When LSU hosted the University of Florida back in October, plenty of the nation's leading brands were on-hand to engage with college football fans prior to one of the season's most anticipated games. One of those sponsors was Hershey's, which featured a prominent display just outside Death Valley.
Check out some pictures of their activation below (courtesy of Sean O'Hara of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration):
Are you looking for new ways to target the significant amount of fans out-of-venue? Is your brand looking for new "ownable" properties in the sports marketplace?
As reported in Entreprenuer magazine, three (3) Notre Dame alums recently started a venture called Gameday Housing that serves as a vacation rental marketplace for fans looking to rent a home (versus a hotel room) on a game day weekend in a college marketplace. The venture allows fans to quickly log on to GamedayHousing.com, choose which game they would like to attend, and see which houses they can rent to host an ultimate watch party.
After just six (6) months, Gameday Housing registered 100+ homeowners in college football towns who were willing to rent out their residences to visiting fans and the company is slated to generate $500K+ revenues next season (up from $100K in 2008). The revenue model is structured so Gameday Housing takes a 20% commission from each transaction, with homeowners pocketing the rest. A pretty nice (yet, a little risky) way to make some easy dollars if you are planning on being out of town on a game weekend!
Rates fluctuate based on demand per market/game day weekend. In 2008, a restored 1904 bungalow in Austin Texas went for $1,180 on the Texas-Kansas weekend while a two (2) night stay in a log cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee went for just $375 when Tennessee played Vanderbilt at home.
The Gameday Housing website, currently in a Beta stage, features 45 college markets for fans to choose housing options on game day weekends (as well as the National Championship, Sugar Bowl, and Rose Bowl). Homeowners looking to get started need to pay a $100 listing fee that is refunded after their first booking (not a bad deal).
Look for the businessmen behind Gameday Housing to make some serious money as college football rivalry weekends continue to rise in popularity and attract the minds (and wallets) of fans!
Prior to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, 225 football fans participated in a 100-yard long shot promotion courtesy of Shotsticks, Sobieski Vodka, and Bartender in the Box. The act served as a great publicity stunt for the brands and provides a benchmark for brands who are looking to engage fans in the tailgate lots prior to a major event.
With the 2010 World Cup officially 183 days away, adidas displayed a collection of giant replica soccer balls from past World Cup events. The display is located adjacent to a main route along the waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. Check it out below:
Are you looking for new ways to leverage housing/realtor partners? Are you looking for ways to help build the identity of your organization's players outside of the stadium/arena?
The ECHL's Charlotte Checkers recently promoted their partnership with the Park at Steele Creek living community by creating a humorous "Cribs" vignette that features the apartment of defenseman Ethan Graham. The 8:31 feature does a tremendous job profiling "The Official Off-Ice Home of the Charlotte Checkers" and provide fans with an inside look at the lifestyle of a minor league hockey player. It's refreshing to see teams work so closely with their players to provide unique content for fans (even if we aren't dealing with mansions and luxury automobiles behind the scenes)...
The Checkers feature the Cribs vignette along with a collection of other videos on the team's official YouTube Channel (check it out - a nice benchmark for other minor league organizations).
Check out the Checkers' Cribs segment below:
Hats off to Thomas Smith and Patrick Stack for continuing to do some great things for the Checkers organization... keep up the great work!
Are you looking for new ways to activate around premier events? Are you looking to create a national campaign around a soccer property?
As the world prepares for an exciting 2010 World Cup showdown in South Africa, adidas is already capturing the marketplace with a creative mobile marketing program that is uniting citizens of South Africa by having them sign a giant jersey. To drive awareness for the initiative, adidas is creating a video series that chronicles the jersey tour's jersey and capturing consumer engagement along the way.
Are you looking for new ways to leverage Sharpie as a corporate partner? Are you looking for new ways to provide fans a medium to have a voice?
Check out ten (10) ways to leverage Sharpie below:
I. Sharpie Sign Creation Stations
II. Fan Message Board / Signature Walls
III. Video Board Feature Detailing the Art of an Autograph
IV. Player/Legend Autograph Appearances
V. Autographed Game Day Magazine Promotional Offer (via Jumbotron/PA)
VI. Interactive Digital Autograph Display
Teams can feature an interactive display in the concourse/OOH destinations where fans can practice their autograph on a basketball/football/tennis ball using a digital Sharpie pen
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 November 2009 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to three (3) new industry contacts who also may enjoy some of the insights shared in the newsletter.
