MY FIRST DAKAR: FINDING SPONSORS
Recommendations from Etienne Lavigne (Chairman of the Organisation Committee)

The first challenge faced when preparing the Dakar race is finding a sponsor !

How can you go about finding your sponsors ?

Before beginning the first steps in the search, you have to think about the most appropriate way to convince the potential sponsor of his interest in your project.
Finding a sponsor means that you have to:
• Get him to see what’s in it for him, how by helping you he furthers his own cause
• Convince him of the well-grounded seriousness of your candidacy

Five key steps to organise your approach:

1. Define your project:
Prior to undertaking an active search, you have to clearly define your project. Answering the following questions will help you outline your project:
• Why take part in the Dakar ?
• What are my motivations ?
• What are my objectives ?
• What assets do I possess to achieve these objectives ?
• What type of team do I want to form ?
• What resources have to be implemented to succeed ?
• …

2. Make a budget:
The preceding step helped you define the size of your project.
Now, you have to itemise the various costs involved in order to have a clear idea of your expenses.
After this step, you should have answered the four following questions:
• What is my budget ?
• How should I present it to my potential partners / sponsors ?
• What are my own available financial assets ?
• What amount am I looking for from my potential sponsors ?

3. List your potential partners / sponsors:
Your potential sponsors have to be targeted. Look more at your own personal, professional and regional contacts and relationships than at the “big sponsors” who will be less inclined to support you.
Draw up a list of your potential partners, and characterise them as follows:
• What is their line of business ?
• Why would they be likely to help me ?
• What arguments do I need to specifically put forward ?
• What are their available financial resources ?
• Which companies should I go see first ?

4. Gather and organise useful information:
As part of your sales pitch, you also have sell the Dakar “dream”. ASO has prepared a number of sales tools to help you at this stage:

Tools that are available to inspire the Dakar dream:

The Dakar brochure: this brochure was redesigned this year, to be re-used as a sales prospect development tool, for use with your sponsors. This brochure is divided into 3 parts:
• The first part, the “Dakar dream” describes the major features of the race, what makes it unique and famous
• The second part, called the “2005 Edition” explains the particular aspects which are specific to this year
• The last part, “Your budget” gives your sponsor the opportunity to evaluate the cost of the rally and to help you accordingly.

The CD-Rom: a CD-Rom on the Dakar rally has been created especially for first-time participation. Please contact the “Competitors” department for your copy. The interest behind the CD-Rom is to enable you to present the race in a lively and original manner, by viewing a film which emphasises the highlights or presents an animated view of the layout this year. Get your sponsors to “live the experience” of the Dakar event. With the CD-Rom, the power of the images and the sound will help you get your points across …

Internet: www.dakar.com is a site where you can download elements you need, or discuss with other competitors on the Forum. Use all these possibilities to ask other, more experienced competitors your questions…

5. Build your arguments:

"Don’t misjudge your target, nor the content of your speech":
There is no point in communicating on your potential sports performances if you are attempting your first Dakar race ! The objective here is to succeed in finishing, but not necessarily placing ! Assess the content of your pitch accordingly, and in particular your media coverage. Amateurs get spot articles, they are more often present in local and regional media. But don’t promise that you’ll be headlines on the national news, nor make the front page of the sports daily !

Prepare a dossier that looks like you !
The detailed elements in the fourth step will assist you in your presentation of the rally. Then, it’s up to you defend your application and project your image. For this purpose, prepare a personalised document to describe your project. This presentation has to be clear, persuasive, succinct and lively. It has to inspire your listener and convince him of your personal qualities.
You have to put forward your specificities, your motivations:
• What is original about your candidacy ?
• Why are you such a mechanical sports enthusiast and by rally-raid in particular ?
• What experience do you have in the field ?
• …

There is no “miracle formula” we can give you to help in this part. However, you can think about the following pointers, and draw inspiration from them:

Think about presenting your athletic profile: look at the statistics in the brochure on the 2005 Dakar competitors. Place yourself in the rally, in terms of age, vehicle category, number of participations, status (professional or amateur)….

Emphasise your nationality and your region ! Identify all the potential media payoff – the media statistics in the brochure can help you identify the payoff for the press, the radio and even the TV in your region.
These regional media are often on the lookout for anecdotes about the amateur competitors. Don’t hesitate to contact them to propose an interview. This can only enhance your cause with your potential sponsors !

Present the arguments which justify sponsorship:
• Diffuse a good image of the company to the outside world at the local, regional and national level, thanks to the media results. The name of the company (and/or one of its brands) is associated with your participation and with the adventure of the rally.
• Change or reinforce the image of the company, in-house. To communicate on the primary values of the company, the directors can use sponsorship of a major event such as the Dakar to motivate employees and/or associate the company with the values of courage, efforts, competition, human adventure, Africa … which characterise the Dakar.
• Build a good relationship with your suppliers/clients. Sponsorship can be a good way for one of your suppliers/clients to weave strong connections prior to or following agreement on a partnership.
• Enable your sponsors to participate indirectly in the adventure. The Dakar is a legendary event in which all the people who love Africa, mechanical sports, extreme sports and other aspects would like to take part one day … These enthusiasts are potential sponsors who can be tempted to help you in this challenge in return for the ability to experience the event, indirectly …
• The partner firm can benefit from tax deductions. According to countries, sponsoring can be used to be eligible for tax deductions. Prepare information on the legislation in your country in order to inform the potential sponsor of the tax deductions he may be eligible for.

Clearly present what they get in exchange for financial or in-kind support:

• Visibility for their brand / their firm on your vehicle, your clothing, your helmet, your trunk, your assistance vehicles …
• A trip that can take place on the off day or at arrival time. For the most generous sponsors, a day on the rally is a weighty argument in favour or sponsorship, for those who want to taste the atmosphere at Dakar !
• Organisation of events: such as exhibition of the vehicle before and/or after the rally, a photo exhibit …

Finally, and don’t forget…

• To keep your sponsors updated on your exploits during / after the rally
• To give them a video tape, articles on Dakar, or a detailed press book of the best photos, to thank them.

To see the use of Dakar brand, click on Use of the Dakar brand.

So… what are you waiting for ! Get started on getting the adventure underway !

Etienne Lavigne
Chairman of the Dakar organising committee