How Big is Your Head on Game Day?

Are you looking to create the "next-best" product for sports fans? An idea that capitalizes on fan affinity for star athletes?

Scrolling through some photos online, I came across what I believe will be the next best sports product for fans, a product I will call "Sports Heads"... Can't you just picture thousands of Dallas Cowboys fans purchasing a "T.O. Sports Head"? Or Kobe Bryant? Or LeBron James?

Whichever company/league decides to invest in this initiative will need some upfront some cash to pay for the rights to names & likenesses of each player but there could be some major money to be made here if the product is priced right (and the right retail channels are secured). However, anyone does decide to take this idea and run with it, please include me in a royalties package! 

If you work at Fathead and happen to read this article, PLEASE develop this as a brand extension...

VitaminWater Let's Consumers Hit for $1 Million!

How do you drive significant buzz around a jewel event without being a partipating sponsor?

VitaminWater is capitalizing on the Home Run Derby craze by hosting its own hitting competition tomorrow morning on the banks of the Hudson River. From 10am - 1pm, VitaminWater is giving 200 lucky consumers the chance to hit for $1MM!

Tomorrow (Monday, July 13th), VitaminWater is hosting a "Homers in the Hudson" contest on the deck of the Chelsea Piers lighthouse on Pier 61 at 21st Street and the Hudson River. The company is going to feature a 25-foot-high inflatable VitaminWater bottle tied to a floating barge on the Hudson River with a 5-foot hollow glove attached to the top.  There will be a hole inside the glove that consumers must hit off a tee for the chance to win $1MM!  

Yes, the promotion sounds difficult (moving barge, small hole, thousands of ongoers and media attention), but nonetheless, this promotion is an excellent way for VitaminWater to draw some buzz around All-Star weekend without being an MLB sponsor (guerilla at its best!).

There will be a collection of athletes, celebrities, and New York personalities on-hand for the event... not to mention the thousands of consumers who are likely to come out for their chance to retire early.

Note: Each recipient gets one (1) swing. If multiple consumers win, the $1MM jackpot will be split equally.

New - Nike Far East Activation/Branding Gallery!

Nike recently accomplished the feat of reaching $1BN in sales in the Chinese market. The global retailer is leveraging the names and likenesses of its stars (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Ronaldinho, Roger Federer, etc.) to place their brand in the hearts and minds of consumers throughout the Far East.

But what is Nike doing in these markets to activate? How is Nike effectively spurring this growth and consumer demand?

I have compiled the world's most comprehensive gallery of Nike's activation, branding, and advertising in the Far East. The gallery features 226 pictures of Nike's billboards, guerilla, displays, and events that have been implemented over the past decade. The gallery displays Nike's Far East activation across: China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

New - Adidas Far East Activation/Branding Gallery!

Adidas is focusing the majority of its $80-$100MM Olympic rights on penetrating China and the Far East. The company projects that its sales in China will surpass $1.58BN in 2010 (WSJ, 7.3.08).

But what is Adidas doing in these markets to activate? How is Adidas effectively spurring this growth and consumer demand?

I have compiled the world's most comprehensive gallery of Adidas' activation, branding, and advertising in the Far East. The gallery features 96 pictures of Adidas' billboards, guerilla, displays, and events that have been implemented over the past decade. The gallery displays Adidas' Far East activation across: China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

Benchmark Juventus FC's Website...

Are you looking for sports websites to benchmark? Are you looking for ways to enhance your online offerings? Are you looking for a superior layout for promoting your corporate partners?

If so, take a moment to check out Juventus FC's website. I am a firm believer that many of the websites for European football teams are where we (in the States) are headed in the next five (5) years (if the leagues permit)... We just aren't there yet. The Juventus website is tremendous - their corporate partners page is clear, descriptive, and even shows some quality pictures of their partners' field boards. Overall, the site covers everything from club objectives/strategies to finances to exclusive memberships. If you are looking for ideas/content, this site has it all - in a clear, concise format.

  

The Grizzlies Unveil The Toyota Pickup Center...

Has a unique venue branding tactic ever made you say, "That is really creative, why didn't I think of that?"

If so, here is another to add to the list...

Mike Redlick and Brent Schoeb of the Memphis Grizzlies recently led a project at the FedEx Form that converted an interior box office into The Toyota Pickup Center... This is an example of a great branding tactic that drives consumer awareness (opportunity for fans to gaze at the Tundra as they wait in line), consumer recognition (of Toyota's affiliation with the Grizzlies) and enhances the overall fan experience at the FedEx Forum (featuring a Pickup Truck over the ticket window creates a signature mark for fans in attendance to remember where they need to "pick up" their tickets)...

