State Parks Open Their Terrain Up to Sponsorships

Brands looking for new ways to message to outdoor enthusiasts may soon be able to via state park sponsorships. Per a recent Associated Press feature, New Hampshire, Maine, Virginia, and Georgia are reportedly considering using corporate partnerships to support and fund their state parks.

The state of New Hampshire may become the first state to delve into corporate partnerships. The state has a deal on the table with Eastern Mountain Sports to promote state parks in its outdoor clothing and apparel stores in exchange for having state park's promote the company's products. As part of the agreement, park staffers would wear uniforms featuring the Mountain Sports logo and other partnership ideas call for Eastern Mountain Sports to provide kayaking lessons and other programs and host a "park of the future" contest that enables park goers to suggest new programs and features they would like to see.

Corporate partnerships, if executed correctly, make a lot of sense for state parks. They provide funding to support park maintenance and upkeep, help drive awareness, and create nontraditional relationships with local communities.

Per the Associated Press article, the state of Virginia is close to announcing a promotional partnership with The North Face, allowing the company to install touch-screen welcome kiosks with trail information and printable maps. The state of Maine has worked with local private companies to sponsor a passport program that gives park goers benefits.

Look for more state park programs to come in the near future!

Source: Associated Press 

August 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation. Click here to check out the new August 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter.

Thanks to our friends at adidas Eyewear, if you pass along the August 2010 Newsletter to a friend or colleague in the industry and they submit a sponsorship/marketing "best practice" that is selected to be featured in the September Newsletter, you BOTH can win a FREE pair of adidas Eyewear!  

Pass along the newsletter and send in your "best practice" submissions to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com! Only (1) winning duo will be selected! In the meantime, check out the great adidas Eyewear styles that you could win here: http://www.adidas.com/us/eyewear.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

• Marketing Hometown Pride
• 20 Top Sports Graduate Programs to Consider
• Creative Promotional/Engagement Tactics from the Barclays Premier League
• 2010 NFL Training Camp Title Sponsorship Breakdown
• In-Venue Baseball Destinations
• A Look At SportsAgentBlog.com
• August 2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Thermopylae Drives Mobile Fan Engagement
• The Singapore Youth Olympic Games
• Maker's Mark Thought Starters
• New Idea Box Insights

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the August 2010 Issue now... and please feel free to send along any feedback or suggestions you have this month! 

 

If you enjoyed the August 2010 Issue, you may also be interested in:

• 140 Reasons Sports Teams Should Use Twitter
• 40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare
• The 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports
• World Cup Viewing Parties From Across the Globe
• The 10 Best Sports Billboard Themes of 2009

Hewlett Packard Celebrates Dallas Cowboys Partnership

Hewlett Packard recently created a tremendous viral piece that highlights its partnership with the Dallas Cowboys in a unique way. The clip provides insight into all of the work that went into designing and building the IT infrastructure behind the most technologically advanced stadium on the planet - the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

The viral piece highlights the HP converged infrastructure and would serve as an impactful piece to show on the video board and the team website for fans to enjoy. Check it out below:

Celebrate Unique Team Experiences

Sports organizations looking to post unique content on their websites, social media channels, and related pages should consider creating a "Day in the Life" series that provides fans with an inside glimpse of the lives of their players.

Chicago Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane, a Buffalo native, recently began his day with the Stanley Cup trophy by bringing it to Niagara Falls for an iconic photo shoot. Kane, sporting a red Blackhawks jersey, was greeted by a pack of fans as he arranged to bring the Stanley Cup to the Hurricane Deck at Bridal Veil Falls. Kane posed for several photos holding the Stanley Cup up high while getting soaked by water falling down on him from the Falls. 

The moment was truly memorable and was a spectacle that hockey fans around the globe would love to see. A number of fans on-site captured raw footage of the action, which serves as great viral pieces for teams to promote on their site, blogs, and social media channels - especially in a day and age where teams are looking to provide exclusive content to fans 365 days per year.

