Marketing, Sponsorship and Fundraising Activities

Please list 8 possible reasons a company might want to sponsor an event or an organization

The major reasons why companies sponsor events or organizations include:

1. To benefit from continued media coverage and exposure.
2. To increase the perceived brand image (Lynn, 2011).
3. Ensure the brand is recognized by more people.
4. To target a specific market segment.
5. Interact with potential business partners and customers.
6. Sponsorship supports the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.
7. Sponsorship is cheaper than adverts and campaigns.
8. To approach can augment a firm’s marketing strategy.

What is the difference between philanthropy and sponsorship? What is in-kind sponsorship? Provide examples.

Philanthropy refers to “any donation to a specific event or cause” (Kotler & Keller, 2011, p. 58). Companies engage in philanthropy to portray goodwill without expecting anything in return (Martisiute, Vilutyte, & Grundey, 2010). A good example is when a firm decides to provide free education to underprivileged children in a specific society. On the other hand, sponsorship is the provision of financial resources to support a specific project. However, the practice is aimed at pursuing specific organizational objectives. For instance, Coca-Cola is known to sponsor a wide range of sporting activities in an attempt to maximize its marketing strategy.

Karadeniz (2009) defines “in-cash sponsorship as the transfer of specific assets or donations to a non-profit agency” (p. 102). For example, an organization might decide to support a social welfare campaign by providing free transportation to different participants. This initiative has the potential to support the organization’s approach to CSR.

Describe the difference between “paid” marketing and “earned” marketing. Provide examples

Marketers can use a wide range of initiatives to support their brands. Paid marketing focuses on the best measures to ensure more people are informed about the brand. For example, companies can use the advertising platforms used by social media platforms such as Facebook and MySpace to boost their websites. This approach has the potential to maximize traffic and eventually result in new conversations (Twarowska & Kakol, 2013). On the other hand, earned marketing occurs when third parties recommend specific brands or reviews. Such “reviews and recommendations can result in viral tendencies” (Lieb & Owyang, 2012, p. 4). A good example is when a Search Engine displays specific websites that deliver the targeted information. That being the case, firms should ensure the content strategy (or product) should be of the best quality. This approach will inform more people about the targeted products and eventually maximize sales.

List 10 different possible fundraising activities any arts organization could choose to hold (from a potential list of many thousands). If it is a concept that is widely understood (like “bake sale”) no explanation is necessary.

Arts organizations can consider one of the following fundraising activities:

1. Art fundraising: Artists can be encouraged to attend a festival and pay a small amount to participate.
2. Running the race: A race can be considered whereby the targeted individuals are charged a small fee (Lynn, 2011).
3. Party: This event can be fixed during a specific holiday. Donations will then be received from different participants.
4. Craft sales: Members of the art organization can be empowered to design and market different works of art.
5. Art show: The organization can organize a show whereby the attendees might be required to pay a small fee.
6. Scavenger hunt: The targeted participants will be encouraged to present their donations.
7. Trivia night: The organization can use the event to obtain donations from different well-wishers.
8. Comedy night: This event can be hosted in a restaurant whereby a small admission fee is charged.
9. Auction: Several artifacts obtained from different sponsors can be auctioned to raise funds.
10. Carnival: This event is characterized by different games. Community members can be involved and encouraged to support the organization.

References

Karadeniz, M. (2009). Product positioning strategy in marketing management. Journal of Naval Science and Engineering, 5(1), 98-110.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2011). Marketing management. Upper-Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lieb, R., & Owyang, J. (2012). The converged media imperative: How brands must combine paid, owned, and earned media. Altimeter, 1(1), 1-26.

Lynn, M. (2011). Segmenting and targeting your market: strategies and limitations. The Scholarly Commons, 1(1), 1-14.

Martisiute, S., Vilutyte, G., & Grundey, D. (2010). Product or brand? How interrelationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty work. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2(1), 5-15.

Twarowska, K., & Kakol, M. (2013). International business strategy: Reasons and forms of expansion into foreign markets. Management, Knowledge and Learning, 1(1), 1005-1011.