Drive Partnership Value Out of Your Mascot...

Is your team/organization currently maximizing your mascot to the fullest potential? If you answered "Yes" to this question, how have you determined what the maximum potential is?

Have you considered incorporating the services of your team/organization's mascot to sell a partnership? Have you considered creating a partnership that is centered solely around the team's mascot?

I recently created a "Mascot Capabilities" deck to demonstrate the level of value and engagement that mascots offer teams, fans, and sponsors alike. Marketers are continuously chasing the engagement medium - finding new ways to connect with fans and consumers on a 1-to-1 basis. What better way than finding some key initiatives that incorporate the team's mascot - a character who has face-to-face interaction with thousands of consumers on game day and serves as a key element of the overall game experience?

As I previously mentioned in a partnership evaluation of the Charlotte Bobcats' game experience, the Dallas Mavericks sold Elliott's Hardware on a partnership that incorporated the team's mascot, Champ. Many opportunities exist for your team/organization to also sell this asset, if the right benefits are presented through a tactical approach. The "Mascot Capabilities" Deck should help provide some understanding on ways that your mascot can benefit potential corporations - please feel free to share this deck with colleagues, etc.

Some potential mascot corporate partnership categories include:

• Retail (and Grocery Retail) - Toys (Toys-R-Us), Best Buy/Fry's, Pet Smart
• In-store appearances and meet-n-greets, on-field promotions (shopping cart, Guitar Hero, Kids Club tie-in (healthy eating/living), community initiatives (hospital visits giving televisions/grocery), unique in-store promotions (mascot bobblehead sold/distributed with purchase), family nights (with the mascot as the focal point), t-shirt gun (distributing shirts with project starters/coupons, etc.), on-field product placement (La-Z-Boy chair, etc.)
• QSR's - Hot dog gun, t-shirt gun (distributing shirts with coupons, etc.), Kids Club tie-ins, in-store appearances, unique in-store promotions (mascot bobblehead sold/distributed with purchase), In-Game delivery (pizzas, donuts, combo meals), pre-game tailgate festivites with mascot as focal point, leveraging QSR mascot in dance-offs (Ronald McDonald (CIAA) and Chick-Fil-A cow, on-field promotions (hamburger relay), mascot races (representing different products/meals), video board vignettes (featured on-site at QSR), promotions/sweepstakes with ties to retail traffic

• Auto / Motorcycle - Presenting sponsorship of the truck t-shirt giveaway, motorcycle ride, four-wheeler appearances), go-carts

• Local Community Initiatives/Entertainment
• Marathons (Appearances), Bowling Alleys (Mascot Bowling, Appearances), Librarys (Kids Club tie-in, Appearances), YMCA Centers (Appearances, Meet-n-Greets), Hospitals (Visits, Stretcher Stunts), Little Leagues (On-Field Competitions, Appearances)