What good is logo placement?
Logo placement and signage are the most common sponsor entitlements offered by races. But, what value do they provide sponsors?
When was the last time you bought something because you saw a logo on a banner, t-shirt, or application? Probably never.
Professional soccer teams are marketing logo placement because games are televised, providing substantial on-air time to companies whose logos appear on players' jerseys. The logo, which is widely seen, reinforces existing marketing campaigns.
The Chicago Marathon once sold a sponsorship to Timex and placed the corporate logo on clocks at all of the mile splits. The race was televised and included frequent shots of the clocks, displaying an important use for the product.
If your race is not televised (that's 99% of all races), logo placement and signage may reinforce the marketing message of the company. They may not be considered marketing messages when standing alone.
When crafting sponsorship proposals, view the event from the sponsor's perspective and create marketing opportunities that benefit the sponsor. Sometimes, logo placement and signage will be valued - very often, it won't.