Sometimes the biggest challenge of getting started with a new project is fighting the unknown. When you don't know what you need, you don't know how to start. This can be especially frustrating for the different parties in sports marketing that come together to make the whole environment work. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to support your brand and maximize the opportunities to succeed.

We have outlined the differences to provide some guidance on the value two different types of agencies can bring.

Sponsorship sales agency

This type of agency generally represents you as a driver or team, or in technical jargon, a property. They are spending their time in the marketplace looking for brands that want to use sponsorship as a marketing platform. Once they find an interested brand, they will sell on your behalf by providing your unique value and answering why the brand should invest in you. Sales agencies act as a broker between properties needing funding to perform and brands with the budget and want to market their products or services.

You need a sales agency if:

• You are a driver, team, track or series

• You have just started competing

• You are looking to increase your budget for next season

Sponsorship activation agency

Once a sponsorship is secured, the group you are sponsoring often considers it a done deal. They will likely return to what they are most committed to - competing. Your brand has just invested money in sponsoring a particular property and is found asking, "now what?"

For us, that is where the real work begins.

While we don't actively recruit and sell new sponsorships for properties, we focus on activating those relationships. Depending on your business objectives, sponsorship activation can come in many forms and is designed to generate sustainable value for your brand.

You need an activation agency if:

• You are a brand that markets products or services through sponsorships

• You are looking to extract value out of your sponsorship relationship

• You are looking for fresh ideas to engage your employees, partners and customers

• You do not have the level of resources required to manage a full sponsorship agreement

Where does SD fit?

Sport Dimensions is a sponsorship activation agency. Our expertise is built upon working with existing partnerships and extracting sustainable value from the things you can do together.