that just pays lip service to this concept. Perhaps Sponsorship Connections™ (www.sponsorshipconnections.com) is the solution for both the big and smaller properties. It is great to finally see a company able to fill the massive void and assist small and medium sized properties in sponsorship sales on a retainer / commission model.

As a sponsorship consulting agency, we at Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ believe that the best selling solution for a property is to build in-house capacity to be successful in the short and long terms. We are not naive though. We know for many smaller and medium-sized properties such professional sponsorship development cannot be included in the budget.

For the property trying to raise $120,000 a year, an $80,000 sponsorship person is not financially responsible. For other organizations with no need for long term capacity, internal capacity development is not financially responsible either.

Thus, I believe, companies like Sponsorship Connections™, who can serve the organizations who have been neglected by the bigger selling agencies, are critically needed in the marketplace. We will soon see how this comes to pass. For me, this is a step in the right direction.