Charles Schwab Lets SF Giants Fans Talk... to a Giant

Are you looking to create an interactive scoreboard feature? Are you looking to leverage a partnership with Charles Schwab?

Over the years, the folks at Charles Schwab, a San Francisco based company and longtime sponsor of the SF Giants, have come up with some creative ways to leverage their partnership.

When Barry Bonds arrived to San Francisco in 1993, the investment company featured a creative outfield signage piece that read, "stocks, mutual funds, bonds" with the word "bonds" in a bulls-eye. The signage piece resonated with fans and effectively drove home the fact that Charles Schwab was a major supporter of the club.

This year, Charles Schwab has been running an entertaining "Talk to a Giant" video board feature that runs during every home game. The interactive scoreboard feature incorporates the company's current messaging campaign (Talk to Chuck) and does a great job featuring the company's logo and imagery in the background. Check out the feature below:

Charles Schwab complements the video board promotion with static outfield signage, advertisements in the Giants gameday magazine, and a presenting sponsorship of the "Game Notes" placed in each of the luxury suites at AT&T Park. Check back for more promotional concepts by the San Francisco Giants and Charles Schwab!

Who Wouldn't Love "Sure-Win Wednesdays"?

Are you looking to create a promotion that will drive fans wild? Are you looking for a way to leverage a Sherwin Williams partnership?

The San Angelo Colts of United League Baseball (ULB) are teaming up with Sherwin Williams to offer "Sure-Win Wednesdays". a tremendous promotion that is perhaps the biggest fan favorite at the park. To celebrate the team's tenth anniversary, the Colts are offering a "Sure-Win Wednesday" promotion where if the team loses, all fans in attendance receive a ticket for the next Wednesday's home game (a great branding play for Sherwin "Sure-Win" Williams). In 2008, the team went undefeated each time it held the promotion on a Monday.

Is the "Sure-Win Wednesday" concept more likely to work in the minor leagues? Yes. But would it be possible to implement such an idea in the professional ranks? Yes as well. Corporate partners who offer in-venue fan destinations (e.g. Dew Deck, Gehl Club, Miller Lite Party Deck) could feature a similar promotional tactics for select guests at the ballpark on a particular night. 

The promotional concept dates back to 2004 (the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League ran the same promotion). Look for more teams offering a "Sure-Win Wednesday" promotion in the near future!

Source: OurSportsCentral.com  

Billboard of the Week - Chick-fil-A

Are you looking for ways to leverage B2B partnerships? Are you looking for new ways to promote your product in a unique way?

Over the past few months, Chick-Fil-A has featured a very creative billboard along I-85 when passing through Atlanta, Georgia. The billboard features two (2) of the company's signature cows finishing a project on an Etch-a-Sketch board that spells out "Beef Iz Sketchy". While Chick-Fil-A likely does not have a partnership with Etch-A-Sketch (it would be interesting to see if they had to acquire rights to marks, etc. for this ad) it does raise the questions:

• Have you ever considered aligning with a B2B partner to devise a creative billboard campaign?
• With signage and billboard inventory space often rare (and valuable) outside stadium venues, have you ever thought to team up with one of the organization's other partners on a campaign that would resonate with fans and would benefit both brands?

For example, if both an airline partner and rental car provider were targeting fans traveling in for a game, aren't there synergies that exist where the partners could align to create an interesting (and entertaining) billboard campaign? Or multiple brands that are focused on targeting the same demographics of consumers (e.g. Gillette/National Guard targeting young adults, etc.). 

Have we begun to see partners interested in sharing signage inventory (either buying half the season and selling the other half to another partner if interested or leveraging an actual piece of static signage to push multiple brands?). These tactics are currently taking place in NASCAR today but it is yet to be seen in the traditional sports signage space. Are properties even willing to entertain this?

Consider new ways to collaborate on B2B messaging campaigns that can provide better results for your brand!  

Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter - May Issue

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 May 2009 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to ONE NEW industry friend or colleague.

