Potential Sponsors for Irish Football Magazine?

**A face** · 21/02/2008, 9:51 PM

Reading on from this thread i think there is a fairly good response in support of subscriptions to an Irish Football magazine. You could only imagine that if it had the full support of all the clubs, encouraging fans to subscribe to it, it could do very well on that side of things.

The main thing involved with a magazine is to nail down potential sponsors for an Irish Football Magazine. Given the specific profile of the readers (guys aged 16-45 roughly) the job could be made easy in identifying companies who would see it an advantage to be able to advertise their product at a target audience.

I also think that you could easily nail down an online betting company, to take out a page or two over a season, with a run down on the up and coming games, giving odds and predictions etc. There are some many out there now and they'd always be looking to get people interested on taking a punt on a game if they normally wouldn't

Car companies / dealerships (loads of them)
Clothing / Sportswear companies (cant think of any Irish ones right now)
Insurance companies (i.e. FBD)
Sports companies (i.e. astro)
Travel companies (CIE, Aer Arann, Coach + Limo hire)

Can anyone think of any more that might be interested?

**GavinZac** · 21/02/2008, 9:53 PM

Paddy Power will sponsor anything. ANYTHING. Between the guy in the sombrero for Cork matches and the Father Ted milkfloat, its shocking.

Oh, and Pats

**Raheny Red** · 21/02/2008, 10:02 PM

Nivea and The Star I reckon.

**neutrino** · 22/02/2008, 1:05 PM

This message has been deleted by A face. Reason: Dumbass post

Moderating your own threads A_FACE ? definitely one way to get your point across successfully

**A face** · 22/02/2008, 2:25 PM

Originally Posted by neutrino

Moderating your own threads A_FACE ? definitely one way to get your point across successfully

When its a dunbass post then yeah. It would be better if people didn't make them though, would make life alot easier. Pass the word around would ya?

**Block G Raptor** · 22/02/2008, 2:49 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Reading on from this thread
Clothing / Sportswear companies (cant think of any Irish ones right now)

Can anyone think of any more that might be interested?

Clothing/Sportswear retailers. ie Lifestyle,Champion, Marathon and elvery's
Also men's cosmetic companies ie Nivea For Men, Lynx etc.

**jebus** · 22/02/2008, 2:54 PM

Is there any massive bar in Dublin (say) that might want to promote itself as THE place to watch football/the Irish team? They would probably be interested in taking out soem form of advertising

**Block G Raptor** · 22/02/2008, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

Is there any massive bar in Dublin (say) that might want to promote itself as THE place to watch football/the Irish team? They would probably be interested in taking out soem form of advertising

Murray's on O'Connell st (formerly Frazers)

**A face** · 22/02/2008, 4:03 PM

The Evergreen Bar in Cork might be good for it, if it was advertised that its the place to be before games.

**dcfcsteve** · 22/02/2008, 4:46 PM

The general rule of thumb re getting advertising for a magazine like this would be that big companies will be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. If you can crack one you could find youyrself with a good anchor advertiser for a few years - but it'll take you ages to get to that stage, and will probably depend on a large degree of luck. Meanwhikle, smaller advertiserts are much easier to deal with, contact and persuade - but they can't pay as much and will often only want one-off or occassional ads.

With Big companies it will take you ages eveen just trying to find the right person to talk to (e.g is it the Brand Manager ? Their ad agency ? Their media buyer ?) - and that's if you can get a hold of them or get them to return your calls in the first place. I worked in Brand and adevrtising for 7 years with big brands, and we used to get regular contact from various people thinking their product or publication or whatever is the perfect fit for your brand. After a while you just try to avoid them, as there are so many of them and most of them are so far form what you're trying to do with your business.

Also - most big brands will have their budgets for the year tied-up way in-advance and not want to deviate from it unless it really hits their objectives bang-on.

Your best bet would be using word-of-mouth to try to get the name of someone who is in the know or in the right place in certain appropriate companies, and use that as a route in. Picking up a phone and calling the likes of Nivea or Gillette just randomly in the hope of selling them ad space in a brand new Irish football magazine with a small circulation in a market where the last one died on its arse will just end up destroying your soul/faith. Trust me.

**A face** · 22/02/2008, 8:15 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

The general rule of thumb re getting advertising for a magazine like this would be that big companies will be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. If you can crack one you could find youyrself with a good anchor advertiser for a few years - but it'll take you ages to get to that stage, and will probably depend on a large degree of luck. Meanwhikle, smaller advertiserts are much easier to deal with, contact and persuade - but they can't pay as much and will often only want one-off or occassional ads.

With Big companies it will take you ages eveen just trying to find the right person to talk to (e.g is it the Brand Manager ? Their ad agency ? Their media buyer ?) - and that's if you can get a hold of them or get them to return your calls in the first place. I worked in Brand and adevrtising for 7 years with big brands, and we used to get regular contact from various people thinking their product or publication or whatever is the perfect fit for your brand. After a while you just try to avoid them, as there are so many of them and most of them are so far form what you're trying to do with your business.

