In due time, I'm sure that we'll become megalomaniacal jerks who will require not less than a 1500 word essay on why we should let you kiss our shoes, which will be a prerequisite to daring even to pester us with your piddling sponsorship requests. I mean, mark your calendars, it's coming. In the meantime, we have two clubs that we're looking forward to working with (announcements forthwith, following all requisite dotting of t's and crossing of i's), and we're on the hunt for more, so why not get while the getting's good?
I'm sure that our approach to sponsorship is different from most other brands out there. For one thing, we'd a thousand times rather see a picture of you racing on our bike and wheels but without our logo on your jersey than have our logo on your jersey and no one riding our gear. The ultimate endorsement is what you buy and use, not what you print on your jerseys.
There's an old joke (and no, Gus, this one doesn't start out the way most of mine do) about two shriveled up old ladies having lunch. One of them says to the other "how's your food?," to which the other replies "it's absolutely terrible." And the first one says "mine too. And such small portions!" Most brands have huge margin structures to support all of the people who must get paid as their gear makes its way from the factory to you. Consequently, when they do a team sponsorship, they can take a little bite from each link in the chain and present you with an impressive 20% or so (maybe more) discount. But their stuff is still hella expensive. I've actually done the studies to know that people respond positively to the perceived value of a higher priced item at a more generous discount, but that doesn't mean we're submitting to that structure. If our gear, at a smaller discount, is less than half the price of our competitor's gear at a more generous discount, we think ours is a win. Don't care what the sociologists and market researchers say. Your smarter than that.
We see sponsorship arrangements as partnerships, and we dig them. Our team had some great sponsorship experiences this year, one in particular where we were able to profoundly help a supplier improve their product. They loved the feedback, and we loved being part of the process. That stuff's fun. We're into it.
We even have ways to help people who are on teams that have other frame or wheel sponsors, but for whatever reason don't want to go with their team's sponsor. It's not that we want to cut another sponsor's lunch, we just realize that there might be situations where the "bro deal" from a sponsor still leaves you out in the cold. If enough people on your team are in that situation, we can help.
Obviously we aren't interested in sponsoring every Tom, Dick and Harry who comes along, nor can we afford to, but we are excited to develop relationships with a range of groups with whom we can develop great partnerships. If yours is such a group, let us know.
Thank you for your support.