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Behind… the Hiho Silver sponsored best dressed at the Badminton Trot Up

Badminton Trot Up

Image by Sweet Images/Rachel Bragg

I think I’ve JUST recovered from Badminton – but what a week it was! Badminton Horse Trials week is always a busy one for me (as are the weeks leading up to it with all the prep) BUT when you see it all come together so beautifully it makes every moment worth it. And that’s why, today, we’re going behind the Hiho sponsored best dressed at the Badminton Trot Up.

The Hiho Silver sponsored best dressed at the Badminton Trot Up

For the second year running, Hiho Silver sponsored the best dressed at the Badminton Horse Trials Trot Up. Last year they did it for the first time (and the first time the best dressed had been awarded at Badminton too!). And this year, well, it was the sequel!

Last year, Hiho’s Andrew Ransford judged the best dressed with sponsored rider Emily King and eventer Dani Evans. This year, Andrew judged the trot up style stakes with brand ambassador Alice Plunkett and stylist, socialite and columnist, Lady Alice Manners.

The Hiho Silver team – trot up side

Now, you might think that Andrew, Alice and Lady Alice were the only people involved in the Badminton trot up and Hiho’s sponsorship. But you’d be wrong. Because behind the vast majority of ‘things’ like this, there’s a lot of work. And this was no different…

Also on the ‘house side’, we had…

Badminton Trot Up - Emma Warren

Emma Warren – image by Sweet Images/Rachel Bragg

Emma Warren- Hiho’s Queen Bee/MD. Emma went up for the trot up to take pics for social media, which she sent over to me (before they were showing on the trot up Live stream – talk about fast fingers!!) to help keep Hiho’s Instagram and Facebook following up to date with who was running down the trot up and what they were wearing.

Sophie Callahan- brand ambassador. Sophie was on Radio Badminton with Rupert Bell and Matt Ryan discussing trot up style. She did this last year too and was absolutely amazing. After the trot up, she also wrote a news item for the Badminton website about it – you can read Sophie’s take on the trot up here – along with who won the Hiho best dressed female and male prizes…

And then we had Rachel Bragg- Sweet Images/photographer. Rachel was also house side and was taking pics of the presentation, the judges and the horses and their stylish rider too. These have already been used on Hiho’s social media but will also appear online and on other content soon and in the run up to next year’s event too.

And, in addition to this…

There was the Badminton team who helped to bring it together from their side. And I had the joy of working with them and they were incredible.

And that’s before we dig into the ‘home team’ who helped keep the home fires going (Michelle and Amanda at Hiho Towers), the show team who kept the stand going during the trot up and the HUGE amount of planning something like this takes.

So that’s how it all works. It’s great to be a small cog in this kind of event, and when you see it all come together and work exactly how you want, well, it’s something else!

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Should you sponsor someone?

Should you sponsor someone?This blog is all about whether or not sponsorship is a good idea for you and your business. In my business group, Small and Supercharged, many people talk about sponsorship and it’s a subject that I think many business owners think about. Many feel it’s a ‘no brainer’ or something that they must do, but I’m here to tell you it isn’t. This is something that I am passionate about, actually, I’ve written about it before and produced some videos too…here’s a link to my previous blogs, videos and even a podcast!

You have to make sure everyone wins from the arrangement

You might think I’m anti sponsorship. I’m not. I’m against the wrong kind of sponsorship where nobody really wins long term. The sponsor feels they have no return on their investment, and the person who is sponsored gets support cut very quickly, because they haven’t delivered. Who wins here? The person who secured the sponsorship received some product, maybe even a bit of money, but not for long. And now they have a bitter taste about the business they were working with, and the sponsor has a very bitter taste about them and, often, sponsoring anyone else. No one wins. This is why sponsorship isn’t always good. However, I’m here to give you some food for thought on sponsorship – here are my top 10 things to think about…

  • It’s not a no brainer. You don’t HAVE to sponsor anyone, so take your time and make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re doing and you’ve worked out a way that it can benefit you and them.
  • Pick carefully. If you’re in business, you will get a LOT of people asking for your money and products. Don’t feel pressured. Pick carefully.
  • Work out what you want from the deal. Do you want social media content? Blogs? Vlogs? Videos? Would you like your sponsored person to come to events and maybe your shop? Would you like them to wear your logo when they’re out and about? Have a list of what you’d like.
  • Be flexible. A list is good, but listen to and consider other ideas provided by the potential sponsored person. They might have other sponsors and, therefore, some of your wish list isn’t possible, but they might have some other thoughts that could work.
  • What are you going to do for them? Can you help promote them to your audience through the content they provide? Sell yourself as well as them.
  • Be clear. Be crystal clear on how often you expect contact. How many blogs/vlogs a year/month, for example? Don’t assume anything. Also explain what could happen if these aren’t provided, for example, will the support stop?
  • How will you do it? Most people support with product, especially to start with. Some sponsors call people supported with product ‘ambassadors’, some people say they’re sponsored. It’s terminology really.
  • Look at people’s reach. Make sure the people that you’re choosing to work with have a reach and a network that’s of use. And don’t just look at the number of people who like a Facebook page. Look at the interactions and engagement.
  • Look at the quality of the content. They might produce a blog each week and fill their Instagram feed with pics, but if the copy is full of typos and the pictures are poor quality, are they right for your brand?
  • Look at personal accounts too. If you sponsor someone, it’s not just their ‘official’ page that you need to look at. Look at personal Facebook pages too. See how they behave in their ‘personal’ life. It matters. Nothing is that private when it’s made it onto the internet.

What do you think about sponsorship?

I’d love to hear your experiences with sponsorship. Have you attracted a sponsor? How did it work? Do you sponsor people? How does it work for you?

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Want to be someone’s sponsored rider? Have a look at our top ‘don’ts’ video!

Getting approached about sponsorship is a daily occurrence for many PRs and the companies they work with. We all appreciate that people want support, and that’s fine, what isn’t fine is how some people choose to ask for this help. Well, I say ask…it’s often more of a rude demand made in the wrong way! If you’re looking for some tips when it comes to help to approach companies about sponsorship, have a look at this video about rider sponsorship don’ts. It might just help.

 

 

 

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