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

• LEED Certification Signage
• Activating at Jewel Events
• Home Team Marketing's Activation in the Marketplace
• ROI Misconceptions
• IEG's New Online Training Seminar
• Activation Tactics to Include When Pitching Airline Partners
• Chelsea FC's Blue Pitch Initiative

Check out the May 2009 issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to a friend!

The Best Premium Item MLB Doesn't Want You to See...

Billboard of the Week - Murphy's

Are you looking to create a billboard campaign that centers around talking trash? Are you looking to leverage a sports rivalry to drive product sales?

Murphy's created a great billboard campaign in Ireland that centers around a famous sports rivalry. While the campaign could have been better if it included a call to action for consumers, it does a great job fixating an affiliation with University College Cork without leveraging rights to marks. It would be interesting to see if the brand posted a similar billboard at the University of Limerick (UCC's rival school).

Check it out below... as rivalry billboards become more prevalent in the spirits category!

Source: Photo courtesy of Brian Clayton's Flickr Photos

Are Your Promotions on Target?

Nancee E. Lewis/Union-TribuneAre you looking for ways to generate a numerous amount of publicity? Are you looking to create a consumer-facing promotion that benefits a charitable cause?

PF Chang's recently teamed up with PGA Tour pro Briny Baird to create a promotion many would claim as "out of this world". The fine dining restaurant offered all consumers in the country a free order of lettuce wraps if Baird could hit a golf ball from the top of the Omni Hotel downtown onto a bullseye target located in the right field of Petco Park. Situated 340 feet in the air and 268 yards away from the flag, the promotonal stunt was challenging, and one that had never been done before.

Baird was given ten (10) shots to hit the bullseye target located in Petco Park to win free lettuce wraps in America... and he needed just one (1). The PGA Tour pro went on to hit eight (8) of the remaining (9) in the target as well, a feat that resulted in PF Chang's donating $17,000 to the San Diego Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (which the chain later upped to $25,000).

How did the scoring work? For every ball Baird hit in the center of the target, PF Chang's would donate $2,000. For every ball that landed in the inner ring, PF Chang's would donate $1,000 and for every ball that landed in the outer ring, PF Chang's would donate $500. Padres general manager Kevin Towers even joined in on the action and landed a few shots close to the target.

The promotion drew a significant amount of media buzz for PF Chang's, an elegant chain that doesn't find itself in the media circles too often. With a low cost investment, considering the fact that most people won't head to receive just the chains' free signature lettuce wraps, PF Chang's was able to absorb a tremendous amount of publicity from a natural, good cause.

Consider new "out-of-the-box" ways that you can leverage your stadium facility to a sponsor's benefit!

Check out two (2) clips from the event below:

Versus Creates the Best Video Montage... of All Time?

Are you looking to create an inspirational piece that highlights your organization's performance during the season? Are you looking to create a video board vignette that captivates fans?

Throughout the 2009 NHL Playoffs, Versus has been featuring snippets of its 2009 Sports Anthem, an incredible piece that features inspiring commentary along with music from the Texas instrumental group Explosions in the Sky. The video enhances the credibility of Versus' television programming and serves as a benchmark example for organizations and media outlets looking to create energizing highlight reels.

Check out the inspirational clip below - it will blow you away:

Looking to Drive Post-Game Traffic?

Are you looking for ways to drive post-game traffic and sales at retail? Are you looking for new ways to leverage QSR partners?

Jack in the Box featured a creative signage piece at a Mariners-A's spring training game a few months ago that read, "You don't have to leave the game early, my place is open late." The signage serves as an effective branding piece that both resonates with baseball fans and provides a subtle call to action.

Consider new ways that you can convince consumers at the ballpark that they need to frequent your retail chain after the game!

LeBron James, Meet LeBomb James

Are you looking to tie on-court success into sales driving initiatives at retail? Are you looking for new ideas in the spirits category?

Cleveland Cavaliers fans have sparked a spirits trend sweeping the nation (mostly among Cavs faithful) that will soon become a mainstream phenomenon - the LeBomb James.

