The Inches: A Podcast About Sports Sponsorship

Each year we dive into our sponsorship resolutions on the podcast. The question becomes, did the industry keep up with the resolutions we set?

In this episode, we dive into our 2024 resolutions and see how the industry held up as we round the year out.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

Coming up with ideas for sponsorships can be a bit challenging. We constantly want to create the activation that will bring value to the sponsor...and wow them at the same time.

In this episode, we dive into 3 activation ideas you can implement TODAY with minimal investment to move the needle for that partnership you are struggling with.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

You did it, you signed that new sponsor. The ink is still wet on the contract.

What you do immediately afterward sets the foundation for the rest of the relationship.

In this episode, we dive into a 30-day plan your team can implement to ensure your new sponsors and team are ready for their activation while building the new relationship.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

Relationships are the foundation of any sales position. But authentic sales are the key.

So how can we maintain and keep authentic relationships with the people we look to work with and sell to?

This week we have the return of a great guest, Jon Grove, to chat through the importance of building and maintaining authentic relationships in sponsorships.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

You aren't going to close every sponsor you talk to. It's just a part of the sales job.

We will get a lot of 'No' answers.

But, that doesn't mean the deal is totally dead. We can still re-engage them for a future deal.

So how can we do that authentically?

In this episode, Rich & Nick dive into the process of cultivating a No throughout the season to have a better chance to convert them to the following one.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

We have to constantly be learning in the sponsorship industry. But not just on 'sponsorship' content. It's important to stay open-minded to advice and resources from other industries that we sell into.

But where can we find them?

In this episode, we dive into our go-to learning resources that we lean on each day and week to keep up with our clients and sponsor's needs.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

The only thing constant in this world is change. Innovation drives change every season.

But how can you harness innovation in sponsorships? And what are we looking at to come next?

In this episode, we dive into innovation in the sponsorship industry and how your team can tackle the trends that come.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

We all have those trusted, off-the-shelf activations that are proven to work for certain sponsor categories. 

But is it enough to just pull them off the shelf and sell them as-is? And how can you effectively sell them across different industries?

In this episode, we dive into a listener question about how to creatively customize your go-to activations to deliver more value and stand out to your sponsors and prospects. Tune in to learn how to make these tried-and-true strategies work even harder for you.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

Our goal in sponsorship is to find the right balance between what we charge and the value it brings to the partner.

But what happens when we are way off the mark?

In this episode, we dive into what to do when your proposal is not quite what the sponsor was expecting, and how to navigate that conversation to find a fit.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

Sometimes the best way to see & confirm what's happening in the sponsorship industry...is to head to the bar.

Connecting with other people working and prospecting deals can help drive our strategy.

In this episode, we explore three key trends we've identified through conversations with industry executives. Join us as we dive into what's shaping the future of sponsorships.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.