Getting to Know Your Brand Ambition

• In one short paragraph, tell us who your brand is, the business you’re trying to grow with sponsorship, and why now feels important for partnership investment.
• Which top 1–3 objectives would make a sponsorship a clear success for you this year? Options: Brand awareness/consideration, Lead generation/sales, Customer retention/loyalty, Hospitality/client entertainment, Employee engagement/PR, Product sampling/trial, Category exclusivity
• How does sponsorship fit inside your overall marketing mix and budget cycle? Options: Core channel with dedicated budget, Tactical spend from campaign budgets, Hybrid—some core, some opportunistic, One-off/experimental funding, Not sure yet
• Tell us about one past sponsorship or activation you felt delivered real business value—what specifically happened and why it mattered?
• Who on your team is typically accountable for sponsorship strategy and who signs off on commercial commitments? (List names, titles or functions.)

Are You Settling for Impressions When You Need Outcomes?

• Have you ever felt forced to accept vanity metrics (e.g., impressions) instead of metrics tied to revenue or meaningful consumer behavior? Options: Yes—often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• What would count as an unambiguous, business-ready proof point for you—examples could be incremental sales, trackable lead volume, or measurable brand lift. Please be specific.
• Which of these KPIs are highest priority when evaluating sponsorship performance? Options: Sales/revenue attribution, Qualified leads, Visitor conversions/footfall, Media impressions and reach, Engagement rate (digital), Hospitality outcomes (ROE), Brand lift/study results
• How quickly do you expect attribution or ROI signals after activation—what’s an acceptable timeframe to see meaningful results? Options: Immediate (within campaign), Short-term (3–6 months), Mid-term (6–12 months), Long-term (12+ months), Depends on objective
• If measurement falls short of expectations, what consequences or next steps would you expect (e.g., pause, renegotiate, co-invest in optimization)?

Who Holds the Keys — The Real Decision Path

• What’s one assumption you and your stakeholders make about sponsorship buying that rarely gets questioned but probably should?
• Which stakeholders typically influence or approve sponsorships for you? Options: CMO/Head of Marketing, Finance/CFO, Legal/Compliance, Sales/BDR, Regional Marketing leads, CEO/Executive team, Agency partners
• Walk us through your decision pathway from initial interest to signed agreement—who needs to be involved and in what order?
• What are common blockers or friction points in your approval process (e.g., procurement rules, committee review, budget windows)?
• On average, how long does vendor selection through contracting take for you? Options: < 30 days, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, 90–180 days, >180 days

What Audiences Matter Most — Are We Talking About the Same People?

• When you say 'reach our target consumer,' who exactly do you mean—describe the primary audience by demographics, behaviors, and purchase intent.
• Which audience segments are highest priority for this sponsorship? Options: Millennials (25–40), Gen Z (18–24), Gen X (41–56), High-income households, Frequent event attendees, Local market residents, B2B clients/decision-makers
• Are you aiming for breadth (mass reach) or depth (high-intent, small cohorts)? How do you balance reach vs. quality? Options: Primarily breadth, Primarily depth, Balanced approach, Undecided
• Which geographies or venues matter most for your business goals (national, regional, DMA list)? Please list priority markets.
• Tell us about an ideal customer moment your brand wants to create at an event—how would you spot success in that moment?

Activation Vision — Beyond Logos, What Would Actually Move the Needle?

• If you had to admit—are your current activations mostly safe and familiar, or are they pushing the kind of creativity that changes behavior? Options: Mostly safe/familiar, A mix, Mostly bold/experimental
• Which activation formats interest you most for this partnership? Options: Stadium signage & Jumbotron, Digital/social integrations, Experiential/pop-up activations, Hospitality suites & client events, Product sampling/demo, Co-branded content, Naming rights/exclusive categories
• Describe an activation idea you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t—what stopped you before and what would make it feasible now?
• How important is access to hospitality or client entertainment in your ROI calculus? Options: Critical—primary value, Valuable but secondary, Nice-to-have, Not important
• What tone/brand experience must be preserved at every activation (e.g., premium, playful, community-focused)? Give examples of dos and don'ts.

