Text a sponsoring

Sponsorship is about providing financial support for events or people. It originates from the patronage given to artists and musicians by royalty and rich aristocracy. Beethoven and Mozart would not have survived without such patronage. Later, rich busi­nessmen such as Carnegie, Ford and Rockefeller sponsored many institutions.

Today we have three kinds of sponsorship which may be con­nected with advertising, marketing or PR.

First, there is the form of advertising when a company sponsors a radio or TV show. It began with the soap operas on American radio in the 1920s and 1930s. In Europe, programmes were also sponsored on Radio Luxembourg. This is a typical way of mak­ing money for radio and TV companies.

Second, there is a kind of sponsorship when a whole programme ii sponsored by one company.

Third is the kind of sponsorship which is the modern commer­cial counterpart of patronage by rich patrons. Here, a sport, art exhibition, theatrical show, literary prize, expedition. Financial support may be given to an individual. The reward for this is usu­ally media coverage.

There are many reasons for sponsoring, but usually there is a PR element which helps understanding and goodwill.

The principal reasons for spending money on sponsorship are as follows:

• The widening of advertising campaigns through the publiciz­ing of company and product names. Football, golf, swimming and tennis, horse, motor-cycle and yacht racing — they all have their supporters.

• To help the marketing policy because a company or product is associated with youth, health or beauty.

• To show a sense of social responsibility. The example can be when companies sponsor university awards, medical research, libraries, theatres, festivals and orchestras.

170

171

• The principal PR values of sponsorship are in creating aware­ness of a company and its products.

Vocabulary

financial support — финансовая поддержка

events — события

originates from — происходить от

patronage — шефство

royalty— королевская семья

aristocracy — аристократы

would not have survived — не выжили бы

institutions — зд. учреждения

soap operas — мыльные оперы

a typical way of making money — типичный способ зарабатывания денег

commercial counterpart — коммерческий аналог

patrons — покровители

art exhibition — художественная выставка

literary prize — литературные награды

individual — частное лицо

reward — награда

media coverage — освещение в прессе

publicizing of company and product names — прославляя компанию

и названия товаров yacht racing — парусные гонки supporters — поклонники marketing policy — маркетинговая политика

sense of social responsibility— чувство социальной ответственности creating awareness of a company — создавая узнаваемость компании

Questions to the text

1. What is sponsorship?

2. What does sponsorship originate from?

3. What is said about Carnegie, Ford and Rockefeller?

4. What is said about soap operas?

5. What is a typical way of making money for TV and radio com­panies?

6. What is the modern commercial sponsorship of patronage?

7. Why do companies sponsor university awards, medical research, libriaries, theatres and orchestras?

8. What are the principal PR values of sponsorship?

172

Exercise A. Finish the sentences

1. Sponsorship is about...

2. Sponsorship originates from...

3. Beethoven and Mozart would not...

4. Rich businessmen such as Carnegie, Ford and Rockefeller...

5. An advertising when a company sponsors a radio or TV show began with the...

6. The reward for patronage is...

7. There are many reasons for sponsoring, but usually there is...

8. The principal PR values of sponsorship are in...

Exercise B. Translate into English

1. Спонсорство происходит от меценатства, когда художников или музыкантов опекали короли и богатые аристократы.

2. Бетховен и Моцарт не выжили бы без покровительства.

3. В настоящее время существует такой тип спонсорства, ко­гда компания спонсирует отдельную телепередачу.

4. Спонсорство является типичным способом зарабатывания денег для радио и телекомпаний.

5. Существует также третий вид спонсорства, который являет­ся коммерческим эквивалентом благотворительности (меце­натства) богатыми покровителями.

6. Финансовая поддержка может предоставляться частному лицу.

7. Наградой за спонсорство является освещение в прессе.

8. Одной из причин расходования денег на спонсорство являет­ся расширение осведомленности о фирме и ее продуктах.

Exercise С. Discussion

1. Do you think it is ethical to give sponsorship to popular real­ity shows? Think of examples.

2. Is it ethical for universities to accept sponsorships from the com­panies with bad reputation?

3. Which of the three mentioned in the text kind of sponsorship is the most effective in your opinion?

PR TOOL BOX: TYPES OF SPONSORSHIP

The spheres of sponsorship:

• Sports.

• Cultural events and interests.

173

• Publications. (Maps, diaries, guide books, year books and technical works)

Example: the Guinness Book of Records.

• Exhibitions.

• Education. Fellowships, bursaries, scholarships and other educational awards.

• Charities.

• Professional awards. These are often made to journalists, photographers and architects in contests organised by the sponsoring companies.

• Local events. It is possible to develop community relations by participating in local events such as carnivals, flower shows and gymkhanas, perhaps supporting an exhibition class with a trophy or cash prize.

Before giving financial support the sponsor should: Be certain of the objectives

• Choose an area of sponsorship which best satisfies those ob­jectives

• Be aware of the total costs involved which may not be con­fined to the award itself. For instance, maintaining a motor car team is very costly. Guests may have to be entertained.

Text В THE ETHICS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

'Ethics is good economies'. This is not a cynical phrase but means 'it pays to be honest'. A business is more likely to succeed if it is trusted. In PR, credibility is vital. Not only must it be be­lievable but it must be true. PR is about knowledge and understand­ing and that leads to goodwill, which depends on faith.

One can also say that 'honesty is the best policy'. That means that PR will not work if it is not believed. This is different from propa­ganda, when people must believe in a certain political idea. In PR we are responsible for distribution of factual information, accurately and without comment. The audience must decide what to do with it.

Ethics is also about the ways PR specialists behave. Personal in­tegrity becomes a part of their professionalism, as with politicians,

teachers or doctors. Public relations specialists have to do PR for themselves. They are judged by the way they act. PR people give expert advice and they do not bribe journalists.

If employers ask PR specialists to do something unethical they should use their professional code of ethics as an argument.