Commentary: Look Across the Board for Hidden $

Today, a must read for sponsorship sales professionals from IMG veteran Kevin Hanft:

"Funding Sponsorship Deals - Look Across the Board for Hidden Dollars"

Hanft's thesis is that "with the current economic times requiring senior buy-in, full utilization and accountability, it may require internal advocates to find broad based support and budget resources." Here's a few of the corporate silos he addresses:

• Employee Relations
• Human Resources/Campus Recruiting
• Campus Education & Training
• Health & Wellness
• Corporate Social Investment/Philanthropy
• Environmental Outreach
• Product Management/R&D Budgets
• Retail Promotion
• Sales Awards
• Channel Marketing/Affiliate Relations
• Advertising & Media Budgets

While sponsorships routinely impact many cost-centers and revenue generating divisions within a corporation, how often are those divisions asked to share in the burden of the sponsorship fee? Depending on corporate structure, you may not get into their coffers, but you can certainly use them to build internal support for a sponsorship program. As corporations look to make their sponsorship dollars work harder, they're looking to unlock value across the entire organization - not just brand marketing.

ARE YOU HELPING THEM TO FIND IT?