Partnership Activation Receives Top Sports Business Accolades

I wanted to take a quick moment to thank Russell Scibetti and all those who voted for Partnership Activation in the inaugural "The Business of Sports Awards".

Yesterday, it was announced that Partnership Activation was named "Runner-Up" in the Category of "Best Sports Business Blog", a distinction only second to CNBC's "SportsBiz with Darren Rovell". I had the privilege of filling in for Darren as a guest writer for his sports business column in December 2008, so it is an honor to be considered in the same class as him.

I also wanted to thank everyone who voted for me in the "Sports Business Social Media Contributor of the Year" category. After a final tally of votes, I was named "Runner-Up" to Rising Star Lewis Howes, who has really done an incredible job this past year with the Sports Executives Association, numerous LinkedIn networking events and speaking engagements, and creating SportsNetworker.com.

With that being said, we are offering some terrific advertising opportunities for PartnershipActivation.com and the Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter. If you are looking for a cost-effective means to drive awareness for your business, partnership efforts, and promotional products amongst 5,000 sports business professionals across 35+ countries worldwide, we can deliver that exposure for you. Please contact me at bgainor@partnershipactivation.com for details on some great opportunities to advertise or become a pillar partner of the site. 

So thank you to everyone for their continued support for all of the work that is being done here with Partnership Activation.

Please let me know if I can ever be of assistance and keep spreading the word!

Best Wishes,

Brian

Coors Light Makes Golf Cooler With New Viral Ads

Are you looking for new ways to drive mainstream interest in the game of golf? Are you looking to benchmark creative viral campaigns across sports?

The Coors Light Golf Experience is returning for yet another year and Molson Coors is driving increased awareness for this year's event with three (3) new viral pieces that are pretty entertaining. While many details regarding the event have yet to be released, the company's new viral ads (via the official YouTube page) are beginning to game some traction in the viral space. Check them out below:

CHICKEN

JUGGLERS

SKEET

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If You Have Never Heard of Qatar, You Will Soon...

Qatar is currently making a pretty significant push to host the World Cup in 2022. The organizing committee recently unveiled a video showcasing its proposed plans to build five (5) world-class stadiums to host the world's greatest tournament. The five (5) proposed venues would be named Al-Wakrah, Al-Shamal, Al-Gharafa, Al-Khor, and Al-Rayyan.

Check out the video below - a very unique and interesting look at how countries are positioning themselves to host a tournament 12 years away!

To launch their bid, Qatar featured a pretty amazing booth display at Soccerex to demonstrate their commitment to bringing the World Cup to their country for the first time!

 

Hunky Dory Promotes Rugby in a Whole New Light

Are you looking for new marketing campaign concepts? Are you looking for new ways to target select fan bases?

Hunky Dorys recently launched a new Irish Rugby messaging campaign that has attracted worldwide attention. How did they do it? The chip brand opted to launch a controversial outdoor messaging campaign that features attractive female rugby players in revealing poses.

The campaign, featured in bus shelters and on billboards across Northern Ireland, is drawing a mix of rave reviews and criticisms from parties across the globe. Either way, the campaign has worked - it has driven a significant amount of buzz and attention to the brand.

The only problem? As an Irish Rugby Football Union spokesman recently said, Hunky Dory has no direct affiliation with the Irish Rugby Football Union and Irish Rugby - they are just simply sponsors of the Navan Rugby team.

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Looking to Feature New Outfield Signage Elements?

Are you looking to feature new, interactive elements at your games? Are you looking to incorporate 3D signage into the game day experience?

The Grant Sign Group is a company based out of Canada that has been delivering outdoor advertising experiences for over 35 years. The company is considered an industry leader in a variety of outdoor advertising sectors and is beginning to do more and more in the 3D space.

While the company's offerings primarily cater to businesses looking to promote their products and retail locations, they recently created a signage piece that can directly cater to teams (as shown below). The company created a 3D billboard display for Pattison Outdoor (an outdoor marketing agency) that features a fan's mouth moving up and down.

The signage piece would make for a tremendous, interactive outfield signage piece (if a ball went in the mouth, situated above the outfield wall, one fan would win jackpot or free dentist trips for life) and/or a creative way to drive fan attention to messaging in the concourse level. Check it out below!