Money, Timing, and What Failure Actually Looks Like

• Is your team open to testing a scaled pilot first, or do you prefer committing to multi-year programs out of the gate? Options: Prefer pilot, Prefer multi-year, Open to either, Undecided
• Which budget range would you assign to this type of partnership this fiscal year? Options: <$50k, $50k–$150k, $150k–$500k, $500k–$1M, >$1M, TBD/Not disclosed
• Beyond headline price, what commercial flexibility matters most—installments, value-in-kind trade, performance-based tiers, or added media guarantees? Options: Installments, Value-in-kind/trade, Performance tiers, Media guarantees, None of the above
• What specific timeline constraints or launch dates are immovable for your brand (campaign windows, product launches, fiscal milestones)? Please list dates.
• How would you describe the cost of a failed sponsorship to your organization—reputational, wasted budget, lost renewal opportunities, or other? Options: Reputational harm, Wasted budget, Lost future budgets, Little consequence, Other

Measurement & Proof — What Will Convince You to Renew?

• If we designed reporting to change the conversation at renewal, which three pieces of evidence would you insist on seeing?
• Which reporting cadence and format does your team prefer? Options: Weekly dashboard, Monthly executive summary, Campaign-end deep-dive, Quarterly business review, Real-time dashboard + periodic reports
• Do you require third-party validation (e.g., Nielsen, Comscore, independent brand lift studies) for media or attendance numbers? Options: Yes—always, Sometimes, Rarely, Not required
• How comfortable are you with co-investing in measurement or incrementality studies to get clearer attribution? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Prefer vendor-funded, Not comfortable
• If initial results don’t meet KPIs, what remediation would you expect from a partner (e.g., optimization plan, additional impressions, pro-rated credits)?

Logistics, Legal, and the Things That Keep You Up at Night

• What legal or compliance requirements must be addressed before you’ll sign (e.g., exclusivity, IP use, indemnity, data privacy)? Please list non-negotiables.
• Which brand-safety or reputation concerns are top of mind when aligning with sports and entertainment properties? Options: Player conduct, Venue crowd behavior, Political/social controversies, Unsuitable partnerships, None of the above
• What asset-approval or creative-review cadence does your team need to meet brand governance? Options: 48 hours, 5 business days, 10 business days, Custom SLA
• Do you require data-sharing agreements or customer-level data for measurement? If yes, what privacy safeguards must be in place? Options: Yes—customer-level, Yes—aggregated only, No data sharing required, Undecided
• Are there insurance, indemnity, or contract clause thresholds that would automatically disqualify a deal (please specify limits or conditions)?

Closing the Loop — Readiness, Risks, and Next Steps

• If you imagine signing an LOI today, what would be the single biggest internal obstacle to moving to a full agreement within 60 days?
• What would make you say 'yes' quickly—examples: money-back guarantee, performance milestones, pilot pricing, executive access? Options: Performance milestones, Pilot pricing, Executive access, Money-back/credit, Custom reporting
• Who should be our primary point of contact for commercial discussions and who will handle technical/operations once we move into activation?
• Realistically, when would your team be ready to review a term sheet or pilot scope? Options: Immediately, In 2–4 weeks, In 1–3 months, Later this year, Undecided
• What would you like us to prepare next to make evaluation easy—examples: a two-page concept, sample measurement plan, or a pilot price sheet? Options: Two-page concept brief, Sample measurement plan, Pilot price sheet, Inventory list with availability, Legal checklist

• Current State & Consequence Alignment
• Partnership Scenarios Workshop — Diagnose & Prototype
• Measurement, Attribution & Proof Plan
• Scenario Validation & Mutual Confirmation

• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Select 1–2 preferred scenarios to move into measurement and pricing with assigned owners.
• Document scenario trade-offs so scope and expectations are clear for the next stage.
• Seller: Produce 1‑page scenario briefs for the selected scenario(s) containing assets, projected reach/engagement/hospitality metrics, and resource needs.
• Sponsor: Confirm budget band and any required legal/compliance restrictions that could impact activation concepts.
• Analytics Owner: Provide any missing data needed to refine projected audience numbers and impressions for the chosen scenario(s).
• Project Manager: Create a timeline draft for prototype delivery and measurement checkpoints.
• Measurement Objectives & KPI Definitions
• Finalize KPI list with exact definitions and calculation methods tied to the future-state outcome.
• Agree on data sources, required access, and an attribution model with documented assumptions.
• Approve a mock proof-of-performance report template that will be used for renewal conversations.
• Establish reporting cadence and data governance roles to avoid later disputes.
• Analytics Team: Deliver a technical data map showing how each KPI will be calculated and which systems will feed each metric.
• Seller: Finalize the mock proof-of-performance report with placeholders for sponsor data and share for sponsor approval.
• Sponsor: Confirm who within their organization will provide access to CRM/POS/attribution data and expected lead times.
• Owners: Document the escalation path and SLA for reporting disagreements.
• Recap Selected Scenario(s) & Expected Outcomes
• Obtain mutual confirmation that the selected scenario(s) materially resolve the diagnosed problem and meet the future-state outcome.
• Agree on the minimal set of deliverables and owners required to start Partnership Scope (pricing, scope, reporting SLA).
• Surface and assign remediation for any remaining high‑risk blockers before commercial negotiation.
• Seller: Draft the Partnership Scope skeleton (inventory, deliverables, metrics, responsibilities) for review in the next stage.
• Sponsor: Confirm budget band and provide any final internal approvals or sign-off contacts required for commercial review.
• Analytics: Produce the preliminary proof-of-performance template populated with conservative estimates for the chosen scenario.
• Project Manager: Publish a shared milestone timeline and owners for the Partnership Scope kickoff.
• Agree and document a single-sentence current-state diagnosis that all attendees can recite.
• Quantify the business consequence of the current state in clear metrics or conservative estimates.
• Confirm target audiences, key constraints, and 2–4 success criteria to evaluate scenarios.
• Produce a draft one-sentence future-state outcome framed as tangible business improvement.
• Sponsor: Share raw audience data, recent campaign performance, and any CRM or POS snapshots referenced during consequence quantification.
• Seller: Prepare an audience overlap analysis and quick commerce/engagement baseline using provided data.
• Owner: Schedule the Partnership Scenarios Workshop and attach the finalized current-state and success criteria to the invite.
• Recap: Current State, Consequence, Future State
• Deliver three concrete, sponsor-contextualized partnership prototypes with linked outcomes and metrics.
• Force validation from the sponsor that each scenario addresses the stated problem and consequence.
• Sponsor Current-State Statement (1 sentence)
• Preliminary ROI / Outcomes Sketch
• Data Sources & Access Requirements
• Constraints Check: Budget, Timeline, Exclusivity
• Scenario A — Broad-Reach Awareness (Prototype)
• Risks, Dependencies & Mitigations
• Consequence Quantification
• Attribution Model & Assumptions
• Scenario B — Engagement & Sampling (Prototype)
• Mock Proof-of-Performance Report Walkthrough
• Mutual Readiness Check — 5 Acceptance Questions
• Audience & Priority Persona Review
• Constraints & Success Criteria
• Data Quality, Governance & Dispute Resolution
• Decision & Next Deliverables to Move to Partnership Scope
• Scenario C — Hospitality & Relationship Building (Prototype)
• Reporting Cadence & SLA
• Scenario Trade-offs & Resource Needs
• Draft Future-State Statement
• Final Validation & Close
• Validation Loop: Problem → Proof → Agreement
• Rank & Narrow to 1–2 Preferred Scenarios
• Assign Owners & Immediate Next Steps

