A pioneer of the indoor pickleball space, Club Pickleball USA provides members with an experience like no other, boasting 29 indoor courts between their two locations in Orem and Sandy, Utah. While they are working on many innovative projects at this club, their corporate sponsorships program stands out as a foundational aspect of Club Pickleball USA, having established relationships with partners and sponsors even prior to the club’s opening. They are adamant that the “pickleball community is the perfect demographic for almost any business looking to grow their brand,” says Devan Egan, a co-owner and founder of Club Pickleball USA.
While there are a plethora of reasons why incorporating sponsors into your club’s atmosphere can be beneficial, Egan was primarily driven by wanting to increase the club’s revenue while simultaneously offering businesses value and an access point to their membership base. This system is beneficial for club goers as well as it helps “maintain an affordable fee structure…for [their] members and players.” Further, for local companies looking to diversify their marketing, the pickleball demographic can be a suitable audience to help increase the visibility of these companies. This exposure has been directly tied to an increase in sales for the company, which they can attribute to their relationship with Club Pickleball USA.
To meet the varied needs of large and small business seeking to partner with the club, Club Pickleball USA regularly builts out custom marketing packages to suit the requirements and resources of the company. However, most companies may find that their marketing needs will fit into one of Club Pickleball USA’s four levels of sponsorship–Pro, 5.0, 4.0, and 3.0. These tiers were developed to reflect the diverse nature of various companies’ marketing strategies and help align with their differing budgets and goals, thereby providing more value to the sponsor. Egan notes that while most partners “maintain their status for the term of their agreement,” they tend to “upgrade or renew their existing sponsorship” in the second year. Through the years, the club has learned that while a company may decide to cancel their sponsorship on occasion, they have never downgraded their level of sponsorship to a lower tier. Egan is proud that through court banners, shared podiums, and social media and email campaigns, the club is able to “give [their] sponsors the reach and access they need with [their] audience.”
Operationally, the club’s VP of Business and Development, Kat McKendrick, is responsible for all corporate sponsors and partners. This role is vital to the flourishing of these relationships as she manages incoming sponsors and supports their partnership the term of their agreement. Club Pickleball USA works on a 12 month term with sponsors and has options to renew if the partnership should continue. Although they do not necessarily prohibit working with certain types of companies when considering partnerships, the club works to “limit the number of sponsors [they] have within a specific sector.” In a few cases, companies have paid for exclusivity, however they make every effort to avoid this practice the majority of the time.
One insight Club Pickleball USA has learned through their time cultivating relationships with various companies is that they are usually looking for visibility in the most prominent areas of the club’s footprint both physically and digitally. Therefore, Club Pickleball USA has worked diligently to “create shareable experiences for players that organically provide exposure for [their] sponsors inside the club and across social media as players post their content to their friends/followers.”
Egan believes the success of a club’s corporate sponsorship program is based upon the club’s inventory of marketable assets and their ability to package them together to convey value to potential partners. While “it’s difficult to sell a single item…when you bundle these club assets into packages, it begins to make sense for the sponsor.” This strategic communication of value can really impact a company’s willingness to invest in the relationship. Further, for clubs in the infancy of starting their corporate sponsorship program, Egan suggests offering special deals to potential brand partners you hope to work closely with in the future. “This will seed your sponsorship presence and create social proof for other businesses that are considering your club as a viable option.” This offer could be marketed as a founders package to those who are willing to jump on board early, giving your club validity with regard to partnerships.
So much of the pickleball world is centered around networking and identifying community within the game, making corporate partnerships another way to cultivate deep connections within the sport. Club Pickleball USA loves being able to support small business owners in an effort to continue spreading the generosity shown to them by other companies who have gone before them.
To watch an informative video about the corporate sponsorships at Club Pickleball USA, click HERE.
