How to pitch for Sponsorship

Since our return from Europe in 2013 we had been wishing, dreaming and planning on our return.  We had since travelled to Asia and New Zealand, but Europe had never been far from our minds. Our dreams of travel inspired us to create A Hole in my Shoe early in 2014, without really knowing where to begin or what was involved. But we’ll leave that for another post, as for now we want to talk about sponsorship.

Sponsorship20

Planning 44 days of travel throughout Europe can be expensive and our style is not fitting for hostel stays. We prefer the comfort and privacy of a hotel and the luxuries associated. Reading through the travel blogs that we regularly follow planted the seed to seek sponsorship.  Why not, we thought? After all, we had a good following of readers and a great reach on our social media. Our Twitter reach peaked at 1.99 million and a single Facebook post reached 21,050. With increasing interaction and good feedback we felt we had a lot offer a brand.

Sponsorship17

Again, not sure where to begin, we researched our favourite chain of hotels in the areas we would be staying, googled and checked out LinkedIn, searching for marketing and PR staff to approach. We created a media kit, and drafted a sample letter to tweak for each location.

Sponsorship19

Our letter introduced ourselves, told why we were writing and informed what our niche was. We generalised some site stats and included our media kit. In our pitch we made our goals clear, advised our itinerary and outlined what we could provide in return for their assistance. Included in our email we shared with them our excitement to either return to an area we had visited previously, our anticipation of a White Christmas or our exhilaration to visit an entirely new area.

Sponsorship13

Email were sent off and a few days later received a surprising response. It was from a Manager from the Global Sales Office of a large hotel group. One of the hotels we had contacted forwarded him our email and we were advised of his positive reply. They asked if we would agree to send our travel itinerary so they could assist with our travel plans by contacting their colleagues to see what could be offered.  Surprised and thankful we responded and that lead to what we hope will become a long term partnership.

Sponsorship15

We are happy to advise that AccorHotels had kindly provided full sponsorship or media rates in many cities throughout Europe. We were truly grateful for their support and hope to establish a long and lasting partnership with AccorHotels.

At the time we were filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves. Our trip was less than a month away and we had planned a journey of 16 cities in 44 days travelling through Europe by train. We were grateful that a huge part of our trip had been made easy for us with the generous sponsorship from AccorHotels, accommodating us throughout most of our trip.

Sponsorship05

We asked that while we were away everyone followed along via the hashtag #EuropeanChristmasDiscovery. As we wrote about travel with a mixture of enthusiasm, awe and trepidation you know as always, our opinions were our own. We ask you to please share our thanks to AccorHotels by clicking on the AccorHotels image on our homepage or below. This will enable you to check out their awesome range of hotels throughout the world from Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis. Please note we do not gain any financial benefit from you clicking the link or making a booking, it just shows your support to a wonderful hotel group.

Sponsorship02

Have you pitched to a hotel group for sponsorship? Has fear of rejection prevented you hitting send?

What are you waiting for? Share this post or leave a comment below. If you like this post and want to read more like this why not subscribe to our Newsletter? We won’t spam you or share your personal details. If you’re not doing so already, please follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram or click the MixFlipboard or other social media buttons below to share this post with others who might enjoy reading it.

AccorHotels01

42 Responses

  1. Marcelle says:

    What a wonderful opportunity to travel Europe and to stay in such great hotels. Our numbers seldom allow us to get sponsored stays. Great work there!

  2. Kate says:

    Well done.
    It looks like you have had sponsored stay on your recent adventures in Bali too but I notice you did not disclose or if you did it was not obvious . How do you handle that ?

    • Lyn says:

      Kate, you are correct. We had a sponsored stay in Bali however did disclose at the bottom of the article. We always disclose in the same format on each post.

