---
aliases: ["Sponsor Renewal Process"]
Is A: Procedure
Belongs to: "[[responsibility-sponsorships]]"
Cadence: Quarterly
Owner: "[[person-luca-rossi]]"
---
# Sponsor Renewal Process

Renewing existing sponsors is significantly more efficient than acquiring new ones — the relationship trust is already established, the creative workflow is proven, and the cost of sale is a fraction of cold outreach. This quarterly procedure ensures that no contract expiration goes unnoticed, renewal conversations begin early enough to avoid gaps, and existing sponsors feel valued and informed when making their decision. This is a key lever for [[measure-sponsorship-mrr]] stability.

## Steps

- [ ] Pull a list of all sponsor contracts expiring in the next 90 days from the CRM
- [ ] For each expiring contract, review the sponsor's performance data: clicks, CTR, audience feedback, and any qualitative wins from [[procedure-monthly-sponsor-report]]
- [ ] Prepare a renewal brief for each sponsor: summarize their results, highlight audience growth since they started, and outline placement options for the next term
- [ ] Initiate renewal conversations 45-60 days before contract expiration — this gives enough time for negotiation without creating urgency pressure
- [ ] Schedule a call or send a detailed renewal proposal to each sponsor, tailored to their goals and past performance
- [ ] For high-performing sponsors, propose expanded placements or upgraded packages — use data to justify the upsell
- [ ] For underperforming sponsors, proactively address the results: explain what happened, what you would change, and why the next term will be different
- [ ] Negotiate terms and close renewals, updating the CRM with new contract details
- [ ] Brief [[person-matteo-cellini]] on all renewed contracts and any changes to placement schedules or creative requirements
- [ ] Track the renewal rate and feed it into [[measure-close-rate]] for trend analysis

## Notes

- The renewal conversation should never be the first time a sponsor hears about their performance. If [[procedure-monthly-sponsor-report]] is running well, the renewal is a natural next step, not a surprise ask.
- Start renewal conversations earlier for large-deal sponsors. Enterprise-level sponsors often need internal budget approval cycles, and starting late means missing their planning window.
- If a sponsor declines to renew, ask for candid feedback on why. This data is invaluable for improving the product and informs [[procedure-quarterly-sponsor-outreach]] targeting.
- Offering a small incentive for multi-quarter commitments (e.g., 10% discount for 4-quarter deal) improves revenue predictability and reduces the overhead of quarterly renewal cycles.
- Keep a "winback" list of sponsors who did not renew. Revisit them in 6 months with updated audience metrics and a fresh pitch — circumstances change, and a well-timed follow-up can reopen the relationship.
