How do sponsorships work?

[rocknbil]

. . . that is, from the SPONSOR'S perspective?

I've reached a point in my life where it's time for a change. I'll be leaving my job and jumping into several new ventures. I'm totally stoked.

One of the ventures I'm interested in - not a money-making one obviously - is to build a local RC club. (Tarant, chime in here bud! ) The RC scene in my area sucks. BADLY. There's TWO hobby shops in a 200 mile radius, NO organized racing of any kind.

As a motivating force, I'm going to also see if I can build a sponsored racer program. In exchange for advertising, I'll be lobbying businesses to toss in whatever they will contribute to a local sponsored racer. Our golden child will be selected by the contributing businesses, and the goal is to send him or her to compete in national events.

So how does sponsoring work? What are the budgetary limitations and guidelines a sponsor commits to when they sponsor a racer? Do sponsors foot the bill completely - vehicle, travel, etc, - or is there a budget they determine and do they have control over which events they race in, or do they commit to the whole racing season?

Fill me in on some of this, I think this is a really good idea that could bring the RC'ers in my area out of the woodwork. I know there are thousands. I'm off to my LHS to have a chat with the owner.

 

[Team 17]

Depends. Some sponsors will pay for all expenses like Nascar. Some hobby shops will give a discount or let u buy what u need at cost. Or some will go half or pay a certain percentage.

 

[Plaidfish]

Usually sponsors want to see people motivated enough to find ways to get to the big events before they start giving some serious flow of any kind....having been sponsored for skateboarding/snowboarding and road cycling I know they aren't really willing to just hand stuff out.....you can get the bro sponsorship just by "being down" with some group and if you're smart you can build that into a real sponsorship.....the whole pestering companies thing is done to death so I wouldn't recomend it in any sport/hobby....the best way is to just kick ass at as many of the biggest events you can get to.....don't beg for anything to any manufacturer and let them come to you....if they do you will always get a better deal......

 

[redhatman]

sponsors pay you/provide you with stuff that you want to basically advertise for their company.

Example: You have a local race track where it is stadium trucks and MT's only allowed, ... you put something advertising for associated on your track, and in return, they give you st/mt truck parts... or provide you with st/mt cars to put out as prizes.

 

[Diver6127]

Sponsorships vary in many forms, for r/c's. There are the full rides where you are supplied with everything to race and then there are the ones where you can get things that aren't provided for the public (engines, motors, batteries) and get things at cost price.

When my brother and I were still being sponsored by our LHS, we got things at distributers cost as well as foams and fuel for racing. In return, we brought bins full of spare parts for sale (with the track owners permission), wore their t-shirts and advertised the store with a banner hanging from our ez-up.

We, sl0eg1n and I, left the sponsorship becuase it took away from us being able to race. We were racing, selling, fixing our cars as well as other peoples cars. By the end of the day, we were tired and most of all, not able to concentrate onour own race programs because of problems that came around (not from the store but from a certain individual).No need to go into that situation but it was bad.

When you are sponsored, you are expected to do well in races you enter. You have to show a good attitude, even when things are not going well. Most of all, you may have to go to certain events the sponsor wants you to attend. Be careful what the requirements are of any sponsorship. Have it put on paper where verything is black and white.

When you approach a potential sponsor, have time sheets and footage to show ou are a worthy racer to sponsor. You have to sell yourself and have the proof to back you up.

 

[redhatman]

verything is black and white.

racist.. lol. :jk:

 

[CorradoPsi]

i like your idea of trying to bring RC into the community, but i think your going about it wrong.

IMO, what you want to do, will take what little your community has of RC talant, and send it elsewhere. the idea is to draw it in. instead gather the local RC enthusiasts, and get them to write a letter, or make a video. then send this product to all the local companies you can find. asking them for anything they can donate for a track or track maintainance equipment. in return you will place thier advertisements around your track barrier walls. or maybe even help sell thier goods. announce store specials between heats. a hardware store for instance, you could sell some of thier brooms or shovels that you use, right there at the track. a nearby sandwich shop, you could have as the tracks food source, every raceday, put in an order for subs and have them all delivered to the racers (racers pay for what they want obviously). kind like garenteeing that company buisness every race day. see where I'm going with it?

 

[MillerTime]

ok, heres a quick list of things I believe you should do well before sponsoring a driver.
1) inform the lhs what you want to do and make sure they can support it. Make sure they will be able to keep a well stocked hobby shop and provide more than enough parts for racing. Very fast cars break parts when they run into hard walls. This is something the lhs should like to hear and should be willing to support you if he carries the products.

