Almost every client that we speak to is getting fit for Summer at the moment: indeed there seems to be some kind of fitness epidemic sweeping the country. Some customers are running marathons, while others are taking part in team building events for charity or simply on a team fitness or calorie burn campaign. With the emphasis on health promotion, employers are actively encouraging their personnel to get fit and supporting them in a range of ways, from corporate gym memberships to in-house sports clubs, from sponsorship for a sporting event to company health checks. Fitness makes perfect sense and it also makes perfect sense for you to support your customers in their fitness goals and while you are doing so, to take the opportunity to promote your business at the same time.
1. Monetary Sponsorship
One simple way you might support your customer is by sponsoring an individual or team in a sporting event with a monetary pledge. In return, you can ask for acknowledgement of this support in company publications, such as newsletters or across social media. Philanthropy for the right cause makes perfect business sense and paints your organisation in the right light.
2. Sponsoring a Team Challenge
Putting your company name to sponsoring a sporting challenge for your client's personnel is a great way of ensuring that your brand is at the forefront throughout the training and event itself. This might be as simple as a golf day or as complicated as asking your client's staff to complete a series of monthly challenges across the year.
3. Corporate Gifts
Sending through relevant branded merchandise such as pedometers, sports watches, sunglasses or even simply water bottles or branded ice packs is a nice touch and popular across a range of different sporting activities. Promotional rattles or fanfare horns are also sure to get your brand noticed.
4. Being There
Actually attending an event that your customer or customer team is taking part in will also do wonders for your client relationship. So giving up your Sunday to watch the finish of a marathon or team event, armed with a few choice gifts for the supporters, can be fun and cement that personal touch.
5. Physical Support
Offering to man checkpoints or provide transport for such events as the popular Oxfam Trailwalker or the Three Peaks Challenge are other ways of getting closer to your customer. Branding your presence with marquees, foldaway chairs and banners will also mean that you are noticed by other participating teams and attendees.
Whatever route you take, you can be sure that choosing to support a sporting activity will resonate with your client. Which leads us to our final suggestion:
6. Participate Yourself
Joining in with your client's fitness campaign will certainly get you closer to the client and it is an ideal opportunity for your to practice what you are promoting!