If you are still considering the option of sponsorship for a big trip I got some points down for the do's and don't and the benefits and why-not-to-consider sponsorship for trips.

It is a lengthy article but might help make a better decision.

https://www.pikipikioverland.com/spo...land-junction/

__________________
12 reasons to follow us www.pikipiki.co.za

Pretty neat article, actually I already didn't want any sponsors, as I want to be free of all restraints and results, but I know a few people who could use this article...
Thanks for sharing!

depends if you can afford it without it, doesn't it?

Sorry mate, I aren't paying for your holiday and my customers know if I gave you free stuff you'll say its wonderful because its in our contract. Either like it or don't , but I can't be seen to influence anything or it all becomes pointless.

Andy

I do wonder what a brand would actually get out of it.

If you're already someone with a big following in the relevant target audience, then sure, giving you free stuff to test on your trip might make sense - the own-cost of a piece of kit could certainly be lower than the cost of a month's worth of banner ads on a specialist website. But this assumes that you are already doing a lot of documentation and presentation of your trip. If you enjoy doing that anyway, great! If you don't, spending so much of your time on the road setting up various tripod shots, processing photo and video, etc., could be a detriment to the experience.

Unless you happen to live within spitting distance of Touratech Corporate Headquarters, the likely sponsorships available to you will be local companies - the local KTM dealer and the local outdoor goods store, rather than the bike manufacturer and the kit manufacturer. For the local retailer, what's the advantage of having their logo on a bike traveling through places where they don't have an audience?

The only kind of sponsorship that makes sense to me is prototype testing. There's a guy here in Estonia who is making panniers out of HDPE, combining the advantages of soft and hard luggage, and there is an Estonian couple going around the world right now with his prototype cases. That makes all kinds of sense. They give him product feedback, and they tell other adventurers on the road where to order a set like that.

I met a couple on a RTW who bragged about being sponsored by several well known brands.. I asked if the goods were free, but apparently their definition of sponsorship was a 10% discount on a clothing suit. ?!?

__________________
https://fernsforays.wordpress.com/

The above post points out just how much of this is ego driven. A lousy 10% discount? ... and you get some stickers on your panniers? and a patch to sew onto your jacket? Sheesh!

Seems to me the whole ADV commercial world is shifting quickly now. With social media still surging and major decline of print magazines, clever OEM's have to think a bit outside the box.

I'm sure the smart manufacturers will still sponsor a few key characters. The ones who draw crowds at events and such ... and if they are good writers and phototogs as well then even better.

But why pay them year round? Or have them constantly sending in pics and videos your company probably won't use? So ... how do they advertise?
And how many produce truly slick commercial pics and how many can write "ad copy"?

Photo Shoot #101
OEM's can "hire" top travel adventure heroes for a day or two, get PRO film/stills crew out to some picturesque locations ... and click away. Costly? Depends how you do it. But it's a "One And Done" kind of deal.

A few choice locations featuring latest products, a good DP and you get enough print and video content "in the can" to use for a year or two at least ... and it's perfect and it's exactly what YOU (mister CEO) want!

Finally, hire a PRO editor, get killer music and post production ... and Bob's your uncle ... your ad campaign is ready to go world wide.

Your "Talent" (ADV Heroes) are then let go with a pittance and a few discounted items as payment and the OEM has rights to use them riding in all their ads ... forever. (or whatever contract they sign)

We already see this approach from some bike companies like KTM and Yamaha. They hire top Dakar racers or former heroes (like Peterhansel) for a one day shoot ... and their good until the next product launch down the road a year or three.

Sadly, books now seem irrelevant. The days of Ted Simon's Jupiter's Travels are long behind us and not as many appreciate the many well done Blog's out there from true adventurers' like Mick & Tan, Lisa & Simon, Paul & Egle and many more.

And publishers are less likely to publish your book if it's already been presented on HUBB or ADV Rider. In fact, some are contractually prohibited from posting to on line forums, can be both images and text.

