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September 2, 2004
Sponsoring lives
In America there is a trend to have corporate entities sponsor weddings, birthday parties and other events. Shafaq Fatima Baiq wonders if this will catch on in Pakistan
I am on a mission. My goal is to name my niece. As I spent countless hours to choose the right name, I realized my sister is crassly materialistic in her agreement of my being the name-picker. This great responsibility was not given unconditionally, but because of my promises that I would be readily available to babysit my niece whenever my sister and her husband dined out.
But when I thought about a similar event I was stunned and dismayed at just how materialistic some of us can be. In July 2001, I watched a couple in the USA offer naming rights to the public for their unborn son on national television. The expectant parents made the rounds of all the chat shows, inviting corporations to name their baby for a mere $500,000. Can you imagine the trauma, the pain of being introduced in school as Coca Cola, Pepsi or worse Kit Kat?
I am happy that in return for the fulfillment of my wish to name a little baby girl, I have only been asked to offer babysitting service, occasionally. Compared to these parents who were looking for sponsorships to name their boy, this was peanuts.
Even the fear of being labelled money-minded parents, hasn’t stopped enterprising Americans from jumping on the bandwagon to capitalize on important and personal events of their lives. They expect others to finance their lives through sponsorship or litigation. They have very aptly figured out ways to attract corporations.
I remember another such materialistic event which took place last June. A couple in Atlanta had the wedding of their dreams. However, just to have a swaggering function they put this event on sale to gain corporate sponsorships. The bride-to-be was obsessed about having a dream wedding. But she also knew she was unable to afford it, so she looked hard for sources to materialize her dream. She wrote proposal letters and made deals with 17 separate companies all to the tune of $15,000. In return, she handed sponsor information to the 125 guests who attended the nuptials. Those guests must have felt really special but the bride exposed herself as a real ‘cheapo’.
The event of her life became very conditioned, as everything from the menu to what dress she wore, was selected by the corporations. But then, most people actually don’t mind losing their freedom, otherwise we would not have seen online marketplaces for buying and selling sponsors. This emerging narcissism dovetails perfectly with some emerging trends in the marketplace; for example, in 2002, sponsorship in America was a $9.6 billion business.
It would seem that consumers in other parts of the world have begun to expect a great deal from their favourite organizations and in exchange of a benefit, are ready to make them their favourite companies. The question that comes to mind is: where do we stand and how savvy and informed are we to expect sponsorships from our favourite companies? Consumers in Pakistan have not yet shown any such skill as the Americans have. Perhaps the companies have not been interested enough either.
A CEO in Manhattan on turning 30, came up with a smart idea to celebrate his birthday party. He used his professional contacts to generate a large amount in donated goods and cash. A sponsor paid the rental on the space while another donated food. He justified the donations for his birthday bash by saying that he knew that on his birthday he would be able to provide a chance to every sponsor company to show their ads to the right people.
Though sponsorships are great for charitable and fund-raising events, should we run for sponsorships for our personal gains? I think corporations would want to sponsor weddings and birthday parties where they are guaranteed a specific demography. If we look at such parties they make sense from the marketing perspective, but the real joy is lost somewhere along the way.
Let me put it this way: if a would-be bride and groom show the guest list to certain corporate people ensuring them that they can meet and even interview the guests, then the corporate people would be interested in sponsoring the wedding. Corporate sponsorship provides the perfect platform for consumers to experience a brand. This integration can create a synergy when all components can be brought together in a thematic framework.
Also, the corporate people can get a first-hand experience by actually meeting people and getting ideas from a diverse group. The bride and groom now have to promise the corporations that they would just invite a certain category given (read dictated) by them. On the one hand, the corporate people would have the chance to create a brand, and on the other, to give a chance to the gathered consumers to experience the already developed brand.
However, the only problem for the bride and groom would be to cater to a wide variety of guests. After all, most people are focussed when it comes to family and friends. They are not always ready to get close to people coming from an entirely different ethnic group. The couple might want to invite people of a certain origin but do not get permission to do so. Imagine seeking permission from large businesses for inviting guests to your own big day. Corporate masters are demanding, and one has to face that when getting sponsors.
People who succumb to the enticement of peddling their big days, think such celebrations can bring happiness, which is not true at all. When an event happens it does not need to be big and pompous. .
In our country mercifully, we have not stooped that far to put our events on sale and generate some extra cash to have a lavish wedding or a swank birthday party.
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