It will be interesting to see how the Grizzlies take this branding piece to the next level. I am excited to see how the team leverages the "Pick Up Window" to really engage fans (exclusive test drive opportunities for suiteholders who pickup their tickets at the window? street teams engaging fans while they wait in line? exclusive tickets/experiences for select fans picking up tickets in the Upper Deck? ticket pickup tie-back to local Toyota dealerships?) 

Check out the video below, which captures the extensive measures the Grizzlies needed to take to make the "Toyota Pickup Center" happen: 

Looking for a Way to Tie-In a QSR and Lottery Partner?

Are you looking for a way to create a traffic-driving retail promotion? Are you looking for a way to tie-in a QSR and Lottery partner to create a unique promotion?

A Burger King store franchisee in Qatar is currently running an in-store scratch off "Win Win" promotion that is drawing serious attention. The franchisee has created a scratch-off promotion offering 65,000 prizes for consumers looking for an extra incentive to eat at Burger King locations throughout Qatar... All consumers have to do is visit any Burger King outlet in Qatar, buy a Mega meal (Large Fries and Soft Drink), and get an instant scratch off coupon. That's it. The promotion is available to all dine-in, take out, drive through, and home delivery customers.

The prizes at stake?

• A Kia Opirus, round trip tickets from Qatar to Dubai, 32" televisions, DVD's, Laptops, and gifts from Coca-Cola and Nescafe, and Circus Land

The promotion's success?

• Through twenty (20) days of the promotion, over 30,000 scratch off cards have been distributed.

Now, legalities vary state-by-state, but why couldn't a professional franchise consider implementing a similar promotion by tying in a QSR (or any retailer for that matter) and a Lottery partner? We have recently seen a surge in "scratch off promotional activity" among teams; isn't it only a matter of time before this translates into the retail space? Upfront costs may deter some, but these expenses split between three (3) parties - all with something to benefit - could be a very effective retail traffic driver that creates "team buzz" and an instant craze for scratch-off tickets (i.e. McDonalds Monopoly Game) at retail chains throughout the local DMA.

Teams could distribute branded "instant scratch-off cards" to a local franchisee chain (i.e. Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's, etc.) within a 75-mile radius that offer consumers the chance to instantly win tickets, exclusive VIP experiences, exclusive meet-n-greets at XXX store locations, and an ultimate prize of "A Trip for Four on the Team Plane to An Away Game" (dinner with the team owner on the plane provided by XXX retailer). The promotion can be tied to consumers ordering a specific menu item (a product the QSR is pushing into the market/has sluggish sales/is team specific), a combo meal, or driving store traffic at a certain time of day (breakfast/lunch/dinner/weekends, etc.).

To support such a promotion, teams would need to set up a will call booth at the stadium to validate all winning entries (tickets, exclusive appearance logistics), provide an informative website (rules, regulations, prize offerings), offer in-store POS displays, and provide some online media support to drive awareness.

Are Your Fans Aspiring Composers?

Over the past few weeks, Canada has been in an uproar because CBC failed to renew its rights to the Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song, leaving the door open for CTV to purchase those rights. The song has a long and storied history in Canadian sports and had become engrained in the hearts and minds of hockey fans across the globe...

How did CBC respond to this? By creating a new, unique promotion that presents the opportunity for hockey fans across Canada to CREATE history.

CBC recently launched Canada's Hockey Anthem Challenge, encouraging all aspiring composers to submit audio/video files with their bid to provide new music for Hockey Night in Canada, a show that has been on air for 50+years. Musicans have until the end of August to submit personal music that they feel best reflects the show for the chance to win $100,000 in cash, half of the ongoing performance royalties, and bragging rights. The contest's website features video/audio anthem submissions for fans to review and share and offers an online program that enables aspiring composers to easily upload their music entries. 

Five semifinalists will be presented to the country and judged by a celebrity panel on a CBC network television special on October 4th. Two finalists will face off at the beginning of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader on Thursday, October 9th and the show's new theme song will be selected on the show's traditional broadcast on Friday, October 11th. This is huge.

What is the magnitude of this promotion? This would be similar (if not larger) to Monday Night football/Sportscenter conducting a nationwide promotion asking fans to create new theme music for the show...

