Boo! 5 Spooky Ways to Scare Up Sponsors (and Win Their Treats)

Halloween isn’t just for candy hoarders, costume contests, and pretending pumpkin spice is a food group. There are spooky ways to scare up sponsors and get creative. Think about it: brands love hopping on seasonal trends, and nothing says “sponsor me” like a haunted house full of marketing opportunities.

$12.2 Billion on Halloween in Tricks and Treats?

Last year, consumers spent $12.2 billion, a record amount of money on:

• Costumes: Total spending on costumes reached $4.1 billion, with adult costumes accounting for $2 billion, children’s costumes $1.4 billion, and pet costumes $700 million
  
• Decorations: Spending on Halloween decorations was $3.9 billion, reflecting the growing popularity of seasonal home décor
  
• Candy: Candy remained a staple, with total spending expected to be $3.6 billion.
  
• Greeting Cards: Spending on Halloween greeting cards was projected at $500 million

Wag-O-Ween is a Great Example of Spooky Sponsorships

Wag-O-Ween is a family and pet-friendly fundraising event that takes place in one of my favorite cities, Savannah, Georgia. It attracts over 3,000 participants with their furry friends.

Humans and animals alike dress up in Halloween costumes and follow their event maps to sponsors and exhibitors. Activations include the costume contest, photography stations, and a scavenger hunt. Wag-O-Ween was named “Savannah’s Best Charity Event” by Connect Magazine.

Sponsors include Morgan & Morgan Law Firm, Acadia Realty Trust, Savannah Toyota, Quality Rock 105.3 Radio, The Hipster Hound, and The Dog Stop.

How to Create Frights, Fun, and Funding

1. Boo-st Your Brand with Seasonal Magic

Halloween provides endless opportunities to go big. You can have contests and photo backdrops that encourage people to become brand ambassadors through social media. Create a fundraiser called The Monster Mash. Include creative signage for your sponsors.

2. Treats, Not Tricks

Think of sponsors like trick-or-treaters. They’re knocking on your door (or at least peeking in the window) to see what you’ve got. The more goodies you offer—audience reach, creative ideas, unique activations—the more likely they’ll come back next year. Nobody wants to be the house giving out raisins.

3. Costume Your Cause

Take your brand or cause and dress it up Halloween-style. If you run a nonprofit, tie your mission to the theme: “Help us unmask childhood hunger” or “Let’s bury debt six feet under.” A little creative wordplay goes a long way in catching a sponsor’s eye.

4. Follow-Up: Don’t Be a Sponsorship Ghost

Follow-up matters. If a sponsor shows interest, don’t disappear faster than the last Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (my favorite candy). Keep communication lively (not undead), and make them feel like your partnership is more treat than trick.

5. Pumpkin Spice It Up

Sponsors want fresh ideas. Sure, everyone loves the classic pumpkin patch selfie wall, but what about a glow-in-the-dark candy run? A branded haunted Zoom background? A costume contest where the winner gets free products from your sponsor? Think outside the candy box.

Pro Tip for Scaring Up Sponsors

Haunt Their Social Media
Create Instagram Reels, TikToks, and Facebook posts with sponsor logos cleverly integrated—like a pumpkin with their brand name or a “sponsored spooky challenge.”

What You Can Learn

Go for multiple categories of sponsors. Wag-O-Ween has many different sponsors, including law firms, real estate, automobile, as well as pet-friendly businesses.

Final Thoughts

Halloween is all about imagination, and so is sponsorship. Get creative and you can absolutely whip up spooky-good sponsorship deals.

So go ahead—light your jack-o’-lantern, dust off your sponsor proposal, and show sponsors why partnering with you this Halloween is the best treat.

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