  3. Liz says:

    Wow, this is so great! I’m happy and excited for you guys. Thanks also for some tips regarding seeking sponsorship — they were truly helpful and in a way, it gave me the courage to actually go for it. 🙂 What’s the worst thing that could happen, right? And the best thing is beyond amazing. 🙂

    I’ll be following your trip on social media! 🙂
    Liz recently posted…How to Learn Japanese (or Any Language) — The Fun Way!My Profile

  4. Fairlie says:

    Looking forward to following your progress! And well done on setting your goal and going after it.
    Fairlie recently posted…Books set in HawaiiMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank you so much Fairlie, we’ve put a lot of effort in so far and hopefully Accor will be happy with our articles along the way.

  5. Dean says:

    I’m thrilled for you Lyn. I feel I am still way to small to hope for anything like this but I am going to send off to a couple of Tourism boards in smaller cities we will visit on our Euro trip this Christmas. You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket!
    Dean recently posted…I’m dreaming of a White ChristmasMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      So very true, you are never too small to dream and when you share that dream you never know where it will lead. Good luck with the Tourism boards, I’m sure they’ll love your pitch.

  6. Congratulations on your sponsorship Lyn.
    So far I have only once had a hotel sponsorship. For me it totally changed my hotel experience. Just as travel blogging alters your travel with trying to capture in picture and words your experience – I felt even more pressure to get everything right for the hotel (but so totally worth it!)
    Sally@Toddlers on Tour recently posted…Why Travel to Bali with KidsMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank you so much Sally. I’m sure we’ll still love our experience, I know we look forward to sharing it all and having readers follow our travel.

  7. This is so cool of them to offer sponsorship. I cant wait to see what you get up to on your European tour!
    Bianca @itsallbee recently posted…Guide To New Delhi | 5 Reasons To Visit New DelhiMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks Bee, we are nervously excited.

  8. Natalie says:

    Looking forward to following you while on your travels. Well done on your arrangement with Accor, it certainly sounds like your hard work has paid off! Thanks for sharing the approach you took, great advice for other travel bloggers.
    Natalie recently posted…When You Think You’re In Italy (But You’re Not!)My Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Happy to share Natalie, we hope you enjoy following us on our travels and hope you interact along the way.

  9. Corinne says:

    Lucky you! It sounds like a lot of fun. Will you be anywhere near Bavaria?
    Corinne recently posted…Weekend Travel Inspiration – Geoff DyerMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks Corinne, we are counting down. Salzburg and Nuremberg are possibly the closest we’ll get to Bavaria.

  10. Linda Bibb says:

    I am so excited for your opportunity and your 44-day adventure! Like many travelers we are not fans of hostels; we enjoy the comfort and privacy of a real hotel. To be honest, Accor has never been on my radar when we travel so I’ll be following your experience through your photos and stories.
    Linda Bibb recently posted…Inca Gold and the Royal Road #TheWeeklyPostcardMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Linda to say we are excited is an understatement! As it turns out we have only ever stayed in AccorHotels throughout Europe, Asia and Australia so to us it will be like ‘coming home’ and know they’ll make us feel welcome.

  11. Alouise says:

    Congratulations. I think it’s always better to ask…if not you’ll always be wondering, “what if they said yes.”

    Christmas in Europe sounds pretty amazing. I’ll be checking out your upcoming posts for sure.
    Alouise recently posted…Tips To Make Your Flight AwesomeMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks Alouise. Never ask, never know! But so glad they said yes!

  12. 44 days in Europe? That sounds fabulous! I’m sure you’re going to have fun, and congratulations on landing a sponsorship with the Accor Hotels! Looking forward to reading about your travels!
    Jolanta | Casual Travelers recently posted…Quebec City’s Le 760 Honoré Mercier Apartment 604: A ReviewMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank you Jolanta. We are very excited about the opportunity to promote a wonderful brand like AccorHotels. It will be a fabulous trip, I hope you will enjoy following our #EuropeanChristmasDiscovery tour.