Check out some videos of the action below:

Source: NHL.com

The Yankees Launch Ticket Booth at Modell's in Times Square

The New York Yankees have teamed up with Modell's to create a ticket sales booth at the sporting good chain's retail location in Times Square. The unique sales location will offer tickets on sale at discounted prices, up to 50% off, starting at 8 AM for day games and noon for night games. Each customer willing to wait in line for tickets can purchase up to four (4) "Mo Saver" tickets, which will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Yankees and Modell's drove buzz for the launch of the new ticket sales venture on Monday by featuring former Yankees star Tino Martinez on hand to greet fans and speak to future opportunities. The booth is part of Modell's plans to turn its retail locations into more of an interactive experience for fans.

 The venture serves as a great way for the Yankees to drive buzz in Times Square and capitalize on selling tickets to tourists and busy fans looking to purchase tickets at a discounted price that are sold directly from the team.  The Yankees and Modell's senior management are expecting the new service to be an instant hit with locals and tourists alike.

Leverage Endorsers to Drive Buzz for Launch Dates

Brands looking for new ways to leverage notable athlete endorsers should consider using them to support product launches at retail. With a tremendous amount of buzz surrounding the release dates of video games, DVD's, shoes, phones, and apparel, ample opportunities exist for brands to film the excitement of their athlete endorsers as they head out to select retailers at midnight to pick up the newest release.

For example, EA Sports could drive a significant amount of buzz around the launch of its Madden '11 title in the social media marketplace by secretly filming NFL players heading out to their local Best Buy store locations at midnight to pick up their favorite new game the night it is released. The virals would effectively show how athletes share the same excitement as fans when purchasing their favorite video game titles and could even detail their interactions with consumers at retail. After purchasing the game, EA Sports marketers could film players opening the packaging, running to their outlandish car in the parking lot, and playing the game on televisions mounted inside the headrests, even before they get home or have to head to training camp in the morning. 

Check out a quick visual of how these virals could live - filming players as they head into the store, waiting in line to purchase the new release, stripping the packaging, sharing their excitement with fans, and playing the title for the first time:

Gillette Turns to Kenny Mayne & His Razor to Connect With Sports Fans

Gillette has turned to famed ESPN Personality Kenny Mayne (@Kenny_Mayne) to promote its new line of Fusion ProGlide products and help drive connects with young male sports fans. Gillette recently unveiled a series of virals entitled, "A Man & His Razor" that have already begun to create a stir in the social media marketplace.

The virals feature Mayne using and conversing about Gillette Fusion ProGlide products during his daily routine on the set at ESPN and behind-the-scenes.  The success of the campaign demonstrates that not just current/former athletes and coaches serve as effective spokesmen in the sports marketplace - select reporters and television personalities can have a strong influence with fans as well.

Check out Gillette's four (4) terrific virals starring Kenny Mayne below and plenty more from the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Challenge Ultimate Summer Job tour here.

The SF Giants Use Infomercial to Drive Merchandise Sales

Sports organizations looking for new, creative ways to drive sales of tickets and select merchandise should consider modeling a tactic recently implemented by the San Francisco Giants. The Major League Baseball Club's marketing department created a terrific infomercial spot to promote Tim Lincecumb wigs (called Timmy Wigs) the team is selling for $10 at the ballpark. Lincecumb, the team's ace who has won the last two NL Cy Young Awards is a fan favorite in the Bay Area and one of the league's shining stars. 

Since the team created the infomercial spot, Timmy Wig sales have skyrocketed and the video is on its way to becoming a huge viral hit. 

Informercials are becoming a relatively mainstream practice in the sports business space as teams and athletes have used them to drive buzz in the social media marketplace. As you will note, the Minnesota Timberwolves created a Mr. Love Miracle Glass Cleaner spot in 2009 to promote Kevin Love as ROY and Vitaminwater has used Steve Nash, 50 cent, and Kobe Bryant in several infomercial spots. 

Hats off to the San Francisco Giants on a well executed merchandise campaign! Check it out below:

South Carolina Goes Digital to Engage Avid Fanbase

The University of South Carolina Athletics Department recently launched a terrific new promotional microsite to drive fan excitement for the upcoming 2010 football season. The site features a number of interactive elements that have generated a significant amount of interest amongst the University's avid fanbase following USC Athletics across the nation.

