Driving Sponsorship Value for Nonprofit Partners

The sponsorship landscape is oftentimes defined by monumental agreements, economic implications, new trends, and technologies. In today's day and age, it's really easy to get lost in all the dollar signs and ignore the true reasons why partnerships happen and how different segments of people can benefit greatly as a result.

This post is designed to drive awareness for some of the good deeds taking place in our industry.

In early September, InStadium teamed up with two entities - the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Detroit Tigers - to make something truly memorable happen. Through their relationship with the Tigers organization, InStadium was able to help the Flight 93 National Memorial deliver an impactful PSA to thousands of fans attending Comerica Field on September 11th.

The Tigers organization ran the PSA scoreboard spot pro bono to demonstrate their support for the Flight 93 National Memorial and all the lives that were lost in Somerset County, PA on September 11, 2001. 

Nonprofit partners and businesses with small to moderate marketing budgets that could be turned off from sponsorships simply due to dollar figures should consider reaching out to InStadium to gauge various integration opportunities. InStadium has a significant amount of relationships with sports organizations throughout the nation and can oftentimes negotiate valuable partnership/integration opportunities on behalf of their partners, as they did with the Flight 93 National Memorial. If you come up with a creative idea (regardless of your marketing budget), find partners like InStadium who can help you bring it to life!

UniCredit Gives UEFA Fans a Tour of a Lifetime

UniCredit and UEFA have teamed up to create an incredible UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour that will span (5) European cities from September 15th through October 17th. The tour features the UEFA Trophy traveling in a glass case on a bed of a semi for all onlookers to see.

The UniCredit UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour allows fans to have their picture taken with European soccer's most prized possession, experience a meet-n-greet with famous players, and enjoy plenty of soccer activities. In 2009, the trophy tour attracted 90,000+ fans.

The 2010 UniCredit UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour will travel to Munich, Prague, Warsaw, Bratislava, and Vienna. The tour vehicle will also make stopovers in various cities en route to each of the destinations, allowing soccer enthusiasts throughout Europe to see the trophy. UEFA will use the tour to promote its services, key values, and fair play.

One of the most impressive aspects of the tour (outside of the semi display), is the tour's interactive webpage, which is definitely worth a look.

Here is a quick video of the UEFA Trophy arriving at one of its destinations in grand fashion:

   

Nationwide Teams Up with the Bengals to Let Fans Growl

Nationwide Insurance, the Exclusive Insurance Provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, is leveraging its team partnership with an innovative promotion designed to engage the Bengals fanbase. The initiative, entitled the "World's Greatest Growl in the World", allows fans to perform a :30 karaoke version of the Bengals touchdown song for the chance to be featured on the Bengals website and an ultimate Grand Prize of $25,000.

Each week, fans who submit videos can win co-branded items, tickets, and autographed merchandise for participating and the ten (10) best entries will be featured on Bengals.com/Nationwide. Fans can then log in and vote daily for their favorite performance among the entries submitted (thus, both performers and voters become active leads for Nationwide). Fans who submit their favorite clips even have the ability to share them with family and friends via email.

Nationwide's "The World's Greatest Growl in the World" promotion has been extremely well received by Bengals fans thus far. Fans loved performing :30 karaoke versions at the Bengals home opener and traffic to the website has been very active in the early weeks of the promotion. Nationwide will also be leveraging its partnership with the Bengals by offering free ferry rides to Bengals games for all fans on a co-branded ferry (another great idea!).

The Bengals feature a collection of fan videos on Bengals.com/Nationwide. There are some classic performances that are worth checking out!

Red Bull Continues to Revolutionize Sports

Brands looking for new ways to make an impactful impression on consumers without spending a significant amount of money on team/league partnerships should closely monitor Red Bull's activation and spending in the sports space.

The energy drink provider is leveraging core partnerships to create a collection of unbelievable, "ownable" sports, consumer facing initiatives, and activation tactics.

