Everyone’s a winner: the power of local sponsorship

Today I had a really proud moment, which I just couldn’t resist sharing in my latest blog post.

It’s always a joy to watch my 8-year-old daughter playing for Wilpshire Wanderers FC and I’m immensely proud of what the U9s girls' team have achieved since they started playing together last year. But today I was doubly excited because it was the first time they wore their new away kit, proudly sponsored by Base North Marketing!

Seeing my company logo on the shirts for the first time, was for me, a celebration of what I’ve achieved over the past 7 years. It’s very rewarding knowing that my business has grown to the point where I’m now able to give something back to the local community.

Sponsorship, in my view, is still an incredibly powerful marketing tool, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. I’m a Lancashire-based business and the team will play other Lancs-based teams, which means great exposure locally and yes, ok, you may not be able to instantly measure the effect of the sponsorship, but a key long-term benefit is local brand awareness. Hearing comments like “Oh the new shirts look great, I didn’t realise you have your own marketing business.” just confirm the value of sponsorship to me.

As well as helping my business, the away kit sponsorship helps support the team. The girls have worked so hard this past year under the guidance of their highly committed coaches, and it’s been fabulous to watch from the sideline and see their development, and, of course, their smiles and laughter as they have fun playing footie with their friends. It’s an investment for the company but in addition gives them that feeling of being professional and a ‘proper’ team like their Blackburn Rovers Ladies and England Ladies heroes. Furthermore, the sponsorship covers the complete cost of the away kit so parents don’t need to fork out additional funds to allow their children to play. Something which can often be a huge barrier to participation in the junior sports world. So really it’s a win-win situation. I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds for the team and what new opportunities it may open-up for me!

As a business owner it was a momentous occasion seeing the team in their new away shirts, but I hope it will also go some way to inspire my daughter and that she’s proud of me too!

Look out for Wilpshire Wanderers U9s Girls’ team, but in the meantime, if you need any marketing expertise don’t forget to look out for Base North Marketing too!

#Sponsorship #Grassrootsfootball #Thesegirlscan