Corporate Sponsorship Tactics

Can a club grow by giving tickets away for free? Fortuna Düsseldorf is betting €45M on it. Here's the radical business model reshaping German football: ✅ The "Fortuna für Alle" Experiment ▪️ Year 1 (2023/24): 3 free home matches ▪️ Year 2 (2024/25): 4 free matches ▪️ Year 3 (2025/26): 5 free matches ▪️ End goal: All 17 home games free by 2030 👉 Backed by a €45M sponsorship fund from partners who get it. ✅ The Math Behind "Free" Traditional model: ▪️ Ticket revenue: ~€8M/year ▪️ Average attendance: 32,000 (65% capacity) - estimate ▪️ Fan engagement: Transactional Fortuna's model: ▪️ Sponsorship replacing tickets: €9M+/year ▪️ Average attendance: 48,000+ (98% capacity on free days) - estimate ▪️ Fan engagement: Community ownership ❗ The multiplier effect (estimate): ☑️ Merchandising: +47% on free match days ☑️ Sponsor visibility: 50% more impressions ☑️ Media value: €12M in earned PR (first year alone) ✅ Why Sponsors Are Paying for Your Ticket ▪️ Full stadium = Premium brand environment ▪️ 48,000 engaged fans > 32,000 paying customers ▪️ Community goodwill transfers to sponsor brands ▪️ Young fan acquisition (42% under 25 on free days) ✅ The Strategic Genius It's venture capital thinking applied to football: 1️⃣ Customer Acquisition Cost: €0 2️⃣ Lifetime Fan Value: €2,800 (merchandise, concessions, loyalty) 3️⃣ Community Asset Building: Priceless Traditional clubs sell tickets. Fortuna sells belongings. ❗ Fortuna isn't just giving away tickets. They're building a generation of fans. ✅ The Implications for Football If this works, we'll see: ▪️ Sponsors becoming de facto season ticket holders ▪️ Stadiums as community assets, not revenue centers ▪️ Fan loyalty measured in decades, not seasons ▪️ Young fans choosing clubs based on values, not trophies 👉 The paradigm shift: From extracting value from fans → Crating value with the community When your grandson asks why he supports Fortuna Düsseldorf, the answer won't be "because they won." It'll be "because they invited us in." ❓ Which club will be brave enough to follw? #FootballBusiness #CommunityStrategy #Germanfootball data: Fortuna Düsseldorf, Sponsors.de, Kicker ph: undici

Marketing brain is 24/7. Its a curse 😂 This question kept our marketing team up for months "How can we improve our sponsor experience?" One simple q during our all hands We all hyper focused on it It lived rent free in our heads Which is the beauty of marketing But also the curse haha Once you get INCEPTION, you cant shake an idea So we went to work thinking through everything we could to level up our sponsor experinece for all our brand partners who are often investing $ six figure amounts. The creative burden of this question led us to revamp our entire sponsor experience, starting with dashboards. This ended up being the biggest driver of sponsor NPS. Real time registration dashboards for sponsors. That we now run with this 4 step flow. Here's how it works 👇 Step 1: Real time registrant enrichment As attendees register, we automatically enrich each profile using Clay, Clearbit, and internal logic. This gives us a live data set with firmographics, technographics, company size, title level, and geography. Step 2: Sponsor facing filters Each sponsor can view the dashboard through their own lens: Want to break down VP+ titles in financial services? Filter. Want to see companies with 200 to 1,000 employees? Filter. Want to segment by RevOps tools in the stack? Filter. Step 3: Weekly summary reports Every Friday, sponsors receive an email with three key indicators: 1. New registrants 2. ICP match rates 3. RSVP velocity Step 4: Mid flight upgrade triggers If a spike in target accounts shows up two to three weeks before the event, we give sponsors the option to upgrade in real time. That might include adding things like: Extra 1:1 meeting rooms Booking a sponsored dinner slot Adding a breakout or session bump -- My final 0.02 for you The best marketing takes obsession When you obsess over the customer experience like this, you're bound to come up with at least a few winning ideas. Even if you have a few clunkers a long the way. So set a high standard for 10X ideas inside your org and give people the space to take big swings, not just small optimizations of your current state. Marketing brain is a beautiful thing (even if it drives us crazy along the way 😂)

