What is Sponsorship?

IEG, a well-known publisher in the $57.5 billion sponsorship industry, defines sponsorship as: “a cash and /or in-kind fee paid to a property in return for access for the exploitable commercial potential associated with that property.”

Meaning that it isn’t like philanthropy where you are supporting a cause without any commercial incentive. In fact, it is the exact opposite – “sponsorship is undertaken for the purpose of achieving commercial objectives.”

I would further define sponsorship as a channel of marketing and advertising focused on customer engagement, education and lead generation primarily utilized in live or recorded content, that benefits from the properties ties to a target audience.

Get a Consultation

Why Brands Invest in Sponsorship

They believe sponsoring is the best use of their marketing and advertising dollars.

Key Sponsorship Strategies

The Halo Effect

When you sponsor a property, you are borrowing their fans, premises, and associating yourself with their values. If you sponsor the state fair, your brand is associated with a family event. If you sponsor a sports team, you get recognition and the ups and downs of winning and losing. If you sponsor a cause, you are telling the market what you care about.

Foster Credibility

Sponsors get to build trust and establish rapport with a property’s fans. The key to success is to align with opportunities and brands that align with the values of your organization.

Build Brand Awareness

A good sponsorship will provide strategic opportunities to showcase a sponsor’s brand before, during, and in some cases, after the event.

Engage with Your Audience

Sponsorship gives brands the ability to have a two-way conversation by increasing a brand’s relevance while networking with customers and prospects.

Making Virtual Events Profitable

A lot of what works for in-person events doesn’t work for virtual events. Many of the clients we have helped have been so focused on mastering new technology that sponsorship doesn’t become a priority until the very last minute.

We have made the jump and know how to create sponsorship revenue for virtual events.

Set Up a Sponsorship Consultation

15 Critical Sponsorship Risk Factors

Transform Risk Into ROI

Sponsorships can be game-changers, or budget drainers. The difference isn’t luck. It’s strategy.

In Sponsorship Risk Management: 15 Critical Factors, Larry Weil, The Sponsorship Guy, pulls back the curtain on what separates successful sponsorships from expensive misfires. This isn’t a “checklist”, it’s a practical playbook for how smart brands evaluate, negotiate, and activate partnerships that deliver real business value.

You’ll learn how to identify the hidden pitfalls that derail deals, from audience misalignment and inflated pricing to weak activation and lack of ROI clarity, and how to turn those very risks into competitive advantage. Each of the 15 risk factors includes clear action items that help you assess sponsorships with confidence, protect your investment, and elevate your results.

This guide goes beyond risk avoidance. It’s about mastering risk leverage, the ability to make bold, informed decisions that amplify reach, relevance, and return.

With insights drawn from over $200 million in sponsorship transactions, Weil offers an insider’s framework that reshapes how you see sponsorship. From building a risk assessment matrix to integrating digital extensions, this ebook arms you with the tools to navigate today’s sponsorship landscape with strategy, structure, and confidence.

If you’re ready to stop gambling with your marketing dollars and start managing your sponsorships like assets, this is where you start.

Download the Free Playbook