Category: Blog

Have you heard what happened during the last episode of Succession?

According to what I read in Strategy Magazine over the weekend, the legendary Noel O’Dea is handing the keys to independent agency Target over to Catherine Kelly. The 45-year-old agency is living proof that the “world needs more Newfoundland,” and Kelly is the right person for the job, according to O’Dea after her twenty-five years with the agency.

Not the Succession story you were expecting from me?

Were you hoping to hear more about my handing the reins of T1 over to Liz Rose and Nithya Ramachandran on January 1st? How have the two of them and the entire T1 Leadership Team seamlessly transformed our business into a complete stack sponsorship innovator bleeding strategy, activation, and amplification for impactful brands?

Hmm. I suspect I am at two strikes, and what you came here for is my hot take on the HBO hit – Succession. Well, I will not scream “I LOVE it” at the top of my lungs as I only watched one episode, the finale, and I can’t say it had me wanting to go back for more.

One of the reasons the show is so successful is that the topic of Succession is one that many of us can relate to. Even those without a business background may have gone through legacy-like situations, including dealing with estate planning, will probates, or even less significant moments, such as who will run the office sports pool.

But really, how many of us can relate to being billionaires?

In entrepreneurship, there are at least three sides to every Succession. First is the incumbent, often the person or persons who started the operation. Second, are the candidates, those who want to ascend to and perceive they have a shot at the throne. Then there are the masses jockeying for position, casting and recasting their support while fretting over their future.

I am in the middle of my Succession and very happy to report it is far from a soap opera. It has been purposeful and intentional and not designed to attract the ratings that an HBO series does. In one respect handing the reins of T1 over has been easier than I imagined because it didn’t coincide with my retiring or exiting the industry. I now focus on business development, networking, future-proofing, and storytelling, to borrow a word from Noel.

However, it has been challenging, and there are some things you need to consider if Succession is on the horizon for you. First and foremost, you must find or develop new self-control muscles and habits you had never previously possessed. This new self-control applies to the small everyday items even more than the big decisions. You will have to learn to let the multiple occasions that occur daily go by without fretting over them. For example, the shades of these balloons may have been your favourite decision to make at past company events, and you may still have the itching; however, your comments on them will be perceived as your inability to put a lid on your hot air.

Who gets hired, who gets fired, who gets paid what? The more significant issues that are very important to the organization you relinquish is how you adapt to not weighing in on them. If choices are being made you disagree with, consider that progress towards the transformation of a company that will be even more fit for the future.

The relinquishing of control is made more accessible through many conversations, frank discussions about value, and a lockstep alignment around financials. Especially financials. Being an entrepreneur is not a fantasy. It can be gratifying, life-changing, and society-making. However, these outcomes can only be achieved if the venture is sustainable and viable. Having a stake in the game is what separates the person who is entrepreneurial from the entrepreneur. This is a tricky tightrope in a succession exercise, mainly when commitment or investment mismatches occur.

In a direct line succession where the new regime has bought out the founders, there is usually less tension around the financials if the financial commitment of purchase has been satisfied. This, too, can become complicated when an additional earnout is in place for the founders or if the seller is financing the buyer. This can be an area of friction in situations even where this is well-documented.

Legacy, reputation, and brand are the most emotional components of any succession process. Often founders feel that the acquiring or succeeding group needs to provide more value or care to clients and customers than they do. This can be exasperating in some situations, to the point where some founders will try to complete their earnout period on an accelerated base. If not, abandon it altogether. It is hard for them to watch someone else mistreat their baby.

As you have been reading this, you may be ready to argue that even a local business succession event could have much of the same drama as a TV show. The well-written script of the transition process is apt to be stained by emotion and tension that inevitably comes through in something so central to human survival.

Who knows. HBO may need a Succession capsule on Survivor to keep as an epilogue. Or maybe I shouldn’t make these suggestions, as I have never seen an episode of Survivor either.

