^^^
There we go, now that's what I'm talking about. In the last 24 hours we've had loads of comment and opinion from people, and that's what I was hoping to see. Some interesting thoughts too. Thanks for restoring my faith a little here.
I think I'd like to comment on the 'negative' feedback as a start. What it seems to boil down to (my interpretation, so please correct me) is that sponsorship should not change clan behaviour at all. We shouldn't have to modify our existing behaviour, commit to any standards in terms of participation/ practice schedules, or adhere to any kind of code of conduct. And if we did, then the sponsorship offer is questionable.
The reality is, if we feel this way we might as well tell them to forget it right now. Sponsorship is a business transaction, and for it to work all parties must get value out of the arrangement. Putting logo's on T-Shirts is not value adding to any noticeable degree. In fact, if we're honest about it, all of those 'sponsorships' that we've got over the last couple of years for rAge have actually been donations, not sponsorships. The people/organisations who gave us money and stuff never got any real value from what they gave us. Additionally, a lot of the funds raised to get us to rAge were donations from our own clan members, supporting others in the clan that didn't have the means. A fantastic effort, and one I'm very proud of all of our members for, but it can't be compared to a sponsorship arrangement.
Within a well structured sponsorship agreement, we will be given what we need in order to compete (or at least contributions towards those costs). There would be no financial drain on clan members for this, but obviously we'd have to offer something in return.
And what do the sponsors want out of the arrangement? Clearly they want to sell more goods or increase their circulation based on an association with our clan. How do they achieve that? In order for it to be a success, they would have to raise the profile of the [grrr] clan so that it becomes a brand that people will want to relate to, and thus purchase the 'goods' that we use.
Now clearly, there has to be something existing within the clan currently that makes them believe that we are the right fit for them. Clearly their focus is not on the 'ultimate competitors’; if that was the case they would not be talking to us right now. It's also not because we play the most popular competitive online game (CS or COD4 still outnumber BF by a huge majority in terms of people playing the game). It is my belief that they have targeted us because of our make-up, our blend of personalities, and the clear bond that can be seen between members. We aren't the typical competitive gaming clan. We are on average older, more mature, more 'real' than most clans out there. We work for a living, we have families and kids, we juggle gaming with real life commitments, and (what I believe to be very important) we are representative of a group of adults for whom gaming is a lifestyle choice.
If this is the case (and I’ll admit that I am speculating here), then the last thing any sponsor is going to want to do is destroy the very characteristics that make us appealing in the first place. And attempting to turn us into the ultimate competitive machine would certainly do that.
There would have to be two objectives to be achieved for the sponsorship to work:
1. Raise our profile amongst the gaming community – we already have a good reputation amongst other gaming clans, so we have a head start here. What is missing is the masses of gaming adults that don’t belong to the clan scene, but game casually. To target them, exposure will be key. Gaining exposure could be achieved by:
a. Attending LAN events, expos, technology shows, etc. as speakers and representatives of our partners
b. Competing in events and leagues where results can be published and commented on. Clearly they would want us to do well in this competition, but it’s about exposure, not necessarily winning everything
c. Website coverage on the Digital Life site e.g. interviews, blogs, league match reviews and gaming community commentary by grrr clan members
d. Magazine coverage as above
e. Hosting LAN events/competitions. As Lee mentioned in his post
2. Link the clan to Digital Life and it’s partners – Demonstrate that ‘Clan grrr uses AVG anti-virus – because you can never have too much protection (picture of jonny). How can we achieve this?
a. Endorsements on the grrr website for sponsors’ kit
b. Us seen to be using sponsors gear at competition (monitors, keyboards and mice are the most visible)
c. Branding on our website and forum signatures etc.
d. Reviews for sponsors’ products in both the grrr/Digital Life websites and Digital Life magazine
e. General merchandising (T’s, caps, etc.) branded with supported products.
I can’t see how any of the above would be against clan ideals in principle. Sure, there would be specifics that we’d need to bed down, but none of what I’ve put in the above list could be considered as ‘anti’ clan morals.
What is important is that participation by members would have to be on an ‘opt-in’ basis. All of the activities listed above will result in grrr members sacrificing one thing – time. Time to go to LANs, time to practice, time to write reviews, time to do interviews, time to do match reports and blogs, time for management of logistics, clan membership, scheduling etc. etc. etc. It’s all about time. And that’s what we would be asked to give if this were to be a success.
I know that we all have different real life constraints on our time, some of which are immovable, and others which are by choice. Each and every one of us will have to decide how much time they would be willing to give to this venture, and what they would be prepared to do with this time. Some people are suited to management and scheduling. Others are good writers. Some are public speakers, and some are inclined towards gaming strategy and tactics. All of these skills, to a greater or lesser extent, will contribute towards the success of this. And of course there is gaming itself, and practice and match time. This is the crux of it all.
If anyone wants to be included in the team that we put together, they must be prepared to commit the time that will be required for us to compete at a good level. We know what we can achieve when we provide an increased level of commitment – we saw it back in 1998.
As part of this, not all of us would make the ‘A’ team. Regardless of game played, it’s not going to be 16 man teams, so there will be people who don’t get selected. But hey, this happened before, remember? Granted, there weren’t potential sponsorships at stake then, but the principle is still the same. If you want to make the team, practice hard and make sure you are good enough. This should not become an issue within the clan, as long as we are open about our selection criteria, and provide a mechanism for non-selected yet willing participants to challenge for places going forward. Besides, as Lee mentioned, we are currently quite low on membership, and a number of members will not be able to commit (both time wise and technically –i.e. lack of internet) to the team. Selection might be easier than we think. In fact, we may even be short of players to be able to enter a team, and need to recruit (I personally expect this to be the case).
In all, there is a lot to be defined if this is to become a reality. I’m speculating as to what the drivers in the relationship would be, and we have no idea as yet as to the rewards that would be offered. Clearly there has to be synergy between the two. As an example, take a look at the costing spreadsheet. What if they offered us everything on there? Surely then it would be worthwhile to sacrifice the time required to make a good showing? And if you think not in your specific case (for whatever reason), then you must at least recognise that there are other members in the clan that would love this kind of opportunity, and be prepared to offer up the time. Opt yourself out, and accept that you won’t get access to the hardware and merchandise, you won’t be able to attend the LAN events around the country free of charge, but you’ll still reap some pretty cool benefits. We’d have a clan server to play on. Our web hosting would be paid for and local. And you’d still be able to reap the benefits of that extremely cool tag that you wear in front of your nick – except now it may well be far better recognised, respected and even coveted. That’s got to be a good thing, surely?
. I will have more to say and more of a reaction when I see exactly what they want and exactly what they are willing to give. As mentioned before, it is obvious that you and Fly have done a great deal for the clan in this negotiation and I for one am greatful cos if it comes through it will be due to your prep work and my good looks.