Amtrak Provides Special World Series Rides for the Phillies and Yankees

Are you looking for new ways to leverage a corporate partner specializing in transportation services?

The 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies is being called by many the "Amtrak Series", a dream scenario for the inercity passenger rail operator. With New York serving as its busiest train station and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ranking 3rd, Amtrak is doing everything in its power to capitalize on the moment.

Amtrak is servicing chartered trains for the Yankees and Phillies organizations to travel to play their World Series games on the road. When the two (2) opponents faced off in the 1950 World Series, they opted for a similar route of travel due to its convenience. Check out a quick clip of some prominent Yankees players traveling through the train station on their way to Philadelphia for Game 3:

Amtrak is also polling passengers traveling on trains between New York and Philadelphia about their favorite team preferences. All passengers that participate in the study will receive their team's official Championship series t-shirt (thus far, fans have chosen the Yankees over the Phillies by a 1.7-1 margin). Amtrak has distributed 500+ commemorative t-shirts through the initiative.  

Amtrak currently operates 32 sports charters, including six (6) for Major League Baseball organizations.

Source: AOL Money & Finance

Arsenal Uses the Web to Build Global Presence

Are you looking for new ways to drive your team's growth on an international scale? Are you looking for ways to gain new fans in foreign markets?

During the team's match vs. Tottenham Hotspur match this morning, Arsenal used its innovative field-level LED messaging to promote its new website dedicated to fans in China - www.ArsenalChina.com. The team partnered with Titan Online in '09 to create the Official Mandarin language website, which signals the first of several planned initiatives to further penetrate the China marketplace. The site serves as an evolution of the one Arsenal first created in 2007 (http://arsenal.tom.com), and will feature up-to-date news, highlights, articles and information for the team's fans in China. 

The site represents the strong push that many key stakeholders in the English Premier League are making to solidify a presence in the Far East and the United States. EPL clubs Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal have all led the movement by playing international friendlies, offering dedicated websites for fans across the globe, and hosting clinics and soccer schools in foreign lands.

Arsenal even recently launched a website dedicated to their fanbase in the United States, Usa.Arsenal.com. Americans represent 8% of all traffic on Arsenal.com, the club's most popular territory after the UK in terms of web traffic. Check out some screen shots of ArsenalChina.com below:

Coors Light Offers the Race to Refreshment...

Are you looking for ways to leverage a beverage company around an endurance-related event? Are you looking for new ways to integrate alcoholic beverage companies?

Coors Light is capitalizing on the buzz around the 2009 ING New York City Marathon by partnering with the New York Road Runners to offer a creative "Race to Refreshment" promotion for NYC residents and visiters to enjoy. The promotion enables consumers who stop in ten (10) participating establishments across the NYC boroughs to receive a commemorative medal for finishing.

At each stop, participants must collect two (2) official Race to Refreshment stickers from each of the five (5) boroughs and securely place them on an official pamphlet. Once all ten (10) stickers have been received, consumers are asked to mail the form to a stated address and allow 12-14 weeks for the delivery of their exclusive medal. Coors Light distributors and participating locations will run the promotion from September 15th through November 8th.

As the Official Beer Sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon, Coors Light will also offer "refreshment as cold as the Rockies" to race participants and fans at post-race parties across Manhattan and provide beer for official hospitality events leading up to the race on November 1st.

Check out the promotional pamphlet information below:

The Raptors Get Creative With Their OOH Marketing

Are you looking for creative out-of-home marketing ideas? Are you looking for ways to differentiate yourself in the marketplace?

In 2009, the Toronto Raptors created a tremendous out-of-home marketing campaign that drew the attention of many representatives in the industry. The campaign was so well executed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, it was honored by the National Sports Forum (NSF) as the Best Out-of-Home campaign in sports in 2009.

Check out some of the organization's creative OOH marketing tactics below:

Click HERE for a list of some other NSF ADchievement Award Winners.

The Jays Care Foundation Creates Mobile Giving Initiative

Are you looking for new ways to support your organization's charitable initiatives? Are you looking for ways to drive philanthropic giving on gameday?

The Jays Care Foundation recently unveiled a new initiative that provides Blue Jays fans with an easy way to contribute to the lives of children and youth in need in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. The Jays Care Foundation teamed up with Rogers Wireless and the Mobile Giving Foundation to create a mobile giving campaign that enables fans to make a donation right in their seats at the game.