On May 16th, T1 has the honour of decorating our company birthday cake with twenty-nine candles. 

The flaming passion for this business is even hotter than when I launched it from my home office. That was back when nobody worked from home. My reasoning was economic, not pandemic. 

I am less interested in looking back at the past twenty-nine years and more looking towards the next twenty-nine. Anniversaries, milestones, and birthdays are significant to celebrate and recognize achievement. Yet they can also be a trap. 

The speed at which the world changes. The need for individuals to grow constantly. The shifting desires customers. The headwinds and tailwinds of society all contribute to a need to ensure your compass is pointing North. 

I have done a lot of public speaking in the past three years, where I have stated my North Star changed, primarily due to George Floyd’s murder. When I first launched my business, I would liken much of my motivation to my need for independence. I wanted to succeed or fail based on my own decisions, not others. 

Over time my North Star gravitated to our impact, whether creating great jobs for people, helping our clients succeed, or being part of a great business community. 

About a decade ago, when I discovered I had seven half-siblings I didn’t know about (part of my adoption backstory), I doubled down on the theme that having my own business was driven by a subconscious need to never rely on others. I say this in concert with the comment that I won the adoption lottery, and Ron & Ann Harrison are two people even a stranger could rely on. 

Then came the horrific George Floyd murder, and I deemed that my business became a platform to help those in the Black community I had never adequately supported. 

When I was a kid, the Jeffersons were a favourite show. The theme song ran along the lines of « moving on up to the East Side, to a dee-luxe apartment in the sky. ». The pioneering show told the story of a Black man ascending in society. The Jefferson’s was laced with stereotypes and bigotry, yet funny and unapologetic, the show broke through the day’s programming and set precedents. While the main character, George, could be a bit of an egomaniac and not always empathetic, the most important lesson that has always stuck with me is that you must take control of your future. 

Not everybody wants to be an entrepreneur. Nor should they. Not everyone wants to do the same job for twenty-nine years. Nor should they. But everyone should look at the milestones they are fortunate enough to achieve and give thanks to those who have helped them, reflect on what they have learned, and, more importantly, double down on their commitment to themselves to plot their destiny. 

In doing so, they will have more reasons to celebrate; they will have more to share with those who have helped them and more to share with those who need help. 

by Mark Harrison

I love Halifax. I have been dozens of times, and the experience magically seems more special each time than the last. Over the past weekend, I was a guest at the East Coast Music Awards, an invitation I eagerly accepted after attending the 2019 event in Charlottetown. (Thanks to the East Coast Music Association for having me!) Personally and professionally, it was time well spent for my soul and brain. I have a few goals in mind whenever I go to an event.

First, we are blessed in our industry to be able to mix and pleasure. How many professions allow you to build friendships, experience new cultures, and gather ideas simultaneously? In a nutshell, that was my weekend at the East Coast Music Awards. I met many people, and in the name-dropping category, it was fun to talk with Heather Rankin of the Rankin Family, a favourite of the generation that loves roots music. I recognized her as a singer-songwriter. However, she is also an actress, comedian and entrepreneur. The Red Shoe Pub is her seasonal spot in Cape Breton and is now high on my list for a family trip.

My brain enjoyed assessing the Red Carpet for the awards show, an energetic activity zone featuring Atlantic Lottery, Libra, Dairy Farmers of Canada, and local breweries.

 It was like a moving sidewalk in a mall of promotions and engagements. I loved the transformation of the dreaded event lineup into an engaging attraction zone for the fans fortunate enough to have a wristband.

One thing I loved about the receptions I attended is the focus was on people connecting and not politicians speaking. Of course, being a great hostess requires preparation, thought, and discipline. But, there is a magical balance between telling people your message and allowing them to live it. Kudos to the ECMA for finding that balance. Galas, receptions, showcases, and activations are all vital elements to any award show, yet the ECMA conference sessions may have the most long-term impact. Designed to build the music industry, guide emerging artists, provide resources for marginalized talent, and network for unknown people, it will amplify the “GDP” of the Atlantic music industry for years to come. Convening to build business is time well invested.

