Get Ready for Clean Data Rooms
SponsorshipX asked Chris Schoengut, Director of Brand and partnerships for the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival, for his take on ROI.
Chris is the Director of Brand & Partnerships for Trixstar LIVE and the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, with nearly two decades of experience in the event industry. He has collaborated with top-tier talents like Gary Vaynerchuk, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, William Shatner, Shane Gillis, Bill Burr, Matt Rife, Theo Von, and Nikki Glaser, as well as major brands such as SkipTheDishes, Molson, Jim Beam, Kuma Outdoor Gear, Coca-Cola, Ole Cocktails, and Tixr...to name a few.
With a passion for building meaningful partnerships, developing brands, and creating unforgettable experiences, Chris continues to make an impact in both the entertainment industry and his community.
What is your definition of ROI in sponsorship marketing?
For us it's all about the experience. Yes, of course, we are cognizant of making sure us and our partners both hit our financial goals, but with a bigger emphasis on brand affinity, audience engagement, and lasting impressions—turning audience laughter into brand loyalty.
Can you share some examples of excellent ROI measurement in the sponsorship industry that you have seen??
It's something that is always changing and I don't think will ever fit into a strict formula. We cater every partnership specific to that company/brand and talk about what the goals and measurable are right from the start. I can't really speak to who is doing measurement exceptionally, as that's always quite an internal process. Would love to speak with others and am eager to learn some ideas/best practices from the best at the ROI Forum!
How do you approach valuation and evaluation in your work?
Quite a mix of past event experience (Trixstar LIVE has been around for nearly two decades), listening to feedback from partners and others in the industry, paying attention to trends/categories/the economy, and learning as we go. I always like to say our company, our approach, and our events are "always in beta" - the final product is never the final product.?
Okay, share your pet peeves about measurement in the sponsorship world.?
When people are too hell-bent on fitting something into a formula. Situations vary, metrics/technology are changing by the day, and every partnership is vastly different. Being adaptable is super important; one of my pet peeves are when people are unwilling to think outside of the box or try something new because "this is the way we've always done things."?
Let us in on a secret project you’re working on (even if you can only tease it).
Really excited about a new partnership that just came to fruition with the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival and Skip (fka SkipTheDishes)! As another small business grown here in Canada, we had some great conversations with them leading up to getting things signed off and there was a really natural fit between the brands and our values. I'll be happy to talk about this one more when it rolls out!
Who or what should we watch for in sponsorship marketing in 2025?
Data Clean Rooms are going to take off soon.?Think of it like a secure vault where partners can bring their data to be analyzed together—without actually sharing or seeing each other's raw data or sharing protected (customer) information. It is probably the most measurable, black and white data that is available.