The site's unique features include:

• Hometown Videos
  • Where USC football players discuss their South Carolina hometown
• The Most Garnet Hometown
  • Online submission process where fans can vote for which county they think has the most passionate South Carolina fans for the chance to win (2) free tickets in the Champions Club for a Gamecocks football game
• Gamecocks Wallpaper Builder
  • Fans can create a custom USC wallpaper background that can be downloaded to their PC
• "What They're Saying"
  • Live Twitter feed with updates and links regarding South Carolina Athletics
• Social Media Elements, Links to Drive Merchandise Sales, Ticket Sales Elements, and more!

The site's interactive elements have delivered immediate results. In just two weeks, the USC football microsite generated 45,000 hits, 1,700 registrations, and 300+ photo uploads. These figures will only continue to rise as football season draws near. Check back to learn about additional ways the University of South Carolina Athletics Department is engaging fans on-site and online! 

Burger King Gives LeBron James the Royal Treatment in Miami

Ever since LeBron James decided to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, buzz surrounding the franchise has been at an all-time high. While the Heat prepare for on-court success, local businesses are scrambling to discover the next great idea to capitalize on all of the hype.

Per a Sportscasm.com report, Burger King is capitalizing on all of the LeBron buzz by hanging a giant banner near American Airlines Arena that sends a direct message from the BK King to LeBron James, the new King of Miami, which reads, "King to King. Welcome to My Court".

The banner is very creative and meaningful, as Burger King's headquarters are located near the airport in Miami-Dade County. Look for more interesting tactics to come in South Florida!

A special thanks to Alecia Pynn for her insights and contributions to this column!

The Panthers Let Fans Pick Their Ticket Plans

Sports organizations looking for new ways to sell existing ticket inventory should closely examine a new strategy the Florida Panthers are implementing to kick off the 2010-2011 NHL season. The team is offering "The Perfect Plan" campaign, where fans can choose their preferred seat, name the price they would like to pay, and submit it to the team for a response in less than 24 hours.

The team is currently featuring a flash page on Panthers.NHL.com that redirects to a form that fans interested in the offer can fill out. The form provides available ticket inventory (with standard pricing) and allows fans to go in and submit a live bid to the team. If the bid is accepted by the team, the consumer's credit card is automatically charged and they instantly become a member of the Florida Panthers season ticket holder family. A great concept!

 

When In Doubt, Turn to Journey for Game Entertainment

Over the years, Journey has proven to be a "go-to" music choice for sports organizations looking to enhance their game entertainment and drive fan excitement. There is just something about Journey's music that gets fans going.

Just see for yourself. During the 8th inning of Los Angeles Dodgers games, the team calls on Jameson Moss, a talented season ticket holder to perform a unique dance rendition of the famous Journey song title, "Don't Stop Believing" on the scoreboard at Dodger Stadium. Take a quick moment to check it out and enjoy!

The Jets and EA Sports Bring Madden '11 to Training Camp

EA Sports recently made a splash at New York Jets Training Camp by creating a Madden lounge for players to enjoy during their down time between practices. As the presenting sponsor of Jets Training Camp, EA Sports outfitted the team's players lounge with Dream Seats, a Playstation 3, and invited several members of the team down to battle head-to-head in a game of Madden '11.

The Madden Lounge served as a terrific means to showcase EA Sports' partnership, providing the Jets organization with authentic footage to show fans how the team's players collectively enjoy playing the new Madden '11 title. 

Realizing the value of the coverage, the Jets sponsorship department pushed the quality video of the players interacting in the Madden Lounge through several of the team's social media and multimedia channels, including the team homepage (writeup, photos), Official Facebook Page (videos, discussion board comments), and Official Twitter page (play-by-play coverage).

Hats off to EA Sports and the New York Jets on a well-executed campaign!