Would a Mascot Proposal Grab Your Attention?

The Arizona Lottery recently drove awareness for the launch of its new jackpot game, Mega Millions, by creating an unforgettable moment at an Arizona Diamondbacks game. In an effort to promote the fact that Mega Millions and Powerball are now both available to Arizonans, the Arizona Lottery staged a live proposal between two (2) of its mascots.

The Powerball officially got down on one knee and proposed to the Mega Millions ball for all in attendance to see - a moment that was a little weird, yet extremely memorable. Check out how the whole moment went down at Chase Field below:

The moment came after a memorable night at the ballpark for the two lottery mascots, which even included an appearance on the Kiss Cam. Again, a little weird... but likely impactful for driving home the message to fans that Mega Millions is now available for Arizonans to play:

It's Time to Take Bobblehead Nights to the Next Level

Are you looking for new ways to deliver added value for fans on bobblehead night? Are you looking to enhance your in-game entertainment during promotional nights?

Teams looking for new ways to bring their bobblehead nights to life for fans should consider benchmarking a life-sized game of bobblehead soccer that Allstate featured at a Mexican National Team game a year ago. The game featured a head-to-head match between life-sized bobblehead characters resembling actual team players that proved to be a hit with the crowd.

While the fixed costs for said promotional entertainment may be a little steep, if teams can break out the cost of the entertainment over the course of a season when they host several bobblehead nights, it may seem a lot more reasonable. Plus, teams can use it as a vehicle to promote upcoming giveaway nights (if X character scores, the team advertises his upcoming bobblehead night on the video board or if X character scores, all fans in attendance can win a free accessory for their bobblehead).

Look for new ways to take your bobblehead nights to the next level before they become stale to fans... Hopefully this concept will spark an idea of how you can breathe some new life into your promotional nights!

Drive Value for Hotel Partners with Student Bed Races

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for hotel chain partners? Are you looking to create an engaging event for students that affiliates corporate partners?

College sports properties looking for new ways to drive awareness and affiliation for hotel chain partners amongst the student body should consider offering Annual Bed Race events. 

Here's how it would work:

As students return to campus for the Fall, athletic departments can offer a special promotional message for students to win free season tickets, scholarship dollars, merchandise, books, or a trip as tiered prizes for participating in an Annual Bed Race event (presented by X hotel partner). The athletic department could offer the promotion the Friday before the first home game, with 75 teams competing on a first come, first serve basis at a practice/intramurals field near the stadium.

The goal of the Annual Bed Race event would be to see which team (a team of 5, as shown below) could push a bed, draped in hotel branding, on wheels 40-yards in the shortest amount of time - think bobsledding meets the 40. Hotel partners would benefit from pre-season marketing, an in-game vignette highlighting the action of the competition and showing the winners in their seats or with checks, and reminding fans that they are always welcome to stay at one of their participating hotel chain locations across the nation. Collegiate sports properties and their preferred hotel partners can use this event to create a lasting memory for hundreds of participating students and thousands of fans attending the Season Opener.

Check out an example below of how the Annual Bed Races could work for your collegiate sports property!

The SF Giants Hit a Grand Slam with Their New Commercials

Are you looking to create a captivating, humorous ad campaign designed to drive fans to the ballpark? Are you looking for new ways to market promotional nights to fans?

The San Francisco Giants are marketing their ballclub in 2010 with a tremendous "It's Magic Inside" television campaign that effectively calls the attention of fans to new ticket offers, promotional giveaway nights, and experiences at AT&T Park. The spots, created by Swirl and directed by Brian Bacino, are some of the most creative seen to date in the MLB space.

Check them out below!

Heineken Offers Hawks/Thrashers Fans an Ultimate Lounge Experience

Are you looking for new ways to leverage beverage partners? Are you looking to benchmark the finest in-venue destinations in sports?

In 2007, Heineken signed on with the Atlanta Spirit, an ownership group that owns and operates the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers, to create one of sports' ultimate in-venue destinations. The space, referred to as the Heineken Lounge, serves an ultimate lounge that has become a focal point in Philips Arena.