Red Bull recently unveiled three amazing initiatives in basketball, snowboarding, and racing. Check them out below:

Red Bull King of the Rock Finals - 1v1 Basketball Competition on Alcatrez (featuring Rondo)

Red Bull held a "King of the Rock" 1-on-1 basketball tournament in The Yard on Alcatrez on September 18th. Red Bull brought in 64 contestants to compete in the first official sporting event ever held on Alcatrez, marking the first time basketball had been played there since inmates left the island 50+ years ago. The contestants competed in an all-out competition for the right to be crowned "King of the Rock" and collect a $10,000 prize. The Red Bull King of the Rock Finals was covered on Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Arizona, and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

Red Bull -  "Off the Planet" Snowboarding Initiative

Red Bull teamed up with ENESS, a group of Melbourne-based installation artists, to bring a new perspective to snowboarding and action sports. Red Bull called on a team of snowboarders and skiers, including Russell Henshaw and Simon Dumont, to perform stunts and tricks in the air. While the action sports enthusiasts did their thing, ENESS filmed the spectacle with an infrared camera and mapped in 3D visuals and a 21' inflatable sphere to make it appear to viewers that the snowboarders were flying sky high over the world. It's hard to explain - you just have to see it for yourself... Red Bull is leveraging interactve projection art and technology to give action sports a whole new look.

Red Bull Presents the 2010 Kimi Raikkonen Challenge

Red Bull recently allowed fans a chance to test the skills of Kimi Raikkonen, a former Formula 1 driver who is described as "the fastest driver on the planet", in a time trial racing competition through the Lera Chitose Outlet, an indoor Japanese shopping center. The event, backed by several sponsors, encouraged consumers 20+ to come out and test their go kart manuevering skills to see if they could top Raikkonen's time while traveling at speeds up to 130 kilometer per hour. Red Bull allowed 100 consumers to participate, with the top (10) performers earning a chance to compete in the finals against the former champion.  

The stunt attracted thousands of onlookers and could serve as a benchmark for NASCAR and Indy Car teams looking for new ways to engage fans at retail. Check out Raikkonen's run at the indoor shopping center below:

Qdoba Tailgates in a Big Way at Seahawks Games

As an Official Partner of the Seattle Seahawks, Qdoba Mexican Grill is offering fans in Seattle the chance to win a VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party.

The ultimate game experience includes (4) Seahawks tickets and parking spots, exclusive access to the Qdoba VIP Tailgate Lounge (which included a private server) for (20) people, and a VIP area that features (3) flat screen televisions, an XBOX 360, comfortable seating, and more!

Fans looking to win the VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party experience simply have to head to their local participating Qdoba location, swipe their Qdoba Card when purchasing an entree, and automatically be entered to win. Fans can also submit an entry online at QdobaTailgate.com for the chance to win the final Qdoba VIP tailgating party on January 2nd.

Check out a great video that captures the VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party below - a truly unique experience that can be replicated at many stadiums across the country!

Click here for a collection of photos from Qdoba's first official tailgate at Qwest Field.

Fuel Guerrilla Marketing Initiatives with QR Codes

Brands looking to create unique guerrilla marketing campaigns that leverage social media technology should benchmark a recent tactic implemented by the Oral Cancer Foundation. In August, the Oral Cancer Foundation called on several teams of young women to hit the beaches of Surf City to message to thousands of teens and 20-somethings attending the 2010 US Open of Surfing.

With 500,000 visitors attending the three-day surfing event sponsored by Hurley, Oral Cancer Foundation personnel knew that they needed to create a compelling, unique program to effectively get their message across about the risks of oral cancer, HPV, and other diseases. To do so, the Oral Cancer Foundation created a social media strategy that leveraged QR codes.

Throughout the US Open of Surfing competition, teams of female Oral Cancer Foundation brand ambassadors scoured the beaches and handed out creatively worded stickers, t-shirts, and temporary tattoos that all beared a unique QR code. When recipients scanned the QR codes with the mobile phones, they were taken to a microsite that provided educational information about the risks of certain preventative diseases.

The Oral Cancer Foundation found that the QR codes enabled their guerrilla marketing teams the ability to communicate life saving messages to consumers in a very powerful way. The initiative proved to be an influential, cost-effective means to target a crowd of young, tech savvy consumers.

