2008 thru hike company sponsership ??s

[Freeleo]

my boss has told me that my company (www.swapalease.com (http://www.swapalease.com)) might be willing to sponser my thru hike in some way shape or form:banana .....so i was wondering if anyone had suggestions on the ways shapes or forms i might want to concider .....

he told me to come up with some ideas and im hoping for some advice on how i could approach this proposal:-?

[Lone Wolf]

cash and gear.

[Freeleo]

of course but i think i will have to give something in return....i guess my trail name could be swapalease.com:eek: ...but i really am set on freeleo

[Desert Lobster]

Maybe have swapalease as your trailname as well as clothes with that website printed prominently on them.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Like wearing one of those "Local ### On Strike" picket signs from Ga to Me? Or leaving swap a lease flyers tucked into the boots of sleeping thru-hikers who are in default on their auto lease?

Seriously, beyond some simple advertising on your pack or clothing there isn't much there.

[Freeleo]

it would cost them alot to tattoo their name on my forhead but i suppose some patches and stickers and embriodery wouldnt be hard to attach to some gear:)

[Ender]

If you do that, expect your trailname to be changed either to what you're advertizing, or to something like "Billboard".

If you can pull it off though that you're getting $$$ for just wearing a few patches, then heck, go for it.

[SalParadise]

maybe you could do an online journal, which would be published on swapalease's website. "Swapalease hikes the Appalachian Trail" or something like that. it benefits them by increasing the number of visitors on their site (in theory), longer page-views per visit and whatever ads they throw on each journal page.

or if they didn't want to do that you could set up your own website for your journal and swapalease could get a free billboard on your site.

[Freeleo]

i like your idea salparadise........:)

too all please keep the brainstorm flowing

[Ender]

Sal, that's a really good idea. Wish I had thought of it ;)

[Freeleo]

bumpitibumpbumpbump

[Johnny Swank]

We've done a couple of trips doing the whole sponsorship thing. Exposure is everything, so doing the website and journal thing might be the best plan. Bear in mind that it can be a pain in the butt to HAVE to keep up with a journal. I wrote a newspaper column for both the AT and Mississippi River trips. The AT column can out every 2-3 weeks, whereas I tried to do a weekly column for the Mississippi. Never again - that way too much to have to keep up with and turn in regularly.

Sponsorships has it's good points and bad points, so follow your conscious and go with that.

[Freeleo]

bump for any more ideas or suggestions

cheers
j

[Freeleo]

bump for any new ideas or suggestions

thanks
jch

[Appalachian Tater]

Kind of ironic, a car lease swapping company sponsering somebody walking. They should sponser a race car driver instead!