IMO, this whole world is quickly evolving. We're in the middle of it now, and who knows where it's going or where we will end up. Enjoy the ride!

Why pay David Beckham and Tiger Woods? With a high enough profile, it's good for the brand.

I imagine plenty of people have bought Adventure Spec jerseys because Lyndon Poskitt wears one, and even more people have bought Rukka suits after seeing Ed March and Rachel survive Canada in one.

You're pretty right here! I didn't know about aventure-spec before I watch Races2Places and I bought some stuffs from their store since I know it... Including the best-sellers Magadan panniers

But let's face it : we're not all Dakar finishing, road of bones riding, pro picture shooting adventure heroes... So what's true for those awesome guys might not be true the common mortals we are!

First rule of marketing is to try and know what the market wants. What it needs is none of your business.

A Tiger Woods putter is not about making you play like him, its about making you feel like you might. There are more wannabees than actuals.

Some riders/players will sell their bodies and souls to suppliers of any old rubbish to make a living and its up to them. I'm old enough to remember every sportsman and his dog telling you cigarettes were great etc. None of them smoked off camera since the 70's.

What a few have noted above is that the "Adventure" market now has established players like Chris Scott and Sam Manicom who will to some degree sell their services. Unlike say Golf or Tennis there is less movement of champions /celebrities. If Gary Player was still able to promote golf clubs Tiger Woods would be a bit poorer and have more free time.

You also have the internet where if someone spots the Held personality wearing Dainese it'll be an event. Amazon reviews and obviously honest blogs tell you more about the product than a scripted you tube video.

For promotions I always go with spending the budget on better customer service and rewarding people who leave positive tweets, amazon reviews and the like. You get way more for your money. A man called Edsel telling me Fords have great handling makes me laugh not go buy one.

Andy

What I WANT is a KTM 1290 Adventure R. What I can afford is a used Transalp. Go ahead and market the KTM to me.

Yes, and with all respect to Ed March, I really, really don't want his life.

That's called astroturfing, and if I get wind of you doing it, I am never buying anything from your brand again, and telling everyone who asks to do the same.

This is not really sponsoring. This is involving the community. Or even building a community. This really helps as people feel involved and will be more happy with the product.

Well BMW sold a bunch of bikes off the back of Ewan and Charley, not to mention plenty that'll never get dirty. So for manufacturers sponsorship can make sense, and if somebody wanted to give me a discount worth a few hundred in return for showing a few stickers I'd certainly do it, not that I'm a major marketing influencer

It does irritate me a bit though, people going on what is essentially a big holiday and trying to get others to pay for it. I see this a lot in the racing world where people cast about looking for sponsors before they've even turned a wheel on track. It's your life and your journey folks, if you can get a freebie that's fine, if not just pay for it like the rest of us have to

You know, from the Russian trip, I speculate BMW also lost sales of their big behemoth moto to smaller/lighter motos. Ewan & Charley had lots of tip overs from too heavy a moto. Their camera man abandoned his BMW and finished with a Russian moto. Sure, that's part of the adventure when you're on the adventure. But when someone else is watching on their screen, the problems those guys had with their bikes does not motivate the less adventurous to get out and buy a big BMW for a trip to the remote out back. I know KTM declined to sponsor them, which for KTM was probably a good move.

Sponsorship has a lot of obligations with it. Besides traveling & blogging, you also need to market their product to retain a good sponsorship. Marketing becomes a new component to a trip, and adding that to your trip is important to think through before you accept the obligation. There are other ways to save money; for one, ride a small, inexpensive, less than ideal moto so you can afford to go.

You could argue that KTM or possibly Touratech got the best value for money from Long Way Round?

They also had a perfect cost-risk-effect balance. If you spend enough on personal recommendations you will eventually find the next O J Simpson or Gary Glitter. An established promoter for a limited campaign is less risk. Decide after you've seen the "Welding in Russia/Camera man on a Minsk" footage before you do the photoshoot.

Andy