Cuban uses Political Buzzword to Fuel the Mavericks' Brand...

Are you looking for a unique way to capitalize on buzzwords?

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has made it his mission to take back the term, "Maverick". Ever since the Vice Presidential Debates began, the McCain-Palin campaign has used the term loosely, leading Mavericks owner and HDNet chairman Mark Cuban to say enough is enough.

On his blog, Cuban blasted the press for supporting McCain's maverick references and mythology. Last week, he decided to use it to his team's advantage by implementing the slogan, "The Only Mavericks that matter" as its pre-season campaign.

Cuban claims, "It's time to return the Maverick name where it truly belongs. On our jerseys." He then went on to remark, "Should I just put McCain on the back of a Mavericks jersey and have someone selling them at Republican rallies and on their website?? Not that's an idea!"

It looks like he is on to something... Prediction: Knowing Cuban, there will be a McCain spotting at a Mavericks game later this year... The guy is a salesman and won't let it slip by...

Nike "Wraps" Up Its Rugby World Cup Sponsorship...

Are you looking to support your partnership investments with a unique brand building campaign? Are you looking to drive awareness for your affiliation with an event in a high-traffic marketplace?

Nike created a unique brand building campaign in Paris, France to support its sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup. Nike re-branded several high-traffic retail locations (cafe's, lounges, restaurants, local shops) throughout Paris with a unique wrap - check out the photos below!

   

Follow Obama's Lead with Video Game Advertising...

Are you looking to advertise your brand in video games?

Follow the lead of U.S. Senator Barack Obama, who recently became the first presidential candidate to advertise in video games. Obama's campaign has featured an "Early Voting Has Begun" billboard campaign in a selection of online video games, including Burnout Paradise, NASCAR '09, NHL '09, NBA Live '08, Need for Speed, NFL Tour, and Skate...

The Obama campaign is targeting the online billboard campaign at video game players living in ten (10) swing states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Nearly 1/3 of households own a popular video game console.

EA Sports has willingly acknowledged that it is currently featuring the Obama ads in some of its most popular video game titles. The company notes that it is open to promoting any credible candidate.

If your organization is looking to create a holistic messaging platform aimed at targeting a specific consumer base, consider modeling a plan similar to the one executed by the Obama campaign (obviously with scaled back dollars). Obama has led a technological charge in '08, embracing SMS, text, social networking, blogs, widgets, and additional digital formats.

New! - Partnership Activation October Newsletter

The Partnership Activation 2.0 October Newsletter was recently released. To receive a copy of the publication, please click HERE. 

To subscribe to the newsletter distribution list (if you haven't already done so), simply send an email to newsletter@partnershipactivation.net with "subscribe" in the subject line. Please include your full name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing. If you like what you see, please pass the newsletter (and/or link to this site) along to your friends and colleagues in the industry who also may be interested.

If your organization is interested in advertising on www.PartnershipActivation.net or through the Partnership Activation 2.0 newsletter, affordable opportunities are available. Please send all inquiries to advertising@partnershipactivation.net.

Thank you for all of your support!

Regards,

Brian

IMS Presents a New Wave of Ticketing Technology...

Is your organization looking to implement a new, innovative ticketing initiative? Are you looking for new ticketing technologies that enable fans to have "loaded tickets"?

The sports industry is a growing, vibrant industry that is constantly working with the newest technologies to enhance the fan experience and increase revenues. In tough economic times, it is vital for teams to continue to be innovative in order to sell ticket inventory, sponsorships, and merchandise. The newest product that is being adopted by teams is the use of stored-value ticketing. International Micro Systems (IMS) is the founder of this new technology (STADIS), which they are currently implementing at stadiums and arenas across the nation.

What is STADIS?

STADIS is a stored-value ticketing solution. The STADIS platform goes far beyond standard gift cards offered by other point of sale providers.

STADIS is a Venue Management Application that integrates a team's existing retail, food and beverage, ticketing, parking, suites, accounting, CRM, and additional systems through one central database (the technology is pretty incredible).

How are teams using STADIS?

As STADIS becomes commonplace in the industry, teams are using it in new creative ways:

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have been using the system for five (5) years and have led the way in innovation with stored-value ticketing. The Phillies organization started off with a minimal amount of seats in the Diamond Club, an area behind home plate, that were activated. The cost of each ticket included $30 of value built into the bar code of the ticket that could be redeemed at any POS in the stadium.