• Install LED perimeter (dasher) signage
• Place in-game video board and PA spots
• Publish co-branded social media posts
• Produce short-form co-branded video
• Build and staff branded activation booth
• Run product sampling and merch distribution
• Deliver hospitality suite experience
• Provide VIP ticket blocks and premium seating
• Offer category exclusivity rights
• Execute game-day promotional giveaways
• Insert sponsor ads into broadcast graphics
• Install digital venue screens (DOOH)
• Deliver post-event attendance and media impressions report
• Host curated client hospitality night

Install LED perimeter (dasher) signage

• Do you want LED perimeter (dasher) signage included in scope? Options: Yes, No
• Which perimeter zones are you targeting? Options: Entire perimeter, Goal/End zones, Corner zones, Behind team benches, Custom locations
• What is the intended activation duration? Options: Single game, Select games, Entire season, Multi-year
• Do you have creative assets formatted for LED (aspect ratio, file types)? Options: Yes, No, Need creative support
• What visibility metrics matter most for this signage? Options: Total impressions, On-site dwell time, TV/video capture rate, Brand recall
• Who will manage installation logistics and equipment costs (sponsor, host, shared)? Options: Sponsor, Host/Seller, Shared - specify in notes

Place in-game video board and PA spots

• Are you requesting video board and PA integration? Options: Video board only, PA spots only, Both, No
• Which types of in-game spots do you prefer? Options: 30s :30 spots, 15s :15 spots, Branded scoreboard moments, Custom branded segments
• How many placements per game or event do you expect? Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, Custom cadence
• Do you require script/voiceover approval for PA reads? Options: Yes - prior approval required, No - standard copy ok, Need host to draft
• What creative/video specifications or formats will you provide?
• Who is responsible for production and on-site cueing (sponsor creative agency, host production team)? Options: Sponsor/agency, Host production, Shared

Publish co-branded social media posts

• Do you want co-branded social posts as part of the package? Options: Yes - paid+organic, Organic only, Paid only, No
• Which platforms should be included? Options: Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube
• What post cadence and timing do you prefer (e.g., pre-game, in-game, post-game)? Options: Pre-game, In-game, Post-game, Ongoing series
• Do you require content creation from the host or will you provide assets? Options: Host creates, Sponsor provides, Shared creation
• Which performance metrics should we report for social posts? Options: Impressions, Engagement (likes/comments/shares), Reach, Clicks/CTR, Video views
• Are there any brand guidelines, tagging requirements, or approval SLAs we should follow?

Produce short-form co-branded video

• Is short-form video production required? Options: Yes, No, Maybe - need estimate
• What length(s) are you aiming for? Options: 15s, 30s, 60s, Series of micro clips
• Do you have a script/creative brief or should host provide creative direction? Options: Sponsor provides brief, Host provides creative, Collaborative workshop needed
• Where will the content be distributed (owned channels, paid social, broadcast)? Options: Sponsor channels, Host channels, Paid amplification, Broadcast integration
• What deliverables do you require (raw footage, mastered files, cutdowns, subtitles)? Options: Raw footage, Mastered full-length, Multiple cutdowns, Captions/subtitles
• Who approves final edits and what is the expected approval timeline? Options: Sponsor approves, Host approves, Joint approval

Build and staff branded activation booth

• Do you want a staffed branded activation booth? Options: Yes - staffed, Yes - unattended kiosk, No
• What size and placement do you prefer for the booth? Options: 10x10, 10x20, Custom footprint, Concourses vs. concourse+premium
• Will you provide onsite staff or need host staffing/ambassadors? Options: Sponsor provides staff, Host provides staff, Shared staffing
• Which activation components are required (interactive tech, product demo, photo/op, lead capture)? Options: Interactive tech, Product demo, Photo/op, Lead capture, Merch sales
• Do you require electricity, internet, storage, and build permits? If yes, specify needs. Options: Yes - electricity, Yes - internet, Yes - storage, No special needs
• What KPIs will determine success for the booth (leads, samples distributed, impressions)? Options: Leads captured, Dwell time, Samples distributed, Social shares

