Talk to many of our local businesses and they’ll tell you it happens almost every day: a student heading to Japan for a sports trip, a Christmas raffle for the tennis club, a fundraiser for a school team. Sometimes the donation requested is small, other times it’s much larger — and in small towns, where everyone knows everyone, it can be hard to say no.
Many business owners choose one organisation to support each year, which becomes a convenient fallback when others come calling. Others will refer people to their head office or an owner who lives elsewhere in the world. And fair enough — in these uncertain times, businesses are doing it tough. They need to justify every dollar they spend or give away.
This year’s Paradise Coast Golf Classic has three main sponsors and several local businesses pitching in. We asked Jeffrey Price from Jennian Homes why he supports the Classic.
“Many of the golfers in the Classic are from the Upper North, and several own baches on the Coromandel. One day they may want to rebuild. It’s a good fit.”
The other major sponsors — Bayleys Real Estate and Jayco Auckland — also see strong value in reaching this audience.
It’s clear each sponsor and supporting business has a logical connection between the PCGC and their customer base.
So before you put on a clean shirt and start knocking on doors, pause for a moment and ask yourself: “What’s in it for them?”
What can you offer that helps both you and their business? It might be something as simple as a Facebook post, a letter to the editor, or even writing a story about sponsorship itself. But most importantly: does your request align with their customers?
Do we need sponsorship? You bet we do — but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Make it fit.
