SPORTING leaders have expressed hope about improving their capabilities to attract funding for their programmes and athletes.

This follows their participation in a master class on ‘the real world of marketing’, which was hosted recently by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), which is aimed at professionalising their marketing efforts.

A number of sports marketers, including veteran sports marketing strategist Carole Beckford; Sean Wallace, head of marketing, Red Stripe; and Erin Mitchell, head of consumer marketing, Wisynco, shared insights at the master class about ways in which sporting bodies can enhance their marketing appeal to get sponsorship.

The SDF and PSOJ have been hosting these developmental interventions since the start of the year and the PSOJ Membership Committee reported that this latest session attracted one of their biggest and most engaging turnouts. The numbers, they say, reflect a strong appetite for professional development within the sporting fraternity.

Sports and marketing presenters emphasised that in the quest to secure sponsorship, organisations must understand that corporate entities, more than ever, are seeking more for their dollar by way of a return on investment.

Beckford, defined sports sponsorship as being about, among other things, “visibility, brand exposure and building authentic connections”. She urged those responsible for marketing and sponsorship of their sport to know their clients, as people want to know that you’re informed about their offerings, and able to share intimate information as people want to know personal details.

“Storytelling is now a big, massive business,” she highlighted.

One of the things she noted is market awareness and timing. This, she says, is especially important when planning because one should not look to stage an event at a time when another big event is also going to happen.

Wallace, meanwhile, focused on sharing a message of finding ways to create “mutual value” when seeking sponsorships, in an effort to value the contribution of corporate entities as a partnership from which they also benefit, and not a one-way deal.

For her part, Mitchell shared strategies on curating sports for sponsorship and brand success, and stressed that successful partnerships rely on shared objectives.

Pointing to the benefits of the opportunity provided by the SDF, the Government organisation largely responsible for its building of sporting infrastructure and financing, Karen Anderson, president of Jamaica Squash, said many sporting bodies struggle when they are seeking to develop an effective marketing plan.

“This particular event was so valuable because it put in perspective what it is that [companies] are looking for and how we should now develop our plans,” said Anderson.

Cycling coach Carlton Simmonds, himself a former big-time local cyclist, said the master class provided every representative “with a better idea of how to reach out to sponsors and what kind of returns” those sponsors expect.

A similar perspective was shared by Jermaine Delattibudiere, president of the Jamaica Draughts Association. He described the event as an “excellent initiative” that helps organisations package their proposals to ensure they gain the support needed to grow sports locally and establish Jamaica globally.

Another sporting representative, Rugby League Jamaica’s Andrew Dixon, observed that apart from the formal presentations, the event also afforded “opportunities for networking and collaboration”, stating that such linkages enable sporting bodies with fewer participants to move forward collectively and better serve marketing interests.

The SDF outlined its schedule of support for the sporting bodies, slated to run through to the end of 2027.

The initiatives include assisting associations with compliance regarding the Charities Act; bringing in business development experts to provide hands-on assistance; and hosting additional educational sessions to ensure administrations can effectively manage their associations.

Alan Beckford, general manager of the SDF, says the move is part of its ongoing effort to develop administrators and ensure that national sporting representatives can compete effectively on a global stage.

“The Sports Development Foundation and the PSOJ, through their master class, are hosting these sessions to expose our national sporting associations and stakeholders to the real world of marketing,” said Beckford.

“We brought a number of experienced marketers here, and this is just a part of what the Sports Development Foundation is doing to try to develop our administrators and develop sports in Jamaica.”