This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:
Canstruction Events
Giving Meaning to Retail
Creating a Superstar Experience for Fans
Farmers Insurance Group Partnership Spotlight
Details on The Business of Sports Network
The November Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
2009 NFL International Series Insights
Ways to Leverage a Corona Partnership
Creative Activation Tactics
Check out the November 2009 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!
Also, this month, we are excited to announce a special Holiday offer from our partners at adidas Eyewear for 25% off retail prices. To take advantage of this special deal, log on to www.promotive.com and enter the code 057C-5FDD-DAED-F443 in the “have a code” box.Once you enter the code, register and receive 25% off any pair of sunglasses you purchase!
*For those interested in subscribing/unsubscribing to the newsletter distribution list (who have not already done so), please send an email to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com and include "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Please also include your full name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.
Are you looking for new ways to engage fans via promotions? Are you looking to leverage winter sports?
NBCOlympics.com and World Champion skiier Lindsey Vonn have teamed up to offer fans the unique chance to design the helmet she will wear while competing in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. The promotion, entitled "Design Lindsey's Helmet" enables fans the opportunity to submit their best original artwork and serves as a great way to develop an avid following for Vonn during the Olympics (creating the star power NBC looks to profile during its coverage).
Fans can submit their artwork on the official promotional website between November 23rd and December 21st. Once all submissions are received, a panel of judges will narrow the entries down to three (3), and then fans will be given the opportunity to decide the winning design during the first week of January.
The promotion's grand prize winner will receive a trip for two (2) to Vail, CO and will receive a pair of Head skis and bindings and a Uvex helmet and goggles. NBC is promoting the "Design Lindsey's Helmet" offer via online ads, :30 spots on NBC and Universal Sports, and a grassroots campaign designed to spark interest and participation among art and design schools around the country.
A special thanks to MBA/MSA student Mike Rose of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column. Source: USSkiteam.com
Are you looking to create new, memorable experiences for fans? Are you looking to implement a new promotion that has yet to be executed in the United States?
Betfair, an official sponsor of Manchester United, recently announced a tremendous promotional offer that encourages the club's fans across the world to show their support. Betfair is offering a "Get Behind United" promotion that will give Manchester United supporters the opportunity to show their avid support to millions across the world by having their photos featured on interview board backdrops and perimeter field board signage at Old Trafford.
Betfair, the world's first betting exchange, simply requires fans to submit a photo of themselves expressing their support along with their name and contact details on the Get Behind United promotional webpage.
The promotion offers one (1) as well as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many others:
Grand Prize: One (1) lucky winner will have their face featured on interview backdrops, win two (2) free tickets, and participate in an on-field skills challenge for the chance to win a signed Manchester United jersey
Secondary Prizes: A select number of fans will have their faces featured on the perimeter field boards at Old Trafford. The signage will be picked up on live game broadcasts being shown on ESPN in the United Kingdom and around the rest of the world
Betfair is running the promotion for a select number of upcoming Manchester United home games at Old Trafford (Everton - 11/21/09, Aston Villa 12/12/09).
What's in it for Betfair? The promotion serves as a great way for them to drive awareness, reward existing fan customers, and leverage its partnership with Manchester United. All persons who submit their photos as part of the promotion are subject to have their photo used on Betfairfootball.com and agree to let Betfair (or its agents) use their data to administer the promotion and send them marketing communications materials.
Are you looking for new ways to implement green initiatives on gameday? Are you looking for new ways to power mobile vehicle units?
Earlier this football season, LSU Sports Properties announced a partnership between LSU Athletics and New Orleans-based South Coast Solar, Louisiana’s largest solar power company. As part of the agreement, South Coast Solar will provide power to Tiger One, a 40-foot trailer used for LSU home games as a hospitality area on one side and a mobile radio studio on the other. On September 12th, LSUSP produced the first solar-powered football pregame show in the history of radio.
LSU Athletics' partnership with South Coast Solar highlights the University’s efforts to “go green,” as the Tiger One mobile unit was previously powered by a gas generator. South Coast Solar's partnership also includes radio spots and live mentions promoting South Coast Solar as the power provider of Tiger One. South Coast Solar also benefits from the Tiger One being situated near several corporate hospitality areas, offering company officials the opportunity to network with other business executives looking to ut costs through solar energy.
Check out some pictures of the new solar powered Tiger One mobile unit below:
A special thanks to Chris Kosmala of LSU Sports Properties for his insights and contributions to this column.
Are you looking for new ways to leverage the first couple rows of seats at your venue? Are you looking for ways to promote MillerCoors' products?