FIFA tried to hide Gillette's logo from the World Cup. During the World Cup, FIFA's sponsorship rules  Forced Gillette Stadium to temporarily become "Boston Stadium." The logos were covered.  The branding disappeared. But Gillette saw something most brands miss: Constraints create attention. Instead of hiding the stadium signage with a plain cover, they disguised it as shaving foam. A simple visual. Perfectly linked to the product. Then they posted it online. And suddenly, a sponsorship restriction became a marketing campaign. That's the difference between advertising and branding. Advertising helps people see you. Branding helps people recognize you. First Levi's used a covered logo. Now Gillette used shaving foam. Different executions. Same lesson. The strongest brands don't win because they're visible everywhere. They win because people recognize them instantly,  Even when the logo is gone.

🗣️ “I didn’t want to make Nike, Adidas and Puma richer.” - a masterclass in sports business and fashion. This quote is from Aurelio De Laurentiis, owner of SSC Napoli. His club Napoli went fully inhouse for their jersey and merch and created a startup in the club. A masterclass in sports &business by Europe’s most financially sustainable club ♻️- you would not expect in Napoli ;). I) How it usually works – Club x Supplier 👕 – Club signs with Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc. – Brand pays yearly fixed fee as sponsor – Club gets free gear + ~€5–7 per jersey – Royalties = ~10–15% of wholesale price – Brand handles production, logistics etc – Club only earns more via its own stores In short – Safe, low-margin, low-control – Great for global distribution – Merch is outsourced – so is upside 🤯 II) Napoli’s shift – DIY + EA7 “I called my friend Giorgio Armani. I needed to make my own jerseys, but with a credible brand. That’s how the idea was born.” 🧠 Starting 2021/22: – Ended Kappa deal (€8M/year) – No traditional sponsor replaced it – Partnered with EA7/Armani (€100k/year) – Napoli handles: design, production —>all – EA7 provides: brand, fashion expertise Strategic plays: – No middlemen – Global D2C via Amazon et al – Released 13 kits in first year❗️ – Built demand through drops & storytelling Control gained: – Faster time to market – Higher per-unit net margin (est. ~50%) – Cultural & visual brand alignment III) Did it work? Merch revenue by season “It’s like another company within our company, one that produces a lot of stuff. We’ve transformed everything.” ⬇️ Merch rev., growth, est. % of total rev. year by year: 20/21: €3.4M, –, 2% (last season w/ Kappa) 21/22: €5.8M, +71%, 3.5% 22/23: €14.7M, +332%, 5.5% 23/24: €21.5M, +532%, 8.0% 24/25: Est. €25M+ considering title momentum 🏆 📈 5x merch revenue growth in 4 years → Thanks to entrepreneurial vision and execution. 📌 Lessons for the industry – Vertical integration isn’t just for factories – Brand control > brand dependency – Storytelling, scarcity, speed = sales Could this model scale to other top clubs? Or is this DIY path one-of-a-kind? Want to see more behind-the-scenes from Napoli’s business model? 👇 Let’s talk in the comments. Lucas Sorrentino

