Sponsorship Stories: Celebrating the Champions and Calling Out the Snoozers

Subheadline: "A No-Bullshit Guide to Winning Big with Strategic Partnerships (And Exposing the Missed Opportunities Along the Way)"

Hey there, creative community! It's time for a no-holds-barred, brutally honest chat about marketing sponsorships and strategic partnerships. In a world where every Tom, Dick, and Harriet is posting about this stuff, it's crucial to know the difference between the "experts" who make a living running their mouths and the real deal who actually get shit done.

Think of it this way: a high school science teacher is undoubtedly a subject matter expert, but if you're looking to reach the moon, you need a JPL scientist. While you may need the knowledge base of the former, it's the latter who can truly get you there and has been in the trenches. So, scrutinize whom you seek advice from, because there are many people out there, but not all of them are worth listening to.

Picture this: you've been making bank selling Mickey Mouse merch for 40 years, and Mickey himself wants to take a pic with your brand. You'd have to be a Grade-A dumbass to say no, right? Well, believe it or not, that's the kind of asleep-at-the-wheel nonsense we've seen from some companies.

Here's the secret sauce to nailing sponsorships: create a scenario where everyone wins big time. Offer your sponsor something that would cost them 10, 50, or even 100 times more to achieve independently. Give them a VIP pass to an audience and product placement that would take years to build through traditional means, and do it at a price that won't make their accountant cry.

Take our podcast, for example. In just one year, we went from zero listeners to six-figure sponsorships, paid advertising, and enough equipment, merch, and cops to make your head spin. How? By hooking our sponsors up with exposure that would've cost them 10-100x through other channels. And the best part? It's evergreen, baby.

Now, let's dish on some recent sponsorship opportunities we pitched to a couple of companies.

First up, a Halloween costume retailer - you've probably heard of them, they set up shop around summertime and close up a bit after Halloween, often in strip malls. We served them the chance to have their banner rubbing shoulders with Fright Night and icons from Chucky, Star Wars, and Marvel to Jack frickin' Skellington, all in one room. This company rakes in the dough from every single one of those IPs and the people behind them. The fact that they couldn't cough up sponsorship to support a community project like this? A giant, steaming pile of missed opportunity. Their stock is soaring, and the wind beneath their wings — the very faces they passed on.

Next, a fast fashion online seller - we thought this was very ON TOPIC. We're talking the faces, franchises, and IP creators this company plasters all over their inventory - they specialize in horror, niche, and celebrity faces on T-shirts, backpacks, hats, and socks... the same people who will be gracing the stage for a community-funded project. We reached out and said, "Hey, there's a win-win opportunity here." Everyone does business differently, and if you're too busy mining gold to move your machines, that's on you. It's notable, however, that the gold being mined is only there because of those they turned down.

The lesson? When it comes to sponsorships, you better be ready to offer 100 times more than you're asking, no matter how big you are. Don't be shocked when decision-makers at big companies, who might not give a hoot about the company's best interest, give a hard pass on opportunities that are nothing short of a gift.

But here's the thing: we've also found kickass sponsors who know the value of strategic partnerships. They've been with us through the struggle and are sure as hell part of our success. We ride or die for them beyond our sponsorship because they're part of the family.

As we keep growing and hit that sweet, sweet 5 million download mark, we'll always be shouting out our sponsors from the rooftops. We see sponsorship as a genuine partnership. If you're thirsty for a sponsor like Dropbox think about how you can put their product to work in a way that's worth them bragging about. Can you seamlessly weave them into media brands they can't reach on their own? Can you get them exposure for $1.00 which would cost them $10,000? (reach out Dropbox )

No matter your brand, the moment you've got an audience that vibes with what you're putting down, you have the power to spread the word, just like telling your friends about a sick vacation spot or the best mechanic in town. You're giving your sponsors a megaphone they don't have, and an audience that trusts what you're bringing to the table.

To my fellow creatives and entrepreneurs, keep hustling, keep refining your craft, and keep seeking out partners who are on your same wavelength. The right sponsors are out there, and when you find them, it's magic - more than sponsors, you become partners.

Keep creating, keep innovating, and keep calling out the snoozers who wouldn't know greatness if it bit them in the ass. And always remember, focus on the lesson learned, because that's the key to crushing it.

#StrategicPartnerships #SponsorshipSucces #MarketingStrateg #WinningPartnerships #NoBullMarketin #BusinessPartnerships #CreativeCollaborations #InnovativeSponsorships #PodcastSuccessStories #PodcastSponsorship