The Quad City Mallards of the IHL recently unveiled a partnership with Coors Light and Euclid Beverage that is highlighted by a unique branding concept. The team has created a Coors Light ICE ROW that enables fans seated in the front row closest to the ice to experience a number of exclusive opportunities.
Thirty minutes prior to the walk up general admission, fans seated in the ICE ROW will be provided access to the Mallards locker room and hockey operations prior to the game. This will enable them to have plenty of time to enjoy the coach's comments to his team and fully experience the Mallards' behind-the-scenes experience.
The Mallards are also complementing the deal by creating four "Coors Light Corners" on their rink at the i Wireless Center. Coors Light logos will be displayed on the ice in each of the four corners for all fans to see (and hear on radio broadcasts).
Are you looking for new ways to leverage winter sports athlete endorsers? Are you looking to create an unconventional viral campaign?
Over the past year, there was a buzz in the action sports space that Red Bull built a secret half pipe hidden in the mountains of Colorado for Olympian Gold Medalist Shaun White. With no pictures, stories, or first-person accounts, all of the buzz was just speculation... until now.
Red Bull recently unveiled the details behind the project - Project X - through an exclusive site (www.redbullprojectx.com) that provides an insightful look into Shaun White's secret winter experience in the world of Red Bull. The site includes a collection of images, videos, and special tricks that White learned while toying with his own half-pipe in Silverton, Colorado. Not only did Red Bull venture out to build the world's first on-mountain snowboarding foam pit, they captured it all on film for consumers to enjoy. The site features a collection of videos detailing the project, etc. and will continue to drive buzz and interest by releasing Shaun White tricks videos throughout the year (beginning November 3rd).
Red Bull's Project X further demonstrates how the company is "changing the game" when it comes to investing its marketing dollars. While some brands are investing millions of dollars in signage and presenting sponsorships, Red Bull is radically changing, owning, and creating sports properties and unique concepts of its own.
Through the Project X campaign, Red Bull takes athlete partnerships/endorsements to an incredible next level. Both brands (Red Bull, Shaun White) will clearly benefit from the level of intrigue and the "coolness factor" of Project X - something that will help Red Bull score significant exposure leading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Red Bull surely invested a large sum of dollars to create Project X, but how much so in comparison to the perceived brand value/buzz they will generate leading into the Olympic Games? For those interested, here are a few details behind what it took to build the secret snowboard getaway:
300 man hours were required to build the foam pit
250,000 cubic yards of snow were moved to build the secret half-pipe
7200 foam blocks were needed to fill the foam pit
Check out the tremendous video Red Bull created for Project X:
Are you looking for new ways to leverage a corporate partner specializing in transportation services?
The 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies is being called by many the "Amtrak Series", a dream scenario for the inercity passenger rail operator. With New York serving as its busiest train station and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ranking 3rd, Amtrak is doing everything in its power to capitalize on the moment.
Amtrak is servicing chartered trains for the Yankees and Phillies organizations to travel to play their World Series games on the road. When the two (2) opponents faced off in the 1950 World Series, they opted for a similar route of travel due to its convenience. Check out a quick clip of some prominent Yankees players traveling through the train station on their way to Philadelphia for Game 3:
Amtrak is also polling passengers traveling on trains between New York and Philadelphia about their favorite team preferences. All passengers that participate in the study will receive their team's official Championship series t-shirt (thus far, fans have chosen the Yankees over the Phillies by a 1.7-1 margin). Amtrak has distributed 500+ commemorative t-shirts through the initiative.
Amtrak currently operates 32 sports charters, including six (6) for Major League Baseball organizations.
Are you looking for ways to honor your team's history and traditions? Are you looking for new ways to engage fans on gameday?
Sports organizations looking to honor their team history in an engaging manner should consider benchmarking a recent tactic Saatchi & Saatchi Tel Aviv created for the HOT cable TV network in Israel. In an effort to position HOT as the network with the hottest celebrities and shows on television, Saatchi & Saatchi created a 140 meter long billboard in a suburban neighborhood that featured 6,000+ magnetic cutouts of entertainment celebrities.
Consumers walking by the billboard were encouraged to peel off the magnetic celebrity cutouts - a tactic that was very well received. According to records, the magnetic billboard was stripped bare by consumers after just two (2) hours (a process that reoccured several times). The innovative billboard campaign drew the attention of major media channels across the globe.
How can this idea translate in the sports space?