Run product sampling and merch distribution

• Do you plan to run product sampling or merchandise distribution? Options: Sampling, Merch distribution, Both, No
• At which locations and which events should sampling occur? Options: Concourse areas, Entry gates, In-activation booth, Hospitality suites, All of the above
• What quantities are you estimating per event? Options: Under 500, 500-2,000, 2,000-10,000, 10,000+
• Do any product samples require special handling, licensing, or food/beverage permits? Options: Yes - permits required, Yes - refrigeration/cold chain, No special handling
• Will you require on-site staff to distribute or will volunteers/host staff be used? Options: Sponsor staff, Host staff, Trained volunteers, Automated distribution
• How should we track distribution impact (scans, redemption codes, post-event surveys)? Options: QR code scans, Redemption codes, Headcounts, Survey follow-up

Deliver hospitality suite experience

• Do you want access to a hospitality suite experience? Options: Full suite buyout, Shared suite blocks, Hospitality events only, No
• What guest capacity and frequency are you planning (per game, monthly, single event)? Options: Up to 10 guests, 10-50 guests, 50-200 guests, Custom cadence
• Which hospitality components are required (catering, branded signage, private tours, host staff)? Options: Catering, Branded suite decor, Dedicated host staff, Behind-the-scenes access
• Do guests require parking, VIP ingress, or dedicated entrance access? Options: Valet/parking included, VIP ingress only, No special access required
• What reporting or ROI measures matter for hospitality (guest lists, follow-up leads, NPS)? Options: Guest attendance report, Guest contact capture, NPS/feedback, Leads generated
• Who will manage guest invites, RSVPs, and onsite check-in? Options: Sponsor, Host, Shared

Provide VIP ticket blocks and premium seating

• Do you need VIP ticket blocks or premium seating allocations? Options: VIP ticket blocks, Premium club seating, Single-game tickets, No
• How many tickets per event and for how many events? Options: 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 200+
• Do you require ticket transferability, guest passes, or access to premium lounges? Options: Transferable tickets, Guest passes, Premium lounge access, None
• Are special ticketing services required (will-call, printed credentials, access control)? Options: Will-call, Printed credentials, Digital tickets, Access control staffing
• What reporting on ticket utilization do you need (attendance, no-shows, guest lists)? Options: Attendance report, No-show rate, Detailed guest list, None
• Any blackout dates or restricted games we should be aware of?

Offer category exclusivity rights

• Are you seeking category exclusivity as part of the partnership? Options: Yes - full category exclusivity, Yes - limited (event-day) exclusivity, No
• Which product/service category should be excluded for competitors?
• What geographic scope should exclusivity cover (venue, market, national)? Options: Venue-only, Market/region, National, Custom
• What term length are you targeting for exclusivity? Options: Single season, Multi-season, Multi-year
• What commercial tradeoffs are acceptable for exclusivity (higher fee, minimum guarantees)? Options: Higher fee, Minimum spend, Revenue share, Other
• Are there white-listed competitors or carve-outs that should be allowed? Options: Yes - list will be provided, No carve-outs, TBD

Execute game-day promotional giveaways

• Do you plan to run game-day giveaways or on-field promotions? Options: In-seat giveaways, In-activation tosses, On-field activations, Digital giveaways
• What items are you planning to give away and are there size/weight constraints? Options: Merch (hats/tees), Samples, Coupons/vouchers, Digital codes
• Do giveaways require player/athlete involvement or mascot participation? Options: Player involvement, Mascot, No talent required
• Will giveaways need permit approvals, safety checks, or distribution staff? Options: Yes - permits required, Yes - safety checks, No
• How will success of giveaways be measured (redeemed coupons, social mentions, attendance impact)? Options: Redemptions, Social engagement, Onsite pickup counts, Brand lift
• Who handles shipping, storage, and day-of logistics for giveaway items? Options: Sponsor, Host, Third-party logistics

