Are you hosting a charitable event this summer? Maybe it’s a golf outing, a "foodie” tasting party, a benefit jog, an outdoor concert, or any number of opportunities that offer marketing sponsorships to help a charitable cause. If you are hosting an event this summer, there is often an internal debate that happens at the highest level about the marketing impact of such events. Is it a charitable angel – a good-natured way to give back without any expectation of anything in return–or is it a very clever marketing angle that will land you more business?

All marketing should lead you to a sale. However, not all marketing takes a direct path to your cash register. So how does a charity benefit sponsorship contribute to your bottom line?

Brand recognition

What marketers have been telling business executives who hold the purse strings to such events is that they will get a lot of brand exposure for underwriting a charitable event. Their logo will be featured on banners, T-shirts, websites, and they will be mentioned as the generous host that made the event possible. It is positive exposure. There is something to be said for keeping your name in front of your target market. However, I find that many marketing charitable strategies stop right there. There is more to be gained than just name recognition.

The human touch and the new consumer

There has been a lot made of the new consumer and the impact social media has had on them. In a nutshell, it has empowered them to have greater control over what a corporation does and says about itself. Gone are the days when the CEO of a corporation says his company cares about something such as child labor, but in action, they employ third-world children in sweat shop conditions to produce their goods. The new consumer will challenge a company that does not back up their claims with action. The new consumer demands transparency from corporations. This is where charitable sponsorships can help. If you are hosting such an event, you need to make sure you are posting it so that your marketplace knows about your sponsorship. However, I would encourage you to also make opportunities for your employees to be hands-on with the charity as well. Volunteers are the lifeblood of most charities. By allowing your employees to get involved in a tangible way, you are letting the new consumer see that you care beyond your sponsored event. Don’t discount this. It weighs heavy on the buying habits of the new consumer who checks these sorts of things out on social media before they buy from anyone.

Transitions from awareness marketing to sales

The other marketing move I would encourage you to think through strategically is how to transition a consumer from being aware of your brand to actually trying it for the first time. Brand recognition is an awareness marketing function. Getting someone at your charitable event to be aware of your sponsorship is relatively easy to do – you simply put your logo on anything to which it can be attached. Transitioning them to a sale is not as easy, but is necessary if you are going to get the most out of your sponsorship. Depending upon your product or service, you might think about offering some sort of free sample of your product or a trial of your service at the actual event. I know a golf pro that offered free putting lessons one hour before tee time at a charitable golf event. I know a massage therapist that offered free chair massages for runners after a charity run. Do you think the golf pro and the massage therapist gained new customers? You know they did! (The lines for both of these free events were long.) Getting someone to try your product or service when they are not obligated to purchase anything is a great way to transition them to first time sales. It allows you to show the value of what you do.

Is your hosted event a charitable angel or a marketing angle? Why couldn’t it be both? If you work your marketing strategies effectively, you can gain the benefits of both.