Heineken equipped the space with 63-inch plasma screens to entertain moderate-sized groups willing to pay a little extra for an ultimate game experience. While the Heineken Lounge is situated in the upper level of the arena, the space is a perfect setting for consumers to entertain friends and business clients at live sporting events and concerts.

Check out a video here and some pictures of the space below:

 

    

A special thanks to Brandi Burton of the Atlanta Spirit for her insights and contributions to this column.

World Cup Stadium Lets Fans Soar Above the Pitch

Are you looking for new ways to utilize your stadium venue during offseason months? Are you looking for new, creative ways to celebrate the grand opening of a stadium facility?

In November 2009, stadium officials completed construction on the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa. The 70,000 seat venue, which cost $450MM to construct, was created to serve as an official host stadium for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Since its grand opening, stadium officials have allowed a company called 'Big Rush Urban Adrenalin' to offer consumers an ultimate, thrill seeking experience. The company offers the only stadium swing in the world, giving willing participants the chance to soar 106 meters above the World Cup football pitch. The unique experience surprisingly only costs $59.50 US (R595) and is offered between 9am-5pm every day.

Check out a video of the ultimate thrill-seeking stadium experience below!

The Boston Marathon Runs on RFID Technology

Are you looking for ways to enhance your endurance events? Are you looking for new ways that technology is impacting the sports marketplace?

Network World recently created a terrific feature that profiles the use of RFID technology at the 2010 Boston Marathon. All participants were given an RFID tag to wear in their shoe that accurately gauged their finish time and progress along the course.

The video demonstrates how RFID technology will continue to change the way marathons and related endurance events are run by race organizers. Tracking tools are already leading to new advancements in text messaging, which allows friends, family, and fans to follow the progress of race participants as they complete the course. Pretty amazing.

Check out this terrific look at the use of RFID technology at the Boston Marathon below:

An Inside Look at the New Meadowlands Stadium

Are you looking to offer new signage inventory? Are you interested in checking out the world's most state-of-the-art venues?

Enclosed are two videos that provide an inside look at the new Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. As the future home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, located just outside the media capital of the world, the new Meadowlands Stadium will soon be recognized as one of the most state-of-the-art venues in all of sports.

In the following videos, you will find that:

• Verizon, Pepsi, Bud Light, and Met Life all have a significant presence in-venue (with Continental Airlines also featuring prominent LED signage)
• The new Meadowlands stadium features innovative signage along the sidelines
• Corporate partner branding is visible on both the interior and exterior of the venue

The Red Wings Weave Fans Into Their Playoff Introductions

Are you looking for new ways to engage fans on game day? Are you looking for new ways to bring your pre-game introductions to life for fans?

The Detroit Red Wings delivered an industry best practice during the 2010 NHL Playoffs with an outstanding pre-game intro video that incorporated fans in truly engaging manner. The intro featured pictures and videos from fans across the globe displaying their fandom for Red Wings hockey before a collection of thrilling team highlights were shown on a colorful drape that hung above center ice.

The pre-game intro campaign was very unique and effectively demonstrated the power of the Hockeytown mantra across the globe. Check out this "must-see" video below!

Taco Bell Fans Get Saucy at Astros Games

Are you looking for new ways to incorporate QSR partners? Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans between innings or select stoppages of play?

The Houston Astros recently signed Taco Bell on as an Official Team Partner and are highlighting the partnership with a Taco Bell Saucy Sprint Race that occurs between innings. The live race, essentially the Tex-Mex version of the Milwaukee Brewers' sausage race, features (3) oversized Taco Bell sauce packets (mild, hot, fire) racing around the field in an effort to cross a finish line (located along the 3rd base line) first.

Check out a video of the action below:

Roush Fenway Racing Uses QVC Humor to Sell Sponsorships

As noted in this week's SportsBusiness Journal, Roush Fenway Racing has turned to The Barbarian Group to retool its website and online sales strategy in an effort to attract more sponsors. Roush's new digital efforts are highlighted by a new collection of sales and marketing videos featured on the site designed to tell an entertaining story that also effectively makes a sales point.

The first viral spot is a QVC spoof that features Roush Fenway Racing's Sean Pragano detailing the value of sponsorship opportunities at RFR. The video serves as a great benchmark for other organizations looking to retool their sponsorship sales efforts with a fresh new look (especially coming out of a tough economy).

