Defining a sponsorship...

[DrivenMind]

alright, well I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about sponsorships and actually thought that the majority of them were bullshit up until recently. I'm always pretty strapped for money, and usually even more so when it comes to finding money to spend on the car...

How does a sponsorship really work? I was under the impression that the vast majority of them are basically just like an automotive version of Costco,except you put a huge vinyl on your car to get a little discount off of that manufactures parts.

(This is probably a very naive point of view... but that's why I'm asking.)

I attend a lot of events (drift related and otherwise...) and am fairly active in the "car scene" around here, and I was wondering what are the different kinds of sponsorships, and what sort of requirements do they usually entail.

[ct9a gsr]

In my experience, its a case by case basis... but in the end, the general concept is the same. You, the end user, provide the company advertising in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be going to car shows, drag events, making videos, street racing, etc... anything that draws in the public attention. In return, they provide you with free parts, free labor, specialized parts, discounted parts, discounted labor, etc... whatever you and the sponsoring company negotiate out. There's always a contract involved that requires signatures.

I honestly don't know much about cosmetic sponsorships that a lot of show cars claim they have... but for performance sponsorships, its all about proving their parts work well and advertising it to the general public.

[DrivenMind]

I honestly don't know much about cosmetic sponsorships that a lot of show cars claim they have... but for performance sponsorships, its all about proving their parts work well and advertising it to the general public.

bah... I'll give it a shot...

[Slowboy]

I heard that you have to start out stock. But then whats the point of that if you already did shit. rims,brakes,tires, new motor and mods. So i though bought taking a picture of a car with my tag on it,lol and send that in then what do you know misteriesly within a week my car has a shit load of stuff. What can they do ya know. But if they can sponsor you with mods that would be nice.

Curtis

[speedminded]

I heard that you have to start out stock. But then whats the point of that if you already did shit. rims,brakes,tires, new motor and mods. So i though bought taking a picture of a car with my tag on it,lol and send that in then what do you know misteriesly within a week my car has a shit load of stuff. What can they do ya know. But if they can sponsor you with mods that would be nice.

Curtis

lol, I highly doubt any companies will sponsor a stock vehicle unless it's one of their own they are building from scratch or the owner has other vehicles with past proven history. You need to be somewhat proven...i would consider estis fatuush as a great candidate bc he is doing something with the car, it's not like he's wanting to get into the drift scene or thinking about getting into...he's already there and on his own. That alone will raise the eyebrow of a potential sponsor and you just have to convince them that the publicity will only get better if you have their part(s) on your car. You have to sell yourself to the company, showing them you are willing to promote their product(s) with monster truck force...

Start small, go to a sign shop and work out a deal with them...or maybe start with a paint shop. hell, if you buy the paint and do most of the taping i can spray it...just get a couple quarts or a gallon of satin black and maybe throw a little really fine metallic in it. With a scotch pad and paint thinner it could be done in a couple hours max. Remember they will feed off other companies, tell you them you have a sign shop willing to do their graphics anyway they like, etc.

Write up a resume for your car...what you've done to it and also what your future plans along with both a past and future event schedule. Maybe a wishlist explaining how each part will make you that much better and showing a timeline for all of it will show determination...it's a numbers game, the more you talk the more sponsors you can potentially have...

JTuned has a great article on getting sponsors, i can't access their site from work but i'll find the link tonight if someone doesn't beat me to it...

[DrivenMind]

Start small, go to a sign shop and work out a deal with them...or maybe start with a paint shop. hell, if you buy the paint and do most of the taping i can spray it...just get a couple quarts or a gallon of satin black and maybe throw a little really fine metallic in it. With a scotch pad and paint thinner it could be done in a couple hours max. Remember they will feed off other companies, tell you them you have a sign shop willing to do their graphics anyway they like, etc.

JTuned has a great article on getting sponsors, i can't access their site from work but i'll find the link tonight if someone doesn't beat me to it...

I just found the article you mentioned... that was pretty good. I think I meet sponsorship requirements, given how actively involved I am in the car scene around Atlanta and the drifting scene overall. I'm usually out every weekend at meets or doing something car related, I attend drift events on an almost monthly basis, and have various types of media content (videos, and pictures) including my car.

As far as painting the car goes, I'd love to paint it Satin black. Unfortunately my doors are a beat to hell and the car needs some minor body work (new fittings on the fenders, and a new grill). I'd rather not paint the car only to ruin the new paint whenever I get the time (and money) to get the body fixed.

