Partnership Activation - February 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 February 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to three (3) friends at work.

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

• Sidewalk Challenges
• Insights Into Using Augmented Reality
• 27th Annual IEG Sponsorship Conference
• 7 Tips for Bringing Your In-Venue Signage to Life for Consumers
• Details on the UK Sports Network
• The February 2010 Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
• Sports Social Media Watch - Molson Canadian
• Activation Tactics from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and 2010 NBA All-Star Game
• 2010 Australian Open
• Ways to Leverage an ESPN 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 February 2010 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!

Bring Your Team Billboards Life!

Are you looking for new ways to engage fans throughout the week? Are you looking to drive online engagement and an incremental number of fans to your organization's Facebook Fan Page?

Rockit Wrigleyville, a new bar and grill located in the heart of Wrigleyville, recently featured a promotion that provided consumers with a chance to have their face appear on a billboard located just outside Wrigley Field. For a chance to win, consumers just had to take their picture in front of the billboard and upload it to the restaurant's official Facebook fan page.

The entrant who posted a photo on the Facebook Fan Page that generate the most "likes" by other viewers was selected as the ultimate winner of the promotion. To drive interest in the offer, Rockit Wrigleyville offered a free $25 gift certificate to each contestant. The winner, John Walters, garnered 82 "likes" for his picture submission.

The low-cost promotion served as a tremendous way for Rockit Wrigleyville to drive buzz in the marketplace (consumers would encourage their friends to check out their photos and "like" them) as well as drive traffic and new fans to the restaurant's Official Facebook Fan Page.

The promotion serves as a really simple way for sports organizations to leverage stadium landmarks and billboards in the marketplace to spur fan engagement and drive traffic online to the official team facebook page via valuable content.

Check out some of the pictures that were submitted here.

Watch a video of the campaign below:

Billboard of the Week - Lotto (Soccer)

Are you looking for new, creative ways to promote the game of soccer? Are you looking to feature a non-traditional outdoor campaign in select markets?

Soccer properties looking for new ways to market their organization should consider benchmarking an outdoor marketing tactic Lotto used around the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The company creatively branded the side of an overpass to resemble a soccer goal that fans walked under towards one of the site locations where a World Cup match was being played.

Check it out below:

Red Bull Drives Interest with F1 on Ice Viral

Are you looking for new ways to attract casual sports fans and non-traditional consumers to your sport? Are you looking for unique ways to promote motorsports?

Red Bull recently unveiled a really cool viral piece that features the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team testing the agility and speed of its cars in non-traditional, wintry conditions. The clip, created to celebrate the return of the Canadian Grand Prix, led Red Bull F1 driver Sebastien Buemi and his counterparts to Canada for a test run.

The unique viral piece demonstrates the out-of-the-box thing that needs to become more prevalent in the sport of NASCAR. After all, who wouldn't want to see high-speed racing on ice in the Great North?

Check out Red Bull's creative piece below:

Does Your Venue Scream Your Brand?

Are you looking for new ways to renovate areas within your stadium or arena? Are you looking for new ways to build your brand through unique messaging points on game day?

The Arizona Cardinals organization has done a tremendous job turning the walls of University of Phoenix Stadium into giant brand building pieces. The signage inventory can serve as a tremendous way to ingrain corporate partners in a non-intrusive manner. Check out some examples below:

Vitaminwater Gets Creative with Olympic Activation

Are you looking for new, creative ways to leverage the Olympics? Are you looking to promote Vitaminwater products on-site?

Vitaminwater recently featured two (2) unique activation tactics in Vancouver as a means to leverage consumer passion for the 2010 Olympic Games and drive awareness amongst tourists and residents strolling through the city. As a brand within the Coca-Cola family, Vitaminwater launched a full campaign around the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games that encouraged Canadian citizens, including Olympic athletes competing in the Games, to try its product.  

Check out their two (2) unique engagement tactics below:

Vitaminwater Bus Shelter Renovation

Vitaminwater teamed up with Cleveland-based ad agency Brokaw to transform Vancouver bus shelters into ski lift seating for consumers to enjoy while touring the city. The unique bus shelter branding was accompanied by signage that read, "It Makes the Daily Routine Feel More Like an Olympic Event", and the minor branding tactic really served as a great way to escape the Olympic clutter experienced throughout Vancouver.

Vitaminwater Mini-Curling

Effectively Leveraging Social Media to Get a Job!

Are you looking for new ways to differentiate yourself in the job search? Are you looking for new ways to integrate social media into the mix?

