Sponsorship

[Just4Fun]

My guess is that a few people here could be customers of Howdens. I am curious to know the general feeling about them sponsoring a sailing boat on a round-the-world race. Does this make you more or less likely to purchase from them?

 

[rogxwhit]

Wouldn't make a jot of difference, though it's not a firm I bother with anyway ...

 

[Geoff_S]

No.

 

[TheUnicorn]

It doesn't put me off using them (though truthfully I never have and have no immediate plans to), if it gets their name out there someone in a head office somewhere must think it makes sense as an advertising cost. I know nothing about the sailing boat in question, or who is crewing it, but I'd rather see that kind of corporate funding going towards community projects, helping people out that need help etc, but ultimately it is advertising, and advertising needs to be seen.

 

[ajs]

I don't suspect we are the target audience. I'll admit I have only a peripheral awareness of them but I'm not their potential customer base. Something like this doesn't translate into an immediate sale, even the marketing exec authorising this knows that. What it does do is create brand awareness and sailboats in particular are stereotypically more of an upper middle class preoccupation.

You can buy a new kitchen for a grand. Average is probably around the £5k mark, can easily spend £30k if you want. Those are not like for like comparisons of course but margins will inevitably increase as you move up the price scale - a single kitchen for £30000 is worth far more than 30 at £1000.

Targeting those that will spend money is therefore common sense. Of course it still doesn't translate into immediate sales but the brand awareness is key: if you are in the market for a new kitchen and they come up then instead of being an anonymous brand it's "Howdens - I've heard of them".

 

[Doug71]

Not a fan of Howdens but unfortunately sometimes I have to use them.

If all their branches are the same as my local one they would be better putting the money towards some staff training.

 

[baldkev]

I use howdens regularly.
Sponsorship in general, i believe, has no impact on trade users. It might impact a customer ( end user ) but i doubt it. More likely the head shed at howdens sponsored a mate's son's boat. Sponsorship costs come off your profits so your company pays less tax i guess

 

[Just4Fun]

Thanks for the replies. I have been involved in the search for sponsorship (for a different sport) so it is interesting to know what people think about it, especially in this case where users of this forum are likely to have some knowledge of the sponsoring company.

someone in a head office somewhere must think it makes sense as an advertising cost.

It would be nice to think that but I am a cynic and I tend more towards @baldkev's suggestion:

More likely the head shed at howdens sponsored a mate's son's boat.

(Although in this case it is more likely to be a mate rather than a mate's son).