[Sirius R]

Most Sponsors look at not only the project in question or the amount of publicity gained from the sponsorship but the person being sponsored. If a sponsor is willing to give a discount ranging from 10% to 100%, they want their company and product to be represented while in the public eye. A sponsored car/person must be willing to stand behind the sponsor 24/7.

As you and your projects progress and you begin to make friends in the industry gaining sponsors becomes much easier provided your sponsors continue to be represented well.

There are “buy in” or “discount” sponsors that can be found at every national car show claiming that if you pay $35.00 processing fee they will sponsor your car with $xx,xxx worth of discounts. In reality, their bull shit. I’ve never had a sponsor ask for an application charge or offer a discount provided my credit was good.

Most sponsorships have a 12 month term of agreement, meaning that the sponsor expects that you will keep their product on your car for a minimum of 1 year. Some are shorter, some are longer. I have never had one in writing but I have seen companies sending out a contract in special situations. Some sponsors will ask for the product back when you are done with it. I’ve seen this with tire companies and pre-production products. They will sometimes want to run tests on the used equipment.

All sponsors look for a unique project to attach themselves to. If you have (no offense) a run-of-the-mill 98 civic with lambo doors and turbo, your chances might not be that great of gaining some high profile sponsors. If you build a 98 civic that runs 9.40’s you can probably find someone interested in helping.

All sponsors want recognition. “stickers” or “roll call” on the exterior of the car are the norm 95% of the time.

[DrivenMind]

All sponsors look for a unique project to attach themselves to. If you have (no offense) a run-of-the-mill 98 civic with lambo doors and turbo, your chances might not be that great of gaining some high profile sponsors. If you build a 98 civic that runs 9.40’s you can probably find someone interested in helping.

All sponsors want recognition. “stickers” or “roll call” on the exterior of the car are the norm 95% of the time.

If that's the case I guess it's good to own an AE86...

[ct9a gsr]

From my recent experience, I've noticed that sponsors love people who draw in the attention of the general public associated with what they sell. They know they can sponsor anyone out there and make them equally as as powerful as the next platform owned by someone else... however, they want to sponsor the people who willingly go out there and prove how fast they are out on the streets... people who have proven themselves to draw the attention of the public BEFORE asking for any type of sponsorship.

Now, the *best* is when a sponsor randomly notices you and contacts you about a sponsorship... hehe.

[IntegraXTR]

Now, the *best* is when a sponsor randomly notices you and contacts you about a sponsorship... hehe.

wish that would happen to me, but my car doesn't draw attention like that, I'm surprised no one came to you yet considering your times and what you've done to your car.

[The Ren]

^I agree.. I have always wondered about sponserships, but never really knew who to ask. I found out a bit from chinchi (the white trial supra) but I think its also about networking and who you know.

[ct9a gsr]

wish that would happen to me, but my car doesn't draw attention like that, I'm surprised no one came to you yet considering your times and what you've done to your car.

I do have a sponsor who contacted me after noticing my accomplishments and free advertising I was doing for them beforehand... but I'll release all that info later. ^.^


Who are the main sponsors for the drifting community anyways? I wouldn't mind trying to attend a few DGTrials events with my car and see if I can actually drift or make an ass outta myself... either way, should be fun. =]

[The Ren]

I do have a sponsor who contacted me after noticing my accomplishments and free advertising I was doing for them beforehand... but I'll release all that info later. ^.^


Who are the main sponsors for the drifting community anyways? I wouldn't mind trying to attend a few DGTrials events with my car and see if I can actually drift or make an ass outta myself... either way, should be fun. =]

Now That id pay to see

[speedminded]

Who are the main sponsors for the drifting community anyways? I wouldn't mind trying to attend a few DGTrials events with my car and see if I can actually drift or make an ass outta myself... either way, should be fun. =]

All wheel slide is kinda difficult on a tight course though and i'm afraid it would just plow through the turns...i'm assuming it will light up all 4 without a problem?

[ct9a gsr]

I had no problems sliding sideways and regaining control very easily with 420wtq on dry or wet pavement... I suppose with the additional power next season, it'll be even easier.

However, I don't wanna hijack this thread... so back to sponsorships...

[Dragonfly5338]

All wheel slide is kinda difficult on a tight course though and i'm afraid it would just plow through the turns...i'm assuming it will light up all 4 without a problem?

LOL reminds me of our friends with evos who went to an auto-x that got rained out. So the turbo'd 350z and corvettes were doing cool drifting stuff in the pouring rain while videotaping. Then our friends go out and end up driving in circles. They were like "Hey, was that cool????" and everyone said "NO. YOU'RE JUST DRIVING WTF??!!"

Random story #145.

[Tracy]

sponsorship is hard to get. I unfortunately think that it's more about who you know and not what you do to your car. That's been my experience anyways. Dan had the 3rd fastest Supra in the world on street tires at one point and never got 1 sponsor out of it. Now that we have been around a while and have contacts...it's getting much easier. I'm sure there are exceptions...but you defiantely need to start working on your car before you get sponsors...they won't take a stock car unless you just know the right person.

[Sirius R]

Tracy is right. 90% of the time or better, sponsorships come from people you know in the industry. It's a hard door to get your foot into and sometimes even harder to stay inside once your there.

Once sponsored, keep an eye out for cars sponsored by the same companies sponsoring you. Thier owners may have contacts you have not yet met within those companies, even better they may have contacts for additional companies you would have a slim chance of getting to know without some outside help.

Always keep your sponsors in the loop on how your project is progressing. There is NOTHING a sponsor hates more than investing in your project and then never hearing from you again (unless you want more free shit). Send them updates on how your car placed at recent events, publications or recent additions to your car that may continue to set it apart from the rest.

[Kathryn]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I gave someone advice on sponsorships.

It's very easy

1. Write a proposal (what do you have done, what do you want to do, what events are you attending and have pictures of the car)-and not ones in your driveway.

2. On your list of events..make sure they are ligit (they will check) and that the events are realistic (if you live in GA and all your events are in CA, that might waive a red flag)

3. Pictures: keep them simple, clean, but show different angles- make your pictures stand out (Steve Kubon was great at this)

4. Decide what parts you need. Make a list and figure out what companies offer them. The worst is when a company gets a call asking if soemone can get an intake for their car and the company only makes wheels. You can kiss a shot at the wheels goodbye too.

5. Do your research. Look online, find out what companies sponsor and how much off they give. If you know AEM will give you 50%, but Injen will give you 100%. Start at Injen first. Sponsors hate bending over backwards to get you a special deal and then you don't take it.

6. Who to call? Everyone always ask me "Do you know anyone over at ________?" How do you think I got the name? I called, emailed, researched who the marketing directors were and did sales pitches. I told them who I was, what I was doing and convinced them that sponsorsing me would have a return investment. Some believed me, most didn't. You gotta pick up the phone and try.

7. Ok so you created a proposal, got pictures and emailed it out. But why haven't they called me? Why because you are the one looking for the free parts. Follow-up is key here and if I had to say what is most important- IT'S FOLLOW UP. Don't harass them, but do send follow-up emails, maybe even leave a voicemail. Make them remember your name. Also, even if they do tell you no, keep in touch with them, they will remember all your emails and say wow this guy is persistant.

8. Ok so they finally said yes- Now what? get the parts, put them on your car, get vinyl showing their logos, take pictures and get your car and their product out there! Otherwise, new product and next years budget will look right over your name.

Be honest, be detailed, but don't annoy.

You don't need a fully modded car in order to get sponsored. You just need ambition and confidence. A nice personality would be nice too

[YokotaS13]

the way i had my 3 sponsorships were varying

I got a local audio sponsor for free labor, cost on equipment, and me helping them out with stuff i knew how to do.
The interior sponsorship i got becuase my best friends mom owned it. I got cost on materials, and half price labor.

The pocketlogger (digitaltuning.com) sponsor ship i got was actually an application i put in, with the shows i have won, coverage my car got, list of modifications, near future modifications etc. After about 2 weeks, i ended up with it. It wasnt that great, but to just use a small ass sticker the size of a business card, and wear their shirt, i got 40% off. I was happy.

The other two sponsors just asked that i spread their names, and put a board out advertising them at shows. It worked and they got customers from it, so we wer both happy.

[The Ren]

Very very good advice.. this should be a sticky.. awesome thread!

[IntegraXTR]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I gave someone advice on sponsorships.

It's very easy

1. Write a proposal (what do you have done, what do you want to do, what events are you attending and have pictures of the car)-and not ones in your driveway.

2. On your list of events..make sure they are ligit (they will check) and that the events are realistic (if you live in GA and all your events are in CA, that might waive a red flag)

3. Pictures: keep them simple, clean, but show different angles- make your pictures stand out (Steve Kubon was great at this)

4. Decide what parts you need. Make a list and figure out what companies offer them. The worst is when a company gets a call asking if soemone can get an intake for their car and the company only makes wheels. You can kiss a shot at the wheels goodbye too.

5. Do your research. Look online, find out what companies sponsor and how much off they give. If you know AEM will give you 50%, but Injen will give you 100%. Start at Injen first. Sponsors hate bending over backwards to get you a special deal and then you don't take it.

6. Who to call? Everyone always ask me "Do you know anyone over at ________?" How do you think I got the name? I called, emailed, researched who the marketing directors were and did sales pitches. I told them who I was, what I was doing and convinced them that sponsorsing me would have a return investment. Some believed me, most didn't. You gotta pick up the phone and try.

7. Ok so you created a proposal, got pictures and emailed it out. But why haven't they called me? Why because you are the one looking for the free parts. Follow-up is key here and if I had to say what is most important- IT'S FOLLOW UP. Don't harass them, but do send follow-up emails, maybe even leave a voicemail. Make them remember your name. Also, even if they do tell you no, keep in touch with them, they will remember all your emails and say wow this guy is persistant.

8. Ok so they finally said yes- Now what? get the parts, put them on your car, get vinyl showing their logos, take pictures and get your car and their product out there! Otherwise, new product and next years budget will look right over your name.

Be honest, be detailed, but don't annoy.

You don't need a fully modded car in order to get sponsored. You just need ambition and confidence. A nice personality would be nice too

great write up, that should answer alot of questions

[IntegraXTR]

Very very good advice.. this should be a sticky.. awesome thread!

nah I don't think this should be a sticky, just because you're probably going to have a million ppl trying this.

[Kathryn]

Also- now IS the time to send out proposals, companies are working on 2006 budgets right now. I know we are

[DrivenMind]

sponsorship is hard to get. I unfortunately think that it's more about who you know and not what you do to your car.

I'm sure there are exceptions...but you defiantely need to start working on your car before you get sponsors...they won't take a stock car unless you just know the right person.

Ah I should have mentioned this earlier. My car is not stock. I've kept it stock looking to try and avoid unwanted attention from local law enforcement and idiots on the street. This in particular is why I haven't got an aftermarket exhaust yet. I wanted the car to be quiet so I could go out and practice every night without people hearing it for miles around. I came to the conclusion that I would learn to drive it first while it's quiet, then when I'm completely confident in my abilities as a driver I won't mind the extra attention. Thus far it's paid off judging by what other drivers have told me.

I was talking with Tony (Tony Schultz - Formula D competitor) the other day and he was really encouraging me to get more parts on my car. He said it seemed like my car and the tires I use at drift events were a big hinderance on my driving performance.

My cars very lightly modified with some nice parts that you don't really notice until you drive it. I'm very selective about buying parts because I'm a bit tight on money.

I think if I actually managed to score a sponsor and if they were able to get me some decent parts I could be quite competitive. Until then I'll just keep sticking to practicing with what I have, as quietly as possible.

I'm working on my e-mail now... The only thing really nagging me, is that I don't enter my car in car shows and I know a lot of them really want that kind of advertising. Not saying I wouldn't enter my Corolla in a car show, but I mean look at it... It's very, very far from being pretty and nice to look at. Few people even notice that it's an AE86. I've had people ask me a variety of questions regarding the car ranging from "what is it?", "you drift this thing?" and I've even had a couple people ask me about my "flat black Accord".

[Sirius R]

My advice...email sucks. I've had tons of people looking for sponsorship through email...I ignore most of them.

Show me some effort, Mail it to me. Add a CD with pictures or video of your project. As Kat said, follow up. Most people stop after the inital contact. Be differant, be memorable, have fun.

[Tracy]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I gave someone advice on sponsorships.

It's very easy

1. Write a proposal (what do you have done, what do you want to do, what events are you attending and have pictures of the car)-and not ones in your driveway.

2. On your list of events..make sure they are ligit (they will check) and that the events are realistic (if you live in GA and all your events are in CA, that might waive a red flag)

3. Pictures: keep them simple, clean, but show different angles- make your pictures stand out (Steve Kubon was great at this)

4. Decide what parts you need. Make a list and figure out what companies offer them. The worst is when a company gets a call asking if soemone can get an intake for their car and the company only makes wheels. You can kiss a shot at the wheels goodbye too.

5. Do your research. Look online, find out what companies sponsor and how much off they give. If you know AEM will give you 50%, but Injen will give you 100%. Start at Injen first. Sponsors hate bending over backwards to get you a special deal and then you don't take it.

6. Who to call? Everyone always ask me "Do you know anyone over at ________?" How do you think I got the name? I called, emailed, researched who the marketing directors were and did sales pitches. I told them who I was, what I was doing and convinced them that sponsorsing me would have a return investment. Some believed me, most didn't. You gotta pick up the phone and try.

7. Ok so you created a proposal, got pictures and emailed it out. But why haven't they called me? Why because you are the one looking for the free parts. Follow-up is key here and if I had to say what is most important- IT'S FOLLOW UP. Don't harass them, but do send follow-up emails, maybe even leave a voicemail. Make them remember your name. Also, even if they do tell you no, keep in touch with them, they will remember all your emails and say wow this guy is persistant.