2) get a place to race. Whether it be a wal-mart parking lot and a pick up truck full of 2x4s aranged to make an on road track or a field that you can spend the time making an offroad track on. Next make sure what ever you want to race will have enough people showing up to have races. I would recomend trying to only push one or two classes and if there is enough interest then you can expand.
3) get rental cars If you can give people the thrill of driving a decked out race rdy car without their need to spend 500 bucks on something they have never done before it will spark interest.
4) Once you have a small group of guys that is large enough to at least fill the track for one class I would try and pursuade them to all run the same kind of car. This way when people show up to race they will all show up and have plenty of competition. If you go out and try to run 5 differant classes and 20 people show up then you are going to be in trouble. I would advice that you set up an off road track and not an on road track because new comers to r/c want something they can bash around the yard, not something that is going to be hard to find a smooth place to run.
5) The hardest thing to do is going to be to find a place to race off road. In my area the previous two tracks have been at flea markets, where they have had extra unused land which you should be able to come to an agreament on. You can also check fair grounds and state parks. If you want to bring in sponsors then you could always post signs from the drivers stand. If you want to sponsor a driver than each season you can have a points series which will motivate people to show up so that can compete in the series. You could have each entrant put 20 bucks or so into a pot and send the winner of the series to a major event. Then you can throw a tshirt on the guy with all the local tracks sponsors up on it. If you have twentey or so people run in a class then you are collecting 400 bucks which should pay for a plane ticket and a hotel room or gas money to a big race. You could also set up these point series to recieve a new car so they will be ready to come out the next race season.

 

[rocknbil]

Good info miller, but the races are a different topic. In reality, I'm hoping to elect a club "race organizer" to manage that part.

I've been following this thread and many others on other boards and the general consensus is:

This is a stupid idea. It will never work.

AWESOME! All the more reason to do it.

Response is going to be slow, as I have to align some "paying" projects, get things into place so I can continue eating. First I'll establish a club and charter, then move into the other areas.

The most solid info I've gathered so far is that 50% sponsorship support is at least helpful to a prospective racer.

Let me re-outline the concept:

- I am not looking for a sponsorship; I am looking for a way to OFFER one.

- The prospective racer will be selected by 1) race results in LOCAL events, 2) a cumulative vote between the sponsorship participants. Racers under 18 and still in school will have to have parental consent AND demonstrated minimum GPA.

- If the prospective racer cannot meet the shortcomings of the sponsorship - that is, if 50% (or whatever we can raise) is not enough and the racer cannot make the races or come up with the deficit, the sponsorhip will pass to the next qualifying club member.

I know this is not how it's done. I know there are other motivations by most "sponsors."

But I ALSO know that there is literally nothing (or VERY LITTLE, outside of this site) in this industry that is done solely to support the hobby. There is always an ulterior motive, or someone's hand is in someone else's pocket. That is what makes this idea unique and it could work.

All it's going to take is time and organization.

Please, keep sending ideas, even negative ones, these are ALL very helpful!

 

[Plaidfish]

I don't get the idea this is a bad idea, I think you misunderstood what people are saying.....these are suggestions or guides to how anyone can get a sponsorship.....take your idea of helping get a sponsorship for another person....what do they have to offer a sponsor?? yes beating a few people at the small local track is a good start but being a big fish in a little pond is nothing like being the little fishin a big pond.....you need to build the racer's qualifications before the sponsors will even look twice...your idea is noble but until you yourself are the sponsor it will be hard to "give away" someone elses company sponsor to an unknown.....I mean unknown as in when you approach the companies you think would be interested, what are you going to say when they ask about your team driver??? "well I don't know who he is yet, it will be the winner of our club points series".....presentation will be difficult to do on that idea........you should probably look to see if any factories want to sponsor the track and leave the product co-sponsorship to you as the club director/shop owner type guy......get a following at your track first.....who would want to give away stuff they know they're gonna sell to you anyway if the track only has 5 regulars?

 

[maxxFX]

I'm sorry but this poop is taking way to long to read! :shrug:

 

[MillerTime]

The easiest way to put this is. Sponsor a track and a class and racers will come. People race because its fun, not because they want to make money. No one started off as a sponsorship driver. First off I would make sure the lhs has been saling r/c cars. Odds are they are a bunch of t-maxxs and other various big nitro off road vehicles, so these are what you are going to have to support to get racing started in your area. Maybe you get lucky and the lhs has been saling competitive kits. Once you find out what you need to support build a hella kick ass track. Then advertise it to the area. Once you have a solid base of racers you can create point series. These would require attendance and great results to compete for.