As the Phillies learning curve grew and fan acceptance and demand increased, the team began to implement more creative ways to use the STADIS technology. Today, the Phillies organization activates thousands of seats per game to include special promotions, coupons, group tickets, and more.

Wachovia Center

This season, the Wachovia Center will be the first to roll out a combination of account based and "use it or lose it" STADIS. This technology enables them to load $25 in each season ticket holder account as an incentive to renew seats. The fan then has the opportunity to load more money into the account, which rolls over from game to game.

Why should your organization use STADIS?

From a sponsorship angle, stored-value ticketing can be used to integrate corporate sponsors directly with fans. For example, teams can have a strategic partner sponsor an in-game promotion. If the Philadelphia 76ers score 100+ points during a game, the team can offer a promotional increntive where every fan with a store-value ticket will receive $5 of value on their bar code to spend throughout the stadium, courtesy of Comcast. The possibilities are endless and the consumer data that is captured can be very valuable to organizations and their supporting partners.

This STADIS technology is pretty incredible and is the future wave of ticketing... Keep an eye out for more teams rolling out stored-value ticketing programs with STADIS.

A special thanks to Peter Berman of IMS for his insights and contributions to this column. For more information on STADIS technology, please contact Peter at PBerman@ims-pos.com.

A Look at the NFL - Week 8

Here is a quick look at some best practices and unique tactics from around the NFL during Week 8:

Buccaneers Honor Alstott Using a Card Stunt - During halftime of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's Sunday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the team honored Mike Alstott with a special halftime ceremony. On what was designated "Mike Alstott Night", the Buccaneers featured a unique halftime card stunt which spelled out the number 40 in the crowd seating in the end zone.

The team also paid tribute to the legendary fullback by introducing his name in the starting lineup, allowing him serve as the honorary captain for the coin toss, and by showing his career highlights on the video board throughout the game. 

Houston Texans Honor Hometown Olympic Heroes - During halftime of the Texan's recent home game against the Detroit Lions, the team honored Hometown Olympic Athletes, including Houston Rockets star Yao Ming (although they incorrectly listed him as a member of the U.S. Olympics Men's Basketball Team). The team's Hometown Heroes program is sponsored by Halliburton.

Oakland A's Feature Signage During Raiders Games - Using a great cross-promotional tactic, the Oakland A's prominently feature team signage adjacent to the jumbotron during Oakland Raider home games.

Seattle Seahawks Fans Get Creative With Their Facial Hair - If sports marketers ever needed a reminder why Gillette and Schick spend money in the sports space, here is their answer. When game day comes around, fans always find a way to get creative with their shaving.

The Redskins Need Your Vote - Capitalizing on "Election Fever", the Washington Redskins released a new campaign designed to drive fans to vote their favorite Redskins into the Pro Bowl. On the team website, the Redskins use HOFers Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff to encourage fans to vote.

Garth Brooks and the Royals Collaborate on In-Game Entertainment...

Is your property looking to begin a new tradition? Are you looking for new ways to integrate music into your events?

In 2008, the Kansas City Royals started a new tradition that quickly became a favorite among fans. During the 6th inning of every home game, the team began playing the legendary Garth Brooks hit, "Friends in Low Places" on the video board, complemented with lyrics and crowd shots for fans to enjoy. The song, which quickly became known as FNLP among the team's camera crew (due to its regularity), became an instant hit among the KC faithful.

Chris DeRuyscher, the team's director of game entertainment, thought of the idea while attending a Garth Brooks concert at the Sprint Center. Realizing Brooks' history with the Royals organization as a Spring Training participant a few years ago, it made every bit of sense to integrate his music into the Royals' game entertainment.

The Royals used a two (2) hour session with Garth Brooks to create 20-25 different openings for "Friends in Low Places".  The collaborating parties catered introductions for the song to specific promotional nights the team was offering during the season (e.g. Ladies night). This is a great example of a team tapping into its local roots to create some true fan entertainment!

Check out a clip of the in-game feature below:

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Looking to Integrate TV Characters and Personalities Into Your Event?

Is your property looking for new ways to entertain fans? Are you looking for unique ways to leverage television characters and personalities in an effort to drive fan excitement?

