By Scott Pacich

This is a subject that really grates on me. It has to do with being sure that when you represent your marketing partner, i.e., sponsor, you do so in the most professional manner and that you approach the deal fully aware of what is expected of you. Not what YOU expect.

I know I have mentioned this part of your partner representation before, but I saw something recently that brought it back to mind, along with some other suggestions that I think bear your attention.

While behind a taxi on a local highway recently, my attention was grabbed by a pretty decent vinyl advertisement that was on the back window of the van that was being utilized. It looked professional, with the business name and telephone number clearly presented. It took only a few seconds however for a glaring mistake to be recognized.

I was in a town called Mansfield and the taxi company was supposed to be called Mansfield Taxi. Instead the vinyl advertisement, for all its professional attempts had the name shown as MANfield Taxi. They left out the letter “s” rendering the advertisement incorrect. I’m not sure this has cost them any money, or will cost them any money but it pointed out to me that they didn’t care enough about their own company to have the name spelled correctly.

As is often the case, it brought motorsports marketing to mind and started my mine churning.

Please, please review every piece of sponsorship material that you have created for the 2010 season – you have created your sponsorship materials for 2010 haven’t you? If you find any mistakes, have them professionally corrected. For example, if there is an incorrect telephone number on a business card or appearance schedule simply crossing it out and writing in the correct number is not acceptable. Neither is blocking out things that you no longer want people to see or were put on your materials inadvertently. Any manual modification to your marketing materials only serves to present an unprofessional approach and thoughtless approach to your agreement.

The same holds true for spelling and/or grammar errors.

If there are any, and I mean any spelling errors that made it through the printing process, whether by your initial submission or through a mistake that the printer may have made, you need to have it fixed. I may not be the best speller in the world, but I know that when I am reading something with a blatant or subtle mistake in it I notice it. You do not want your marketing partner represented on documentation that uses “there” instead of “their” or is missing an apostrophe or has incomplete sentences.

This goes for your car (or kart) as well. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen spelling errors on race cars, incorrect use of punctuation and other minor errors. Every time I see them I am reminded that all it takes is a little review of the work you have done BEFORE making it public. This goes for the marketing expert you might have hired to do the work for you as well as the print shop, sign painter (or vinyl maker) and you. But the ultimate responsibility lies with you and your review of any marketing partner representation and supporting documentation. Proof read everything from the largest sponsor logo to the smallest copy to make sure EVERYTHING is done right.

Anything less represent a less than caring attitude towards your marketing partner and the agreement you have made.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Scott is a contributor to Ernie Saxton's Motorsport Sponsorship Marketing News. You can reach Scott Pacich at pacich711@optonline.com. This article was reprinted with permission. You can find out more about Ernie Saxton's Motorsport Sponsorship Marketing News by logging onto www.saxtonsponsormarket.com or call 215-752-7797.