The innovative campaign offers Blue Jays fans the chance to make a $5.00 donation to the Jays Care Foundation by texting "CARE" to the short code 20222. The team will use a videoboard vignette starring the team's All-Star 2nd baseman Aaron Hill to explain the program and ask fans for their contributions. The Blue Jays teamed up with Rogers to drive further awareness for the program by announcing that they would match every $5.00 donation made by a Rogers Wireless or Fido customer during the team's game on September 25th.

Mobile giving is definitely a growing trend to watch in the sports marketplace. With donations appearing as a line item on a customer's wireless bill, teams are providing fans with an extremely easy outlet to make a big difference in the lives of many. By creating this mobility and having the assets available to create a compelling call-to-action for fans, look for more teams, charitable organizations, and corporate partners to jump on board with similar initiatives.

Check out the Jays Care Foundation campaign HERE (a wmv file - it may take a few moments to load).

What other organizations are offering similar mobile initiatives?

• Minnesota Wild
• Florida A&M's Athletics Program
• Special Olympics
• Colorado State Athletics Program
• LSU Sports Properties
• University of Tulsa
• The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation
• Washington Nationals

Celebrate Team History with a Magnetic Billboard

Are you looking for ways to honor your team's history and traditions? Are you looking for new ways to engage fans on gameday?

Sports organizations looking to honor their team history in an engaging manner should consider benchmarking a recent tactic Saatchi & Saatchi Tel Aviv created for the HOT cable TV network in Israel. In an effort to position HOT as the network with the hottest celebrities and shows on television, Saatchi & Saatchi created a 140 meter long billboard in a suburban neighborhood that featured 6,000+ magnetic cutouts of entertainment celebrities.

Consumers walking by the billboard were encouraged to peel off the magnetic celebrity cutouts - a tactic that was very well received. According to records, the magnetic billboard was stripped bare by consumers after just two (2) hours (a process that reoccured several times). The innovative billboard campaign drew the attention of major media channels across the globe.

How can this idea translate in the sports space?

Sports organizations can consider creating a team history wall that features hundreds of magnetic cutouts of past players, coaches, historic moments, logo/uniform changes, mascots, and fans. Teams can encourage fans to "take home a piece of history" or bring a similar concept to life on their team home page (where fans can select different pictorials on a digital wall that explain the relevance of historic moments, former players and personnel, etc.). Creating an "interactive mural" could serve as a great way to help fans appreciate all of the great moments in team history.

Teams can consider partnering on the initiative with a corporate partner whose mission statement plays off the the terms "family", "tradition", "history" and/or is looking for new ways to engage fans. Teams can incite potential partners by placing brand logos/URL with a call-to-action on each of the magnetic pieces that fans take home or redeem at retail.

Costs for the magnetic billboard project were not disclosed. Check out a video of the billboard below:

Hebrew National Offers Free Hot Dogs to Fans...

Is your brand looking for new ways to gain media exposure? Are you looking for ways to promote food/concessions items through sporting events?

During a recent game against the Oakland Raiders, Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez was caught scarfing down a hot dog on the sideline between possessions. Sanchez attempted to apologize and explain the situation, but the damage was already done (garnering some well deserved publicity).

Hebrew National, a ConAgra brand, capitalized on the hot dog frenzy by devising a creative PR ploy that grabbed the attention of the media across the country. The company announced that it would offer free hot dogs to any fans attending an NFL game (with proof of a ticket stub) for the remainder of the season where a quarterback is caught on camera eating a hot dog.

Is the chance of a reocurrence likely? No.

But does it serve as a tremendous PR story for Hebrew National? Definitely.

By responding quickly as an organization, Hebrew National was able to gain thousands of dollars of media exposure and become relevant to sports fans without having to invest large sums of dollars in sponsorship rights, etc. Will the company's PR stunt have an effect on future retail sales? Definitely a possibility (at the very least, Jets fans might always think of Mark Sanchez when they see the Hebrew National brand which isn't a bad thing if Sanchez becomes a premier quarterback in the league).

