Sponsorship Program Details
1. What is sponsorship / how do I get sponsored?
2. Types of Sponsorships available
3. Who do we accept sponsor requests from?
4. What YOU need to include in your sponsorship proposal to Burns Stainless
5. Terms of the Sponsorship Agreement
NOTE: If you are new to sponsorship seeking, or if you are trying to develop sponsorship relationships and have been unsuccessful, we strongly recommend that you visit Alex Striler's Blog. Alex is a sponsorship professional and provides a wealth of valuable information about how to craft a quality marketing deck and/or proposal, and understanding what marketers look for in a sponsorship relationship. Burns Stainless is not affiliated with Alex Striler and neither Burns Stainless nor Alex receive any compensation for this endorsement. Alex provided Burns Stainless with permission to include his blog link on this page.
1. What is sponsorship?
The most common question that we receive when it comes to sponsorship is “How do I get sponsored by your company?” If you ask this question, then what you should really be asking is “What is sponsorship?” Put briefly, sponsorship is an agreement between two parties whereas one company provides financial or in-kind (product) support to another individual or company in exchange for their marketing and promotional efforts on behalf of the sponsoring company. The key to this relationship, from the perspective of the sponsoring company, is the Return on Investment (ROI) a company will receive for its sponsorship support.
A potential sponsorship recipient should be familiar with our products, product features and benefits, company philosophy and history. As a sponsorship recipient, you become a representative of Burns Stainless. Not only should you conduct yourself accordingly, but you should also be able to promote our company’s products in a knowledgeable manner and project our identity.
Communication is the most important part of a sponsorship relationship. We expect you to keep us updated on the progress of your vehicle, the media coverage it is receiving and deliver timely results of the races you compete in and shows that you attend, regardless of the place you finish in. If this is a media-related sponsorship, we expect you to keep us posted on the progress of the installation and when the coverage will launch. If you have technical questions please contact us ahead of time and we welcome a discussion prior to any installation to review the product in more detail.
2. Types of Sponsorships Available
Financial Sponsorship opportunities
Burns Stainless does not have financial sponsorship opportunities available at this time.
In-Kind (Product) Sponsorship Opportunities
Burns Stainless offers two types of in-kind sponsorships; full in-kind and partial in-kind. Full in-kind sponsorship includes performance products sponsorship at no cost to the recipient. Partial in-kind sponsorship is a performance products sponsorship at a substantially reduced price to the recipient. Full sponsorship consideration is only given to proposals with strong and timely ROI.
3. Who does Burns Stainless accept proposals from?
We accept sponsorship proposals from Manufacturers and Performance Shops with Racing Teams, Professional Racing Teams, Privateer Racers, Custom Builders and Event Promoters. Sponsorship inquiries can be sent to our Marketing Representative Sponsor@BlacktopMedia.net. Telephone inquiries from those seeking sponsorship other than manufacturers will not be returned. These policies exist because of the large volume of inquiries we receive and will ensure that all serious sponsorship inquiries will be properly and fairly considered.
4. The most basic sponsor proposal should include:
- The Return on Investment for Burns Stainless. Simply stating that you will represent our brand will not be specific enough for us to consider a proposal. We are looking for specific examples of HOW you will represent our brand and what the expected ROI will be on that representation)
- What kind of sponsorship you are looking for, and if a products sponsorship, what products you would like to be sponsored with
- Confirmed race/event schedule
- Social media channels with links
- Confirmed upcoming media coverage, including media contact information
- Current sponsors and their contact information
- Your full name and contact information (you would be surprised at how many people leave this out)
- A brief introduction of your company or team
- Vehicle make, model and year
- Vehicle engine combination
- Aftermarket products currently on your vehicle (tech sheet)
- Photos of the vehicle (engine, front, profile and overall, including any applicable detail images)
Sponsorship proposals containing fraudulent and misleading information will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The more complete this information is, the better your chances are for achieving sponsorship. Proposals containing incomplete information will not be considered for sponsorship due to the high volume of requests that we receive.
5. Standard Terms of Sponsorship
The duration of the sponsorship agreement typically lasts one calendar year from the date in which the Burns Stainless products are installed (proof of installation is required within a given time frame or we may elect to cancel a sponsorship or bill you for the parts received at MAP pricing). At the end of one year from the time of completed installation, both parties are free to renegotiate terms for another year. The terms of the agreement are dictated on an individual basis. Some examples of the terms of sponsorship include logo size and placement, direct product exposure through high profile social media channels, event participation, special appearances and availability for or inclusion in media coverage.
Burns Stainless requires proof that all products are installed on the Sponsorship Recipient’s vehicle, either through first-person observation by a Burns Stainless official or through photographs, within 30 days of receipt of delivery unless a different time frame is agreed upon prior to acceptance of sponsorship. Failure to supply proof of commitment through first-person observation by a Burns Stainless official or through photographs voids the Sponsorship Agreement.
If your sponsorship proposal is approved, you will need to consent to the tracking of your social media channels. Burns Stainless uses a 3rd Party agency to collect and analyze personal data about the activities of its Sponsorship Recipients to evaluate the performance of the Sponsorship Relationship.
A Sponsorship Recipient will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Burns Stainless, its parent, subsidiary, and affiliated corporations and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, successors, and assigns, from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, government proceedings, and all costs of expenses, including reasonable attorney fees and costs of suit arising out of any personal injuries or claims in connection with any racing or driving activities of Sponsorship Recipient.
Burns Stainless may terminate the Sponsorship Agreement if the Sponsorship Recipient engages in conduct or commits an act which would, whether or not in public knowledge, endanger the good name or reputation of Burns Stainless, or cast Burns Stainless in an unfavorable light, or in any way bring Burns Stainless into disrepute, anywhere in the world, including, without limitation, conduct or acts which, in the United States would be a felony, a crime of moral turpitude, a crime involving drugs or sexual misconduct, a violation of laws for the protection of minors, or civil fraud.
In the event that the Sponsorship Recipient is unable to fulfill the obligations outlined in the Sponsorship Agreement, the Sponsorship Agreement is void. In the event of a voided Sponsorship Agreement between Burns Stainless and the Sponsorship Recipient, the Sponsorship Recipient must return all products listed under “Burns Stainless Commitment” in like-new condition. If products are no longer in like-new condition, sponsorship recipient must pay the full retail price of all parts received.
FILL OUT THE FORM HERE TO BE CONSIDERED: Sponsorship Application