What Is The Associate Facility Program About?

Action Sports Advertising has historically managed advertising programs for partner facilities, where Action Sports Advertising assumes the role of Advertising Manager, and manages the advertising properties and the entire advertising program on behalf of a partner facility.

However, non partner facilities have traditionally been excluded, even from larger, multi facility campaigns. The reason for this is twofold. First, in markets where Action Sports Advertising has no active sales representation, Action Sports Advertising cannot market and manage the facilities full time. Second, even when requests from advertisers and advertising agencies have been received to place campaigns in these markets, they have been instructed to contact these facilities on their own, since Action Sports Advertising had no existing relationships or information on these facilities. Unfortunately, even though prospective advertisers had the budget to do the campaign, they rarely had the human resources needed to contact the numerous municipalities and organizations needed to coordinate a large campaign. As a result, they have typically resorted to selecting other mediums where the advertising campaign is easier to execute.

In response to this, Action Sports Advertising is building a database to establish a national network of associate and partner facilities, from which advertisers and advertising agencies will be able to coordinate advertising campaigns in multiple facilities through one central agent. This database will house detailed information on all registered facilities, and allow Action Sports Advertising to coordinate multi facility campaigns that include these associate facilities.

Facilities need only register their facility on Action Sports Advertising’s online database, provide detailed information about their facilities and enter into a simple associate facility agreement with Action Sports Advertising. There is no cost to register a facility, and no management or membership fees are charged to become an associate facility.

What's In It For Associate Facilities?

Facilities that qualify to be listed among Action Sports Advertising’s network benefit from a source of risk free and expense free advertising revenue. No marketing, research or promotional costs are incurred on the part of the facilities, and no management, consulting or membership fees are charged by Action Sports Advertising to be listed as part of our associate facility network.

In essence, the associate facility program is somewhat of an informal partnership, since revenues from advertisements placed by Action Sports Advertising are shared between Action Sports Advertising and the associate facilities. The structure of this partnership allows both Action Sports Advertising and associate facilities to work together to their mutual benefit.

Revenues raised subsidize the operations of the facilities, increasing profitability and reducing the portion of expenses that must be passed onto users or recovered through outside subsidization. The communities in which facilities are located also benefit in that the reduction in expenses passed onto end users results in greater accessibility to and utilization of the facilities, which ultimately enhances the quality of life and standard of living for residents of the communities.

What's In It For Advertisers And Advertising Agencies?

Action Sports Advertising offers advertisers and advertising agencies one stop shopping a variety of mediums and opportunities, including Rinkboard Panels, Interior Wall Billboards, Ice Surface Advertising, Ice Resurfacer (Zamboni) Sponsorships, Lobby Display Panels, Sports Field Billboards and product sampling campaigns.

While many advertisers and agencies recognize the cost effectiveness and significant exposure levels available to them through these facilities and mediums, and may even have the budget to do a campaign, few have the human resources needed to contact the numerous municipalities and organizations needed to coordinate a large campaign. Multiple production runs, non standardized creative and artwork dimensions, and differing contractual arrangements (terms of agreements and fees charged) all complicate matters when organizing campaigns on a facility by facility basis.

Action Sports Advertising has standardized the offering for advertisers and agencies. By obtaining the necessary information from each facility, and representing several facilities at once, a standardized package can be taken to advertising agencies and prospective advertisers, thus simplifying the buying decision immensely -- one price, one invoice, one production run…dozens or hundreds of facilities.

Why Wouldn't A Facility Obtain The Advertising Themselves?

Research has told us that while advertisers are interested in advertising and sampling opportunities in community and municipal athletic facilities throughout the country, they do not have the time, resources or energy to contact facilities or track down user groups individually. Determining production requirements for each facility, signing a multitude of different contracts, coordinating numerous production runs, and signing off on several different invoices, all lead to advertisers selecting other mediums where advertising campaigns are easier to execute.

Secondly, while the sale of advertising opportunities in athletic facilities may not be “rocket science”, a certain degree of knowledge of and expertise in advertising is critical to successfully marketing the product. Advertising is a highly competitive industry, and there are a myriad of media and sponsorship opportunities competing for a finite number of advertising dollars. Accordingly, advertisers often scrutinize where they spend their money, particularly with larger campaigns. Technical questions about reach, demographics, top of mind awareness, recall and retention studies, and costs per impression may be asked and, if not responded to intelligently, can quickly take an advertising opportunity out of the running for the advertising dollars. Volunteers, user groups and facility staff generally don’t have the answers that these prospective clients are looking for. Action Sports Advertising has the knowledge and experience to answer these questions and market the facilities professionally.

Through the addition of more associate facilities to our own network in Western Canada, and through the formation of strategic alliances with other organizations specializing in athletic facility advertising in Eastern Canada, more opportunities will open up for all participating facilities, as media buys in community and municipal athletic facilities become more accessible for all advertisers (local and national), as well as advertising agencies.

Why Might One Not List A Facility With Action Sports Advertising?

Assuming a facility qualifies, there are few reasons why one wouldn’t list a facility with Action Sports Advertising, particularly since there are no costs or fees associated with becoming an associate facility.

An exception might be facilities that simply do not want any advertising in their facility. Action Sports Advertising respects this decision, and will not force advertising on any facility or organization.

Another exception might be the facility that has an existing advertising agreement with an outside, third party agent to whom advertising rights in the facility have been granted. These agreements often allow for external campaigns (i.e.: campaigns initiated outside of the local market) to be brought in, or may be modified to provide for this. However, where this is not provided for, and the third party agent is unwilling to modify the agreement, it may not be possible to have your facility listed with Action Sports Advertising. Contact Action Sports Advertising to discuss alternate arrangements to list your facility and deliver campaigns if this appears to be the case.

Having Action Sports Advertising assist facilities in their efforts to raise money for their facilities makes sense. There are no management or consulting fees to be paid to Action Sports Advertising, so there is virtually no risk on the part of associate facilities. Action Sports Advertising’s experience and reach of our current network of facilities enables us to work towards the establishment of a national network of athletic facilities, which will open up greater opportunities for all participating facilities.