After ordering and downing a LeBomb James (a shot that includes Crown Royal, Pineapple Juice, Grenadine, and Sprite), Cavs fans take two (2) sugar packets and throw them in the air at the bar, mirroring the star's chalk toss. While the origin of the shot is unknown (could it be a subtle sales driver created by Crown Royal?), the originality behind the contents is creative to say the least:

• 1-2 shots crown royal (because Lebron is "King James)
• 1/2 can of pineapple juice (representing the Cavs' gold)
• Sprite (is Lebron's sponsor)
• Splash of grenadine (representing the Cavs' wine)

*Another mix includes Crown Royal and Grenadine dropped into Red Bull, with two (2) packets of sugar (for the reenactment)

Check out a video of the shot experience in action.  Expect there to be thousands of more videos posted on the web soon in the near future, and plenty of spirits companies looking to team up with fans to create exclusive shots of their own!

The Ohio University Sports Ad Symposium

Are you considering attending graduate school to guide your career in sports? Are you looking to learn, network, and engage with some of the finest professionals in the sports business industry?

Look no further than the MBA/MSA program offered by the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration. A program rich in tradition, the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration offers an incredible educational experience, an opportunity to tap into the 1,300 alums in the SAFM Network, practical learning opportunities, and international diversity.

With a 40-year history, the OU Center for Sports Administration continues to evolve, becoming increasingly global and more complex in its approach to business. If you have a moment, check out the impressive group of individuals representing the Class of 2009 and the Class of 2010.

This weekend, the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration is hosting its annual Symposium weekend, drawing the likes of 100+ alumni with a tremendous schedule of events:

• Thursday Night
  • Social/Registration
  • Five (5) Year Panel (where alums who have been in the industry for five (5) years come back and share their experiences with students and fellow alums)
  • Keynote Presentation by Kevin White, Director of Athletics at Duke University
• Friday
  • Golf Tournament
  • BBQ Cookout
  • Poker Tournament
• Saturday
  • Ten (10) Year Panel
  • Keynote Presentation by Alice Petzold of the Wasserman Media Group
  • Legends Panel Discussion
  • Keynote Presentation by Len Perna, President and CEO of Turnkey Sports
  • Banquet Social
  • Banquet Dinner  

Billboard of the Week - Nike, Lebron and Kobe

Are you looking to create a store billboard that captures consumer awareness in the local marketplace? Are you looking for new ways to showcase the world's greatest athletes?

Buzz is circulating around Nike's retail location in Fort Bonaficio after the company erected a giant billboard featuring Lebron James and Kobe Bryant above the store's entrance. The billboard shows the two (2) NBA stars appearing to back one another down (a great visual). 

The popularity of Nike's "large" billboard investment reflects the support and excitement surrounding the NBA in the Philippines and other regions in the Far East.

Source: Flickr photos courtesy of Daniel_isBORED

McDonald's Drives Business in Ohio with Sports...

Are you looking for new ways to advertise on team websites? Are you looking fpr new ways to leverage QSR partners?

McDonald's of Northeast Ohio is currently doing a tremendous job leveraging partnerships with the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Cavaliers to drive business at retail. The leading QSR chain is offering a collection of promotions designed to reward sports fans in the local marketplace and drive traffic to retail.

• Cleveland Indians
  • McDonald's is featuring a Big Mac Mondays promotion where fans can redeem their Big Mac top for a free Upper Deck ticket when they purchase a regularly priced one for eight (8) Monday Night Cleveland Indians home games. Fans can redeem their Big Mac top at the Progressive Field box office to capitalize on the offer  
  • McDonald's is also distributing coupons at Gates A&C to stimulate post-game traffic
• Cleveland Cavaliers
  • McDonald's featured a Cavs McFamily Night during the 2008-09 season that offered Cavs fans the chance to purchase four (4) tickets and four (4) McDonald's meals for just $72. The tickets, located in the Loudville section at Quicken Loans Arena, are valued at $116 ($29 apiece). The offer was made available to fans for 15 games during the season.

