30 Apr From Radio Sales to Sponsorship Guru, Audra Broad Shares Her Secrets
President of Broad 360 Marketing Audra Broad details her decades of experience in sales, sponsorships, and event marketing, and how she now teaches others to secure major brand partnerships.
A Career in Media
For over thirty years, Audra Broad has navigated the complex world of marketing, corporate sponsorships, and media. Her journey began in radio sales, where she spent sixteen years honing her skills. A significant portion of that time was with Walt Disney ABC Radio, where she innovated by starting her own department focused on nontraditional revenue.
At Disney, Broad trained salespeople to work effectively with manufacturers, forging alliances with sports teams and performing artists. This experience laid the groundwork for connecting brands with major events on a grand scale. She also spent time with PPI Marketing, which was formed with Roger and Roscoe in 1993, experiencing unique paths within the industry.
City Event Management
From 2009 to 2019, Broad managed special events for the City of Addison, Texas. This role put her at the helm of popular events like Taste Addison, Kaboomtown, and Oktoberfest. In this capacity, she was responsible for securing all corporate sponsorships and media partnerships for these nationally ranked events.
Her work with these large-scale public events provided a deep understanding of what major brands look for in a partnership. She learned that aligning with events that genuinely impact people's lives is crucial for forging meaningful connections and securing significant sponsorship deals.
Mastering Brand Partnerships
Broad emphasizes the critical need to understand and 'speak the language' of corporate brands. She explains that a proper needs analysis, involving asking the right questions to uncover a brand's key goals and initiatives, is paramount. "You have to know about their company and what their what's important to them," Broad said. "Are they community focused…"
Her approach proved successful when working with Anheuser-Busch for Addison Kaboomtown. Broad recognized that a beer brand seeks mass audiences and high visibility, a concept she called 'liquid to lips.' By making Anheuser-Busch the official beer of both Kaboomtown and Taste Addison, she secured a $250,000 event sponsorship.
The Folds of Honor Connection
A significant achievement during her tenure with Addison's events was the partnership with Folds of Honor, an organization dedicated to supporting military veterans and their families. Broad was able to facilitate a regional program for North Texas.
"I want a military veteran partner for Addison Kaboom Town because it makes sense, you know, to honor our military and veterans," Broad explained. This initiative, supported by Anheuser-Busch, Bolds of Honor, and Albertsons, ultimately raised $1,000,000 for Folds of Honor through DFW area store donations, demonstrating the profound impact of strategic brand alignment.
Sponsorship Intensive Master Class
Leveraging her extensive experience, Broad now offers a 'Land Your Next Sponsor Intensive' master class. This two-day virtual event is designed to equip entrepreneurs and event producers with the knowledge and practical skills to secure long-term partnerships with corporate brands.
"This isn't just take notes and learn about sponsorships. This is actually in action," Broad stated. Participants learn to develop clear plans and can expect to have real sponsorship opportunities in motion before the workshop concludes. The intensive also delves into the nuanced language of sponsorships, warning against common missteps like using the word 'package,' which can pigeonhole an offering as unsophisticated.
Shaping Future Leaders
Broad's passion lies in helping others avoid the pitfalls of trial and error that characterized her early career. She aims to empower individuals and organizations to build sustainable revenue streams through strategic brand alignment. The next phase of her mission involves assisting nonprofits that are vital to changing the world but often struggle with diversifying their funding beyond traditional donors.
"A lot of them are just dependent on donors and they don't understand how to actually have a different revenue source with brand alignment that turns into real long term partnerships," Broad said. She offers a 30% discount for her master class using the code LEED30, encouraging those ready to elevate their sponsorship efforts to join her.
Key Topics
- speaking the language of corporate brands
- the Kaboomtown and Anheuser Busch sponsorship story
- running a proper needs analysis before pitching
- the 'liquid to lips' principle in beverage sponsorships
- Land Your Next Sponsor Intensive master class
- helping nonprofits move beyond donor dependency
- building nontraditional revenue at Walt Disney ABC Radio
About the Guest
Audra Broad is the President of Broad 360 Marketing, bringing over thirty years of experience in marketing, corporate sponsorships, and media. She spent sixteen years in radio sales and marketing—nine of those at Walt Disney ABC Radio, where she created a nontraditional revenue department. She later managed corporate sponsorships and media for nationally ranked events including Taste Addison, Kaboomtown, and Oktoberfest in the City of Addison, and is the founder of LeadHERship Global.
Episode Timestamps
- 00:10 – Jeff teases Audra Broad's thirty-year marketing career
- 01:42 – Audra's career journey from radio to Walt Disney ABC Radio
- 02:24 – Working with Roger Staubach's company and managing Addison events
- 03:17 – How to speak the language of corporate brands
- 04:00 – Raising half a million dollars for Folds of Honor
- 04:43 – The 'liquid to lips' principle behind the Anheuser Busch deal
- 05:44 – Land Your Next Sponsor Intensive master class details
- 07:17 – Why using the word 'package' kills your sponsorship pitch
- 07:54 – Audra's vision for helping nonprofits secure brand partnerships
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Episode Chapters
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 01:21 – Meet Audra Broad: 30+ Years in Marketing
- 01:42 – From Radio to Disney to Major Events
- 03:12 – Speaking the Language of Corporate Sponsors
- 04:29 – Landing the Anheuser Busch Sponsorship
- 05:14 – Connecting Brands with Folds of Honor
- 05:44 – Land Your Next Sponsor Master Class
- 06:30 – What You'll Learn in the Intensive
- 07:47 – Helping Nonprofits Build Brand Partnerships
- 08:14 – Discount Code and Closing Remarks