There are several ways in which brands are promoting their businesses and one of them is through sponsoring athletics. These brands get to pay for important resources, products, services and also pay salaries to the sponsored. All these in exchange for products display during events, sponsored content by the athlete, logos on uniforms and advertising themselves in the fields. Athletics sponsorship has elevated a lot of young talents and the growth of brands.
These sponsorships have become a very effective way to promote grassroot talents by giving them exposure and adequate resources. The Tujiamini initiative by SportPesa is one of the top-notch sponsorship initiatives we have in Kenya that has supported countless young talents including football, athletics, music and art. Explore this article to know more about these athletic sponsorships and how to get one.
When a company funds an athletics organization in exchange for a promotion, then it is considered as an athletics sponsorship. Most companies wanting to sponsor athletes often use typical catchy methods. These methods include exclusive tickets, their logos on the athletes’ uniforms, privilege to meet players and advertise themselves during events.
Athletes attain sponsorships in different ways, like showing off their worth, networking with sponsors that show interest, and also having a brand that is personal. This is achieved by showing up in important events and conferences, displaying how valuable you are, and building a brand of your own so as it is easier to find your potential sponsors. Also, make sure that you keep a strictly professional relationship with your sponsors and be opportunistic.
Sponsorship in sports can best be defined as a paid partnership between a brand and a sports team or occasion. The sponsored sports team gets to benefit things like new equipment, salaries for the players or athletes, proper field maintenance, and important resources. On the other hand, the sponsor will be building its reputation for supporting sports, increasing the popularity of the products or services, and also earn global respect.
One of the earliest forms of sports sponsorship began with tobacco companies placing athletes’ images on their packaging. Later on, companies like Coca-Cola sponsored the Olympics, and McDonald's also began supporting athletes individually. Tobacco companies came back again to be major sports sponsors because they established strong partnerships. In the present, sponsorships have taken a huge step by advertising products in the fields and for charity projects like when Barcelona's shirts were written UNICEF.
The initiative awards up to Kshs 3 million to different teams that are in four different categories and 87 winners monthly. Tujiamini’s dream is to discover and nurture talents like athletics and make sure that you have fulfilled your dreams. Our initiative is funded by SportPesa, awards its winners in the form of cash prizes, services, and products so as to improve the sports ecosystem.
Run by SportPesa, Tujiamini initiative aims at nurturing young talents in East Africa. We achieve this by funding them financially, providing essential resources, and field maintenance to support upcoming sports, athletes, and other talents. Therefore, our brand is well displayed in public as we give all the essential support regardless of how minor it is.
Read Also: Find a sponsor: Tujiamini’s ultimate guide to securing sports sponsorship
Most times, long-term sports sponsorships are often for financial benefits. The team gets to enjoy extra time for training, use the kind of products and services they wish to use, and build a strong connection with not only fans but also other teams and social media platforms. Because most needs have been met, the athletes are more stress free. Although, some shortcomings of being sponsored is that as an athlete, you will be required to create sponsored content, attend promotional events, and live a reputable lifestyle that is not embarrassing in public.
First, fill out the application form in the Tujiamini website and ensure that it has your details and you have stated your needs clearly and how our initiative will benefit from that sponsorship. Make sure to attach a 2 minutes video showcasing your talent and submit. Finally, you can choose to call us and speak about yourself, your visions, goals, and needs or send an email instead.
There are several ways on how to get sponsorships for your sports. These tactics include;
First you will have to choose a suitable sponsor then send your proposal to them with a video pack of at least 2 minutes show casing your talent. Display your objectives clearly and benefits of the sponsor then make sure to check back again after sending the proposal or first physical meeting.
Make sure your sponsor to be aligns with the values of your audience before sending them proposals of your ideas and benefits they will get if they sponsor you. Keep consistency all through the process and follow up the process while maintaining professionalism and make fair deals.
If you want to be sponsored as an athlete, you need to be interactive with social media by showcasing your talent, building connections with sponsors to be and do not forget to display your value.
You can be a Tujiamini beneficiary by applying for the Cheza Dimba or Jiamini awards that are aimed at supporting young and promising talents.
Among many other powerful companies, SportPesa has stood out for its exceptional work in the promotion of the sports industry through the Tujiamini Initiative. We have two types of awards, the Cheza Dimba and the Jiamini awards where rewards are given in form of cash, products, services and resources. No matter how small your talent is, we will always give you the space to explore it by following you up after winning your prize to make sure you are using it nurture your talent as promised. This has made SportPesa a famous online dating site through branding on uniforms, during sports events and playing fields.