The East Coast Music Awards gala, honoured the amazing Natalie MacMaster with the special director’s award. She performed with her seventeen-year-old daughter to close out the awards show. The standing ovation she received was well-deserved and heartfelt. However, there was no resting on her laurels as Natalie and her daughter turned up in the Marriott hotel lobby two hours later and started to perform again. Surprise and delight never get old, something all marketers can learn.

Last week I had the honour of moderating the SMCC Toronto breakfast panel on Sponsorship Sales Do’s & Dont’s.

Our All-Star panel featured Marsha Gaye Knight(CBC), Sharolyn Kenworthy (Bell), Julie Garcia Sjogrim (Canadian Olympic Committee), and Rob Balsom (Nielsen). This fearless foursome dropped some excellent advice for our audience, including:

• Be passionate about what you are offering.
• Get to know the person you are dealing with
• Get to know the company you are dealing with
• Use different data at different times in the sales process
• When negotiating, leave all your cards on the table.

After the panel, someone asked me to share my advice if I was on the forum and my top three lessons for business development in the sponsorship sphere. (Or I am using this cheap segue to write a blog because I can’t help but drop my opinion on any topic). Either way, here goes. 

Lesson # 1 – Build Your Brand

The first hurdle for any prospective sponsor is whether they trust you as an individual. Your brand is as essential as the organization’s brand you represent. The buyer is assessing whether they can put you as the seller forward to her boss and whether you are worthy of their endorsement. Is the seller investing in a partnership with the property or a partnership with you? Ultimately it is both, but if the buyer doesn’t believe you can deliver, they will not think your party can provide. 

Lesson # 2- Understand Your Value

Often, smaller properties, amateur sports, not-for-profit, and charities do not understand their true worth to a corporate sponsor. Again, there is an issue with an inferiority complex and a lack of effort to mine their value. If you will not do the work, why should someone else? Smaller properties will never compete with large properties on impressions or eyeballs. Yet they often position themselves as a cost-effective niche alternative to mass. Instead, they should emphasize and validate their worth based on their impact, intellectual property, subject matter expertise, and emotional appeal. While it is more complicated than sharing reach data to validate, the effort is worth the return. Sponsorship can be at the heart of a brand’s marketing strategy, and your property can be the central nervous system that powers it.

Lesson # 3 – Solve Problems

A potential sponsor, both the individual and the enterprise, has as many or more problems as you and your organization have. Yes, you need money to tackle many of your concerns, and ostensibly, our industry depends on your securing funding from a partner. The best way to persuade that partner to part with their cash is to demonstrate how you will solve their problems. Pain is a universally more powerful motivator than pleasure. You can understand a prospect’s pain by diving deep to understand their business and asses where you can help solve their issues. 

Selling, business development, and revenue growth is a challenging tasks. It is not for the faint of heart. However, the lesson I left out is the most important. It would be best to sell yourself to yourself every day before you could sell to anyone else. 

Start there, and thank me later!

When Shahaddah Jack invites you to snap your fingers, you snap.

When Shahaddah Jack invites you to stomp your feet, you stomp.

When Shahaddah Jack invites you to write poetry, you write.

When my client at BGC (https://www.bgccan.com/en/) invited me to their 2023 Partner Summit, I had no idea I would meet Shahaddah Jack. Let alone the impact she would have on me, which was only rivalled by the effect created by her mother, Laurette Jack.

Let’s start with Shahaddah. She is BGC Canada’s 2022 National Youth of the Year. She is an aspiring journalist who wants to be in front of the camera, amplifying the voices of others. She is a poet. A bilingual one at that. Plus, she is an author. Her energy, enthusiasm, and beliefs are so powerful. I love the fact that she preaches that your pain is your strength. Your pain is your strength. Shahaddah’s first book- Underrated Royalty, now on its way to my bookshelf, is described on Amazon as follows. 