Check out the clip below and consider new ways that you can breathe new air into your sales efforts!

For more, check out Roush Fenway Racing's Official YouTube Channel.

Source: SportsBusiness Journal 4/26/2010 (subscription only)

Take Your Outdoor Sports Digital Efforts to New Heights

Are you looking for new ways to engage consumers in outdoor settings? Are you looking to capitalize on the growing usage of mobile phones?

Take a quick look at a terrific outdoor digital initiative DDB recently executed on behalf of McDonald's in Stockholm. The outdoor game tasked consumers with taking a picture on their cell phone of menu items that bounced and soared past the screen. Can you say engaging?

Now take a quick moment to think of all the applications this could have in the sports space. A team that prominently features a similar digital display piece on the facade of their stadium/arena could create a similar offering that tasks fans with taking camera pictures of:

• Dropping tickets - A team could allocate a block of 100 tickets per game discounted at 50% off to fans who take a picture of a dropping ticket on their cell phone and take it to the Will Call counter for purchase
• Dropping balls - Teams could make this item very hard to catch (fast speeds) and offer autograph merchandise to any fans who are able to take a picture of it on their phone
• Dropping concessions (hot dogs, popcorn, etc.) - Teams could offer free/discounted concessions items to fans who are able to take pictures of these items on their mobile phone
• Partner Discounts (dropping movie tickets, free gas vouchers, project starters, etc.)
• Dropping dollar bills - Teams can offer $5 bills that are redeemable for a $20 purchase in the team store on game day
• Dropping Mascot - Teams can offer fans, who take a picture of the mascot soaring across the screen, the chance to partake in unique experiences at the ballpark (promotions, video board cameos, behind-the-scenes tours, promotional giveaway opportunities, etc.)

Digital boards located outside stadium venues offering similar digital games could serve as a great way to reward fans who aren't able to make it into the game or come to attend a watch party. Consider this tactic when you are looking for new ways to reward those attending games (pre-game and post-game), not attending games (premier games, watch parties), and are looking for a reason to just stop by and check out the stadium during the week.

VaynerMedia Shows that Geolocation is Here to Stay in Sports

Are you looking for new ways to capitalize on emerging trends in sports social media? Are you looking for new ways to leverage the emerging craze behind Gowalla and Foursquare?

If you're working in sports and you haven't heard of Foursquare or Gowalla yet, it's time to do your research. Why? The New Jersey Nets are paving the way for sports organizations to begin experimenting with the two aforementioned geolocation platforms to measure how they can deliver in the event marketing space. Geolocation platforms allow users to check into and engage with physical locations and events via mobile devices (here in this virutal setting, marketers can reward them for their loyalty/engagement).

Check out a terrific case study below that details how VaynerMedia teamed up with the New Jersey Nets to create an innovative Gowalla initiative that drove a group of select, influential fans to the Izod Center to check out a game live.

Early Proof that Geolocation Marketing will Succeed

View more presentations from Vayner Media.

Huge opportunities lie on the horizon for sports marketers looking to utilize Foursquare and Gowalla - the key question at this point remains how readily society will adopt these geolocation platforms.

To download VaynerMedia's presentation (above) please click here.

A special thanks to Sam Taggart of VaynerMedia for his insights and contributions to this column... a must-see!

Partnership Activation - April 2010 Newsletter

Are you looking for the latest and great best practices in the sports marketplace? Are you looking for new ways to leverage corporate partners?

Take a moment to check out the new April 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter.

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

• Sports Murals
• Insights Into the Dallas Mavericks' E-Cycling Initiatives
• Coca-Cola Brings the World Cup Trophy to 86 Countries Worldwide
• 3D Hockey Dasherboard Signage
• Details on The Row Show
• The April 2010 Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
• Sports Social Media Watch - Chad Ochocinco Goes Mobile
• Activation Tactics from the 2010 Final Four and MLB Opening Day
• The Hong Kong Sevens
• Ways to Leverage a Bank of America Partnership
• Creative Activation Tactics

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 April 2010 Issue now... and if you like what you see, please vote for Partnership Activation as the Best Sports Business Blog of 2009 HERE.