All Bases Covered
Strategic Marketing
Sponsorship
Fundraising
Tell Me More
ACROBAT FCSM is a leading consultancy concentrating on strategic marketing, sponsorship and fundraising. It evolved through the natural merger of ACROBAT Consulting & Marketing LTD and FC Sports Marketing LTD. Its’ specialisms are sports and leisure with many activities in the markets of United Kingdom, Turkey and Romania. Our Founder was the Chair to the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s specialist consultants group for these sectors. So made in sports and leisure, but now in demand in multi-sectors, as our skills are transferable.
We are an award winning consultancy including the prestigious, Winner of the CIM’s SWOT Award for marketing excellence for support to a client. Since 1995, we have worked on funding schemes to in excess of £200M. This skillset evolved from having been one of the original Assessors appointed by the National Lottery and also Assessor with UKCES (on competitive funds open to employers to invest in current and future workforces). We are renown for our cost-effective retainers providing either a supplement or alternative to in-house resources.
Overseas we have worked on projects with a focus in the main around marketing, sponsorship and licensing including for some of the top brand names as defined in the Deloitte’s “Football Finance Report” and Brand Finance’s “Sporting Brands”.
We are proud to have ‘partnered’ with our clients, from global brands to micro-businesses. A few might be identifiable to you from these logos.
We are very much ‘hands-on’ in our approach with enthusiasm and dedication to take our clients’ aspirations forward. As further evidence, that we ‘practice what we preach’, we also own a portfolio of businesses.
We are a Guest Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan (MMU) and Sheffield Hallam Universities; lead Associate Lecturer at MMU on “Sports Branding and Sponsorship”; formerly on the SMT at the Centre for Enterprise at MMU working on programmes that develop enterprise and entrepreneurship capability; and Founder to Sporting Genies and Town Crier Club.
We are a full-service agency and all Directors retain Chartered Marketer status with CIM. That means that there is no aspect of marketing that we can’t sensibly advise on. We have most skills within our Team and at times complement with reliable associates.
Case Studies
Manchester City Council
Fundraising
“Manchester Leisure has contracted the services of ACROBAT FCSM on a number of occasions, most notably as project development consultants for the Belle Vue Hockey Centre of Excellence Sports Lottery bid (awarded £1.9M) and currently in an advisory and liaison capacity seeking private sector involvement in a major sports project.
At Manchester Leisure we have always found Acrobat to be extremely professional in their approach, delivering whatever is required to the highest standards and on deadline. In addition, all members of ACROBAT’s staff take a keen interest in the job to be done on behalf of the client, and offer a personal, friendly and efficient service which achieves a successful outcome. Manchester Leisure would have no hesitation in using ACROBAT FCSM in the future.”
Manchester Giants
Sponsorship
“Adrian was an excellent colleague at the professional Manchester Giants basketball club, very professional, focused and successful. He is a pleasure to work with and I`m sure we will work on future projects together, an all-round good guy!”
Oldham Athletic FC
Fundraising & Sponsorship
“I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks for your efforts and continued support – it has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Manchester Rugby Club
Fundraising & Sponsorship
“In my position as Chairman of a sports club, Adrian was brought in to improve the profile of the club and assist in fund raising and event organisation. Adrian has a wealth of knowledge and was easy to work with whilst maintaining a high standard of professionalism. His input into the Club undoubtedly improved the clubs profile and financial position.”
Football Partnerships
Marketing & Sponsorship
“In the short time I have known Adrian, I have been thoroughly impressed by his ethic, his reliability, and his thoroughness. He currently serves Football Partnerships as a Networking Captain, a volunteer position, through which he assists our New York-based office in the organization and execution of KICKOFF: MANCHESTER, a football-related networking function in Stockport. If appointing Adrian to said position proves a wise decision, which it thus far has without question, I would have zero reservations in recommending prospective clients to ACROBAT FCSM.”
Regenda Homes
Feasibility Study & Strategy
“Had a brief look through… looks absolutely brilliant! Yep – a few extra images/a few better images. No doubt some small amends to the wording but really… it exceeds my expectations. Thanks once again.”
Arriva
Research & Marketing
“The results have more than lived up to our joint expectations with both overall patronage and modal shift figures surpassing our twelve month targets within the first four months of operation.”
“The Project was nominated in the Bus Industry Awards for a Marketing Initiative Award (Local Authority/Joint) and given recognition as Highly Commended status.”
InteRefurb
Marketing
“I’ve known and worked with Adrian for around 20 years now… ouch. I’ve come across so many unqualified “experts” in the field it’s refreshing to work with somebody who has great depth of Business and Marketing knowledge which he is able to convey in a straightforward, practical and easily understandable manner.”
