Tips to getting Sponsored

[neilbo4]

Hey guys,
Do any of you have any advice/tips to gettting sponsored besides to go to events? I will obviously go to lots of events to get my name out but i was just wondering if any of you guys who were sponsored had any thoughts on this subject.

Thanks,
Neil

[wizard]

Here is a thread on the subject How do you get sponsored

[tim]

I am working on a sponsorship as we speak. Most of the posts I have read lean towards sponsorship from RC related companies. I am going after non RC companies. I have secured sponsorships previously for Kart racing. All from non-related companies. A pump manufacturer, a local car repair shop, etc. You have to find someone that has an interest in what ever you are doing, racing, flying,etc..
You have to sell your self first and tell them what they get for their money.
The one I am working on now is a new restaurant chain that is regional. Their logo justs happens to have a biplane in it. I offer logos on all my planes and my trailer(mobile sign, they pay for the logos), wear their teeshirts at events, carry coupons to every event, hang a biplane with their logos in every restaurant(they buy the plane), invite employees and management to come fly, and so on.
It can be done, you just have to find the right fit.

[jwilliams]

I would say "do not try to get sponsored". In other words, they will know when you are trying and that might seem very see thru to them. Be an honest upstanding flier who loves the hobby, wants to see it benefit and of course let your thumbs do the talking. Above all, never be anything but who you are and if it is meant to be then it will happen. Best of luck.
Jeff

[Vic3D]

Burn gas.

[toprudder]

	Quote: Originally Posted by tim
	I am working on a sponsorship as we speak. Most of the posts I have read lean towards sponsorship from RC related companies. I am going after non RC companies.......

Tim, Excellent idea. The nice thing about your approach is that you get to fly the equipment you want, and the events that you want.

Sponsership is nice, but there is a responsibility that goes along with it. Nothing is free.

Bob R.

[PLANKBONE]

I heard that being an awesome rc pilot helps.....is this true?

[why_fly_high]

	Quote: Originally Posted by PLANKBONE
	I heard that being an awesome rc pilot helps.....is this true?

Hasn't helped me any!

Dan

[tim]

Look at Danica Patrick in Indy Car Racing. See cant drive worth a squat, but she is a stone cold fox and has more sponsorship than all the other drivers combined. And makes more money than them also. I have met her and she is just as good looking in person. You dont have to be the best pilot or driver if you know how to sell yourself and show the value of what you want to your prospect.

[Futabaman]

	Quote: Originally Posted by PLANKBONE
	I heard that being an awesome rc pilot helps.....is this true?

This is not necessarily true. Although being a good "safe" pilot helps, it's not the sole criteria for becoming sponsored. Other factors involved are:

1.) Product knowledge - How well you know the product that is sponsoring you.
2.) Presentation - How do you handle yourself in public (image/actions).
3.) Communication - How easy are you to talk to, and are you accessible?
4.) Exposure - How many events do you get to a year, and do you attend other events that are outside of your interests.

These are a few things that most sponsors look at when deciding on support of an individual. Keep these in mind, when soliciting and you'll have a head start on getting in the door.

Frank

[Ian]

Ok, here's my 2p.

I have been sponsored by 2 major companies in the UK, Freestyle-RC (importers of the Extreme Flight RC range in Europe) and more recently, Flightpower (The Lipo People (evo20) who are now Flighttech, importers of all sorts of things).

Now neither of these did i go about saying i was an amazing pilot, give me free stuff, bla bla bla.

Thats the first usual downfall for sponsorship, people LOOK for it, people boast, people say they can do this do that they are the best etc, when really, its quite often that those people do not get the sponsorship

My first sponsorship i got, 3 years ago, with Freestyle-RC, came simply out of the blue. At the time it was a starting out company, and i had a few average videos about the net. I was fairly well known on the forums across the world (RCU, RCG, RCMF and 3DRC), so i was in a good place to promote their products to a wider audience. So with my videos, my name known, and a little help from a friend (its who you know!!) i got the sponsorship, completely out of the blue. I just opened my emails one day to find an email asking for it. I then lost this sponsorship when i had a big ol' argument with the guy.

You gotta remember, you are just an advertising tool for them, when you piss them off, do something wrong, you're gone, plenty of people want sponsorship, so its not hard for a company to find new people. Also don't expect that if you are sponsored for one season, you are sponsored for the next, they can just get rid of you, they are the bosses

Second and current sponsorship was found by, once again, having my name known on the UK flying circuit, and again, people seeing my flying. Of course, in this circumstance, it did help i only fly electric.

the thing is, you gotta fly well, there is no way about it, people want their products shown off the best they can, so the companies pick the good pilots, im not saying anything against average pilots, but who does JR, DA, Duralite etc sponsor? Quique of course, the best. Does JR sponsor me? no, because i am not a patch on anything like QQ. See what i mean?

But then again, after all this, sponsorship isnt all that its cracked up to be. Dont get me wrong, i love flying at shows, and i love to get free stuff, discounted stuff, but you have to put a LOT back into it. You cant just take stuff, you really need to work, go to a lot of shows (i go to 8 a year in the UK), get the product known, take photos, videos, make people aware of it. Its not as simple as doing a show or two a year and getting say a new plane for free as and when you want it. don't get me wrong, if you are willing to do the work, then sponsorship is great, but as i said, its not as easy as it may seem, especially when you are starting out. It gets easier to do less work when you are well known, going back to QQ, all he needs is a JR sticker on the side of his plane.

Their is exceptions of course, where you don't have to be a top pilot, think Justin Chi, he is a great pilot, but the reason he has so many sponsors is his age. its fairly harsh to say this, so if anyone takes offence, i apologise in advance, but he is sponsored due to the fact he is young, everyone is fascinated by this little guy who, admittedly, can fly better than many "club" pilots. If he was say, 20-30-40-50 years old, with the same ability, nobody would look twice. Same again in England, there is a 9 year old, a very very good pilot, but not really much in comparison to say, top UK freestyle pilot Luke Shaw, but as he is so young, the sponsors were tripping over each other to sponsor him.

You also need to know a LOT about the product, if you are sponsored, people think you know everything about what you are trying to sell, so you gotta research it, because people WILL ask you

and the biggest thing to remember, let your flying do the talking, not you, it will get you a lot lot further in this business

Sorry for the long reply, but i hope it helps

Ian

[sweetpea]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Ian
	..."its who you know" ..." you gotta fly well" ..."need to know a LOT about the product"

Top 3 ways to get sponsored.....IN ORDER