The Los Angeles Kings have utilized Cartman, a character on the hit television show South Park, as a means to entertain fans during its home games at the Staples Center. The team features Cartman in a :30 vignette on the jumbotron that leads Kings fans to scream "Go Kings Go".

The success of the Cartman skit opens the door for a number of new opportunities to leverage television shows, movies, and other media at sporting events. There is an untapped opportunity for properties to seek new revenue streams through media partnerships - everything from sponsorship dollars (in-venue signage/integration) to cross-promotions to premium giveaways on-site.

Check out how the Kings have effectively used Cartman as a means to drive fan excitement over the past few years:

How Effectively Does Your Property Market Its Stars?

Is your league/property effectively promoting its star athletes?

There isn't a league that understands and markets its star power better than the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA has created a fantastic '08-'09 media campaign that educates the general consumer base on its star athletes, painting a clear picture of their personalities and the impact they made in the league. 

Take a moment to check out three (3) of the league's newest viral clips that drive fan excitement for the upcoming NBA season:

MAKE Fans Notice Your Brand at Games...

Are you looking for a way to drive awareness for your brand in-venue more effectively?

Mexican brand marketers have found a simple solution to drive eyeballs towards their signage at soccer games played in Estadio Jalisco, Mexico's third largest soccer stadium. The answer? Sex sells (everyone knows it, but is everyone doing it in the sports space?)

Mexican brand marketers hire five (5) to eight (8) models to stand along the sidelines and hold their signs for the duration of the game. While some persons may take offense to this marketing practice, brands have found that this has proven to be an effective medium to drive awareness at a minimal cost in sporting events around the world.

If a brand like Axe implemented such a tactic in front of a student section at a football game,  wouldn't one expect to see a high consumer recall for their brand post-game? It could make a lot of sense for certain brands...

Here are a few examples of the strategy in action:

 

     

Take Mascot Stunts to the Next Level...

Are you looking for a new way to entertain your fans in-venue? Is your organization maximizing the use of its mascot?

Teams are taking mascot stunts to the next level... pretty soon, they will be hiring stunt devils to pull off some unique tricks. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the latest example of a team asking its mascot to go above and beyond his/her call of duty.

The team has worked with Aerial Concepts to develop a system that enables Jackson DeVille, the team's mascot, to jump off the top lighting fixture of the stadium and glide down to the field... Pretty impressive!

Check out the two (2) clips below that capture Jackson DeVille's amazing game day stunt:

How are Products Sold to Consumers at Your Venue?

When products are not selling well at your venue, how often do you think to re-tool its method of delivery?

In some cases, a slight change might do the trick. To spike product sales:

• Find ways to demonstrate to fans that you value the product you are selling to them (e.g. the Guinness example below)
• Find unique ways to make the buying process an experience (e.g. the Boston Clam Chowder example below)
• Find innovative ways to differentiate the product from others in-venue (if hot dogs are a high margin item that you want to push at your baseball stadium, find unique ways to sell consumers on the fact that it is a baseball past time to take in a game with a hot dog in your hand)

Here are two (2) examples of unique methods of product delivery in-venue:

Guinness Holder - Hong Kong Stadium

Guinness found a way to enhance their method of delivery at Hong Kong stadium - simply changing the packaging that it used to deliver its products. Instead of having beer vendors deliver its Guinness product in mass trays (which we typically see in the United States), it distributed specific beer holders to demonstrate to fans that they should receive the perfect pour and no beer will go to waste in the delivery process... Talk about picking your brand up a notch at the ballgame!

Soup Delivery - Fenway Park

It's one thing to say that you ate New England Clam Chowder at Fenway Park (pretty unusual, eh?). It's another to say that you were served New England Clam Chowder at Fenway Park by a vendor who balanced and delivered it on their head.

Are there other unique products that your organization can take from the concourse level and offer to fans in the ballpark via vendors? Fans have become so accustomed to receiving beer, peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy, soda, and pretzels from vendors roaming the stands - but are there higher margin items that your property can also sell to fans sitting in their seats? Especially if we are talking about a product that you are introducing to fans at your venue for the first time? It is a thought worth considering...

Are You Looking For This (Bacon Salt) Man?