• Term Sheet / Heads of Terms
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Sponsorship Agreement (Master Agreement)
• Payment Schedule & Invoicing
• Renewal & Option Terms
• Reporting & Measurement Schedule
• Inventory & Deliverables Annex
• Exclusivity & Category Rights Addendum
• Insurance, Indemnity & Risk Allocation
• Data Processing & Privacy Agreement (DPA)
• Creative & Brand Guidelines Exhibit
• Approvals & Sign-off Matrix
• Change Order / Amendment Process
• Termination, Suspension & Force Majeure
• Performance KPIs & Remediation Plan

• Performance Review & KPI Validation
• Attribution & Sales Impact Deep Dive
• Digital Engagement & Creative Performance Audit
• Issues, Enhancements & Renewal Readiness

• Introductions & Objectives
• Agree on the future-state success statement and immediate owners for remediation and deeper attribution work.
• Capture a signed list of next steps and data requests to enable attribution and optimization analysis.
• Deliver validated performance dashboard (attendance, impressions, digital, sales) with data source notes within 3 business days.
• Assign owners for the three highest priority gaps and provide remediation plans and timelines.
• Schedule Attribution Deep Dive (meeting 2) and send required raw datasets ahead of time.
• Recap Current State & Hypothesis
• Achieve consensus on a defensible attribution approach and the immediate experiments required to prove incremental sales.
• Identify and document all data gaps and owners required to improve match rates and model confidence.
• Authorize one prioritized test (e.g., geo holdout or promo-code experiment) to deliver causation evidence within a defined timeline.
• Provision raw transaction and CRM export to analytics team with mapping documentation within 48 hours.
• Implement chosen holdout/A-B test and publish experimental design and timeline.
• Update attribution model code and run a backtest, then deliver results to stakeholders for validation.
• One-line Current State & KPI Gap
• Validate tracking integrity across channels and close any major measurement blind spots.
• Agree on specific creative and delivery optimizations with owners and test plans.
• Define short-term tests expected to deliver measurable KPI improvement within the next campaign window.
• Deploy agreed creative swaps and update tracking pixels/UTM standards, with QA checklist and owner.
• Run an audience overlap analysis and implement frequency caps where recommended.
• Publish a 30-day optimization plan with success metrics and weekly check-ins.
• Performance Recap & Renewal Consequence
• Close or triage all critical issues that block accurate KPI measurement before the renewal window.
• Agree on a prioritized set of enhancements with timelines that materially improve reported outcomes.
• Produce a renewal-readiness checklist and executive brief date to be delivered to sponsor and internal execs.
• Create tickets for all critical issues with owners, SLAs, and required inputs; kick off remediation immediately.
• Publish prioritized enhancement roadmap and schedule development/delivery sprints for the next 90 days.
• Prepare renewal executive brief (performance vs KPIs, fixes, enhancements, proposed commercial adjustments) for review one week prior to renewal talks.
• Confirm validated performance vs each contracted KPI with shared data sources and definitions.
• Surface and prioritize the top 3 gaps that materially affect ROI and renewal risk.
• Current State Snapshot (one-slide metrics)
• Open Issues Log Review
• Channel Delivery Review
• Attribution Model & Assumptions
• Enhancement Requests Backlog
• Consequence Summary
• Data Quality & Source Mapping
• Creative & CTA Effectiveness
• Prioritization & Impact Assessment
• Defined Future State
• Tracking & Measurement Integrity
• Incrementality & Lift Evidence
• Attendance & Impressions Review
• Audience Overlap & Frequency Risk
• Renewal Readiness Metrics & Triggers
• Consequence of Model Gaps
• Decision, Owners & Communication Plan
• Digital Engagement & Creative Performance
• Model Adjustment Options & Tests
• Optimization Roadmap
• Validation & Quick Wins
• Validation & Decision
• Sales Attribution Summary
• Gap Analysis & Root Cause Hypotheses
• Validation & Agreement
• Next Steps & Owners