For decades, we’ve been living in a pandemic of black voices being silenced and filtered. In the mainstream media, there is a trend of black excellence and beauty being told through whispers in the background of stories monopolizing black trauma. Our existence as a community is a statement alone that transcends an endless timeline of racial injustices. Our melanated magnificence that shines in these series of photos and poems is a representation of the legacy that we as a community will leave behind—-Our pain is our power and our beauty is our story.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the inspiration for Shahaddah were the underrated royalty who raised her, her mother, Lorette. Lorette Jack is the Club Leader for BGC Eastview, the de facto mayor of the neighbourhood, and a frontline warrior. So often, when people, myself included, volunteer for boards or talk about making change, we do so from a place of economic and geographic privilege. My bubble of Little Italy, Rosedale for work, and Lawrence Park for squash are far from the reality of Toronto at Blake Street. 

But Blake Street, and all the Blake Streets, are where you will find the true changemakers in this city. Lorette ensures the kids in her club are fed, considered, and safe. She manages parole officers, parents, and peers with equal courage and aplomb. There is no fear in her; if there is, she hides it so well. We should all strive for the courage of Laurette. 

In the middle of the day, several other youths joined Shahaddah for a panel discussion. There were many themes, but the ones that rang the loudest were their concerns about mental health for the youth of Toronto. These young Changemakers are leaders in their schools and see the impacts of today’s society on the next generations. I asked them in the Q&A what one request they would have for a Toronto Mayoral candidate. It was to tackle youth mental health. I hope anyone reading this pauses and reflects when they vote for their elected officials at any level and challenges them to commit to allocating the resources we need to tackle this issue. 

Shahhadah shared several poems with us; they were all snap, stomp, and standing ovation worthy. 

She also asked all summit attendees to take a moment and write a poem representing our current mindset. To reflect on why we were here and how we got here. What happened when we were young?

 I started delivering papers in my hometown when I was eight or nine. I always wondered on those cold nights what the people inside their warm homes were thinking of when they saw me trudge up my driveway. 

I am a fan when someone can impact me when speaking. I am a superfan when an eighteen-year-old can. So in her honour, I will share the twelve sentences; I don’t know if you can call it a poem I wrote at Shahaddahs’ urging. 

The Paper Boy

I am the paper boy. 
I am the boy who brings your paper. 
I am the boy who brings the news. 
 
The news you read inside your home. 
The news you read happening outside your doors.
The news you read is left between them.  
 
I am the paper boy who stands outside. 
I am the paper boy who cannot hide. 
I am the paper boy you won’t bring inside. 
 
The news you read is about my world. 
The news you read is not your problem. 
The news you read is heading next door. 

– Mark Harrison

The theme for the 2023 MLSE Partnership Summit – was Community. Culture. Connection. – strongly resonated with the 600-plus partners and guests attending Scotiabank Arena on April 6th. It was a fantastic collection of attendees representing a large swath of the sponsorship community with the privilege of connecting to influence culture. (See what I did there?)

The Community pillar shone through special guest Joanna Griffith’s conversation about how she has built her powerful brand Knix. As she said, who would have imagined talking about period underwear on the same stage that hosts mega-celebrities? But, Knix and Joanna have earned that right by serving their Community and being an integral part of their brand community. 

The impactful words and lessons of keynoter Jarvis Sam powered the Culture pillar. His ability to weave facts and friction, yes friction, to deliver a lasting message is second to none. Jarvis breaks down the barriers we face to achieving equality in a way that has you wondering why we are still on this journey that Julian Franklin spoke so eloquently about when he thanked Jarvis. 

Connection with your customer is a metaphor for brand power, and MLSE showed this off in spades. Yet the best connections of the day were the ones made between the attendees. So no matter how much tech or social amplification we experience in our business, it all begins with live engagement. 

If you are a mid-size or smaller property reading this, you may have convinced yourself that you can’t pull off a powerful summit like an MLSE can. I would beg you to extinguish those thoughts from your mind. You most definitely should stage such a summit to build your business. Because I like to be repetitive, I will argue that you can use a framework such as What Sponsors Want to program a day that mirrors the fantastic program that MLSE shared. 

1. Leverage your organization’s EQUITY by showcasing your value proposition to your attendees. One thing I enjoyed that MLSE did was showcase rising stars in their organization. 
2. Tell a great STORY or five about how you have worked with partners. OLG and several other brands had a chance to have their activations highlighted during the day. 
3. ENGAGE your stakeholders, which, quite frankly, is the act of hosting the summit. 
4. Show PROOF as MLSE did, where they demonstrated how their technological activations are driving more substantial results for partners. 
5. Get your clients PROMOTED. This summit was a thought-provoking day that gave everyone in the room new ideas they could use, whether it be with their MLSE partnership or any other of their programs. 

Community. Culture. Connection.

It could be the next and best three chapters in any book about sponsorship marketing. 

I published my first solo book, What Sponsors Want, two years ago. 

The book combined everything I had learned from others at the time. Whether attending conferences, working with clients, studying research, or learning from my industry colleagues. I refined the content through countless presentations by the same name and utilized the approach I created in many client strategy projects. 

However, as with many things over the past few years, I tweaked the approach as the pandemic radically redefined many organizations’ sponsorship or partnership approaches. So we can use those words interchangeably if you like. 

This past week I was asked to do a keynote on What Sponsors Want, and I must admit, it has almost been a year since I presented it. This gulf in time is extraordinary, given the plethora of public speaking I have done in the past twelve to eighteen months. So as I approached the material, I needed to decide whether I would be presenting the updated version, an even newer version, or would I revert to the fundamentals of my book. 

I like the framework I created because it allows continuous interpretation and enhancement. The framework feels solid to me; how do you think after I share it with you? As I critiqued my work and pondered this presentation, I asked myself if I was answering the why sufficiently? 

The What Sponsors Want framework has five core principles created from what a brand leader needs from any property, partnership, or asset. Our clients utilize this thinking when developing an internal strategy or creating a pitch. In addition, they are broad enough to ensure all aspects of the partnership equation are inclusive and sufficiently inspiring to encourage the practitioner to dig deep. 

Here are my beliefs as to What Sponsors Want:

1. To Borrow Equity – the more integral a property is to society, the more valuable it is to a sponsor.
2. To Tell Stories – brands need to be the hero of their stories to connect with their audiences and create fandom. 
3. To Engage Stakeholders – lasting and deep interactions with key communities can accelerate the growth of any company. 
4. To See Proof – the counting of metrics is not nearly as important as the understanding of outcomes. 
5. To Get Promoted – the job of any seller is to help the buyer do her job better.

I have long believed that sponsorship marketing is a people business, including the participants in our programs and the people behind them. Over the next couple of weeks, as I work on this new version of a What Sponsors Want presentation, I will tell you if that belief has changed.

Mark Harrison is CBC Metro Morning’s weekly business columnist – https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-39-metro-morning/clip/15967914-business-commentator-mark-harrison-signs-progress-black-history, the author of What Sponsors Want (https://www.markharrison3.com/publications/), and co-author of Sports Sponsorship Strategies (https://www.routledge.com/Sport-Sponsorship-Insights/OReilly-Abeza-Harrison/p/book/9780367723958). 

Is there any way we can beg Chris Hadfield to lead our nation to full its full potential? That was the overwhelming feeling I had recently after leaving an intimate event featuring Commander Hadfield hosted by Elevate – https://elevatefestival.ca.

I had no idea what to expect when the invitation arrived. How often does one get to have dinner with an astronaut? Let alone the first astronaut from the British Commonwealth to go into space? Let alone an astronaut who is also a musician, an author, and social media savant?