@LauraGainor (check her out on Twitter!) recently unveiled a tremendous presentation she created for a position with Comet Branding, a progressive Milwaukee-based branding, PR, and social media agency. She created a unique piece that effectively told her story, incorporated new social media technologies, and demonstrated immediate results!

How did she do it?

While touring the city of Milwaukee, @LauraGainor utilized her social media skills to get creative and attract the attention of Comet Branding's @AlKrueger & @SaraMeaney. Laura decided to quietly work on a campaign designed to gauge their reaction from live tweets she posted while checking in at major Milwaukee attractions using the social media gaming tool, @Foursquare. She felt that this would serve as a more effective tactic than simply sending them an email that alerted them of her plans.

Laura also took advantage of using the newly launched Foursquare client, @SquarePik, which now allows you to post a photo of the venue you're at while checking in to gain points. She utilized this medium to grab the attention of Comet Branding by including their poster-sized company logo in each photo.

Laura compiled all of her interactions in a presentation format that told her story and effectively incorporated social media. In her deliverable, Laura featured a video she shot using TwitVideo on her iPhone 3GS and linked to all of her social media profiles (which you can see on the last page of the presentation).

Check out her innovative social media-centric presentation here:

Laura Gainor Utilizing Social Media

View more presentations from Laura Gainor.

Nike Does it Again with the Human Chain

Are you looking for unique ways to align multiple sports sponsorships? Are you looking for ways to highlight the perseverance required of elite athletes?

Nike has created yet another captivating viral campaign - this one entitled the Human Chain. The clip demonstrates Nike's impact across multiple sports disciplines and really helps showcase the brand's depth on a global scale across a wide variety of athletic events.

The spot, created by Wieden + Kennedy, provides a glimpse of a wide range of Nike ambassadors. For more information, check out this tremendous writeup by The Inspiration Room. 

Check out Nike's newest viral piece below!

The Mavs Raffle Off Nowitzki Bobblehead for Charity

Are you looking to enhance the fan experience on game day? Are you looking for new ways to highlight your team's stars?

One of the highlights of the 2010 NBA All-Star weekend was a life-sized, 7-foot bobblehead figurine of Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki. The statue was an instant attraction for fans searching for photo opportunities within the interactive NBA Jam Session footprint and served as an effective way for the Mavericks organization to highlight its franchise player.

The team brought the statue to life for fans by allowing them to purchase $5 raffle tickets for the chance to own it, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Mavs Foundation.  

Source: DallasObserver.com

Umbro Unveils England's Away Jersey in Hostile Conditions

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness to a new team jersey kit? Are you looking for ways to leverage both music and entertainment?

Umbro recently unveiled England's new away jersey for the 2010 World Cup in a very unconventional setting. The apparel company turned to Tom Meighan, frontman for the popular English band Kasabian, to unveil the jersey during a live concert performance at the Paris Olympia in front of thousands of unsuspecting French soccer fans.

While the surprise apparel tactic didn't prove to be too popular with the crowd, it served as a great publicity stunt to drive awareness for the new Team England Away Kit. Click here for some pictures from the event from Umbro's Flickr photo stream and check out the video of publicity act below:

Also, check out an interview with Meighan about his experience unveiling the shirt in hostile conditions here!

Drew Brees Leads Post Super Bowl Bar Chants

Are you looking for new ways to activate at retail? Are you looking for ways to leverage athletes in bar and restaurant settings?

Check out a really cool video of Saints QB Drew Brees teaching a lucky group of faithful Saints fans his pre-game chant at a New Orleans Bar following the Super Bowl. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will be something that these Saints fans will share with their friends for years to come...

It is really exciting to see a guy like Brees be so committed to the city of New Orleans and all of the people that support him.

Check it out below:

A special thanks to David Mueller of GMR Marketing for his insights and contributions to this column.

Activation of the Day - Interactive Store Fronts

Are you interested in how technology will continue to shape the sports industry? Are you interested in following global trends and insights?

Sports marketers should take a moment to watch the video below from Tokyo and consider new ways that technology will imact our game day experiences. The video enclosed below provides an inside look at how sports marketers can use a stadium facade to provide entertainment value to fans (using mobile devices). It is really amazing to see how technology continues to impact our lives in new ways!

Source: CherryFlava.com

The Bud Light House is... Real?

With a record 106.5 million viewers tuning in to watch Super Bowl XXIV, Anheuser-Busch kicked off the commercial frenzy with a pretty entertaining Bud Light House commercial. The clip detailed a group of guys touring a house made entirely of Bud Lights and hosting a party. The spot proved to be a hit with consumers, notching a 3rd place AdBowl ranking.