Check out some pictures of their guerrilla marketing outreach below:

 

Source: PR Newswire, Oral Cancer Foundation Flickr Page  

Bring Game Day Experiences to Life with 3D Photo Walls

Sports organizations looking to feature new entertainment options for fans on game day should consider investing in 3D photo walls. These fixtures provide great game day photo opportunities for fans and serve as a means to drive awareness for corporate sponsors.

While 3D photo walls are relatively uncommon in the United States marketplace, they are becoming a well recognized activation piece in global markets. In the United Kingdom, Global Games Sports has emerged as an industry leader producing the 3D photo wall fixtures. The company produces fixtures standing 6-7 feet high that are made of resign and fiber glass. These display pieces run approximately 2,000 euros but are very durable and can be customized to the exact specifications required by teams, sponsors, athletes, and fans.

3D photo walls can serve as a great, engaging way for sponsors to drive team affiliation awareness (via backdrops, props, adjoining signage, etc.) and awareness for jersey sponsorships.

Check out a few examples below: 

 

 

adidas and Zidane Team Up to Market New Line of Products

CPG companies looking for new ways to leverage sports to drive retail sales should take a close look at a recent adidas commercial spot that features soccer legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane is the new face of adidas' Body Care for Men, a line of deoderant, shower gel, and toiletries targeted at young male adults. adidas is using Zidane as a recognizable figurehead to drive consumer awareness and interest for its six (6) Body Care for Men products, labeled "Pure Game", "Play", "Drive", "Impact", "Strength", and "League".

In the commercial spot, Zidane is shopping at a high end retail location when he notices a young male consumer performing some amazing juggling tricks after spraying deoderant on from adidas' Body Care for Men product line. The piece does a great job leveraging adidas' partnership with Zidane and effectively tying a CPG product back to the game of soccer.

Check it out below:

Source: Home Essential

The FL Panthers and The Eagles Partner on Marketing Efforts

Sunrise Sports & Entertainment recently announced a unique partnership between the NHL's Florida Panthers and the storied American rock band, The Eagles. The sport/music entities are teaming up to create a unique, fully integrated marketing partnership that is believed to be the first of its kind in the sports and music entertainment industry.

The Eagles will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the team's 2010-2011 Training Camp and will benefit from exposure via numerous branding channels throughout the duration of training camp (Sept. 11 - Oct. 10), including:

• 2010-2011 Training Camp Logo Entitlement
• Training Camp mentions on FloridaPanthers.com
• Social Media Messages
• Training Camp Press Releases and Marketing Adverts
• Messaging In-Game, In-Arena, and On Television Broadcasts
• Media Backdrops
• Ice Signage
• Additional Signage Inventory in the Panthers Den Training Facility

The Eagles' Training Camp sponsorship will provide exposure for The Eagles' concert at the BankAtlantic Center on Friday, October 8th, eight (8) days prior to the Panthers opening night matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Financials of the partnership agreement were not disclosed.

Source: Panthers.nhl.com

Air New Zealand Leverages Rugby Partnership with Safety Video

As part of their partnership with the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team, Air New Zealand recently released a terrific airplane safety video that incorporates players, fans, and more. The video demonstrates new ways that teams and airline partners can leverage their affiliations in creative ways.

Check it out below:

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:

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.

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 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. 

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.

Bring Furniture Sponsors to the Tailgate Lots

Are you looking for new ways to leverage furniture sponsors on game day? Are you looking for new ways to activate in your tailgate lots?

Sports organizations looking for new ways to deliver value for their corporate partners on game day - specifically furniture sponsors - should take a close look at the video below. A couple of students at BYU built a motorized couch using a motor from a wheel chair to get around on game day.

This idea serves as a great way for sports organizations to bring their furniture sponsors to life on game day. Instead of featuring a furniture display within the stadium concourse that you hope will draw fans, create ways that you can bring furniture to the fans, especially during the 3-4 hour tailgate window prior to games. The end result will be more impressions, more engagement, and a stronger call-to-action!

Check out the video below: