Is Sponsoring the Local Footy Team Actually Growing Your Business?
If you run a business in Brisbane, you’ve likely been hit up for a sponsorship or a stall fee. Whether it’s the local school fete in Coorparoo, a business breakfast in the CBD, or a weekend market in Milton, the pitch is always the same: "It’s great exposure."
But here’s the cold, hard truth: "Exposure" doesn’t pay the bills. I’ve seen dozens of business owners spend $2,000 on a gold sponsorship or a weekend stall, only to walk away with a handful of useless email addresses and zero new jobs.
At Local Marketing Group, we look at the numbers. If you spend $1,000 on an event, it needs to bring back $3,000 to $5,000 in revenue to be worth the headache. If it doesn’t, you’re just making a donation. There’s nothing wrong with charity, but let’s call it what it is.
Today, I’m going to break down the three main ways small businesses approach local events and show you which one actually puts money in your bank account.
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Approach 1: The "Logo on a Banner" (Passive Sponsorship)
This is the most common approach. You pay $500 to $2,500 to have your logo printed on a fence banner, a jersey, or a flyer.
The Cost: Low effort, medium cost. The Timeline: Months (or never). The Reality: I’ll be blunt: This is usually a waste of money. Unless you are a massive brand like Bunnings or Westpac, nobody is choosing a plumber or an accountant just because they saw a logo on a scoreboard while watching their kid play footy.
People don't buy when they see a logo; they buy when they have a problem. If you want to win local customers for less, you need to be where they are looking when that problem hits. Most people will just pull out their phone and search Google.
When it works: Only if you are already the "famous" local business and you just want to stop people from forgetting you exist. For 90% of small businesses, this money is better spent elsewhere.
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Approach 2: The "Boots on the Ground" (Event Stalls)
This is where you set up a marquee at a local festival or market. You’re there in person, handing out flyers or showing off your products.
The Cost: High effort (your whole Saturday), low to medium financial cost. The Timeline: Immediate leads. The Reality: This can actually work, but only if you have a "hook." If you’re a solar installer and you’re just standing there waiting for people to talk to you, you’ll fail. If you offer a "Free 5-Minute Roof Health Check" sign-up sheet, you’ll get leads.
I worked with a landscaper in Carindale who spent every weekend at local markets. He stopped doing it because he realised that while he was talking to 50 people, most were just "tyre kickers" who wanted free advice. He found he could get more local customers by spending that same time following up on digital enquiries from people who were actually ready to pay for a renovation right now.
The Data: - Success rate: 1 lead for every 20 conversations. - Profitability: Low, once you factor in your hourly rate for standing there all day.
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Approach 3: The "Community Helper" (Digital Event Presence)
This is the modern way to do local events without actually leaving your house. It involves using local digital hubs to insert your business into the conversation when an event is happening.
The Cost: Low cost, medium effort. The Timeline: Days to weeks. The Reality: Instead of paying for a stall, you join the conversation where the event is being discussed. For example, if there’s a big storm in Brisbane and everyone is talking about it in a local Facebook group, that’s an "event." If you’re a roofer or an arborist, being the helpful expert in that moment is worth ten times more than a banner at a school fete.
You can effectively use community Facebook groups to track what locals are worried about and offer solutions. When you sponsor a local event digitally—perhaps by running a small ad targeted only at people in that specific suburb during the week of the festival—your brand feels everywhere.
Why this wins: You aren't fighting for attention against a jumping castle and a sausage sizzle. You're reaching people on their phones while they are relaxed.
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The Comparison: Where Should You Put Your Dollar?
Let’s look at a hypothetical $2,000 marketing budget for a Brisbane sparky or real estate agent.
| Strategy | Reach | Intent (Ready to Buy) | Cost Per Lead | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsoring a Team | High | Very Low | $200+ | Feels good, rarely fills the diary. |
| Market Stall | Medium | Medium | $50 - $100 | Good for building a list, but eats your weekend. |
| Digital Local Focus | Targeted | High | $15 - $40 | Direct phone calls and bookings. |
3 Things You Should Do Before Spending a Cent on an Event
Before you write a cheque to a local club or event organiser, do these three things:
1. Check your "Digital Shop Front"
If someone sees your logo at an event, the first thing they will do is Google your name. If your Google profile has no reviews or your phone number is wrong, you’ve just wasted your sponsorship money. You need to make sure you can actually get phone calls from Google before you try to get them from a banner.2. Ask for the Data
Ask the event organiser: "How many people actually attended last year?" and "How many other businesses like mine will be there?" If there are five other plumbers sponsoring the same event, your logo is just noise.3. Have a Way to Track the Money
Give people a reason to tell you where they found you. Don't just say "mention this event." Give them a specific offer, like "The $50 Northside Discount." If nobody uses it, you know that event was a dud and you shouldn't do it next year.What’s a Total Waste of Money?
Avoid "Multi-Suburb" Directories or Event Books. You know the ones—they call you up and say they are printing a guide for the "Greater Brisbane Area" and for $400 you can have a business card-sized ad. These go straight into the bin. Nobody looks at a printed book to find a local service anymore. They use their phones.
Also, avoid any event where you aren't allowed to collect contact details. If the organiser says "you can't have a sign-up sheet," walk away. You are paying for the right to build your customer list. If they take that away, you're just a decoration.
The Verdict
If you’re a small business owner in Brisbane, your time is your most valuable asset. Spending 10 hours on a Saturday at a local fete might get you one or two jobs, but it also takes you away from your family and your actual work.
Direct, digital local marketing is almost always more profitable than physical event marketing. It’s more targeted, easier to track, and it works while you’re asleep or on a job site.
Events are great for the community, and we love supporting Brisbane clubs. But if your goal is to grow your profit and keep your team busy, start by winning the battle on people's phone screens first.
Need help getting more local customers without the weekend hustle? At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in getting Brisbane businesses more phone calls and bookings. We don't do "fluff" and we don't care about "exposure"—we care about your bottom line.
Contact Local Marketing Group today to see how we can help you dominate your local area.