The first thing I need to mention, and please hold your rolled eyes, is that Hadfield truly has an aura around him. While my colleague Giuliana duly pointed out that Hadfield did go to space, when I shared this comment with her, the aura I experienced was generated entirely by this amazing earthling. This man has a presence that is hard to define. I am unsure whether it is his enrapturing voice, his magnetic gaze, or how he seems to orchestrate the air around him, but it is present and powerful.

His uncanny ability to talk to everyone at a dinner table as if they were the only person alive while retelling his story is remarkable. Indeed you feel that he is sharing a secret with you for the first time before you pause to estimate how often he has shared this soundbite. 

No matter what profession Hadfield had chosen, his life lessons for a dinner audience would be the same. His emphasis on preparation for the best and worst in life by having an open dialogue about it was a new approach for me. How many want to discuss what we would do before losing a loved one or discovering that a health issue curtailed our career? This point stuck with me because Hadfield and his colleagues were technically well-trained to tackle the dangers of their roles. But this openness to the mental part of facing disaster is a new bent for me. I like the idea of discussing the worst case, so my head and heart are as ready to respond to crises as my hands. 

Commander Hadfield also talked about his objective for leading space crews. He knew he was a successful leader when crew members wanted to get right back in line for the next mission. In management, we call this retention. In marketing, we call this loyalty. In relationships, we call this commitment. It’s a powerful black-and-white, little-to-quibble test. Do people want to sign up for another adventure with you? If yes, you know your leadership – regardless of your style – is the right stuff. (Yep, I went there with that astronaut pun.) 

Many people talk of chasing one’s dreams, but how many of us have chased them out of orbit? As I walked home from that dinner, I made a short list of things I have spent years discussing but have never done. If the young boy version of Chris Hadfield can dream of flying into space after seeing a lunar launch on television and make it happen, an adult MH3 can get down to fulfilling a few simple acts on earth. 

MH3

PS. A day after the dinner, my Mom told me she and Chris Hadfield’s mother graduated from nursing school together. So if I didn’t believe in six degrees of separation before (and the use of the PS for an additional name drop), I do now.  

Last summer, my opening keynote at SponsorshipX Whistler was entitled Impact over Impressions, and I shared my model for making change.

I want to recycle and reuse this idea for my message to kick off Black History Month 2023. To help the Black community, we need to create an Impact, not merely generate Impressions. If you are a member of the Balck community, you need to measure the impact you are making to help. If you are a collaborator of my community, you, too, should recognize that 2023 is the year of outcomes over output.

My message to every company that wants to help during Black History Month is similar. Create Impact. Measure it. I mean real effects. Where to start? That is easy.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. Many organizations want to donate their volunteer time, products or services, or marketing channels to Black organizations. That is nice as an add-on, but the base layer needs to be cold hard cash. You know in your business that cash is king; fledging black organizations need your financial commitment.
Your Idea Is a Bad Idea. I believe in every brainstorming, there are a lot of bad ideas. When it comes to helping other communities, you should not create ideas unless you are a cohort member. Black folks know what needs fixing. Non-Black folks don’t. So let those in the community come up with the solutions. There are many intelligent, talented, experienced, and well-trained partners to invest in and support.
Every Month Is Black History Month. One of my young colleagues said this to me over a year ago, and it has stuck. I hope it will stick with you. The Black Community needs your help 24/7/365. Your commitment to the Black Community is not a commitment if it has a twenty-eight-day shelf life.

The sponsorship marketing industry has been working hard on many issues – providing access to sports & music for children, tackling gender equity, and climate threats. Now powerful groups such as the Carnegie Initiative, the Black Opportunity Fund, The Reading Partnership, and the Black Talent Initiative (disclose I am a co-founder) are making an Impact with their every breath. Your support of these groups can be a vital step towards actual equity.