Sports organizations can consider creating a team history wall that features hundreds of magnetic cutouts of past players, coaches, historic moments, logo/uniform changes, mascots, and fans. Teams can encourage fans to "take home a piece of history" or bring a similar concept to life on their team home page (where fans can select different pictorials on a digital wall that explain the relevance of historic moments, former players and personnel, etc.). Creating an "interactive mural" could serve as a great way to help fans appreciate all of the great moments in team history.
Teams can consider partnering on the initiative with a corporate partner whose mission statement plays off the the terms "family", "tradition", "history" and/or is looking for new ways to engage fans. Teams can incite potential partners by placing brand logos/URL with a call-to-action on each of the magnetic pieces that fans take home or redeem at retail.
Costs for the magnetic billboard project were not disclosed. Check out a video of the billboard below:
Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for corporate partners? Are you looking for ways to help corporate partners "own" stadium gates and related entrances?
In September, the Minnesota Vikings announced two (2) new partnerships with Twin Cities-based Caribou Coffee and the Minnesota Army National Guard. As part of their agreements, both partners received prominent gate signage and the opportunity to engage with Vikings fans at the pre-game Party on the Plaza.
The Vikings organization did a tremendous job bringing the gates to life for both Caribou Coffee and the Minnesota Army National Guard. The Vikings found a unique way to link the brands into the team's messaging ("First Line of Defense" - Minnesota Army National Guard, "Fueled by XX" - Caribou Coffee).
As part of the agreement, both partners received 2,000 square-foot gate signage (produced by Sign A Rama) as well as the right to activate on-site:
Minnesota Army National Guard (Gate H) - Fans have the opportunity to check out official National Guard armored vehicles and meet some soldiers from the state of Minnesota
Caribou Coffee (Gate F) - Fans can enjoy Caribou Coffee inside the stadium and at the pre-game Party on the Plaza
Are you looking for new ways to demonstrate value to season ticket holders? Are you looking for ways to promote small businesses in the local marketplace?
Sports organizations looking for new ways to provide value to dedicated season ticket holders should consider finding new ways to advertise and promote "their" business. In 2008, the New York Knicks created a tremendous resource - the Knicks Business Alliance - to drive sales/B2B efforts amongst the businesses of the team's season ticket holders.
Teams should consider taking the Business Alliance concept one step further by featuring pillars/LED stadium concourse level signage that touts season ticket holders' business cards or related information. Teams could consider partnering with a financial/insurance/tax services company to execute the initiative (and provide additional benefits/services for all parties involved).
The Firstbank in Colorado recently implemented a similar initiative that has drawn raves of excitement. The bank installed a series of rotating display signage that featured a collection of business cards representing their small business customers with the tagline, "We care about small business" (a team could use the tagline, "We care about our season ticket holders").
Are you looking to create new in-venue destinations for fans to enjoy? Are you looking for unique ways to enhance the fan experience at your games?
In May 2009, the Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled Bleacher Beach, an exclusive section designed to provide a whole new fan experience at Dodger Stadium. Situated in the left field Reserved Level, the Dodgers' Bleacher Beach serves as a beach-themed area that offers unlimited beach fare, soft drinks, gifts, music, and decor.
Consumers can purchase tickets to sit in the exclusive Bleacher Beach section and receive all-you-can-eat offerings for just $45 online or $50 on the day of the game (dodgers.com/beach). Those in groups of 20+ can purchse seats in the area for just $35. Food offerings include hot dogs, cheeseburgers, barbeque chicken, watermelon, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, and soft drinks.
Two (2) months after the club introduced Bleacher Beach, Anheuser-Busch signed on as a presenting sponsor of the exclusive area. As part of the agreement, Anheuser-Busch will receive:
Prominent Bud Light branding on the stadium bowl section of Bleacher Beach
An activation zone on the concourse
The rights to distribute select promotional items (team branded floppy hats, sandals, and beach towels)
Presenting status of the lifeguard chair featured in Bleacher Beach (Bud Light will use this element as a focal point of its activation by enabling promotional staff and special guests to sit in the lifeguard chair)
Thus far, Bud Light has featured notable surfers and AVP players in the Bleacher Beach section at Dodgers games
Is your organization looking to support a local charity? Are you looking for ways to leverage your team's parking services?
As sports organizations search for new ways to support charitable organizations, they should look no further than their stadium parking lots. A true opportunity exists for teams to section off a portion of their tailgate lots for charities to use to raise funds and drive awareness.
The following clip demonstrates how COIT Cleaning & Restoration helped raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure by parking cars and tailgating prior to the Louisville-Pittsburgh game on October 2nd.
Teams can section off a portion of their parking lots and offer charities the rights to:
Provide fans with an exclusive valet parking experience
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Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 10:06PM 