Unfortunately, the promotion is only open to Canadian residents, so beware American musicians...You Cannot Apply.

Is Your Team/Brand in THEIR Calendar?

Are you currently exploring ways to have multiple touchpoints (daily/weekly) with your target fanbase? Are you looking for new tech-saavy ways to integrate corporate partners? Have you brainstormed different ways to get on your fans calendar?

Numerous teams/universities are now offering schedules on their websites that fans/donors/season ticket holders can easily import into their Outlook/Google Calendars. The University of Texas Athletics Department offers a benchmark example for teams/athletic departments to model if interested in implementing such an online service. On their athletics website, the Longhorns host fourteen (14) varsity teams' schedules in addition to future ('09) and past football schedules. Simply feature this offering under both the Schedules Tab and the Downloads Tab on your sports organization's website.

Is this just the start of a new way that teams will look to communicate with their fanbases? It is only a matter of time when teams use such offerings for promotional usage (offering all fans who download the schedule an exclusive meet-n-greet/autograph appearance, etc.). After all, teams that can effectively persuade fans/donors/season ticket holders to import their schedules into their daily Outlook calendars have found a cost-effective way (free!) to create new touchpoints with their targeted consumers. With people's lives becoming convoluted with various media channels, it is important that you can communicate directly with consumers to help them see/understand when your events are taking place (and how they can make their calendars work so they can attend).

Teams/athletic departments can integrate corporate partners by detailing promotional nights (mark the calendar event with a different color), integrating passcodes for calendar users to access when clicking on the schedule date to redeem online for exclusive prizes/VIP from supporting partners, and/or find new ways to tie-in advertising, etc.  

Have You Seen Adidas Futsal Park?

Adidas Futsal Park is incredible. The facility, located atop a department store in Shubuya, Japan, is a premier footprint that is unlike anything offered in the United States. Adidas Futsal park is open to the public; nearly 500 teams have signed up to use the facility during both day and night. Adidas uses the facility (outside of a signature awareness play) to offer personal memberships, host soccer clinics, and run competitive local tournaments. The innovative "soccer playground" is surrounded by nets and other precautionary measures to keep all soccer balls, equipment, and players/spectators on the roof of the building.

The facility debuted in 2001 after the Tokyo Sports System Co. realized that there was no space left within the city to build a soccer facility. They had no choice but to look upward to build, leading to a compromise with Adidas to build the facility. Due to space constraints, most department stores in Shibuya have used their long rooftops for entertainment purposes, but none to the extent of Adidas Futsal Park.

When will a brand or league do something similar like this in the United States? Why hasn't something like this been attempted in Times Square? or LA? or Chicago? For brands (especially athletic wear/apparel) looking to make a media splash, this would garner instant attraction/consumer interest.

Check out a video of the facility below:

Adidas football park Tokyo Shibuya 3
Uploaded by metsy

Are Fans Talking About Your Brand at Events?

Are consumers talking about your brands at events? Are you looking for a unique way to leverage your brand at a running event (marathon, half-marathon, 5K, running expo)?

In 2006, Adidas ran an innovative "Reason to Run" campaign that served as an incredible way to get runners talking about the Adidas brand on race day. The program, a benchmark for others, distributed bibs on race day to runners that asked them to fill out what their reason to run was (along with their name and email). These "Reason to Run" bibs became conversation starters throughout events across the globe (from Singapore to Toronto to San Francisco) as it spurred people to discuss their "reasons" pre-race, during the race, on their blogs post-race.

The "Reason to Run" bibs also translated to Adidas' activation at indoor running exhibitions. Adidas would ask all consumers who entered their footprint to fill out a Reason to Run bid and post it on the Adidas wall. The collection of bids would become a wall of art that would attract herds of people who were interested in seeing why others were running... The bids also became a database of names and emails of runners that Adidas could market to in the future.

The "Reason to Run" bibs are such a great, unique way to get people talking about your brands on race day. At a relatively inexpensive cost, you can make a big splash in an uninterruptive manner at race events and running expo's. Even if a race already has a title sponsor (who in turn, has the rights to the bibs), your brand can consider handing out similar "Reason to Run" bibs as a premium that you encourage runners to wear pre/post race.

