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.

AB Scores with Mascot Can Race Between Periods

Are you looking for new ways to drive excitement around alcoholic beverage partners? Are you looking for ideas to enhance your in-game entertainment?

The Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL recently did a tremendous job bringing back the excitement of the Bud Bowl in an entertaining on-ice promotion between periods. The club featured a live race between a Budweiser, Bud Light, and Bud Light Lime can that was heightened by a intro piece that was very well done  While most teams simply execute a contest between periods, the Griffins really took the promotion to the next level with the creative training lead-in.

The Griffins' Mascot Can Race is a simple intermission tactic, but serves as an effective way to drive fan excitement for Anheuser-Busch brands when most fans are heading out to the concourse to purchase their favorite beverage! Check it out below!

The Mavericks Raise Some Eyebrows with Latest Viral

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your team's recent success? Are you looking for ways to drive crowd excitement at games?

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the best sports organizations when it comes to creativity. The organization recently released a piece entitled "Eyebrows" that features two players - Rodrigue Beaubois and Brendan Haywood - stirring some excitement with dancing eyebrows.

The piece does a tremendous time driving buzz around the organization just prior to its appearance against the San Antonio Spurs.Check it out below!

The Mets Introduce Fans to New Stadium Features

Are you looking for ways to promote new features and entertainment at your venue? Are you looking for new ways to call attention to branded in-stadium destinations?

SNY.tv recently posted a terrific spotlight video that showcases all of the improvements that were made to Citi Field after the inaugural season. The video, which has attracted 4,500+ views, walks Mets fans through all of the enhancements and new additions made at the ballpark, including:

• A new Mets Hall of Fame and Museum 
• Player pennants (existing and past players)
• A new section of bricks on the fan walk, which feature a commemorative Mets moment
• New stadium entrances
• A new stadium restaurant

Sports properties should consider creating similar video campaigns that feature new stadium improvements, gameday promotions and entertainment, and fan features (at the ballpark and online). Teams can use this content to drive buzz for the upcoming season and inform and remind fans of their commitment to improving the fan experience day-in and day-out. Based on the number of views the Mets preview video received, there is demand for this content and it can also serve as a great way to drive incremental awareness for team partner stadium destinations!

Check out the video below:

Nirmal Leverages US Open Alliance to Drive Real Estate Sales

Are you looking for unconventional ways to leverage team marks? Are you looking for examples where sports has been used to drive real estate sales?

In December 2009, Nirmal Lifestyle announced a partnership with the U.S. Open (tennis) to create a 46-story community of of themed apartments in Mumbai, India. The partnership marked the first time a real estate licensing deal had been signed in India and served as a very interesting example of how property marks can be leveraged in countries across the globe. 

The US Open Apartments are being positioned as a lifestyle that bridges the gap between superior living standards and healthy living. The community offers a unique collection of aesthetics and state-of-the-art facilities, including a superior fitness center, tennis courts, jogging and cycling track, basketball court, swimming pool, and badminton courts.

Total Sports Asia guided Nirmal Lifestyle in forming the partnership and using the US Open marks in all of its advertising and promotions for the apartment complex. The agreement goes to show how powerful US property marks are across the globe.

The results of the campaign?

• Sales exceeded all expectations and helped Nirmal become top-of-mind in the industry and amongst consumers
• The launch set a new record in sales for the company by selling 108 units in less than 3 weeks
• The US Open brand association helped provide an additional revenue appreciation of 4-5% to the project 

The unique partnership follows a deal where Singapore-based Manchester United Restaurant and Bar launched its flagship outlet at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall Mulund in Mumbai.

Jones Soda Takes Its Seahawks Partnership to New Heights at Retail

Are you looking for new ways to drive sales at retail? Are you looking for new, innovative ways to leverage team marks?

In 2009, Jones Soda did an incredible job bringing their Seattle Seahawks team partnership to life at retail. The niche soda brand created a unique line of packaging that featured Seahawks cartoon and even included a line of trading cards.

The packaging does a terrific job demonstrating how partners (with permisison) can use team marks in non-traditional ways to connect and engage with consumers with a variety of interests. For example, this type of packaging caters to sports fans (largely due to its originality), children, and consumers with an interest in comics/science fiction. Jones Soda is sold at a variety of retailers across the Northwest, including Albertson's, Safeway, Sam's Club, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target, Winco, and Fred Meyer.

As more brands look for ways to integrate sports and comics (as seen recently with adidas' World Cup campaign), it will be interesting to see if there is additional media integration.

Check out some pictures of Jones Soda's unique retail initiative below:    

 

 

Here are some additional pictures of the packaging.

An Inside Look at the Gatorade G Series Mobile Locker Room

Are you looking for new ways to reach young student-athletes? Are you looking for ways to bring sports experiences to life for fans?

