“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things”.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs defined creativity as “connecting things.”  When we think about one of the core principles of effective sponsorship success, it’s creativity and the ability to connect the dots between sponsors, properties and most importantly, the fans.

Here are three questions to ask yourself?

1. What do properties have in common with the sponsors and vice versa?  This builds authenticity.
2. What do sponsors have in common with the fans? This is the common ground that builds trust. 
3. What is the steel thread that runs through questions one and two?   This will be the most challenging question to answer, and it changes for every partnership, but we’ll give you one suggestion, focus on what’s best for the fan, and you’ll be closer every time.

The ability to connect the dots across all three key stakeholders is the kind of creativity we believe Steve is talking about.  Creativity matters in sponsorship.  We think it’s what separates the best from the rest.  Creative sponsorship minds focus on the value of the intellectual property and not the signs. Those who are most effective are storytellers and not asset sellers.  They craft stories, compelling activations, and design multi-stakeholder engagements.  

Two out of the three may work in the short-term, but if you want more than a ‘flash in the pan,’ look to connect the dots across all three: sponsors, properties and fans, and you’ll create an authentic partnership built on trust, designed to create fan value and a win-win-win long-term partnership – the stuff that sponsorship G.O.A.Ts are made of.