FRI NIGHT VID/EDITORIAL: Is Sponsorship a Sin?

Outdoor companies need to advertise their products and one way they do this is by sponsoring climbers.

Well known, high profile climbers can be a financially viable way of gaining media exposure for your products and every climbing and mountaineering brand has a 'team' of climbers and athletes that it supports.

This can be a very symbiotic relationship; helping top climbers do more climbing and generally be very unobtrusive and innocent. In the UK this is certainly the norm.

However there are certain climbers who view any commercial aspect of our sport as a bad thing. There are also those who think that sponsorship in particular has a negative impact on the media's representation of climbing.

Scott Semple recently wrote a blog entry titled Is Sponsorship a Sin? in which he states his case that the wrong people are often sponsored and this is a bad thing:

"Many of the athletes you often see in climbing magazines are phenomenal at self-promotion, but range from average to crap at actually climbing."

• His entire blog is worth a read - check it here: scottsemple.com

Where I disagree with Scot is in his assertion that sponsorship is about supporting the best climbers and significant achievements.

Scott does go on to comment that:

"The type of sponsorship which I think is worthwhile for both brands and sponsorees is when guides are sponsored. It makes sense. Trained guides are a valuable resource for brands to get their product in front of the target market (clients). It also works for guides, because it helps them out with reduced gear expenses."

Which is something that I agree with, but I feel it is important to note that any sponsorship deal is just that: a 'deal'. A business deal. If a company thinks they will get a good financial return in terms of media exposure from a person they either pay (rare in the UK) or give free equipment to (more common in the UK), then that is good business sense. It matters not whether that person is the absolute best performer, and also, that is impossible to judge.

Scott says:

"Truth is, many climbers are sponsored for what they say, or how well they're known, rather than for what they've done."

I say:

"Truth is, many climbers are sponsored because the companies that sponsor them think it will help sell more products."

However I do think that Scott brings some interesting points to the table and I congratulate him on a superb blog and great slideshow.

VIDEO: Scott Semple Slideshow: Is Sponsorship a Sin?

Forums ( Read More... | 31 comments, 25 Nov 2009 ) Seems more like the wrong people have blogs and give slideshows - and this is a bad thing. I hope that DBPP* slideshow was free-entry, cos I'd be pissed off to pay to hear such a woeful speaker. I got halfway through... Damo - 25 Nov 2009 How do they sponsor you? A piece of kit? Money? Do you represent them? Lots of climbers claim sponsorship, and put a logo on their blog, but getting a piece of kit isn't sponsorship. You have to have a signed contract... Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com - 24 Nov 2009 I am currently sponsored by Aku, Silent Disco London and The Next Challenge. I have previously been sponsored by The North Face and Craghoppers. You'r welcome to dismiss however I know im not really sponsor worthy and... Frankie1992 - 24 Nov 2009 IMO Sponsorship is just another form of advertising. The companies hope that because climber x get in the news and gets photos in glossy mags or on’t internet, then their brand will be seen and seep into the buying... Craig Smith - 23 Nov 2009 . My main point is that sponsorship is not a reward for being a good climber. Applogies Mr Geldard, Perhaps I need to get the basics right. I Agree, sponsorship is a business decision, a climber that is unkown... IanC - 23 Nov 2009 I find it interesting to note that in the replies to this thread each of the sponsored climbers/mountaineers come across as feeling slightly guilty for being a sponsored individual!!! Why should that be? On what ever... Listy - 23 Nov 2009

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