Most professionals make this mistake... They believe their boss is responsible for their growth. ⇢ “If I do great work, my boss will recognize it.” ⇢ “If I stay loyal, my boss will ensure I get promoted.” ⇢ “If I just keep delivering, my boss will advocate for me.” That sounds logical. But that’s not how career growth works. ⇢ Your boss is focused on business and team's performance, not your career. ⇢ They might be a mentor, offering feedback and coaching. ⇢ They might even be an advocate, supporting you when they can. But that doesn’t make them your sponsor. Yesterday, I wrote about how hard work alone doesn’t drive career growth. Rutvij Shah left a comment that nailed it: "Find a sponsor/s who would advocate for you." That’s the difference no one talks about. Mentor vs. Sponsor vs. Boss ⇢ Your boss ensures the team delivers. A sponsor ensures your career moves forward. ⇢ A mentor gives advice. A sponsor creates opportunities. ⇢ A mentor supports your growth. A sponsor puts their reputation on the line for you. Ever seen someone less capable than you move ahead? They had a sponsor, someone fighting for them in rooms they weren’t even in. So, Where Do You Find a Sponsor? Sponsorship isn’t given. It’s earned. Look beyond your boss: Inside Your Company: ⇢ Your boss’s boss – They influence key decisions. ⇢ Senior leaders – They see strategic impact and potential. ⇢ Cross-functional executives – They recognize talent beyond their own teams. Outside Your Company: ⇢ Industry leaders – The right visibility opens doors. ⇢ Clients & business partners – If your work delivers, they’ll advocate for you. ⇢ Former managers & colleagues – They know your strengths and can vouch for you. These people can change your career, but only if they see a reason to. So, How Do You Earn Sponsorship? Sponsorship isn’t about being liked. It’s about being undeniable. ⇢ Deliver results that stand out. Sponsors back proven performers. ⇢ Make their job easier. Solve problems, and they’ll take a chance on you. ⇢ Be visible. Your work doesn’t speak for itself. You do. ⇢ Own your ambition. If they don’t know what you want, they can’t help. ⇢ Make it worth their while. Sponsorship is built on trust and mutual value. But, It isn't easy. For women, sponsorship is tougher: ⇢ Perhaps, sometimes, self-advocacy is seen as “aggressive.” ⇢ Fewer senior women leaders mean fewer sponsors. ⇢ Informal sponsorship networks often exclude them. For consultants, its different: ⇢ No company structure. No promotions. No internal sponsors. ⇢ Clients, industry leaders, and past colleagues become their sponsors. The only mantra is: ⇢ Build relationships. ⇢ Deliver great value. ⇢ Make yourself impossible to ignore. Sponsorship isn’t about working harder. It’s about making sure the right people see your impact. Who has been your sponsor? How did you find them? Or if you haven’t had one yet, where will you start looking? #careers #growth #sponsorships

I have negotiated nearly $4 billion in sponsorships. Yet I personally approved and signed almost none of those contracts. Even the most senior sponsorship executives rarely hold approval authority over deals worth millions. In most companies, the person who signs is the CEO. That means the true responsibility of a sponsorship professional is not just negotiating terms and rights, but shaping the deal and recommending it to senior management. If you are selling sponsorships, remember: your role is not only to secure terms that satisfy your counterpart, but also to help them “sell” the project internally. Your offer must appeal to the CEO, not just the marketing team. With that mindset, you will write different proposals, give different presentations, and hopefully, be far more effective.

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. I did this by using an approach I call Yo-yo selling: 🪀 It’s how you win large, complex enterprise deals by building credibility with senior executives at the beginning of a sales cycle. This will save you months of spending time with mid or lower level Directors on a deal cycle, only to have your deal stall because it's not a priority for Executives. Here’s the concept: You start at the top, get senior level sponsorship for a deep discovery, drop down into the business, then bounce back up with a report of findings. This is the process I've used for nearly every 7-figure deal I've ever closed. Step 0: Research before outreach Before asking for time, I do deep strategic research. Earnings calls. Investor decks. Press releases. Executive interviews. I also spend time talking to their team to see if the problem that I solve exists in their company. Using that research, I build a Point of View that connects their top business goals to real execution gaps. This earns executive time. Today, AI tools like ChatGPT make this easier than ever. What used to take hours now takes minutes. If you skip this step, you lose your edge. Step 1: Prospect to the top and gain their sponsorship to engage Lead with your POV. The key is to teach them something new about their business which they aren't already aware of, and show them how it's putting their highest level goals at risk. If they lean in, offer up a deep discovery with your team and their team. Lock in a date to come back for a readout. Have them assign a project manager to help you coordinate Step 2: Drop down Once you have executive sponsorship, meet with their team. The key is to have the Exec sponsor send out a note to their team explaining what it's for. This will keep the assessment moving forward. Study workflows. Capture friction. Collect quotes. Do not pitch. Just listen. Step 3: Bounce back up Bring it all together in an executive summary. Show how their vision connects directly to what’s broken below. Present a focused business case. Build a custom demo. Create a roadmap and implementation plan. That’s where deals close. Real example from my career At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we were told “no” on a point solution. Instead of walking away, I stepped back and asked what the company really needed. After deep research, I re-engaged the COO with a transformation POV centered on the experience of 50,000+ agents. The result was one of the largest new logo deals in Salesforce history. But Yo-yo selling alone isn’t enough. Because it's hard to execute and takes patience. Top performers also master their mindset, habits, and discipline. That’s why I put together a free masterclass for sellers who want to break into the top 1 percent. 👉 Watch the free training here: https://lnkd.in/eWD8mTqH If you’re serious about enterprise sales, this will change how you sell.