Gatorade recently launched a pretty impressive G Series Mobile Locker Room that will tour the nation and visit (8) handpicked high schools between March and May 2010. Here, students will be given a first-hand experience where they can test new G Series products and experience a once in a lifetime opportunity.

To drive excitement for the mobile locker room in the HS community, Gatorade is offering fans the chance to submit a photo and description of the ultimate high school locker room ritual on the Gatorade Facebook fan page for the chance to have the G Series Mobile Locker Room come to their school and win a $500 gift card. 

The G Series Mobile Locker Room is a state-of-the-art facility and fully functional locker room that features lockers of Gatorade's prime athlete endorsers. Check out some photos of the mobile display here:

  

   

Photo Source: Pro Motion, Inc. Flickr Page 

Red Bull Gives Fans a New Look at Game Entertainment

Are you looking for new ways to enhance your pre-game entertainment? Are you looking for ways to help game entertainment live online?

The New York Red Bulls recently gave fans a unique view of their brand new $200MM stadium facility by outfitting a team of skydivers known as the Red Bull Air Force with cameras that provided a unique viewpoint of their descent into the venue. The jump, filmed from different angles in the air and on the ground, kicked off the Red Bulls' 2010 MLS season in style.

Look for this to become a viral hit in the next few days! 

Are You Using Fan Behavior Suggestions to Drive Revenue?

When was the last time you sat back and asked yourself, why do consumers do what they do? Why do they trust the feedback and opinions of others (most times, of people they do not know) over industry experts?

Consumers have an inherent trust in those who have taken the time to share/publish their personal feedback. As detailed in the book Six Pixels of Separation, consumers have an overriding faith in groups of individuals who have never met. This act of consumer behavior, where one individual's implied behavior will be matched by others (commonly referred to as topographical association), is a strong, underlying reason why Amazon.com's "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" function is so notably successful.

Do you remember the last time you purchased a book on Amazon.com and received a familiar pop-up inquiry suggesting the notion "Consumers Who Bought This Item Also Bought"? Did you find that you ignored some initial hesitation to move forward with purchasing an item that Amazon feels that you would like based on the purchasing decisions of those with similar interests?

As sports organizations have adopted more statistical analysis processes to make smarter, results-driven decisions over the past 5-10 years, it is somewhat surprising that more have not adopted topographical assocation methods to upsell consumers, simply by providing suggestions based on the interests of fellow fans attending games. After all, with teams selling fans on slogans like "You are the 12th Man" and "We are the Team of 18,000", don't they just want to fit in with the crowd? There is no doubt that fans on game day have a significant amount of shared interests.

It is pretty convincing that teams are leaving a solid amount of revenue on the table by neglecting to provide suggestions to fans based on game day sales trends. Here are a few examples:

• Concessions
  • Looking to sell more hot dogs? Have you found if there is a certain day of the week when fans purchase more hot dogs than any other day? Call this to their attention. Make it a selling point. Tell fans what other fans are doing
  • Looking to drive more revenues at the concessions stand? Use statistical analysis to tell fans what combination of items other fans usually purchase together. As teams upgrade their point of purchase cashier equipment, feature a display near the register that tells fans "Fans Who Bought This Item Also Bought"- Sway their decision
• Ticketing
  • Use statistical analysis ticketing models to upsell consumers on parking options (if the team controls nearby lots) by simply suggesting what other fans have done
  • Suggest deals that include nearby corporate partners (dining/retail) 
  • Tell people what their perceived peers are doing (whether that's based on income level, age, gender, occupation, etc.)
• Merchandise
  • Apply similar concessions practices to drive merchandise sales (although we are seeing a bit of this via online retail channels)

Just a thought. Would love to hear your thoughts on this! Please leave a comment or retweet if you agree/disagree with this column!

The SF Giants Kick off 2010 with a Flash Mob

Are you looking for new ways to drive buzz and celebrate the start of a new season? Are you looking for ways to engage fans and consumers alike with a unique awareness driver designed to attract media attention?

The San Francisco Giants recently celebrated the start of the 2010 MLB season by featuring a flash mob at Union Square, a popular locale in San Francisco. The event served as a fan rally that featured a couple hundred boisterous Giants fans singing Bye Bye Baby (a ritual for Giants fans). To pull off the stunt, the Giants held a pep rally at AT&T Stadium and distributed lyrics to the song that fans could print off and memorize before coming to participate.

Check out the execution of the event below:

The Giants drove participation for the event by offering fans the chance to take part in an Official team commercial and receive a free "It's Magic Inside" t-shirt via campaign postings on their team website, Facebook, and Craigslist (as shown below):