"Reason for Being an "XXXXXX" Fan"

Is this an idea that also translates to other sports? Have you asked your season ticket holder base why they are fans? This could be a great idea to implement at draft parties, women's 101 clinics, and team appearances (for consumers to fill out while waiting in line for an autograph at a player appearance) for team's looking to build their fan databases. 

Looking to Promote Your Brand in Emerging Markets?

Are you looking for innovative ways to leverage sports to help promote your brand in emerging countries? Are you looking for ways to provide sponsors additional exposure?

Gatorade and the NBA recently teamed up to brand basketball playgrounds in Shanghai. The pictures below capture when Mt. Vernon (a U.S. high school team) traveled overseas to play some exhibition games against Chinese youth. Take a look at how Gatorade and the NBA co-branded the backboards and courtside signage - Gatorade and the NBA are guaranteed impressions by placing their brand directly in the line of focus of participants and ongoers at school yards in emerging markets - two (2) effective ways to drive brand awareness and affinity!

The Nationals Attempt to Convert Orioles Fans...

Are you looking to attract and convert fans in your local marketplace?

If so, you may be interested in a "Conversion Day" promotion that the Washington Nationals recently implemented during their cross-town series with the Baltimore Orioles. On June 29th, the Nationals hosted "Conversion Day", a promotion offering the first 10,000 game attendees the chance to trade in one (1) piece of their gear from any MLB team for a new Washington Nationals ballcap, made of recycled, organic material. The promotion was supported by ExxonMobil, the team's official Energy Partner, in an effort to drive greater awareness for the promotion's "green" initiative (distributing recycled, organic products to fans).

The promotion served as a great way for the Nationals to attempt to convert Orioles fans but is pretty unusual for a club that is entering its fourth year in existence. Nonetheless, it is an interesting initiative that many organizations with smaller budgets could consider implementing to drive awareness and fan affinity in their local marketplace! On a side note, all non-Nats gear was donated by the team to the Goodwill of Greater Washington...

More on Sonic Branding...

I have received numerous emails since writing a feature on the impact that Sonic Branding is having on the sports landscape. But the most interesting note I received came from Noel Franus of Sonic ID, a sonic branding and identity firm based in Portland, Oregon, who reflected on the controversy surrounding CBC after it recently lost the rights to its Hockey Night in Canada theme song.

Noel forwarded along a great article written by Mark Sutcliffe of the Ottawa Citizen that is a "must-read" for all sports professionals looking to learn more about the impact that sonic branding is having on the industry. Check out the article here!

Here is a clip of the Hockey Night in Canada that has caused a stir among Canadian hockey fans:

For additional information on sonic branding, check out Noel's informative blog on sonic branding and identity.  

Introducing a Revenue Generating Widget...

Are you looking for ways to penetrate the social networking space? Or better yet, derive revenue from this channel?

I recently had a great conversation with Ed Trost of Real Time Matrix about a widget his company created that serves as a great forefront for teams/organizations looking to enter the social networking space. Real Time Matrix's new widget, the Vortex, allows teams/organizations to deliver video, ticketing, and news feeds (personalized content) directly into users' online social networking spaces.

The widget technology offers teams/organizations a new media channel to sell advertising inventory, integrate corporate partners into video clips, and drive awareness for corporate promotions/events through news feeds. The Vortex technology is a relatively inexpensive upfront cost that is structured as a revenue sharing model based on CPM's. 

Which organizations are using the Vortex technology?

• The Vortex widget is currently being implemented by Major League Soccer and each of its member organizations.

How do consumers use the Vortex technology?

• All consumers have to do is click the "copy me" link on the Vortex application and fill out some requested information. Once this step is completed, users are given an HTML code which thay can then embed in their desired social networking location. Users can find different "shareable" Vortex downloads on NetVibes, Real Time Matrix's website, and each of the MLS' respective sites.
• Real Time Matrix now offers a "Find us on Facebook" button that enables users to directly feature the widget technology in their Facebook pages.

How do you make effective use of this technology?

• Prominent website placement (if you are trying to drive this virally, you cannot hide it on your team website. Feature the Vortex widget technology on a sidebar of the main homepage or on a Downloads Tab that is directly accessible by fans)
• Devote adequate time and resources (Users are looking for unique content - find ways to deliver this through the Vortex widget (i.e. Dallas Stars' "Dropping Gloves" feature; behind-the-scenes video, etc.)

How Do Fans Capture Your Events?

Have you ever considered how many fans capture in-game entertainment at your events on their phones, cameras, and video cameras? Have you considered different ways to leverage this footage?