The Winner Is….?   Direct Lending Private Credit transactions provided to Private Equity Sponsors have a lower default rate and loss rate compared to Non-PE Sponsor deals. In fact, the default rate/loss rate is ~50% lower for Sponsor-led deals vs. Non-Sponsor deals, as show in the data below. Capital Allocators investing in Direct Lending know this to be true given a multitude of factors:   1. Sponsor Oversight and Support: Private Equity Sponsors typically take an active role in managing their portfolio companies. They provide strategic guidance, operational improvements, and even financial support during challenging times. Their hands-on approach helps stabilize companies during periods of stress, reducing the likelihood of default. 2. Alignment of Interests: PE sponsors have significant equity stakes in the companies they invest in, creating a strong incentive to ensure the company's success. They are more likely to inject additional capital or restructure operations to avoid default, thereby protecting their investment. 3. Stronger Due Diligence: PE sponsors generally perform extensive due diligence before making an investment. This thorough vetting process results in higher-quality borrowers, as only companies with robust business models and growth potential are likely to receive sponsor backing. 4. Access to Resources: PE-backed companies often have better access to resources such as management expertise, operational enhancements, and additional funding. This can help them weather economic downturns or market challenges more effectively than non-sponsored companies. 5. Proactive Governance: PE sponsors usually enforce stricter governance and financial controls in the companies they back. This oversight can help ensure better financial discipline and faster response to problems, thus reducing the likelihood of default. 6. Reputational Risk for Sponsors: Private equity firms are highly concerned with maintaining their reputation in the marketplace. A default in one of their portfolio companies can tarnish their standing with investors and lenders, which can affect future deal-making. As a result, they are more likely to intervene to prevent defaults.   Middle Market lenders have "edge,” wider spreads with strong covenant protection. Private Credit wins over Broadly Syndicated Loans and High Yield Bonds (lower default rates, higher returns) year after year.

Football has a gambling problem. Not because supporters bet. Because clubs do.. Today, 296 of the 442 clubs across Europe’s major leagues have at least one betting partner 🤯 But regulators are tightening the rules. Spain banned gambling shirt sponsorships, Italy tried, and England is banning front-of-shirt betting sponsors from next season. Which raises a much bigger question: Who replaces them? History suggests football sponsorship money never disappears. It simply moves to a new industry. Tobacco became alcohol. Alcohol became gambling. Now we’re starting to see the next wave emerge: FinTech. Over the past few years we’ve already seen companies like Revolut (https://lnkd.in/dQqCSKdv), Monzo (https://lnkd.in/dAHXxZVm), Airwallex (https://lnkd.in/d5Ci5ffr), Visa (world cup campaign: https://lnkd.in/dAe5dkQq), Mastercard (https://lnkd.in/d2Yzxx-j), Cash App, Deel (https://lnkd.in/dwgDuYCt) and many others invest heavily in sports sponsorships. Not because they like football, because football delivers something every FinTech wants: Attention, trust, and customers. The clubs need new sponsors. The FinTech industry needs new distribution channels. That feels like a very interesting match. Looking at the Premier League sponsorship landscape, financial services have grown from just 4.5% of sponsors in the early 1990s to 15% today. And I believe we’re still only scratching the surface. As gambling sponsorships come under increasing pressure, I expect financial services and FinTech brands to increase their share significantly over the coming years. If you’re exploring opportunities in sports, feel free to reach out. I’m helping FinTech companies identify and navigate the right partnerships. 📷 Source: The Hidden League 👉 https://bit.ly/49V8K4i

I've recently seen LinkedIn posts sharing F1 and MotoGP sponsorship figures. Here's why I don't. I've worked in this space daily for 2 decades and there are 3 basic rules to follow. 1. Every deal is different.  From entry fees and activation budgets to performance bonuses and exclusivity clauses, no two partnerships are structured the same. 2. If you're an agency involved in a deal, you've signed an NDA. Disclosing figures is a breach of trust. 3. Even if you haven't signed anything, motorsport teams don't like their commercial terms discussed publicly. It damages relationships built over years. So any LinkedIn post with generic sponsorship figures is oversimplifying at best and misleading at worst. When a client or prospect needs indicative figures for their specific situation, I provide them because context matters and the conversation is confidential. What I share publicly: how partnerships are structured, where value lies, and what makes sponsorships work. All based on experience, not rumours.