The Jets Celebrate a New Era of Football with a Commemorative Wine

The New York Jets organization is celebrating a new era of football by selling a limited release commemorative win on their team website called Jets Uncorked. The wine, a 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, was created to help fans celebrate the team's new home, the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

The Jets Uncorked wine is available for purchase online for $27.99 and will be available at select retail locations in the local marketplace beginning in September. The team opted to make 8,000 cases of the wine after touring several wineries in Napa Valley and settling veteran winemaker Marco DiGuilio and lifestyle marketing agency Wine by Design to create the concept.

Per an article in the Huffington Post, NFL organizations are allowed to work with a wine manufacturer to produce limited edition promotional packaging to commemorate significant events. The initiative serves as a great way for organizations to honor select occasions like stadium grand openings, free agent signings, Championship victories, Hall of Fame inductees, and longstanding fan loyalty. As more organizations align look to bring on Official Wine Partners, expect to see similar tactics come to fruition in sports business. 

The Dolphins Let Fans Relive Their Favorite Moments

Are you looking for new, interactive content to feature on your team homepage? Are you looking for ways to celebrate your team's past and align with new brands?

The Miami Dolphins currently a tremendous new, interactive feature on their Official Website entitled, "I Was There...". The site allows Dolphins fans located around the globe to submit their favorite memories seeing the team play (attaching a photo/video) for the opportunity to be featured on the site. Here, fans can relive the memories of others' and celebrate team history.

The feature is extremely interactive and serves as a best practice that all other organizations can model. Check out some screen shots of the Dolphins' "I Was There" feature below:

 

Nike Celebrates World Cup Heroes with Special Mural Display

Are you looking for new ways to drive consumer interest and awareness at retail? Are you looking for new ways to bring window displays to life?

Nike recently celebrated the completion of the World Cup at its Nike Stadium retail location in London by adorning 17 5m x 3m window panels with portraits of Nike's key athlete endorsers in the soccer space. Nike turned to London-based artist HelloVon to create the spectacular mural display, which spanned the length of Oxford St. in London.

Check it out below:

Source: ItsNiceThat.com

Four (4) August Sports Business Events to Check Out

Sports professionals looking to expand their knowledge base and network with others should consider checking out these four (4) upcoming sports business events:

India's Emerging Influence on Sports Panel Discussion

• Panel of Speakers: Tejpaul Bhatia (MediaMerx), Venu Palaparthi (DreamCricket.com), Akash Jain (National Basketball Association), and Miguel Abaroa (Starbeast Motorsports)
• Date: August 17th
• Location: Madison Square Garden (4 Penn Plaza, NYC)
• Time: 6-7pm (Discussion), 7-8pm (Networking), 7:30pm (Game)
• Price: $40, which includes admission to the panel discussion, (1) ticket to the NY Liberty game and a voucher for a free popcorn and soda
• For More Information, Click Here: http://www.iseeresearch.com/news or contact Jay Bavishi, Founder and CEO of iSee Research at jay@iseeresearch.com

To better understand how brands from India are beginning to impact the sports marketplace, take a close look at how Mahindra, an Indian conglomerate best known for passenger, commercial, and agricultural automotives is leveraging its association with the NBA:

• Overview of the Mahindra NBA Challenge
• Mahindra NBA Challenge Microsite 
• NBA.com/India (Mahindra NBA Challenge Promotional Integration)
• NBA India's Facebook Page (Integration) 

Milwaukee Sports Marketing Professionals Event

• Date: Monday, August 9th
• Location: Fred Miller Pub (3939 W. Highland, Milwaukee, WI)
• Time: 5:30pm
• Price: N/A - Must RSVP to MSMP@gmrmarketing.com by Monday, August 2nd
• For More Information: Follow MSMP on Twitter (@MKESportsMktg) and Facebook (Search: Milwaukee Sports Marketing Professionals)
• *If you can make it, I look forward to connecting with you there!

London Sports Networker Event

• Date: Tuesday, August 10th
• Location: Marylebone Station, Melcombe Place, London NW1 6JJ, United Kingdom
• Time: 6-9pm
• Price:  £10 GBP online,  £15 GBP at the door
• For More Information: Click here
• Lewis Howes and Daniel McClaren are two of the best in the biz. If you are in the London marketplace, be sure to check it out!