Has your organization ever been fooled by a unique guerilla marketing tactic? Are you looking for ideas on ways to create a guerilla marketing campaign that will drive awareness for your brand?

The makers of J&D's Bacon Salt found a unique way to drive awareness for their brand - by suiting up an employee in a bacon outfit and having him make appearances at high-profile football tailgates and sporting events.

While the Bacon Salt Boy "illegally" takes pictures, schmoozes with fans, and distributes product samples and branded beer coozies, property representatives work their powers to track him down and have him removed from the grounds for his frowned upon guerilla marketing tactics. Fans however LOVE this guy.

It turns out that the mystery Bacon Salt Boy has made appearances at sporting events across the The Bacon Man at work on his costume prior to the OSU gamenation... Check out the events that he has recently been to below - will he show up at your event next?

• Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers - 10.14.2008
• Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns - 9.28.2008
• Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers - 9.27.2008
• Gotham Girls Roller Derby Halftime Show - 9.17.2008
• Seattle - The Main Stage Comedy Club - 9.1.2008
• UNC Charlotte vs. Xavier basketball game - early 2008

Here is a clip of Bacon Salt's haltime entertainment during the Gotham Girls Roller Derby - the company featured a Bacon vs. Salt race:

The Bacon Salt Boy is scheduled to face-off in a Mayonnaise Wrestling fight versus the Seattle Mudhens women's rugby team, the Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling League's all-star wrestlers, and The Bacon Girls on October 30th (at Heaven's Night Club - Seattle). Look for more on J&D's Bacon Salt guerilla marketing heroics!

Looking for a Unique Way to Launch the Season?

Is your organization looking for a unique way to launch the start of your season? Are you looking for ways to incorporate corporate partners into a gala type of event?

The Chicago Blackhawks kicked off their 2008-09 season with a special red carpet event on Madison Street before facing off against the Nashville Predators later that evening. The event, held from 5:00 to 5:30 pm, provided Blackhawks fans with a way to get close to their hockey heroes and served as a way for the team to give back to the general public.

The 2008-09 Blackhawks players arrived at the United Center in front of Gate 3 and were introduced before walking down the red carpet into the arena. The event featured Color Analyst Eddie Olczyk as the master of ceremonies and President John McDonough as a guest speaker. Celebrities on-hand for the event included Blackhawks legends Stan Mikita, Jim Pappin, Cliff Koroll, Jack O'Callahan as well as the team mascot and the Bud Light Ice Crew.

Unfortunately, despite the red carpet display, the Blackhawks lost to Nashville 3-2 in a shootout in front of 21,712 screaming fans in attendance for the home opener.  

New Nike Viral - Use Messaging to Tell a Story...

Does your brand messaging tell a story?

Nike does a tremendous job painting a portrait of the lives of Ladanian Tomlison and Troy Polamalu in its most recent "Leave Nothing" viral piece entitled "Fate". The clip depicts how it was fate that the two (2) athletes would meet in the NFL, and does an excellent job showing how they grew up with Nike while entering different stages of their lives. Check it out below!

Increase Your Brand's Relevancy In-Broadcast...

Are you looking for ways to enhance your brand's relevancy in-broadcast?

Toyota had similar objectives in early 2008 when it collaborated with Conill and FoxSports en Espanol to create an integrated advertising campaign in-broadcast to promote the launch of the new Toyota Corolla.

The campaign, termed "The Lineman" incorporated action-packed banners into the live programming of the Copa Libertadores tournament positioned strategically in the lower frame of the screen, seamlessly integrating :15-second entertaining videos that looked like they were part of the action:

• In one, a flag-waving lineman is distracted from the match by a huge billboard of the 2008 Corolla on the field.
• In another, a photographer shooting the match stops to stare at the billboard.
• The third video features a player warming up to go into the game, until he sees the Corolla sign.

The realism in each of the videos make the television viewer believe that the lineman, reporter, and a substitute player are truly distracted by their love for the new Toyota Corolla. The piece was so well done, it recently won Advertising Age's 2008 Best of Show Award.

To see the clip, click here (disregard the Spanish messaging/commentary - just watch 1:00 mark) - this non-traditional sports advertising is a "must see"!

Looking to Leverage Health Care Partners?

Are you looking to leverage health care partners in-venue? Are you looking to create health care messaging that resonates with fans?