McDonald's is currently featuring an eye-popping advertising campaign on the Cleveland Cavaliers team website. McDonald's created a "Go for 3" tab in the upper right hand corner of the site that folds down to reveal an offer that enables Cavs fans to purchase three (3) quarter pounder with cheese sandwiches for $5. The tab clicks through to the promotional site for the McDonald's of Northeast Ohio. Check out the advertising feature below:

Using Media to Drive Online Traffic

Are you looking for new ways to drive traffic to your brand/organization's website? Are you looking for new ways to leverage media to drive online results?

Brands and organizations looking to leverage broadcasts and viral pieces to drive online traffic should consider softly embedding URL's into these media productions. Too often, brands fail with incorporating their messaging into viral efforts due to:

• Delaying the viewer experience (some brands make consumers watch a :15-:30 ad prior to the video (causing negative emotions before the viral piece even begins)
• Interrupting the viewer experience (brands often times display intrusive logos, slogans scrolling across the bottom of the screen, etc.
• Taking away from the validity of viral pieces by forcing product placement/messaging into the feature

Brands looking for a way to softly embed their URL in broadcasts/viral pieces should consider benchmarking the enclosed Yomiuri Giants Japanese baseball clip, which effectively demonstrates how teams can leverage viral clips to drive URL awareness (and online traffic as a result). As you will see, the piece features a URL (of Lee seung yeup Love's website - leelove.co.kr) faded into the upper part of the screen. 

Softly embedding a URL into a viral piece may actually peak the interest of consumers as they try to figure out whether it is a resource for additional information/videos and/or how it is aligned with the clip. The more unique (yet relevant) the URL, the more opportunity to capture additional viewer interest. Check out the clip below: 

LetsGoSharks.com Goes Guerrilla in Anaheim...

Are you looking for ways to implement a guerrilla marketing stunt in-arena? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness support in a competitor's arena?

During the 2009 NHL Playoffs, LetsGoSharks.com featured a creative guerrilla signage stunt at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The tactic, designed to drive awareness and support for the Sharks organization (specifically LetsGoSharks.com), featured two (2) rows of Sharks fans doing  a chomping motion with large-sized shark teeth.

LetsGoSharks.com's guerrilla tactic served as an effective way to drive awareness at a competitor's arena and provides a benchmark example for ways that companies with small marketing budgets can drive some incremental visibility in-venue (those without partnership rights will likely get caught and removed but it might be worth the shot).

Check out LetsGoSharks.com's in-venue guerrilla tactic below:

adidas Demonstrates Benefits with Pred-a-Rater

Are you looking to demonstrate to consumers how they can benefit from using your product? Are you looking for ways to leverage soccer personalities?

In March, adidas released a series of soccer viral pieces that feature the world's premier soccer players testing out the company's prized Predator footwear. In each of the clips, adidas demonstrates the benefits derived from wearing Predator soccer boots by measuring the shooting power and precision of the world's finest players using a Pred-a-Rater machine.  

The Pred-a-Rater machine is said to use a mathematical analysis to accurately track a shot's velocity and trajectory on its 11-meter distance from the penalty distance to the goal. Whether the Pred-a-Rater is an accurate measuring tool or not, the clips effectively demonstrate benefits believed to be derived from wearing the Predator footwear (and showcase the personalities of the world's finest soccer stars). Check out two clips from the Pred-a-Rater campaign below:

Grow a Beard for a Good Cause During the NHL Playoffs...

Are you looking for a creative way to drive donations for a charitable organization? Are you looking for a way to capitalize on playoff fever?

During the 2009 NHL playoffs, several teams have aligned with Cenergy Communications to offer a Beard-a-Thon competition for fans to participate in and enjoy online. The Beard-a-Thon serves as a promotional effort designed to drive charitable donations around the excitement of playoff hockey. With a captivating slogan (Grow one for the team), the charitable promotion serves as a great way to engage fans in the action.

On the Beard-a-Thon web site, fans are asked to create an account that shows their playoff beard. For fans that cannot grow facial hair, the site features some graphics to let consumers create a customized look. Once a profile is created, consumers can then donate money on your behalf (or your favorite team) to the charitable cause aligned with the Beard-a-Thon competition. Fans who raise the most money for their charitable organizations will win a grand prize selected by each fo the teams (2nd and 3rd place will also be given prizes in some cases).

