sponsorship insights


help them reach their goals and ensure that it is right for their target market. Only approach brands that you feel match your event and that will ensure longstanding relationships and ultimately create a sponsorship that works for both parties.


Q6: What advice would you give to a rider looking for sponsorship?


Baileys Horse Feeds enjoys a high level of brand presence at the British Eventing Jump Training Series


Both enjoy good coverage across the equestrian press, online and social media, which raise interest, create a buzz and maintain their profile for some time after the events themselves have been completed. { baileys_7542Top3JT ChampsBE80FSMJB (3)} Baileys Horse Feeds enjoys a high level of brand presence at the British Eventing Jump Training Series.


Q4 - Looking ahead to 2016, are you planning to increase your sponsorship portfolio, maintain it at current levels or decrease it?


JB: Our plans for 2016 are pretty much as they have been for the past few years. Personally, I believe in sticking with events, especially ones you’ve worked hard to make successful, so that the brand association is strengthened. For example, we have supported the NPS Ridden Mountain & Moorland Championships at HOYS for 21 years and have become synonymous with them.


OL: We are very proud to be sponsoring a new initiative called the Shearwater Insurance Tristar Grand Slam, which is a £50,000 prize fund for winning three out of 5 3* Horse Trials.


JD: We intend to maintain our Toggi and Champion sponsorship portfolio at its current level. Our sponsorships work very well for us and we have a great relationship with our riders.


Q5 - What advice would you give to a show or event organiser looking for sponsorship?


GW: Relationship building is important so it is vital that organisers are approachable and supportive, especially when working with a brand for the first time. Looking for ways to add value to a package – for example via social media support – is also important.


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JB: Always think about what you can offer the potential sponsor by way of added value that may be of little cost to you but of great interest to the sponsor. Putting literature in competitors’ packs or handing it out when they collect numbers is easy and useful. As many branding opportunities as possible are also welcome and for some brands, the opportunity to bring a trade stand to an event, for free, is also useful. Sponsorship need not always be in the form of hard cash, although I understand why this may be desirable. Be prepared to accept prizes in kind which give sponsors more scope to be creative with their budgets and are often just as appreciated by competitors.


OL: Put yourself in the sponsors’ shoes, it must work for both parties and cannot be a one way street. Understand the sponsor’s business and what they would want to achieve from the association, how you can


JD: Research. Before you approach a specific sponsor make sure you do your homework. Find out all there is to know about the company and develop a case as to why you are a good fit with their brand and what YOU can do to help raise the profile of their brand. Be realistic - you will not get everything for free, and you will not be handed a wad of cash! Just because you have a horse and would like to compete more does not mean a company should sponsor you. Sponsorship is a two way street and you have to provide value for a company to consider sponsoring you.


OL: Don’t give up, persevere and show your passion. Think about what the sponsor will gain from working with you and pitch to companies that resonate with your ethos and that you believe you can promote.


GW: Approach companies that you genuinely believe in and have already got experience of using their products. Never approach a company via Facebook message – this is a real bug bear. Take the time to write, email or phone a company in the first instance to find out who you need to speak to. A generic letter that has been sent out to companies, without mention of specific products, is not likely to grab the attention of a potential sponsor so always demonstrate your knowledge


of the product range in your application.


JB: As for the event organisers, always consider what you have to offer any potential sponsor and be sure to pick those whose products or services you truly believe in. If you don’t currently feed the feed, it’s probably not worth asking me! Wearing branded clothing and saddlecloths is easy but may be highly valued by brands, especially new ones, whilst word- of-mouth recommendations are also invaluable.


Be prepared to build a real relationship with your sponsors so that you can truly understand their needs and how you can achieve value for their support. For Baileys, it is really important that riders work with our nutrition team to get the most out of our feeds so that horses look and perform the best they can. In some instances, this working relationship may be with the head groom but the rider speaks volumes by putting their trust in our ability to work together. Personally, I prefer to work directly with riders but, sometimes, another member of the team is a useful liaison over diaries and other activities, be this a separate PR professional, a head groom, family member or spouse.


A final pearl of wisdom..... JB: Many rider sponsorship deals involve the receipt of product only rather than actual cash which makes it all the more important to work with brands you believe in. Never forget the value that free product represents and be conscious of its cost to the sponsor too and, when you have multiple sponsors, be careful to give each their fair share of your time and opportunities.


Baileys is a loyal sponsor of the BEF Futurity Series and enjoys excellent branding opportunities at every venue


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