Utilize the Jumbotron to show clips of hazardous things that can happen to fans while tailgating on game day (as demonstrated in the clip below).

By showing fans the accidents that can occur (in a funny way) while tailgating, supporting health care partners can drive home a message that not only resonates with fans but reminds them WHY they need health insurance and health care support in the first place.

Health care partners can support these short viral clips by tagging them with a unique web page (e.g. www.RedskinsFansontheIR.com) that drives fans to learn more about their team affiliation, coverage and services.

No Celebrities are Safe from the Boo Birds...

Are you planning on featuring a prominent celebrity at an upcoming game or event?

If so, make sure that your marketing team has adequately prepared a comprehensive "emergency plan" in case the celebrity is not as well received by the fans as you had anticipated.

Case in point? Sarah Palin's recent appearance at a Philadelphia Flyers home game was met with a chorus of thunderous boos from the crowd (despite being the nation's most famous hockey mom!). Check out the clip below: 

A Look at the NFL - Week 7

Here is a quick look at some best practices and unique tactics from around the NFL during Week 7:

Unique Press Box Branding - The San Francisco 49ers found a unique entitlement partner for their press box at Candlestick Park.

Unique Premium Giveaways/Offers - Eagle fans love their Yuengling. Could we potentially see corporate partners (who have rights to marks, etc.) soon begin offering redemption programs offering fans a replica jersey with the company's name on the back?

If fans become receptive to such a promotional offer, it could serve as a great way for companies to receive some non-traditional branding in-venue - the success of such an offer is largely dependent on the brand (e.g. it could potentially work very well for Seattle Seahawks-Jones Soda but probably not for the Charlotte Bobcats-Bojangles)

Unique Ways to Leverage Corporate Partners - Does your organization currently have an Official Cigar sponsor? The Washington Redskins have collaborated with Club Macanudo to bring cigars to the tailgating fans by having staffers circle the parking lots on golf carts with cigars for sale... The marketing tactic is a great way to drive awareness for the Club Macanudo Cigar Bar, located between Sections 306-308 at Fed Ex Field and deliver value to the fans!

Unique Ways to Sell Products - Football fans in DC have fallen in love with a unique version of ladder golf, the NFL Ladder Golf Toss

Unique Ways to Drive Impressions - Looking to drive attention to your sign in-venue? Work with your corporate partners to situate a band (or another form of entertainment) in front of it. By having signage that is perched just above the group entertaining fans in-venue (e.g. the Toyota signage in the photo below) you are guaranteed incremental media visibility and eyeballs in-venue.

Taking a "Corporate Look" at the '08 Red River Rivalry...

Fans across the nation had the pleasure of watching one of college football's finest games of 2008 - the Red River Rivalry between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma. The contest, traditionally played at the Cotton Bowl, featured some exciting action on and off the field for consumers to enjoy. Enclosed below is a breakdown of some of the sponsorship, activation, and branding highlights from the game:

Halftime Card Display - At halftime, fans in attendance took out colored sheets of paper that were placed at their seats prior to the game that spelled out "Boomer Sooner", displayed the University of Texas longhorn logo, and the Carl's Jr. logo.

Light Signage - Each of the major light fixtures at the Cotton Bowl were adorned with corporate signage. The signage received tremendous coverage on ABC.

Unique Ticket Branding - Tickets for the Red River Rivalry featured an AT&T branded logo that extended outside the traditional ticket size

Unique Rock Band Mobile Display - A Rock Band mobile display was featured outside the Cotton Bowl for fans to enjoy. The mobile, which tours State Fairs across the country, provided fans with a unique entertainment piece prior to the game.

Branded Team Planes - The planes transporting the teams, cheerleaders, and support staff were branded with the Red River Rivalry logo

Ample AT&T Activation On-Site - AT&T has done a tremendous job driving value out of this property. The wireless company featured an ample amount of activation/branding in-venue and outside the stadium gates

Branded Trash Cans on the Sideline - Trash cans situated on the sidelines prominently displayed Texas State Fair branding. This idea can be benchmarked by teams looking to leverage waste management partners.

New Fashion Trends? Female Oklahoma fans wore dresses featuring the words "Boomer" and "Sooner" - outfits made for fans to go to the game in pairs... Are there similar clothing schemes that can be made for your institution/property?