August SportsBiz Networking Event

Date: Wednesday, August 18th

Location: Slattery's Midtown Pub (8 East 36th St., New York City)

Time: 6:30-9:30pm

Price: Free (RSVP Now)

For More Information: Click here

Russell Scibetti and Joshua Duboff have done a tremendous job putting these events on all across the country!

Heineken Brings its UEFA Association to Life for Fans

HAs the title sponsor of the 2010 UEFA Champions League, Heineken created a fully integrated marketing program that involved social and digital media outreach, consumer sweepstakes, and retail components to drive product sales. The brand activated its affiliation with the UEFA Champions League in 60 markets across and leveraged several messaging channels.

Here is a quick look at some of their UEFA Activation:

UEFA Champions League Watch Party - Dubai

Global Guerrilla Marketing Stunt

Marketplace Activation

Heineken celebrated its affiliation with the UEFA Champions League by building a 8m x 6m x 3m model of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with 40,000 cans. The structure was built in three (3) weeks and took two (2) full days to assemble. Check it out below:  

Heineken also executed a series of other events in major soccer markets to engage consumers:

Heineken UEFA Cup Trophy Tour

• Heineken teamed up with UEFA for the fourth time to bring the Champions League Trophy tour to the United States for five (5) weeks, visiting major cities across the nation.

Ultimate Fan Page for fans

• Featured exclusive footage, Trophy Tour updates, and a sweepstakes to win a trip to the UEFA Champions League final

Custom POS at Retail

Media

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club soccer tournament in the world, with 150 million viewers across 220 countries and territories tuning in to watch live each week.

Could We See The Gatorade Shower Reinvented Virally?

As Gatorade begins to experience an early pickup in sales after taking a drastic blow during the recession, it would be very refreshing to see the brand breathe new life by releasing a set of viral videos that feature professional football players giving Gatorade showers to unsuspecting consumers in public settings.

The company is currently dedicating a significant amount of attention to its varieties brands, "Prime" and "Recover" and educating consumers about the benefits of drinking Gatorade before and after workouts. To help drive home this message, it would be terrific to see the company release a set of virals that feature ordinary gym-goers getting drenched with a Gatorade shower by a group of professional athletes after finishing an arduous workout.

Where did this thinking originate from?

The Chicago Bears recently teamed up with Gatorade to film a terrific commercial that supports the team's marketing strategy of "One City, One Team". In the spot, Bears linemen Tommie Harris and Anthony Adams gave a Gatorade shower to an unsuspecting reporter who acted as a good samaritan earlier by picking up a piece of trash. The spots are humorous, effectively tie a natural element from football sidelines across the nation to every day settings, and could definitely be a huge hit in the social media marketplace.

Check out two videos below that capture the photo shoot that the Chicago Bears recently shot with Gatorade at Chase Plaza.

Source: ABC7Chicago.com

Tissot Uses QR Codes to Bring Its Race Models to Life

Are you looking for new ways to leverage models on-site at sporting events? Are you looking for ways to integrate social media elements into your current activation plans?

Swiss watch manufacturer Tissot recently took its on-site activation at MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix events to new heights by placing QR codes on the outfits of its Umbrella Girls (models)on-site. The social media strategy enables racing fans touring the at-track Tissot footprint to bring their unforgettable real-world experience to life in a virtual setting where they are more apt to learn about products, take advantage of special promotional offers, and ultimately make purchases. 

How does it work?

Fans simply have to walk up to the Tissot models and scan a QR code on their outfit with their smart phone (usually this requires downloading an app like Microsoft Tag Reader). When scanning the QR Code from a close distance, fans are then directed to a Tissot mobile page where they can purchase products and engage in special offers.

This strategy serves as a terrific benchmark for brands looking to engage with consumers on-site or on-premise (at bars, restaurants, retail, etc.) more effectively. The QR codes serve as a conversation starter for models, demonstrate that a brand "gets" social media, and helps foster a memorable experience for fans.

Check out the video below as this will soon become commonplace in the sports marketplace as QR codes become readily adopted. While the United States lags behind, QR codes are already heavily embedded in Japanese culture.

Tissot is incorporating Danica Patrick in the QR Code mix as well...