UKTerrorist

Approaching a sponsor

We are all aware and agree that there are sponsors available for online gaming (see "Counter Strike - It's not a game!"), so how do you approach them? I've decided that it would be too much to try and explain it all in one article so I have suggested a run of articles that address:

1. Sponsor approach (A template letter everyone can use, FREE from UKTerrorist)
2. 
   
3. Sponsor contract (A fully ratified contract everyone can have FREE from UKTerrorist)
4. 
   
5. How to make your web site attractive to a sponsor (advice on layouts, sections and marketing)
6. 
   
7. How to make money from your web site (I have a guaranteed way for everyone to earn £££ from their site)
8. 
   
9. How to build the relationship with your sponsor and continue to maintain them as a sponsor.

This article deals with approaching sponsors through a letter. Below is only my idea of what a short proposal document should be like. This example is to get you thinking and offer you some inspiration. What you should realise is that no sponsor will give you anything unless he is getting something in return, namely exposure.

If you require a team/sponsor contract, I have one ready that has been written by a solicitor and protects both the team and the sponsor.

Note that the letter is also available for download as a Microsoft Word document, here at UKTerrorist.

[your team logo/graphic]

Unique Opportunity

"Ever wished you could have been one of the first movers to sponsor part of the biggest explosion in digital entertainment in this century and also do some innovative marketing? NOWÂ’s your chance!"

Dear Mr. X

Please allow me to introduce myself, my team and the unique opportunity that we would like to offer you and your company.

My name is [your name] and I am the captain/manager of a semi pro Internet gaming team. Namely team [Your team name]. Please let me give you a quick tour of the Internet gaming world and my team.

If you have never considered or even do not know anything about the potential of marketing to the Internet Gaming community, then take a look at these facts and comments. Not all of these stats are from large market research companies, most are, but some are from actually seeing the power of this 6.5 million-person community. There are many more at http://www.game-culture.com/

• "Cyber athlete Professional League" - is also planning to use it to take the matches from its world championship in December to a wider audience. Up to 25,000 people watched the gamers shoot it out for the top prize of £105,000."
  
• BBC - "Watching this is very exciting, even for non-Counter-Strike players, It makes for great entertainment when there is a big game going on. TV shows like Bravo's Mercenaries and others in Korea and Italy are starting to use it to capture and relay the action from televised matches. But he has no doubt that it has a big future ahead of it. I am looking forward to the Pro Gaming tournaments. The class of play is just amazing," said BBC News Online's technology correspondent, Mark Ward.
  
• BBC interview with ID Software regarding HL TV- "The first week it was released over 8,000 people tuned in to watch."
  
• Internet online gaming is hot news and any news of sponsorship spreads like wildfire in this line of sport, so first movers do get all the press!!
  
• Generation Y (as the marketing guru's have named the Internet gamer type shopper) has the potential across Europe to spend over £18m this year alone.
  
• E4 (Channel 4) The market is "Grass roots community" so therefore the community or the media never misses small ripple in this huge pool; we all know that over the coming years, E-Sports will gain in momentum and potentially become the next sporting entertainment explosion.

Since its launch just [length of time the team has been going] months ago, [Your team name] has gained momentum and the team's exposure is growing each week. Ever since the team's formation and first win in [dates]. In fact, such is the momentum that the team has built up, that the team has decided to become a true commercial entity. Preparing the team and the team brand for the biggest explosion in digital entertainment ever seen.

Partner opportunities on our web site, team strip and IRC Channel are currently being reviewed for all areas of products and services that meet the demographic profile of European gamers and the browsers that follow the sport. This new initiative with partners is aimed at strengthening and focusing the relationship to provide a joint cost effective and profitable sales strategy.

Preferred partner position includes a 12-month exclusive position relating to that product or service and editorial in all the sections of the [Your team name] web site.

In addition the partner will be incorporated in the following marketing activity:

• All enquiries will be referred exclusively to the partner by the web site.
• 
  
• Your offers and services will be offered on every page as well as from within the section that you are preferred partner with a minimum of [number of visitors to the teams web site] "eyeballs".
  
• Your products and services will be incorporated within the team's marketing activity.
• 
  
• Joint competitions off the site.
• 
  
• The partner's brand logo and positioning statement will be added to the team strip that is worn at all competitions.
• 
  
• The team will endorse all products and services that the partner offers.

[Your teams name] web site currently receives around [number of visitors] unique visitors per month and is expected to increase to in excess of [forecasted visitors] users by the end of [predicted date]. This will on the whole be achieved by additional development of the web site and web site marketing.

We are currently looking for commercial partners and also sponsors. We already have [number of current sponsors] contracted sponsors for a number of services, but we still have the capacity to offer more sponsors a unique opportunity. We require one main sponsor for the team. The costs for this position are not prohibitive and I can assure this main sponsor that a unique package will be developed and the opportunities for exposure will be vastly increased.

The areas that we require sponsor support in are:

• PC Hardware and software.
• 
  
• Travel ([number of UK events the team will do] events in the UK and [number of European] events the team will do in Europe).
• 
  
• Accommodation ([X] events in the UK and [X] in Europe).

Part of the preferred partner selection process is the review of products and services offered by your company to ensure a close fit to our members and audience. If you have any queries regarding the review please contact [Your email address].



[Your team name] E-Sports Shopping

In the [estimated date for shopping channel] of 2002, the team will also be looking for reseller opportunities and we will be therefore adding and integrating a shopping channel within the site that can offer your goods and services via direct relationship with the reseller.

This development is aimed at offering our partners/sponsors even greater value and increased opportunity for their involvement with [your team name].

This opportunity is not only for partners that have fixed and agreed contracts such as the one outlined above. The E-Sports shopping channel is available for brands that wish to pay tenancy, but do not wish to have the increased exposure that a full partner agreement offers.

Tenancy will start from as little as £5 per week, up to a max of £100 per week, depending on the package required.

Further details from [your email address].

[Your Team Name]

"The Facts"

• The team have played X matches and lost only X since XXXX.
• 
  
• UK ranking is NoX.
• 
  
• The team has done X LAN tournaments in X months, but this will be increasing to X over the coming year, including [events you are looking to attend] and many other high profile competitions.
• 
  
• The address of the current web site is [Your web address]. The new site is under development as we speak and will offer newsletters, membership, news, partner pages, integration for partners into various areas of the sites activity [Note** These are my ideas, you may have other ideas for what your site will offer browsers and sponsors alike].
• 
  
• The team has had some coverage, but mainly from top on line news sites, such as [list any PR the team has received] and many more. The team will be receiving much more coverage over the coming year due to [your ideas of increasing the teams exposure: weekly press releases or newsletters etc.].

The specific and initial reason of writing to you was to look at the possibility of your company sponsoring [Team name] with [product or service description]. What we are able to offer in return is detailed above, but we would not wish to limit your companyÂ’s opportunity to any one particular marketing/exposure platform within our web site; therefore if you would prefer the "Main Sponsor" position we would be more than happy to discuss a more strategic relationship.

I would like to thank you for your time in reading this short document, but the opportunities are much greater than this document is able to justice to. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your thoughts and the team's ideas in more detail. I am available at your request to speak on the telephone or to meet with you in person at a time that is convenient to you.

Many Thanks
Kind Regards

[Your Name]

Same as before; if anyone needs help, mail me at paul@nocuk.org.

Make sure you spend the time to find the right person to send the letter to. Send it to the wrong person and you will have wasted your time! Happy sponsor hunting. :)

Paul
Nocturne