How to Identify a Winning Pitch
- February 29, 2024
- SponsorPulse Staff
A successful sponsorship pitch isn’t just about presenting flashy numbers or promises. It’s about creating a strategic alliance where the property becomes an extension of your brand’s story. When evaluating pitches, it's crucial for brands to navigate beyond surface-level propositions and delve into the essence of what truly matters.
Here’s what Top Brands Look for in a Pitch
Brand Attunement
A fundamental pillar of any successful partnership is how well the property understands your brand. It's more than just recognizing your logo; it’s about grasping the intricacies of your brand’s essence, values, and objectives.
An ideal pitch should showcase a deep comprehension of your brand's DNA and elucidate how the proposed sponsorship aligns with and amplifies these aspects. Look for properties that don't just acknowledge your brand but demonstrate a strategic vision on how the partnership could elevate your brand narrative and resonate with your audience authentically.
Let’s envision a scenario where the NFL is pitching a partnership to KFC. To showcase true vision for the partnership, the NFL could propose co-branded tailgating events across the nation during Sunday Football. The events would be catered by KFC, generating goodwill for the quick-serve brand while cultivating the community that the NFL thrives on in one fell swoop.
Insight into your Target Audience
Effective partnerships thrive on reaching the right audience. A compelling pitch should reveal a profound understanding of your target demographic. Look for properties that showcase a clear grasp of your audience's preferences, behaviors, and needs. The pitch should emphasize how their property can serve as a conduit to connect with your audience on a meaningful level. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding a partner who can help you not just reach more people— but reach the right ones.
Back to our NFL X KFC scenario: A strong pitch would include the NFL showcasing just how strongly their audience aligns with KFC’s. A sizable 69% of American KFC customers have engaged with the league in the past year, 62% on a weekly basis. Plus—65% of customers are excited about the league. Not to mention, 60% of Uber Eats and DoorDash users engage weekly with the NFL—and we all know how persuasive fast food advertisements are when you’re tuned into the big game. In this case, the alignment of the two audiences would build confidence in KFC that the NFL is the right partner to reach their audience and inspire conversions.
Robust Measurement Strategies
Gone are the days when success was measured solely by superficial metrics like likes and shares. Brands should seek properties that offer more than just engagement numbers. Look for a pitch that outlines a comprehensive measurement strategy encompassing metrics such as purchase consideration and favorability shifts. Seek properties that understand the impact of the partnership beyond mere visibility, showing how the collaboration can influence consumers' perceptions and behaviors towards your brand.
Evaluate Pitches with SponsorPulse
The ideal partnership lies not in the loudest pitch but in the one that aligns most authentically with your brand’s values and aspirations. Create your free SponsorPulse account today to evaluate pitches by leveraging our robust database of insights.