P5TPB

It looks like I am going to be participating in this year's 'Rally Europe 2004', similar event to Gumball 3000.

Sponsorship:
I am looking to get sponsorship or donations (financial or practical), from companies, or individuals. Basically, the sponsorship would hopefully fund some of this trip, and if a company wants to sponsor me they would have their logo on my car.

So the questions is: does anyone have any ideas where I could get sponsorship from? Alternately, would anyone be interested in donating and/or sponsoring me for this event?



Thank you very much for you time.

Tim / P5TPB

Rally Europe 2004 website: www.rally-europe.co.uk
P5TPB's hompage: www.whitewrxsti.co.uk

[Edited by P5TPB - 1/13/2004 10:48:54 AM]

Rog Ford

What would the sponsors get in return? Few companies (or individuals) are keen to give money away just so you can have fun.

You've got to offer them more than "their name on your car". Unless that name's going to appear on TV, or in magazines, or something.

Perhaps you could offer to do a writeup (with GOOD photos) for their in-house magazine, or something like that.

Best bet for low-level sponsorship is always family, employer, friends and local companies, in about that order.

Do a web search for "sports sponsorship" and you should get a few leads on the best way to approach people.

IanF

Hi mate,

Going to do the Cannonball myself and thinking bout sponsorship.

My mate, who is doing it with me, works for a company that has pan European sales business so that is number 1 port of call. Also going to talk to local dealer and ask for a free service before and after the event.

Problem with local businesses is that having exposure in Poland is no good to them, unless the event is covered in local media. Have Rally Europe told you what media coverage they are having for the event, this may be crucial.

I am thinking that it will be easier to get goods/services out of a company rather than hard cash e.g. local dealer doing service before and after event, it wont actually cost them that much.

As said above it may come down to who you know.

Best of luck
IanF

Outy

Hi, I did the Cannonball Run Europe this year and tried for sponsorship with no luck. Scoobysport gave my car a service and SCC Performance fitted a flamer kit but that was all I got. If it helps I've been on Motors TV channel 416, the programme is called Cannonball 2003 and is still on nearly every day. You could show this to potential sponsors if it will help. Also their DVD is out in Feb. It would be good to get some financial help but if not i'd still highly reccomend it as it was amazing. Here to Africa at 110 - 140 was a blast.
Good luck!!

P5TPB

To all who have replied,

Cheers for all your comments, they have been taken on board.....looking forward to more advice. I have about £500 personal sponsorship money at the mo from friends & workmates, I have raised that in the past 3 days...which isn't too bad.

FAO - Outy:
I have watched 'Canonball 2003' on Motors TV, it looks pretty amazing....which one were you on there? There was a blue, I think, scooby that the camerman was in who talked about '****' and was on a skateboard........

Tim / P5TPB

TVR Gary

I cant quite work out what the sponsor money is for? How much of the money goes to charity? As has been said people wont part with hard earned to send you off on a nice jolly unless
A/ there is something in it for them
B/ most of the money is going to a recognised charity.

I climbed mount Kenya last year, I had to raise £2,250 which i did but 70% of that went to the charity. It also cost me around £1,000 personally in kit, spending money and jabs. If its this sort of thing yoru doing then good luck to you and remember it will cost YOU a fair packet also. If its not for charity I think you are gonna be digging deep in your own sky rocket.

greasemonkey

As stated above, you need to change your approach. Instead of asking "Where can I get sponsorship?", you should be asking "What benefits can I offer a potential sponsor?". Once you can answer that question in your own mind, you'll have an idea who will benefit from your project, and also how to approach them.

As has been said, no cold-hearted company owner will give you money just to p*ss off and have fun, and just offering to put his logo on your car has no value to him either, unless you can say how many people in his target customer base will see it, whether it'll get on TV or in the newspapers, what sort of audience it would reach there, and so-on.

Work out what publicity (and other benefits) you can provide, work out how much it would cost to generate the same benefits by other means (advertising etc.), then formulate a proposal that demonstrates what you can offer [/b]him. If you try and do it the other way round, you'll be treated like a charity case, and most of them get zip...

P5TPB

I agree with your comments about people dont really want to part with their money just to send me on a jolly......Myself on Pack (my co-driver) are putting £750 each towards the pot, so anything over and above will go to Cancer Research.....we are hoping to give an absolute minimum of £500 to Cancer Research UK.

Tim / P5TPB

[Edited by P5TPB - 1/13/2004 2:40:11 PM]

TVR Gary

Another thing I have found is that people will give money if they know you are going to under-go pain and hardship in exchange for their money. The sick lot at my work would only sponsor me if i allowed them to watch the company nurse give me the 21 injections I had to have.

Make sure you promote the cancer research side of things more, show people what percentage of the money they give will actually get to the chairty.
It got to the point when people would not come near my desk coz they knew I would be after cash.
Most will not pay till you have done it either

Oh and on a final note put a contingency in the money your promised for people leaving the company, non payers etc etc. I would say you will loose 5 percent like that.

[Edited by TVR Gary - 1/13/2004 2:50:11 PM]

Outy

P5TPB - Yes that was me Scooby Skate Boy as they called me, in the DBM classic and yes to the **** bit aswell. Me and my co-driver also managed to get on the front cover of the DVD in our pimp suits. If anyone is interested look at www.cannonballruneurope.co.uk
Great fun beating all the new expensive supercars.