  13. Congrats guys. The hardest part is asking the question. But as I have written about before, if you don’t ask, you already know the answer. Can’t wait to follow your trip, as I feel that while you are doing Europe we will be doing the US and Canada and can swap notes during and after.
    Paula McInerney recently posted…10 Essential Travel Tips for Newly Vegan TravellersMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank you Paula, we are very grateful and feel this is going to be one of our most memorable trips. I am looking forward to ‘swapping notes’ when the dust settles. I look forward to reading all about your trip while we are using up some free wifi on the trains in Europe 🙂

  14. Priya says:

    Wow – that sounds like fun 44 days and 16 countries! Looks forward to more stories and details

    • Lyn says:

      We are looking forward to it too Priya, I am sure many a story will come from our travels throughout 16 cities.

  15. Anda says:

    I’m really glad for you, Lyn and Steve. You did a great job. Your post brought back some good memories about our trip to Switzerland last spring. We have been only partially sponsored, but that helped. The only downside of being sponsored on these trips is the pressure that you feel for performing at the expected level. It’s not going to be your ‘forget-all-worries’ kind of trip, but you’ll still enjoy it.
    Anda recently posted…Six Fun Things to Do in Juneau in One DayMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank you Anda, our trips are usually quite full and we are looking forward to the challenge of making Accor proud. Our travel style is not for lounging around, but getting out there and making the most our time, but I know what you mean about placing expectations on ourselves.

  16. eileen g says:

    hope your trip goes well!
    eileen g recently posted…WTI: Our Take On Disneyland Vs Disney WorldMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thank Eileen, we hope so too

  17. Vicki Green says:

    Congratulations! That is wonderful news. I look forward to reading all about your adventure.
    Vicki Green recently posted…You Otter Like this Excursion – Sitka, AKMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks Vicki, we look forward to your interaction along the way.

  18. Mama Herself says:

    Oh cool! That’s some trip you are planning. Very impressive. Hope it really snows like mad wherever you go!
    Mama Herself recently posted…Trolleybus Parade 2015, MoscowMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Ooh not sure I want it to snow like mad, but yes, we would like to see some snow! It will be strange when all our family will be sweltering in the heat back here in Australia.

  19. Shobha says:

    Wonderful! I agree with you that hotels are much more comfortable and stylish. Accor hotels are a great brand. I look forward to hearing about your trip! Not sure I have the stamina to do 44 days straight with 16 countries but good on you.
    Shobha recently posted…A Complete Cutefest at a Cat Cafe with KidsMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Ah silly me, cities, not countries LOL I’d love you to follow on, thank you for your comment.

  20. That’s great that you’ll have the opportunity to visit Europe for an extended period of time at Christmas. I’m an American expat living in Ireland and one of the advantages of being here is that we can easily travel around. Christmas is one of our favorite times to explore Europe. I hope you have some Christmas market cities on your itinerary! #wkendtravelinspiration
    Jennifer (aka Dr. J) recently posted…How to Have a Toe-Tapping Time While in Town for the Westport Folk and Bluegrass FestivalMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Jennifer I must admit it will feel very un-Australian wearing winter clothes at Christmas, but I’m up for it. Not only our first Christmas away from family and friends, but hopefully a White Christmas too. Our main reason for including so many cities is to make the most of the Christmas markets, hopefully we have included the best of them in our itinerary.

  21. How wonderful that your efforts paid off and you got such a great sponsorship. 16 countries in 44 days sounds like a crazy adventure and I look forward to following along.
    Phoebe @ Lou Messugo recently posted…5 reasons to visit French PolynesiaMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks Pheobe, we are very excited to have such a major sponsor. We’d love to have you read along our European adventure.

  1. […] a new banner/logo which meant new business cards and was the perfect time to begin the task of pitching for our upcoming European trip. Our pitch was well received and we were sponsored by Accor Hotels. […]

  2. […] as they have a range of brands to suit each travellers’ style. We felt very privileged to be hosted for our stay in Vienna during Christmas at the luxurious MGallery Hotel Am Konzerthaus. MGallery is […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this:
Interested in travel?

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

Send this to a friend