But while the commercial was made for pure entertainment value, do viewers ever think wonder whether the content shown in Super Bowl commercials is ever real?

In the case of the Bud Light House commercial, it is. Check out a viral piece below that shows how Bud Light and its agency partners built a real-life Bud Light House to film the spot:

Puma Scores With Valentines Day Viral Effort

Are you looking for new ways to leverage the passion and emotion of sports without owning rights to marks? Are you looking for new ways to leverage key holidays throughout the calendar year?

Puma has created an outstanding Valentines Day viral campaign that will surely impact the lives of thousands of soccer fans (and their spouses) around the world. Puma created an entertaining viral piece that features a group of soccer hooligans, referred to as the Hardchorus, belting out a sappy Savage Garden Tune.

The viral piece, created in conjunction with Puma's Love=Football campaign, was designed with the avid soccer fan in mind who would like to send a gift to a loved one that knows where their heart really is on Valentines Day if/when their favorite soccer club is playing.  

Source: Creativity-Online.com

The Big Game 2 Proved Huge for Samsung Mobile and Vodafone

Are you looking for effective ways to leverage premier sporting events? Are you looking to align with multiple brands to activate on-site?

Samsung Mobile and Vodafone teamed up to feature a tremendous activation campaign at the Big Game 2, a rugby match played between the Harlequins and Wasps at Twickenham Stadium in January. The two (2) brands aligned their activation efforts to support the launch of the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 Handset, the first Samsung offering to deliver Vodafone's new social networking and entertainment Internet services.

Check out their on-site activation efforts in this terrific 5:30 video recap below!

Activation of the Day - Olympics Zip Line

Are you looking for new ways to engage consumers around premier sporting events? Are you looking for ways to capitalize on action sports?

Consumers visiting the Province of British Columbia for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games are being treated to a free zip line ride over Robson Square. The Ziptrek attraction, spanning over 170 meters six (6) stories high in the air, offers consumers an exhilirating experience that they will never forget.

Check out the attraction's official page here and watch the video below of consumers enjoying the action:

Camp Randall Goes Crazy for Outdoor Hockey

What happens when you feature an outdoor hockey game at Camp Randall in front of 55,000 rabid fans? Absolute mayhem.

The No. 3 University of Wisconsin men's hockey team recently faced off against the No. 19 ranked Michigan Wolverines in a classic battle played at Camp Randall in front of 55,103 fans, the second largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game at the venue.

Despite temperatures dipping into the single digits, fans still found a way to have a great time. Maybe the NHL Winter Classic organizers should take notes... (or consider featuring the next matchup on a giant college campus).

Check it out below:

Nike Creates Viral to Go Red and Save Lives

What happens when you create an epic campaign that combines the world's best footballers with Kobe Bryant and Maria Sharapova? It's Nike's hope that it will help save lives.

Nike recently launched a really cool viral piece in support of its Nike Soccer Red Campaign to fight HIV/Aids in Africa. Check it out below and be sure to stop by their official Red microsite to learn more about some of the cool initiatives taking place (Nikesoccer.com/red):

RBS Treats Guests to an Ultimate Tennis Experience

Are you looking for ways to enhance your client hospitality initiatives? Are you looking for ways to leverage tennis partnerships and related assets?

In November 2009, RBS treated a collection of clients, customers, and competition winners to an ultimate first-hand tennis experience. The company, a notable tennis sponsor, teamed up with tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray to host "The Murray Experience", an exclusive clinic that provided select guests with an opportunity to learn insights, practice techniques, and exercises from two (2) of the sport's finest players.

Check out a video that recaps the exclusive RBS hospitality experience below! 

For more images, check out Andy Murray's official blog here.

Target Brings Shaun White to New York City...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness without having rights to marks?

Target, a longtime sponsor of Olympian gold medalist Shaun White, recently unveiled a terrific billboard messaging campaign in Times Square in anticipation of the 2010 Vancouver Oympics. The billboards, a creative collaboration between Target, White, and his brother Jesse, were unveiled on January 15th and are set to be changed as the Games near closer.

Target's massive billboard campaign (a combination of nine (9) individual outdoor adverts) serves as a great way to provide Shaun White with a good-luck sendoff, drive awareness for the retailer's exclusive Shaun White 4 Target clothing line, and leverage consumer affinity for the Olympic Games without having rights to marks...

Check out the campaign below:

 

Source: BrandFreak, FreshnessMag.com