Teams are promoting the Beard-a-Thon with press releases and some prime banner ad space on their team home pages. From a social media standpoint, Cenergy Communications created a Twitter account (@Beardathon) to drive some additional impressions (674 followers) for the charitable promotion.

Teams participating in the Beard-a-Thon competition include:

• Boston Bruins (Boston Bruins Foundation) - Raised $67K*
• New York Rangers (Garden of Dreams) - Raised $27K
• Washington Capitals (Caps Care) - Raised $34K
• Chicago Blackhawks (Chicago Blackhawks Charities) - Raised $12K
• Detroit Red Wings (Detroit Red Wings Foundation) - Still Growing
• Philadelphia Flyers (Flyers Charities, Comcast Spectacor Foundation) - Still Growing
• San Jose Sharks (Sharks Foundation) - Still Growing
• Pittsburgh Penguins (The Mario Lemieux Foundation) - Raised $61K
• Carolina Hurricanes (Kids N' Community Foundation) - Raised $35K

*One Bruins fan, Bob Sweeney of Boston, MA raised $11K+ in donations on his own

Enclosed are some vignettes that participating teams created to promote the Beard-a-Thon cause:

Billboard of the Week - Nike, Lebron

Are you looking to create a campaign to promote an athlete endorser's accomplishments? Are you looking to create a captivating billboard campaign?

Nike recently revealed a tremendous billboard outside the Quicken Loans Arena that commemorates LeBron James' first MVP award. Over the years, Nike has generated a significant amount of buzz with its LeBron James billboard campaigns in the city of Cleveland. He is truly the King of the NBA.

Check out the billboard campaign below:

Source: Kyleroth's photos on Flicker

The Aussies Keep Producing Soccer Viral Hits...

Are you looking to create captivating viral campaigns to promote an upcoming match? Are you looking to offer original, entertaining content to fans?

Over the past few months, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) has generated a tremendous amount of online buzz with the creation of some fictional soccer viral pieces that tout their upcoming opponents. The FFA's first viral feature profiled what-appeared-to-be the Uzbekistan soccer club being subject to extreme training methods to get consumers across Australia interested in the match.

The FFA recently released a second soccer viral piece - this time showcasing what-appears-to-be the amazing skills of a Bahrainian goalkeeper. The piece does a tremendous job showcasing how product placement can be woven into viral marketing (it is with hope that the FFA had worked out an agreement with Land Rover to prominently feature one of its vehicles in the ad). Check out the clip below:

Ticketek, Australia and New Zealand's largest sports and entertainment ticketing company, recently capitalized on the soccer viral craze in Australia by creating a viral feature of their own. Ticketek created a piece that showcases the Japan soccer team displaying heroic skills in Japanese television show format. The piece was created by Ticketek in an effort to drive ticket sales for the upcoming June 17th World Cup Qualifier match between Japan and Australia. The feature is another great example of a soccer viral piece - check it out below:

A special thanks to Alex Vitanye of the Ohio Center for Sports Administration for his contributions and insights to this column.

Dodgers Fans Love Mannywood...

Are you looking to create new venue destinations for fans to enjoy? Are you looking for new ways to leverage your team's star players?

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently announced that they are capitalizing on Manny Mania by creating an exclusive section  near the left-field foul pole called "Mannywood". The Dodgers turned sections 51 and 53 into Mannywood, a move that is sure to generate incremental revenue for the organization (artificial ticket demand, merchandise sales, media coverage, etc.).

The organization is selling a pair of field box tickets to the exclusive section for $99 - with an extra bonus, free Manny Ramirez t-shirts. The $99 ticket price tag is symbolic of Ramirez's number (#99). The Dodgers celebrated Cinco De Mayo by distributing "Yo estuve en Mannywood" (translation: "I was in Mannywood") t-shirts to all fans seated in the select sections.

How do you know if you are in Mannywood? Just look for the sign: