In sports sponsorship, and really all sponsorship, we get bogged down in assets.
It somewhat makes sense...it is the product we sell. Our mindset sometimes shifts to "How many signs can I get sold?".
Many times though, those assets we focus on are...
It seems as though each year we are met with new opportunities, obstacles, and trends in sponsorship. It’s something that I love about our industry.
It is forever progressing as our brands and fans change with the times.
With change comes items that...
When you break down sales it is essential you de-risking the thing you are selling.
You are trying to tell a story that helps them believe that this asset will lead to results in the goal your client has for the partnership.
This...
Today, this might be the biggest showdown in all of advertising. This week on The Inches Podcast Rich Franklin and I look at the relationship between the two, digital and traditional sponsorship assets, and why you may need both to help...
You’ve done it. You got the meeting for that perfect sports sponsorship prospect. The meeting is set. You and your team are prepping for the pitch and have the format ready to go.
But you ask yourself: Is this what they want...
Every time I hear Mike Johnston dive into building culture…I’m blown away.
For those of you who don’t know who Mike Johnston is, he is the Vice President, General Manager, and Head Coach of the Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club in the Western...
There’s a temptation in business—especially in sports sponsorships—to believe that reach is everything. The bigger the audience, the bigger the impact. The more logos, the better. The wider the net, the more fish you’ll catch.
But more often than not, this thinking...
Not all budgets for brands are “marketing” or “sponsorship”. There is some depth there.
Understanding the dynamics of a brand’s budget (and buckets) can help you close your deals and even open up more revenue for your team.
It’s something that Rich Franklin...
In the modern sports landscape, fan attention is the ultimate currency. We’ve seen a massive shift toward "playing along" in real-time, highlighted by major leagues leaning into predictive markets and interactive second-screen experiences. Fans don’t...
More inventory doesn’t mean more value. It usually means less.
For years, sports sponsorship has operated under a quiet assumption: if revenue is the goal, inventory is the answer.
Add more signage. Create more assets. Open more...
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what sponsorships in sports have become...and what they were always meant to be.
Not from the perspective of inventory or impressions. Not CPMs, logo counts, or “media...
There’s a temptation in business—especially in sports sponsorships—to believe that reach is everything. The bigger the audience, the bigger the impact. The more logos, the better. The wider the net, the more fish you’ll catch.
But...
“The goal is not to fit in. The goal is to resonate.”— Rick Rubin
The Misconception of Attention
Most sponsorships start from the wrong place.
We assume the audience will care.We assume the logo is enough.We assume that...
In the world of sports sponsorships, creativity is often boxed into a role: something that belongs to the agency, the graphic designer, or the "creative team."
But what if creativity wasn’t a department—it was a mindset?
What...
In sports, perfection is often the illusion.
A perfect record. A flawless play. A pristine image on the jumbotron.
But in the realm of sponsorship, where connection matters more than control, perfection can be a liability. It...
In the high-stakes world of sports sponsorships, where millions are spent on visibility, impressions, and association, a powerful truth often gets lost: fans don't show up for brands.
They show up for the love of the...
I'm always interested in the exact definitions of the words we use. Sometimes, they can be powerful in understanding the meaning behind the everyday language we use.
The definition of the word Resolution is "a firm...
