Overview · Compendium · Section
19. Sponsorship timeline, tracking, and pitfalls
- Sponsorship timeline, tracking, and pitfalls
Sequence (fits the 12-week plan in Section 9)
| Week | Action |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Venue locked in principle, license inquiry sent. Apply to Fractured Atlas now if you've decided to (allow 2 weeks) |
| 3 | Build the one-pager. Pitch A-list labels first (18.1–18.3) |
| 4 | Pitch podcasts and media (18.4, 18.5). Pitch nonprofit co-presenters (18.8) |
| 5 | Pitch merch brands and walk into local businesses (18.6, 18.7) |
| 6 | Follow-ups (18.10). Lock the poster logo list |
| 7 | Campaign and on-sale launch. Partners post the same week |
| 8–11 | Media mentions. Collect raffle items. Send donor asks (18.9) |
| Event | Acknowledge every sponsor exactly as promised. Photograph every placement |
| +1 week | Thank-yous and recaps (18.11) |
The Sponsor Pipeline tab in the budget workbook lists every sponsor above with contact, ask, template number, and status columns.
Pitfalls specific to sponsorship
- Wrong label, wrong pitch. Check who currently has the disc. Scars of Dracula's newest US release is Kino's 4K, not Scream Factory's 2019 Blu-ray (Blu-ray.com).
- Using studio art without permission. Sponsor enthusiasm doesn't clear rights. Ask Rialto for approved materials, or commission original art.
- Promising attendance you can't deliver. Quote seat count and expected attendance, never guaranteed reach.
- Advertising disguised as acknowledgment. Discount codes and "best label in horror" language make a gift taxable advertising. Keep those deals outside Fractured Atlas (IRS).
- Running tickets through Fractured Atlas. You can't. Use the venue box office or your own ticketing (Fractured Atlas).
- Exclusivity conflicts. If you promise one label "exclusive," you can't add a second. Use "Title Sponsor" for exclusivity and keep the other tiers open.
- Collecting logos late. Ask for vector logos (SVG or EPS) in the confirmation email, not the week of printing.
- Not writing it down. Every sponsor gets a one-paragraph confirmation email listing exactly what they give and what they get. That email is your contract.
- Pitching dead outlets. Little Shoppe of Horrors has ended. Confirm a podcast published in the last 60 days before you pitch it.