It would be very interesting to see if an NFL player responded to Hebrew National's call-to-action and attempted the feat (although the NFL would most likely strongly oppose any efforts by Hebrew National as it did with KFC's Super Bowl touchdown ideas).

In the meantime, Hebrew National is offering all fans in attendance at the Jets-Raiders game a chance to redeem their ticket stubs to the game for a free pack of Hebrew National Beef Franks. Fans are being asked to submit their official ticket stub (including valid seat number and game date) and a 3x5 card complete with their name and address to: Sideline Hot Dog Offer PO Box 1026 Grand Rapids, MN 55745-1026. 

Check out a video of Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog on the sidelines below:

Are You Hiring?

Are You Hiring?

Partnership Activation is looking to update its Job Board and identify potential opportunities in the marketplace. We would love to include any openings that you may have open for qualified prospects, etc.

If there is a position that you would like to post on the site (or simply discuss) please feel free to reach out to Brian Gainor at bgainor@gmrmarketing.com.

Thank you and best wishes!

For those looking... check back soon for updates!

The Spurs Provide Loyalty Benefits to Fans...

Are you looking for new ways to incentivize season ticket holders? Are you looking for new ways to reward fans for their years of dedicated commitment to the franchise?

The San Antonio Spurs have unveiled a tremendous fan loyalty benefits program for the 2009-10 season. At a time when clubs are faced with continually providing incremental value for fans, the Spurs organization is offering a five (5) tier loyalty program (based on tenure) that rewards their most avid followers with unique experiences, offers, and discounts:

• 6th Man (season ticket holders for 1-4 years)
• All-Stars (season ticket holders for 5-9 years)
• MVPs (season ticket holders for 10-19 years)
• Hall of Famers (season ticket holders for 20-29 years)
• Legends (season ticket holders for 30+ years)

Here is a grid that provides a breakdown of all the loyalty tiers for comparison purposes.

    

The Vikings Create Value for Their Partners at the Gates

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for corporate partners? Are you looking for ways to help corporate partners "own" stadium gates and related entrances?

In September, the Minnesota Vikings announced two (2) new partnerships with Twin Cities-based Caribou Coffee and the Minnesota Army National Guard. As part of their agreements, both partners received prominent gate signage and the opportunity to engage with Vikings fans at the pre-game Party on the Plaza.

The Vikings organization did a tremendous job bringing the gates to life for both Caribou Coffee and the Minnesota Army National Guard. The Vikings found a unique way to link the brands into the team's messaging ("First Line of Defense" - Minnesota Army National Guard, "Fueled by XX" - Caribou Coffee).

As part of the agreement, both partners received 2,000 square-foot gate signage (produced by Sign A Rama) as well as the right to activate on-site:

• Minnesota Army National Guard (Gate H) - Fans have the opportunity to check out official National Guard armored vehicles and meet some soldiers from the state of Minnesota 
• Caribou Coffee (Gate F) - Fans can enjoy Caribou Coffee inside the stadium and at the pre-game Party on the Plaza 

Source: Vikings.NFL.Com

Looking for New Ways to Reward Season Ticket Holders?

Are you looking for new ways to demonstrate value to season ticket holders? Are you looking for ways to promote small businesses in the local marketplace?

Sports organizations looking for new ways to provide value to dedicated season ticket holders should consider finding new ways to advertise and promote "their" business. In 2008, the New York Knicks created a tremendous resource - the Knicks Business Alliance - to drive sales/B2B efforts amongst the businesses of the team's season ticket holders.

Teams should consider taking the Business Alliance concept one step further by featuring pillars/LED stadium concourse level signage that touts season ticket holders' business cards or related information. Teams could consider partnering with a financial/insurance/tax services company to execute the initiative (and provide additional benefits/services for all parties involved).

The Firstbank in Colorado recently implemented a similar initiative that has drawn raves of excitement. The bank installed a series of rotating display signage that featured a collection of business cards representing their small business customers with the tagline, "We care about small business" (a team could use the tagline, "We care about our season ticket holders").

Source: CherryFlava.com

The NFL Pulled Out All the Tricks at Wembley...

Are you looking for ways to enhance your organization's pre-game entertainment? Are you looking to feature new inflatable attractions at your venue?

