Specific Sponsorship Question

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

I've been asked to play on an ice hockey team by a co-worker. (I know, it's heretical; however, how do you turn down a colleague?)

My question is this:

The owner of a local restaurant/bar is interested in sponsoring the team, but he has been burned in the past by softball teams he's sponsored when only about five players of 15-member teams consistently show up after games. As a result, the he has suggested that he give those who DO show up a 10-percent discount on purchases instead.

My teammates aren't too excited about that, as they figure it will cost about $400 to outfit the team with jerseys that have crests and numbers. (In this tight economy, none of the guys on the team want to shell out for quality jerseys, but they're also tired of playing with mismatched light and dark colors.)

Does anyone have a suggestion for a middle-of-the-road solution?

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[MDE3]

Ask for a 50% discount and bring your opponent after the game.

[DannyG]

Tell the restaurant guy that you will accept his sponsorship for the season, and you will make quarterly reports on your teams (and their families') patronage of his establishment...get your team members to save receipts from every time they dine out there...present these receipts at the appointed time...if the team players make a conscientious effort during the year to patronize the place, and bring in their receipts, there will be a larger than expected gross receipts dollar figure to verify to the owner.

Explain to the restaurant owner that you "don't just want his sponsorship for this year, your team would like to establish a relationship that will be beneficial to all involved for years to come. Allow the team the chance to prove it."

Tell him give you a shot, and you will pleasantly surprise him. The bringing-in-the-actual-receipts concept will produce actual evidence that his sonsorship will net him dollars in the till.

good luck.

[RichardGraham]

Hi MD,

The 50 percent discount sounds reasonable, but invite my opponents? Are you crazy? I'd rather invite Coach Chris! [img]/wtimages/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hi Danny,

Jim, the owner of "My Place," the restaurant/bar I'm speaking of, pitched in to the tune of $150. That won't pay for our entire team's jerseys, so we're looking for an additional sponsor, but it certainly does help. He wanted us to call the team the "My Place Munchers," but he'd have to pay us a helluva lot more than that to accept that name... lol

I like your idea of having team members save receipts from the times they dine (or more likely, drink, there). Thanks. I'll let you know how things go.

I also like your idea of establishing a relationship in the future. Since I am a regular there (it's about three blocks from where I work), I don't have to worry about establishing a relationship for myself, but I agree that it is important that I make sure my teammates understand the value of Jim's support, and that he sees that they become customers as a way of saying thanks.

Are there any good names for "lushes" or "drunks" that begin with "M"? [img]/wtimages/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[njbullets]

Rich,

That's a tough one. You should start a new thread "Name my team".
How bout the <font color=red> My Place MaiTais </font color=red> [img]/wtimages/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
but you better do some serious ass kickin to have a name like that (its a step up from the My Place Margaritas). Good luck with the name.

AP

[RichardGraham]

Hi AP,

I think you have solved the problem. Instead of being so specific towards alcohol consumption, I can be more general, and find tons of names. Here are some for starters. I'm still open to suggestion!

My Place Madness

My Place Marauders

My Place Maniacs

I think we're getting somewhere here! [img]/wtimages/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Thanks!

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[DannyG]

Why stop at the "generic?"

why not go all the way to "highly irrelevant:"

-the My Place Maple Trees

-the My Place Maple Syrup

-the My Place-Mats

-the My Place mini-muffins

-the My Place or Yours (or does that bring us back to the alcohol theme?)

-The My Place Master Debators (if your team is full of trash talkers, eh?)

-the My Place Mucker Puckers (whatever...I'm running out, here...)

-Just tryin' to help...

[RichardGraham]

Hey Danny,

I'm sick to death of politically correct names, so your best suggestion to me is:

"My Place or Yours"

However, it's probably better to be the:

"My Place Oar Yores"

That way, we can have a logo with old-timey boat oars, use a double-entrendre pun, and still be politically correct to 99 percent of the population!

Hey, we're on to something here... "keep it up!" (Sorry, Jerry Falwell. I can't help myself.)

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[sixpack]

Number one a sponsor is to help defray the cost of playing, and that inturn gets them free advertising. The team I play on here in Savannah has a sponser and they help with our $1800 league fees, and we put there logo on our jerseys. There is was no talk what so ever about us patronizing them for being our sponsor. For two reasons: 1) free advertising, word of mouth. If sombody from out of town asks you where to eat you tell them your sponsor. That will throw them alittle buis.

2) Whatever they give you is tax deductible at the end of the year, so they cannot lose period.

If there making a fuss about who shows up after games, get a new sponsor, besides we drink bud light(our sponsor)after every game. Its called loyalty, and they should know that.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Sixer,

The owner of My Place owes me nothing. I have to convince him that our team will give his business some sort of return, when he's been burned in the past by other teams. Sometimes free advertising and word-of-mouth works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't blame him for questioning what our team can do for the growth of his business.

I hope to build on our team's early success; maybe we can approach your team's success one day!

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[sixpack]

Well we had it good in the beginning one of the guys on my team has an uncle who is pretty high up at the Bud distributer, but there soft ball teams have been around for years. Hopefully you guys can get through a bad first season and who knows if you guys can get something going you may have a long time sponsor. I hope it works out for you.

[usateam]

You guys are joking, right? You think that wearing someone's logo on your jersey is high profile? Hardly. The only reason most bars will sponsor teams is because they want you come back after a game. This is ice hockey, not roller hockey (though roller will eventually go this way too).

If you know someone who wants to scratch your back, then great. But most times having 15 yahoos play ice hockey in a rink isn't worth $1800 in advertising. Not even close. Do you realize how many recommendations that is to make back even $400? As for 'writing it off', does anyone really know what that means? It's actually called a deduction, and all it does is prevent them from being taxed on that money. No different than you making a pledge to help cancer victims. A great cause, and you're not taxed on it, but you still pay that money.

Your best bet -- develop a relationship with a bar. Go there for an entire season to prove that your team is dedicated. Then, I guarantee that they'll buy your jerseys for you the next season. It is a true partnership.

[RichardGraham]

Hi USA,

&gt;&gt;Your best bet -- develop a relationship with a bar. Go there for an entire season to prove that your team is dedicated. Then, I guarantee that they'll buy your jerseys for you the next season. It is a true partnership.&lt;&lt;

Makes sense to me.

By the way, the latest name for the team is the My Place Invaders. If we get sponsorship from Victory Wet Suits, we'll be the My Place Victory. Hey, anything we can do to lower our costs, great. I've already been a good customer at My Place, and I'm sure I can convince our team to come in enough to make it more than worth the owner's small investment.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central