EVENTS

The Insider's Guide to Fashion Sponsorship

(New Zealand) - June 2009

In late-May FINZ, WHK Gosling Chapman and Auckland City teamed-up to host an extensive Fashion Sponsorship Workshop in the lead-up to Air New Zealand Fashion Week. Some of the country's brightest young things turned-out for the two-part course, which culminated in them pitching ideas to a panel of sponsorship experts - Air New Zealand brand marketing manager, Lynley Kirk-Smith; Auckland City event sponsorship manager, Paula Corcoran; New Zealand Fashion Week brand manager, Myken Stewart; and Pernod Ricard sponsorship manager, Glen Candy.

Here are all of their insider tips on fashion sponsorship ...

Fashion Sponsorship + The Current Environment

“This market calls for high creativity and great ideas. You need to offer something above-and-beyond logos, hosting and access to your database, which is stock-standard. Think bigger, make a difference and break the paradigm.

“Blow them away with a great PR idea. Corporate sponsorship budgets have been slashed, but companies can always allocate funds from their marketing budget. So, give them a damn good reason not to advertise.

“PR is so important. And, the sponsor can quantify the value of the media exposure gained.”

NB: Be mindful of the Privacy Act when offering access to your database. You need the permission of ‘members’ to share their information with outside parties.

Finding the Perfect Fit

“Identify the perfect partner. Research companies - look at their brand values, strategic objectives, existing partners and the industry they’re operating in.

“The brands need to match. If you’re a small, high-end, designer brand, you’re better off aligning yourself with incredibly successful niche businesses, rather than mass-market brands. “You need to be compelling about the synergy - ‘Why is the partnership relevant?’ This is an incredibly competitive market, so your brand alignment and offering needs to be better than the rest. How are you adding value to their brand? What is unique that they can only get from you?

Know Your Brand + Position

“You need to be 100 percent clear about your own brand and position. Prospective partners want to know whether your brand and customers are a good match for them, so demonstrate the synergy.

“Talk about how your brand and products make people feel. Communicate the rapport that you have with your customers. How do you make a difference in their lives?” Demographics are good, but seasoned sponsorship managers are more partial to psychographics - a profile that encompasses personality, values, attitudes, interests and lifestyle.

“Approach it like you’re writing a short story about a person. Who is she? What does she do? What are her interests? How does she feel when she wears your clothes? How do your clothes fit into her lifestyle?

A Meeting of Minds

"Don't use the word 'sponsorship' in the meeting - focus on establishing a 'partnership' and delivering 'value'. What's in it for them? Address the sponsor's needs first and detail what it is that you can do for them.

"Establish your credibility as a potential partner by communicating your credentials and achievements in business and as a brand, including growth, media coverage and any accolades.

"Have information on hand to support your proposal. You should know everything back-to-front. It's extremely off-putting for the sponsor if you can't get basic facts-and-figures straight, whether it be event details or customer demographics.

"Know your limitations - what you can and can't realistically deliver before spouting ideas, and be clear about who is responsible for what.

Fashioning the Term + Benefits

"Aim for a long-term partnership. Use ANZFW as a starting point, but present your annual calendar of events and indicate the potential for an ongoing affiliation. One event might not cut it, but year-round activity could seal the deal.

“You have to demonstrate ‘value’ for the sponsor. Brand awareness is good, but ultimately irrelevant. They want an affiliation with your brand. They want opportunities for people to experience their brand and ultimately become ambassadors for their brand."

Think about ...

Great PR ideas - something that will generate media coverage and get the sponsor's brand talked about. Integration of social networking is an area of interest for many corporates, but don't even go there if you're not a skilled user.

Exclusivity - what unique offering can you bring to the table? Perhaps you could create an exclusive piece of clothing or an accessory for the sponsor's customers or even staff. Collaborate with the sponsor and lend your design-ability to their brand.

Brand experiences - how can your customers experience the sponsor's product/services and visa versa. Hosting at fashion shows and in-store events is greatly appreciated, but fairly commonplace. Think outside the box and look for areas and activities where both of your brands meet. When it comes to branding per se, seek out creative consumer-orientated opportunities that communicate the affiliation.

Consumer promotions - product giveaways via your own store(s) or major department stores. Your customers could go into the draw to win product from the sponsor if they purchase anything within a given timeframe ... and visa versa.

Staff participation - how can you get the sponsor's employees and your own involved in the partnership? Staff are generally the front-line ambassadors for any brand, so look for ways that they can promote the partnership.

Connectivity - how can you link-in with the sponsor's existing partners or sponsorships. Adding value to their investments in other areas will put another feather in your cap.

In summary, show the sponsor something 'new' ... 'communicate, communicate, communicate' ... and 'deliver' on your promises. Designers constantly blow sponsorships, because there's no debrief - they just take the money and run.

Feedback

"Thanks to FINZ for bringing an amazing concept to the table, which I know the designers gained a lot from. Not only did they learn and enjoy themselves, so did the dragons. A most enjoyable experience. Go the FINZ team."

Myken Stewart - (brand manager, New Zealand Fashion Week)

"It is encouraging to see an industry being proactively supported with an innovative programme like the Fashion Sponsorship Workshop. Small businesses often lack the resources or specialist skills that could very well make the difference between success and failure.

"This format was a fun but practical way for these creative businesses to get immediate feedback that will support their approach to potential business partners. In the safe environment of the boardroom, participants got tips on the most powerful way to present their proposal and ideas that may help differentiate them in a highly competitive market. As a member of the sponsorship panel, I was delighted to be able to give a little back to our fashion industry, which plays such an important role in New Zealand."

Lynley Kirk-Smith - (brand marketing manager, Air New Zealand)

"The workshop gave us an invaluable insight into fashion sponsorship. Now, we feel confident that we can draft and pitch a proposal that will meet our sponsor's criteria. The following Dragons' Den experience was a great opportunity to share our ideas with a panel of sponsorship experts - each one of them were able to draw from years of experience and tell us straight-up what would and wouldn't work.

Kat Gee - (designer-director, Kagi)

The 'Fashion Sponsorship Workshop'

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