Sponsorship?

[Djmike408]

Hey S550 community

I'm looking to get some appearance mods going now that I'm finish with my engine mods. Need some advice on how to get sponsored. Looking to get some side scoops, wing, diffuser, and side rocker diffusers. Any advice will help.

Sponsored

 

[WildHorses]

https://www.google.com/search?q=How+do+I+get+my+vehicle+sponsored%3F#spf=1

There is definitely a lot of decent articles about this topic in that search above. People have to realize, if you have a sponsorship, its not....Give me free parts and do nothing else.

even look at Magnaflow Sponsorship Application: http://www.magnaflow.com/media/1119/sponsorship_application.pdf to see what type of information they are looking for

 

[wildcatgoal]

Do you have thousands upon thousands of IG followers or YouTube subscribers?
Are you a regular and well-known at racing / larger sanctioned track day events?

If not... why do you think you'd be the right person to sponsor?

 

[Djmike408]

Thanks for the info bro and yes I understand that people have to put in work to get sponsored. I'm not asking for free stuff just more information so then I know what are the proper steps to take.

 

[Djmike408]

Those are good questions [MENTION=21494]wildcatgoal[/MENTION] and once I have an answer to all those questions it will get me one step closer for a sponsorship.

 

[Djmike408]

[MENTION=11421]WildHorses[/MENTION] do you know of any s550 shops online that offer sponsorship? That way I can ask them directly to get more information. Or else I would have to contact each after market manufacturer and see what steps I need to take to get sponsored correct?

 

[wildcatgoal]

Easiest sponsorship to get is the car care products, but you just get an exclusive % off and sometimes they'll send you free stuff so you'll post about it. Hardest sponsorship to get is the stuff you actually want but can't afford. I see people get sponsored by the good stuff ONLY if they have something to offer in return, especially people who follow them in some way or accomplishments at a drag strip. Most people who are sponsored don't need to fill out any form. Those who fill out a form are coming from different platforms with huge followers but not a big existing network with suppliers on the new platform.

 

[WildHorses]

[MENTION=11421]WildHorses[/MENTION] do you know of any s550 shops online that offer sponsorship? That way I can ask them directly to get more information. Or else I would have to contact each after market manufacturer and see what steps I need to take to get sponsored correct?

Most of the time to get a sponsorship, you have to go straight to the source. The manufacturer......Not a place that sells aftermarket parts from multiple places.

Like it was said before, you need to provide something in return. I know people that are sponsored by Magnaflow because they tear it up on the NMRA Circuit. Then others are sponsored because they have a ton of followers on YouTube and/or Instagram.

In this world of social media, it hard to get a sponsorship because you are "fighting" with others trying to get the same type of deal.

Not trying to hurt your chances or get you down about this, just some facts.

I would recommend maybe checking out https://www.carsponsors.com/

 

[d4rk_hrs]

You have to remember there are thousands of car guys just like you trying to get a sponsorship.

You have to be the one that proves to them why you are better than the next guy. Otherwise, you are just another looking for free/discounted parts.

If you can answer yes to the majority of the questions below then you can start approaching manufactures with your pitch and why it benefits them to sponsor you. Even then it is not a guarantee.

Do you have a social media presence? How active are you on it? How many followers?

Do others post your pics(IG)? Any photographers ask to shoot your car?

Does your car stand out from the pack? Is it unique in some way?

If your name was mentioned to another Mustang enthusiast. Would they know who you were?

Do you attend car shows. How many a year? Do you bring home trophies?
Do others consider you competition?
or
Do you attend drag races? Do you win? Do others consider you competition?

Do you attend car get-togethers? How often? Do people know you?

Do people mimic what you have done to your car? Copy wheels, paint schemes, mods... etc?

 

[Phil@JDM]

When i had my 2012 i was sponsored by airlift, corbeau and mishimoto. Corbeau and mishimoto have applications on their website for sponsorships and have a good program and different levels they offer depending on what they feel like you can give back. Sometimes just emailing the company you are interested in with a nice cover letter and a proposal is all you need.

 

[Lost Cosmonaut]

Sponsorships are tough. I spent the last 15 years building, showing and racing imports and have had quite a few sponsorships over the years. Used to be relatively easy, send a few letters and wait for a reply (if any) back. If you are just starting, you can't be picky. Send a bunch of applications to a bunch of different brands. Bigger brands are going to be harder to get in to, sometimes you'll have more success with smaller brands. But, then, smaller brands usually have smaller margins and it's harder for them to do sponsorships.

When I built my first SEMA car (2007 FJ Cruiser for the 2008 SEMA show, Enkei Wheels booth), people were practically throwing things at me to put on the car. Last car I built was my 2010 Evo X MR for SEMA 2011 (Rotora Brakes booth), I had to fight tooth and nail for every sponsorship despite being a booth car. The market is tough these days.

Tips:

1) Professional letters go a long way. Physical letters or emails, both are fine, but write them as if you are applying for a job. They get HUNDREDS of emails consisting of "hey yo give me stuff for my tyte whip yo you rock", you need to stand out.

2) It's about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Sponsorships are a part of advertising budget. They wouldn't put an expensive ad in a magazine no one reads or a billboard in the middle of nowhere, why would they advertise on a car that no one will see? Instagram/Youtube isn't good enough either, unless you have multiple thousands or millions of followers (actual followers, too. If you have millions of followers and your pictures are only getting 100 likes each, forget it). Even with millions of followers, Instagram isn't usually enough. Car shows, race events, etc. etc. go much further, and not just attending but placing as well. Just showing up at your buddy's meet at IN-N-OUT isn't nearly enough.

3) Don't be picky. Sometimes your best sponsorships will be ones that weren't your first choice.

4) Put yourself out there and get known. One of my earliest and best sponsorships came to me almost completely by accident. I was a huge fan of a certain brand of wheels, and I went to a big meet at a local shop where a guy who just happened to be the community manager of that wheel brand was attending and was a friend of the shop owner. He pulled me aside and said "hey, I've heard you really like our brand and are always talking about how great our wheels are, give me a call and maybe we can set you up with something." Not long later and I had an official sponsorship from a world-wide top-end wheel brand that lasted more than ten years.

5) Initiative is everything. Most of my sponsorships came about because I took the first step, sent a professional email outlining me, my car, what I plan to do, what I'm already doing, etc. etc. and then waiting. If they are interested, they will get back to you. If not, they won't. If they don't get back to you, move on. No brand needs you. There are a hundred other guys begging for the same opportunity. They have to see potential. Most of the time it helps to already have parts from a given brand.

6) Be willing to accept terms. It is EXTREMELY difficult to get 100% sponsorships now-a-days. Wholesale sponsorships are far more likely, and are not a bad deal considering you get a healthy discount and a direct connection to a manufacturer. Many many sponsorships now-a-days are going to be on contingency, like when I built my EVO the contingency was that it was going to be at SEMA in a booth. Had I not fulfilled that, I would have been charged full price (or a discounted but much higher rate then I was paying) for the parts i had. But the fact is, full sponsorships are largely unheard of anymore. Be willing to pay something and/or take on some sort of contingency.

 

[rio16]

I got lucky with Vorsteiner with the Full sponsorship. Now a days social media is the way to market products.

Come up with a great proposal

Social media
Forum presence
Car show/events

Nice Camera
Lightroom/photoshop


Goodluck man

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