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Throughout America, each neighborhood has its place to return collectively, often for a sports activities group at the highschool, faculty or skilled degree, that’s in a position to join individuals throughout totally different cultures, beliefs and industries. Within the Pacific Northwest, it’s the Seattle Seahawks.
For Washington natives like me, the Seahawks characterize one of many few constants which have continued from childhood to maturity. As youngsters, we dream of taking part in, cheering or working for the Hawks. Our NFL group is our rallying cry, the place we take nice satisfaction in our home-field benefit — the place fan noise reaches 137.6 decibels, corresponding to the sound of a jet engine.
For years, I’ve hoped that sometime I would have the ability to develop into a company associate of the Seahawks, however, sadly, the associated fee was all the time prohibitive for an actual property brokerage. However that every one modified when the Hawks launched a partnership alternative for small companies.
Right now, my brokerage, RSVP Brokers ERA, is a proud Seattle Seahawks Small Enterprise Companion. It took some effort and willingness to discover on our half, however this partnership has opened our eyes to the worth of sports activities in actual property, and I need to move that information on to the subsequent enterprise proprietor who’s on the fence about doing one thing comparable.
Why it is best to do it
This yr marks my twenty fifth yr as a licensed actual property skilled in Washington. I’m the co-founder of my household brokerage alongside my son, Andy. My father was a customized homebuilder and a craftsman who prided himself on high quality. Andy, my daughter, Kadey, and I’ve constructed RSVP Brokers ERA primarily based on that heritage.
Through the years, we’ve been approached by a whole lot, if not hundreds, of teams that wished me to sponsor or associate with them. After all, as actual property professionals, we need to be a part of our communities and search for each alternative to offer our brokers unmatched title recognition and enterprise alternatives. But, over time, I’ve realized to ask myself, “Why am I doing this?”
Within the case of the Seahawks, asking that query was important. It helped me transfer away from how wonderful it could be to be a part of the Seahawks household and, with the help of the Seahawks, problem myself to supply actual and tangible causes to take part. It couldn’t be an ego choice.
It got here all the way down to figuring out ways in which the now extra reasonably priced sponsorship may function an organization rallying cry to affect agent morale and retention, recruiting and, after all, generate larger shopper consciousness and leads. Earlier than we signed the settlement, we needed to have a technique for every and a technique to measure the success of every.
Now that we’re “official,” we and all our brokers have the proper to make the most of the Seahawks Small Enterprise Companion emblem in our digital advertising and marketing efforts. We even have our model on the stadium’s massive display screen, stadium televisions and throughout the ribbon boards that wrap the seating bowl.
Together with entry to tickets, we additionally get entry to the Seahawks on social media, the place they’re the most important model within the Pacific Northwest, with 10.6 million followers throughout Instagram, Fb, X and TikTok. One other nice perk we will use at our discretion is Blitz, the group mascot, and the Seahawks Dancers at choose occasions all year long.
Even with these choices, we nonetheless knew it could be as much as us to “activate” our sponsorship to achieve our targets. The group supplies loads of instruments and alternatives, however it rests on you as a enterprise proprietor to capitalize on these assets. We’ve gone all in on the Seahawks and are ensuring that every thing we do is tied to the facility that being concerned with the group supplies.
Shopper
We determined to supply all Seahawks followers a free dwelling worth analysis. Whereas I do know this can be a customary actual property advertising and marketing exercise, we tied it to our sponsorship of the Seahawks, the place we drive in-stadium followers and people we attain on social media to a selected URL.
We now have simply begun our partnership with them, however we anticipate our website at rsvpre.com/hawks, which might be marketed on all ranges of the Lumen Subject on Stadium TV, will generate leads.
We additionally plan to show pregame hype and the video games themselves into our occasions. We now have plans for ticket giveaways, consumer appreciation occasions and even methods to make use of massive wins or nice performs to attract consideration to the truth that RSVP Brokers ERA is a part of the motion.
Firm morale and retention
In my lifetime of expertise in actual property, I’ve by no means seen extra pleasure throughout the brokerage than what’s transpired since our Seahawks partnership. Working with the group has impressed a brand new sense of neighborhood and drive throughout our enterprise that we haven’t seen in any of our earlier team-building efforts.
It’s been a difficult couple of years for our brokers because of the rising costs, lack of stock, elevated mortgage charges and every thing else that has gone on in actual property. However our Seahawks partnership has develop into an enormous motivator for us.
We now have seen our brokers embrace the Seahawks Small Enterprise Companion alternative with a rejuvenated sense of enjoyable, being part of a successful custom. It’s been wonderful to see. Check out this video from Julian Gonzalez, which exhibits a few of this pleasure.
We’ve plastered that Seahawks Small Enterprise Companion emblem in all places that is sensible, together with our web site, social media, e-mail signatures and a lot extra. The identical goes for the accepted pictures that the group — which protects its model closely, as you’ll think about — has supplied us. And, after all, we’ll permit our brokers and their purchasers to be eligible for tickets and occasions down the highway.
Recruiting
The vitality is contagious. Our brokers and their sense of satisfaction are being seen all through the native actual property neighborhood. We’re a “hot” model. For the reason that begin of the season, we’ve had calls from potential brokers. Our appointment rely is up, and they’re extra prepared to hearken to what we and the ERA model can supply them.
As a matter of reality, I simply spoke with an agent who’s an enormous Seahawks fan, who was on the sport on Sunday, and the very first thing she noticed when she walked into Lumen Subject was our emblem proper subsequent to the Seahawks crest. You’ll be able to’t beat that for branding your brokers, those that will be part of and the agency’s purchasers.
I wished to supply some recommendations on how one can get entangled in sports activities sponsorship at your native degree:
- Know your price range: Take a look at your total promoting and advertising and marketing spend and decide if a sports-related sponsorship would match.
- What group(s) give you the results you want? In case your neighborhood has divided loyalties, a sports activities sponsorship is likely to be self-defeating. An instance is likely to be if a neighborhood has two excessive colleges, and also you solely select one.
- Know your why: It’s important to know what you need to get out of the partnership. Keep in mind our wants in actual property are possible totally different from different industries. If the group is aware of what you need to obtain, they will craft a program to satisfy your wants.
- You must ask: Groups are within the enterprise to become profitable, and they’re all the time searching for company companions. However they could not have considered you earlier than. Name them as far earlier than the opening day as doable. The Seahawks have subtle in-house sponsorship groups and are customer-centric. On the increased faculty ranges, they may both have in-house or outsourced sponsorship employees that function equally. Smaller faculties and excessive colleges often gained’t have that degree of sophistication so you can begin with the athletic director.
- Sponsorship is only the start: As I mentioned earlier than, if you happen to purchase the sponsorship package deal however don’t benefit from all of the perks and lengthen the connection so far as doable in each aspect of your small business, it won’t be as efficient.
I’ve personally seen the alternatives the Seahawks sponsorship has supplied my firm. When you’ve got the chance to align your model with an area sports activities franchise, whether or not it’s on the skilled, collegiate or novice degree, don’t be afraid to go for it.
Steve Kloetsch runs RSVP Actual Property ERA Powered alongside his son, Andy. Join with Steve on Fb and Linkedin.
