Throughout the year I have been approached
by quite a few people personally by email, tweets and Facebook posts asking about
the process in which I took to secure sponsorship or become a brand ambassador
for so many amazing companies. Especially as I am not a top age grouper, (actually
I am far from a top age grouper in the triathlon world, I represent the middle
of the pack athletes) I decided that I would write a post. This way every time
someone asks me I can direct them to this post.
Firstly, I would like to say that I am not
a professional in any way in regards to obtaining sponsorship etc, the
information that I am about to share with you all below is based on my own
experience, what I have did and achieved. It should be noted that my approach
may not work for everyone. I think personality has a lot to do with it as well.
So let’s get started:-
Before you can apply or approach companies
for sponsorship/Brand Ambassador (BA) you need to think about what is so
special about you, what is your story, what is your presence in the social
media world and what can you do that is going to be beneficial the companies
you approach.
All of the above are very important
questions when seeking out support either for sponsorship or becoming a BA.
Now I am not saying that if you have not
got a story that companies will turn you away but having something special
about you that is not related to being the best at the sport can be beneficial.
Once you have answered the above
questions, then you should start to think about the companies you would like to
be associated with. I am a firm believer that big is not always best. Big
companies are targeted all the time by Pros and Top Age groupers so you will
find they will have timeframe when they open up their BA program to the public.
Once they have filled their quota for the season, they close their doors to
anyone new. So think about the companies you would like to represent.
What I did once I had chosen the companies
that I believed in and wanted to represent, I tweeted them. Yes that is
correct, I sent them tweets and I simply asked. In my mind, you don’t ask, you
don’t get. The worse that they can say is ‘No’ and for me it worked.
The next step is the approach. Some people
will have varying success and my approach may not suit everyone but from my
experience after receiving tweets back from the companies I had asked, I wrote
an email that described who I was, what I was set out to achieve in 2014,
admitted that I was not a top athlete but I represented the ‘Weekend Warrior’
which at the end of the day is their target market as we are the people that
buy their products, detailed all my social media presence and finally what I
was able to do for them.
I received responses from nearly all the
companies I had approached. I was turned down by a couple and I didn’t hear
back from one at all, but all the other companies responded and today I proudly
represent them.
Being a Brand Ambassador or receiving
sponsorship doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get cash. Actually I can confidently
state that unless you are a pro athlete you will not receive money. What the
company may offer you is a fantastic discount code to enable you to purchase their
product and/or they may send your stock for free. Personally I never asked for anything for
free and due to contractual obligations I cannot detail my arrangements but my
sponsors have been amazing, supportive and very encouraging throughout 2013. I
am very excited to represent them in 2014 and hopefully beyond.
So a quick wrap up
1. Think about what you can offer them, at
the end of the day you need to sell yourself and their product.
2. You don’t ask, you don’t get.
3. Ensure you have a strong and positive social
media presence.
4. Big is not always best. Think about the
companies who would like very much to break into the triathlon community. You
can help each other.
5. Be clear and concise in your correspondence
6. Lastly, do not be a brand Hoare. What I
mean by this is target several companies and represent them proudly. The last
thing you do want to do is annoy your social media followers with constant
plugs of products.
I hope what I have shared helps you a
little bit. I would love to hear if you have success.
Good luck!
Tarsh
@Supergal007 aka Southern Dynamo