Salford Red Devils
Sponsorship
“I worked alongside Adrian for a mutual client and found Adrian to be passionate and knowledgeable about marketing in the sporting world and beyond. Adrian is always keen to open up his networks and facilitate connections, an enthusiastic and driven marketeer. I would have no hesitation in recommending Adrian to businesses who need to explore funding, sponsorship and marketing assistance.”
Cardea Solutions
Marketing
“Adrian has worked as Non-Executive Marketing Director for Cardea Solutions for the past 5 years, in this time he has proved himself to be an invaluable asset to the business. He is a loyal and trusted colleague who can be relied upon at all times. Perhaps Adrian’s biggest asset though is his contact database, I would have no hesitation in saying that Adrian is the best connected person in business that I have ever met.”
“Adrian is a vastly experienced marketeer having held senior management marketing positions in a variety of sectors in the past. He has, for roughly 20 years, run a successful marketing consultancy which is highly regarded by business professionals. I would have no hesitation recommending Adrian’s services to any company that is looking to inject instant enthusiasm and vibrancy into its marketing function.”
Featured Videos
News
March 2022
Etihad Host
ACROBAT FCSM is really looking forward to leading a talented professional panel of sponsorship experts at the Etihad Stadium, home to Manchester City Football Club.
The panel involves people at the top of their game in sponsorship, partnerships and commercial. Our CEO, Adrian Stores, has compiled the group which is a key part of Football Directory’s Exhibition at the Ground. He will contribute to the discussions and MC the initiative alongside people from Stoke City FC, Sedulo and Blackburn Rovers FC. In addition, ACROBAT FCSM is sponsor of this entire fixture.
Image shown is logo of MCFC Blues in Business Networking Group created by our design team at Pazarllama.
January 2022
Juggling
With busy lives, you may have missed the array of services within the ACROBAT FCSM portfolio. The same reliable, authoritative responsiveness guaranteed. We are not ‘all singing and dancing’ but can ‘juggle’ these activities to offer best returns to our clients. Know anyone that might like an informal, no obligation chat with this ACROBAT?
adrian.stores@acrobatfcsm.com
It is common in evaluating clients’ marketing tactics that whilst a customer might engage in buying a particular product or service – sometimes the value of this ‘goodwill’ isn’t maximised, when not all offerings are appreciated. Hence, this imagery in our case.
December 2021
Motivate your Content
Raising brand awareness is a never-ending desire. The beauty of digital technology and platforms means that we are never short of opportunities. I suppose a common conundrum is how do we refresh our content, secure engagement and traction and ultimately generate that return on any investment. There is no panacea for all, but I wanted to share one tactic that is proving inspirational in strategic decision-making at the moment.
There are some brands that select ambassadors and celebrity endorsement, often not inexpensive, but content that derives interest and as a consequence awareness and profile raising. So what if there was such a way this Year to bring that same impressive content to your own marketing channels. Taster videos, product launches, docu-series, IGTV and more besides – introducing a celebrity face can give communications a lift and motivate your audiences.
There is a way! We represent a digital media agency named Authentic Athletes. It is based in Canada and for the last couple of years extended its reach into the UK and Australia. So what do we do to make that celebrity proposition affordable and within the focus of SMEs s well as larger household brands?
Authentic Athletes is a specialist agency producing and publishing emotive, engaging content in partnership with high profile sports personalities and commercial brands. We create boutique content that is distributed across a range of social media, digital sports platforms, and over-the-top (OTT) sports streaming channels.
Our sports people tell authentic stories, which resonate with fans and customers around the World or predetermined target markets. We carefully align connected brands, integrate them into each content series, and bring those brands to life via a range of bespoke publication and activation options. Find out more at this web page and review the presentation and sample video. See: https://theauthenticathletes.com/sponsor/
A couple of common reasons we are noticing in clients choosing to work with us. One, for enterprises that have maybe, neither the in-house resource to tackle such an exciting project themselves and seek to work with a trusted, experienced partner; or didn’t realise there were other ways to bring such ventures within their capabilities. Following on from this, the second, the selection of our tactics by organisations in the not-for-profit sector, whereby a charitable body can further its aims through the generosity of a donor or sponsor funding the content production.
I’d enjoy the chance to speak with you. Authentic Athletes plans, produces and distributes professionally curated, longtail content, telling engaging athlete stories on behalf of commercial sponsors and brands. We’re not a platform, we’re simply storytellers with a commercial focus.
We’re building our suite of commercial activities in the UK and intend to commence filming over the coming months. I’d enjoy the chance to speak with anyone regarding the opportunity to develop a one off or content series.
