General view of the sold out Mt Smart Stadium during the round five NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the North Queensland Cowboys at Mt Smart Stadium on Apr. 7, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
For sporting professionals tasked with managing complicated sponsorship deals, successfully reaching the finish line isn’t always as simple as originally expected.
Seeing to what seems like an endless collection of details while ensuring that everything is delivered both on-time – and perhaps more importantly – as promised, can prove to be a tall order.
Sponsorship managers have long toiled over multiple spreadsheets that can be both ineffective and time-consuming. But SponServe has devised a trusted method of getting the job done correctly through a specialized system that has made the Australia-based software firm the industry leader when it comes to the business of not on only building relationships, but ensuring positive results are being achieved on a regular and timely basis.
Since shifting over from more traditional and labor-intensive sponsorship management methods, SponServe clients – which includes six Premier League franchises and a host of other rugby, cricket and football clubs – have not only experienced an influx of more time to work with, but have also witnessed the benefits of working more closely with their partners.
And making life easier for rights holders and sponsors alike has been at the core of SponServe’s mission from the beginning.
“One thing that really attracted us to SponServe was the fact that it was built specifically by people who were in the sponsorship industry,” a representative from the Western Bulldogs of the Australian Football League said. “It was clear from the start that they had a deep understanding of sponsorship and how a system needs to be flexible because every organization is a little unique. That was really important for us.”
As opposed to outdated sponsorship management methods, SponServe offers clients a partnership model between rights holders and their sponsors that’s more relational and less transactional in nature. By putting SponServe software to work on a daily basis, sponsorship managers are not only saving 54 percent of their time each week, but have seen a bump in confidence that nothing is being missed along the way by 78 percent.
Now, rather than focusing solely on making sure details are being attended to, SponServe clients work more in-step with sponsors to make sure that marketing objectives are being reached on a regular basis and that sponsors are also getting a proper return on their investment.
Russell Wood, the financial controller for Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., said SponServe has bridged an important gap that he has seen in the sponsorship market. Transitioning over to SponServe, Wood said, has been a critical piece in not only securing, but managing Brighton’s sponsorship deal with American Express, as well as with overseeing the franchise’s commercial inventory management.
“(SponServe) has consolidated everything,” Wood said. “It’s really impressive and it works. It definitely de-risks the operation.”
As has been the case for Wood, the results that come from utilizing SponServe’s technology tend to speak for themselves.
“SponServe has allowed us to become more strategic with our partners rather than just transactional,” said a representative from the Plus500 Brumbies, an Australian professional rugby football team that competes in Super Rugby. “Our partners therefore see more value and are using their assets better, which has in turn helped to reduce churn.”
Offering specialized software for its impressive roster of clients has been a game-changer for SponServe, which is now expanding to North America after working closely with franchises and sponsors based in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Although other departments in professional sports franchises and organizations have enjoyed the luxury of specialized technology for years, sponsorship management specialists have routinely been left to rely on a series of spreadsheets and other methods that have long been past their prime. Since making the move to SponServe, however, clients not only have been able to better manage their time and worked with more confidence, but also saw a jump in revenue growth by 31 percent.
Now, instead of spending 3-4 days each week attempting to understand what they had to deliver, those who manage sponsorships on a daily basis are able use the same time nurturing important business relationships that are now better built to stand the test of time.
“(SponServe) drives clients toward understanding what their partner’s objectives and then tracking how the partnership aligns all the different objectives,” said SponServe managing director Mark Thompson.”
That has certainly been the case for the Vodafone Warriors, a professional rugby franchise in New Zealand. According to Glenn Crichley, the Warriors’ commercial manager, SponServe has simplified the way sponsorship management gets done and has provided Crichley with a one-stop solution to making sure every detail is attended to. Not only has it provided Crichley with peace of mind he did not have before, but made his business partnerships more effective.
“SponServe has allowed us to be more accountable when dealing with our partners, while also providing the ability to demonstrate the quality of our servicing of the whole commercial program,” Crichley said. “SponServe has also given us the time and resources to be more proactive when dealing with partners.”
Once both sides of the partnership find themselves working together and toward a common goal, rights holders are finding it easier for sponsorship deals with major brands to be renewed when the time comes, which has led to a win-win proposition for everyone involved.
“SponServe offers a highly cohesive and one stop place to find details on sponsorships, and deliverables,” said Charlotte Cobb, commercial coordinator for Wycombe Wanderers F.C., which operates out of Buckinghamshire, England. “Gone are the days of rifling through several spreadsheets to find data. SponServe creates reports at a click of a button, and saves ample time within the workplace. SponServe has made the commercial department much more efficient in how we operate day to day.”