Brands and organizations need to begin scouring YouTube and Flickr.com to gain a better understanding of their game experience "from a fan perspective", find ways to leverage amateur photography and footage, and do a more effective job of controlling their own messaging. What am I getting at?

Take a look at the four (4) clips below which provide four (4) different angles of "Crazy Dave", a drunk Boston Celtics fan, running onto the field at Fenway Park after making a $100 bet with some LA Lakers fans that he could slide into second base. It turns out that "Crazy Dave" had alerted numerous fans that he was going to attempt this "feat" and even had a friend capture the escapade for his own personal collection... Fans across the stadium captured the event on video, providing different perspectives for how the event was perceived...

Hopefully these clips will spur you to search online for different ways that fans are capturing their time spent at your events... Consider hosting a fan video/photography feature (sponsored by Canon, Sony, Kodak, FujiiFilm, etc.) on your website and/or utilizing these search processes as a way to control your organization's brand image!

Miller Hits a Grand Slam with its New Promotion...

Are you looking to create a unique promotion that rewards fans and creates significant industry buzz?

Miller Lite recently launched an innovative "Grand Slam Giveaway" promotion that rewards each fans who catches a grand slam during the second half of the 2008 MLB season with free Miller Lite for a year... The promotion will surely become a popular topic among the MLB fanbase, serving as an extra incentive for many to chase after balls that are hit over the fence.. Free Miller Lite for a year is essentially three (3) cases per month (72 beers isn't bad!), a prize pack worth $550 (but in many consumers minds, much more).

To redeem their prize, lucky fans will be required to submit a picture of their ticket stub, a picture of the ball they caught showcasing MLB's insignia, and proof that they are 21+ years of age to UltimateHR@mbco.com within ten (10) days of the day they caught a grand slam baseball. If more then one (1) claim is received for a single grand slam home run baseball, all valid and eligible entries received within 10 days of the Grand Slam will be entered into a random drawing.

But there has to be a catch, right? Yes, of course. Consumers that live in AL, AR, CA, CT, KS, ME, MA, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, and VA are not eligible to win due to state legalities, meaning that all fans attending Angels, Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers, Royals, Cardinals, Mets, Padres, Yankees, Indians, and Reds games cannot take advantage of the promotion...

What are the chances of catching a grand slam ball? In 2007, there were 136 grand slams (approx. one GS every 18 games). The best grand slam hitters in the game today are Manny Ramirez (21 - 2nd all-time), Alex Rodriguez (16), Ken Griffey Jr. (16), Richie Sexson (14), Jeff Kent (13), Jason Giambi (12), Gary Sheffield (12), Carlos Delgado (11), and Carlos Lee (11). So good luck to all those fans seated in the bleacher seats!

MLS - Hire These Guys Too!

A few weeks ago I posted a video of a guy that the MLS needs to hire to drive some buzz around the game of soccer in the United States, especially as we head into the World Cup qualifying stage... Well, I found a video that details a few more exceptional ballhandlers from Poland, who have the finesse and "streetball feel" that could help the MLS fuel a captivating viral marketing campaign across the United States...

Stick each of these guys in a different MLS jersey and have them perform some amazing tricks outside major sporting events in their respective cities to drive some buzz during the off-season! Americans just need to see the ballhandling and finesse that makes the game of soccer so popular across the pond...

M&M's Scores With Its Airport Displays...

MARS recently devised an innovative strategy to activate around the European Football Championships at retail that proved to be widely successful. Mars International Travel Retail (MITR) created engaging in-store M&M's displays at airports across the Europe that captured the interest of traveling soccer fans.

 Promotions varied region by region, but most displays featured a "3 for 2" offer and provided M&M's branded foosball tables for consumers to play while waiting for their flights. Promotional vehicles catered to each market (i.e. distributing orange soccer balls at Schipol airport to align with the colors of the Netherlands team)

The promotion resulted in sales increases of 40-200% across a number of major retail locations in airports across Europe: Paris, Schipol, Lyon, Marseille, and Antalya Turkey)

Roger Federer... Has Personality? New Nike Ad..

Nike recently released its newest 1:30 ad promoting Roger Federer and they did an excellent job finding a way to build Roger Federer's character and integrating the game of tennis in a non-traditional play... Check out the clip below, this is more of a humorous clip than what we are used to seeing from Nike!

Here is one more unusual "to-be-released" Roger Federer clip from Nike...