How to Sponsor a Cycling Team, Part 1: Downsize your Pond

It's officially Sponsorship Season in amateur cycling - perhaps the leanest sponsorship season on record. On the one hand, we've got the bottom falling out of the economy, precipitating cuts in every budget in the country - from the Fortune 500 company marketing department to the small business owner looking at his yellow pages directory bill. It's a safe bet that "Sponsorship: Amateur cycling team" isn't a protected line item on many of those. And on the other hand is a shoe of doping in professional cycling, dropping almost daily. Even if budgets were bursting, cycling isn't exactly an irresistible investment right now.

Add to that the reality that many companies that do sponsor cycling don't see a material return on what they're investing. I'm not saying they don't get a return - only that they don't see it. There is a lot that we cyclists can do to help change that, but ultimately no smart marketer is going to rely exclusively on us to sell their stuff or position their brand.

The good news for marketers is that there are many ways to increase their return without ramping up the resources attached to the sponsorship. This series will explore them, one at a time. And briefly - because marketers are busy people.

How to Sponsor a Cycling Team
Part 1: Downsize your pond

Logo soup on a jersey isn't valuable to anybody. It's ad clutter, with every message competing with each other and none of them being heard. Don't try to sell the "Nascar" comparison to me because I'm not buying -  that's entirely different and I'll tell you why another time. If you believe that the logo on a jersey is important, it should be important enough to ensure that it is featured without much clutter. One way is to be the big fish, and simply outspend everyone else. But another is to insist on a smaller pond, which limits the total number of logos sharing the space. Since many jerseys are now digitally printed with unlimited color options, it costs teams nothing extra to cram every available space with a willing brand, many of which pay little or nothing. Smart sponsors will cover the difference themselves, ensuring less clutter and more exposure.

And if covering the difference isn't possible, try offering a 2-year commitment and watch your leverage skyrocket like a heart rate before turn 1 in a cyclocross race.

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See the complete series here.

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For more thoughts on marketing through bicycle racing, try the section entitled "What GamJams Believes" in the GamJams Media Kit, available for download as a PDF here.