8. Ok so they finally said yes- Now what? get the parts, put them on your car, get vinyl showing their logos, take pictures and get your car and their product out there! Otherwise, new product and next years budget will look right over your name.

Be honest, be detailed, but don't annoy.

You don't need a fully modded car in order to get sponsored. You just need ambition and confidence. A nice personality would be nice too

Too bad it hasn't been as easy as you say for us I do all of these....it only started working when I got to know people in the industry.

[DrivenMind]

After doing a little searching, I'm starting to realize that there aren't very many domestic manufacturers who support the AE86 aftermarket.

There's lots of support in JDM land for Corollas but not much here.

[Kathryn]

Too bad it hasn't been as easy as you say for us I do all of these....it only started working when I got to know people in the industry.

I started with a stock car and knew no one. You just have to be persistant and keep trying. My first sponsorship was only 50% off. I had to work for the freebies. Now years down the road I know people- but still I have to produce results to get the product.

[Vteckidd]

fuck sponsorships, i pay for it all myself, and have the debt to prove it lol

[JC]

I can tell you a lot about show sponsorships, but performance sponsorships is a whole new ball game. However, I could probably give a little insight on some of it. Check this website out and it may help you some to get started:

http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=9663

[Tracy]

Show car sponsorship is a little easier to obtain IMO. At least it was for me. No one really cared how fast my Evo was sponsorship wise. When Dan broke the stock block awhp record on it, I couldn't get a magazine feature to save my life. They said a silver car is mundane no matter how fast it is and the interior and exterior were too stock. As soon as I put some graphics on it and started taking it to shows..the whole game changed.

[Kathryn]

Features are all politics.

[4dmin]

THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION I HEAR ALOT IS...

(example)Kid buys car, kid thinks b/c he has this car people are going to give him FREE shit.

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY, MOST COMPANYS WANT TO SEE THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON THE RIDE... WHY WOULD I GIVE YOU A SET OF TIRES IF YOU CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO BUY RIMS?

NEXT YOU COME WALKING IN MY DOOR WANTING A SPONSORSHIP YET YOU HAVEN'T SPENT A DIME AT MY SHOP... HMMM ANSWER IS NO.

HERE IS MY LIST FOR YOU IF YOU WANT A SPONSORSHIP:

1) GET A JOB
2) GIVE SOMEONE SOMETHING TO SPONSOR NOT JUST ANOTHER CIVIC
3) SPEND SOME MONEY ON YOUR CAR - NOTHING IS FOR FREE
4) MAKE A GOOD CONTACT AT THE SPONSOR YOU WANTING TO GET
5) MAKE A SPONSORSHIP LETTER (RESUME FOR YOU/CAR)
6) FOLLOW UP BUT DON'T BE AN ANNOYING PRICK
7) IF THAT SPONSOR DOESN'T WORK OUT DON'T GIVE UP GO TO PLAN B (NEXT ON LIST)
8) IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN B (MAKE PLAN C MORE HOURS AT WORK OR A 2ND JOB)

[Tracy]

NEXT YOU COME WALKING IN MY DOOR WANTING A SPONSORSHIP YET YOU HAVEN'T SPENT A DIME AT MY SHOP... HMMM ANSWER IS NO.

This is my personal favorite!

[YoshiFD3S]

I wanna be sponsored.

I'm eventually hoping for a ~400rwhp streetable, possibly driftable car. Depends on how good my income is :P

^____^

[ct9a gsr]

In my honest opinion... performance sponsorships are night and day different than show sponsorships. With performance, its all about proving the parts make power and that they work well. With show, you really don't have to prove anything except that the part fits and looks nice to some ppl. Performance sponsorships usually involve a lot more communication and closer bind with the sponsor and customer too... as well as a lot more difficult to achieve and maintain. After all, it's MUCH easier to stay parked at a car show than it is to run fast ETs or laps at the track.

Its also hard to tell what a person means when they say they are "sponsored". Some people get stuff at cost from a certain vendor so they consider themselves sponsored... some get free s/h, some free labor, and some even something petty as free stickers and feel that they are sponsored. What really gets me is when someone buys a product, it comes with stickers, they slap 'em on, then they feel that they are sponsored. Be careful on who you believe when they say they're "sponsored" by blah blah.

[Kathryn]

I've never been sponsored...I just like stickers! ha

[Sirius R]

I've never been sponsored...I just like stickers! ha

lol...that's good.