Also - most big brands will have their budgets for the year tied-up way in-advance and not want to deviate from it unless it really hits their objectives bang-on.

Your best bet would be using word-of-mouth to try to get the name of someone who is in the know or in the right place in certain appropriate companies, and use that as a route in. Picking up a phone and calling the likes of Nivea or Gillette just randomly in the hope of selling them ad space in a brand new Irish football magazine with a small circulation in a market where the last one died on its arse will just end up destroying your soul/faith. Trust me.

Thats what i'm on about Steve. Where is the best place to go look first? Ideally nothing would go to print until you had enough to cover the first six months. My motive was to get a 'life make a bit easier' thread together to ..... well, make life easy

I'd agree, getting resounding no's all the time is going to do no one any good but if you knew you were approaching a company that were some way amenable to the idea then it would make it a bit easier.

C'mon people, whos out there? Who would be good to approach?

**Candystripe** · 22/02/2008, 8:27 PM

It looks like Ladbrokes are making a big move into the Irish market and with the growth of on-line betting the Eircom LOI fans could fit into their way of thinking.

Alco pop companies could be another.

**ashbournebohs** · 22/02/2008, 8:28 PM

Have a look around the league at the companies who already have a relationship or have committed to the league.

Paddypowers
Setanta
Woodies Or B&Q
Umrbro
Ford
Nivea for Men
Spin 103.8 or Fm 104
The Mirror(sun or daily star)
Aer Arran
Dublin Bus
EA Sports
All of these companies have been good to the league in some way or another.
Alternatively all of the individual club sponsors could be contacted and informed of the venture and you might get a few getting involved as its going to the same audience

**A face** · 22/02/2008, 9:12 PM

I know you'll think this is mad but i always thought that if you gave a page advert / 'company profile article and its link to the league' type page for any company that sponsors an eLOI team already for free, it would encourage their effort again and it would also might see some of them look favourably on the magazine in the future.

I know its giving up a whole page but its selling power for clubs when they are getting sponsorship and they effectively could be knocking on doors that you dont get around to and it might be in your interest later on, especially at the start when you might not have loads of ads to fill the pages and it might encourage other companies to sponsor when they see them in print. For example if a company saw Flancare, Dulux or Des Kelly (household names) then they might be interested as well.

**padjoe** · 24/02/2008, 6:19 AM

Originally Posted by A face

I know you'll think this is mad but i always thought that if you gave a page advert / 'company profile article and its link to the league' type page for any company that sponsors an eLOI team already for free, it would encourage their effort again and it would also might see some of them look favourably on the magazine in the future.

I know its giving up a whole page but its selling power for clubs when they are getting sponsorship and they effectively could be knocking on doors that you dont get around to and it might be in your interest later on, especially at the start when you might not have loads of ads to fill the pages and it might encourage other companies to sponsor when they see them in print. For example if a company saw Flancare, Dulux or Des Kelly (household names) then they might be interested as well.

A face are you looking to put a magazine together cause i know you have the experience from the fanzine. i would love to launch a magazine but i don't have the experience or know how yet to establish a confident product. i went for an interview as writer in the sky lark hotel in drumcondra two years ago for a eircom league magazine, which was on the cusp of launching but after the interview i heard nothing again and obviously magazine collapsed. there is a market there but i think if the AIL ever came on stream that would be the time to capitalise.

**Steve Bruce** · 24/02/2008, 9:19 AM

Umbro would be the best ones to contact IMO.

They have a massive interest in football on this island.

**stojkovic** · 26/02/2008, 1:00 AM

Originally Posted by jebus

Is there any massive bar in Dublin (say) that might want to promote itself as THE place to watch football/the Irish team? They would probably be interested in taking out soem form of advertising

Thought the Submarine was the home of Irish football

There has been many Irish football magazines over the years and they didnt last long - Soccer Reporter, Irish Soccer Magazine etc

If only 10% of the muppets who buy 442 and Shoot bought an Irish version it would be a success.

LOI programmes and ybig mag probably provide sufficient coverage.

I hope one succeeds but it needs advertising and advertising revenue is based on exposure ie circulation.

**dcfcsteve** · 26/02/2008, 1:07 AM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

Thought the Submarine was the home of Irish football

There has been many Irish football magazines over the years and they didnt last long - Soccer Reporter, Irish Soccer Magazine etc

If only 10% of the muppets who buy 442 and Shoot bought an Irish version it would be a success.

LOI programmes and ybig mag probably provide sufficient coverage.

I hope one succeeds but it needs advertising and advertising revenue is based on exposure ie circulation.

Soccer Magazine certainly lasted long - at least 7 years that I can think of.