Over the past few years, the National Football League (NFL) has experimented with various forms of entertainment at the league's annual international match played at Wembley Stadium. The league did a tremendous job again this year providing fans attending the Patriots vs. Buccaneers game at Wembley with a full plate of entertainment. Check out some of the attractions below:   

Team Helmet Inflatables - Patriots vs. Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium

Festive Game Atmosphere - Patriots vs. Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium

Team Introductions - Patriots vs. Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium

The Wave - Patriots vs. Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium

Cheerleader Entertainment - Patriots vs. Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium

The Redskins Push Lottery Tickets at the Pump...

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for c-store promotions? Are you looking for new ways to leverage lottery partners?

The Washington Redskins and the Virginia Lottery announced a partnership in June 2009 to create a new $50MM scratch-off ticket that would go on sale just prior to the team's '09 season opener. Fans can purchase the team-branded scratch-off tickets for $20 and have the chance to instantly win prizes between $20 and $1MM.

What's unique about the scratch-off promotion is that the Virginia Lottery has teamed up with c-store locations to market the offer on gas pumps (as shown below). The attractive offer catches the eye of consumers for a solid 3-5 minutes while they pump gas. More organizations should consider using non-traditional OOH mediums like gas pumps to drive home their promotional messaging (especially at c-store locations near their venues).

Jelena Jankovic and Wrigley's Set a Smiles Record

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers? Are you looking to create an innovative promotional campaign that effectively engages consumers?

Tennis star Jelena Jankovic teamed up with Wrigley's Orbitz chewing gum to create a unique promotion in an effort to earn a berth in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The promotion asked tennis fans around the globe to submit a picture of their trademark smile for a chance to win a trip for two (2) to the Pyramisa Blue Lagoon resort in Egypt. Consumers responded to the call-to-action by submitting 137,264 photos for the promotion (80,000 of which were collected by Orbitz' "Smiling Patrols" field ambassador teams). The promotional site featured thousands of submitted pictures, so consumers could check out their pictures and share them with friends. 

Between March 1st and September 20th, all of the photos that consumers submitted were gathered and placed into a giant mosiac of a smile, measuring 930 square meters, inside Belgrade Arena. The collaborative effort to create the world's largest smiles mosaic helped Wrigley, Jankovic, and her native country of Serbia earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Check out some pictures of the final mosaic below (pulled from the promotional website):

Beginning in March, Orbitz used a television commercial starring Jankovic to entice consumers to take part in the promotion. Jankovic, known for her trademark smile, was chosen as an Orbitz brand ambassador in Spring 2009. Check out her Orbitz advert (and behind-the-scenes footage) below:

Source: SonyEricssonWTATour.com

NBDL Mascot Lives on Billboard to Sell Tickets

Are you looking for new ways to spur ticket sales? Are you looking to leverage a team mascot in a media campaign?

The Utah Flash of the NBA D-League recently called on their mascot, Flash Fox, to pull of an incredible stunt to drive season ticket sales. The team asked their mascot to live atop of a billboard along I-15 in American Fork, UT until the team sold 500 incremental season ticket packages... so he did.

On Friday, October 16th, Flash Fox took residence on a billboard touting the team's "Buy Tickets, Save Flash Fox" campaign and lived there for a full week until the team sold 500 season ticket packages. To pass the time, Flash Fox chatted with fans online, broadcasted his day-to-day actions to fans across the nation via Ustream, and camped out with a tent and a rocking chair.

The Utah Flash did a tremendous job supporting the campaign with a custom microsite (www.saveflashfox.com) that fostered Flash Fox's online fan interaction and linked to official Twitter/Facebook pages that featured frequent posts and video updates. The site featured tickers that detailed how long Flash had been living on top of the billboard and how many tickets still needed to be sold. It also mentioned local companies/persons who purchased tickets in support of the cause. 

When the team successfully sold 500 tickets, it called on the local fire department to help Flash Fox get down and filmed the entire story. Check out a terrific video of the entire campaign here:

Check out some of the media exposure the team received from the campaign:

• Yahoo Sports - http://is.gd/4zBkm
• Fox 13 - http://is.gd/4zBgO

Toronto FC Fans Find a Classy Way Say Thank You

Are you looking for a great way to honor a distinguished teammate, coach, owner, or fan? Are you looking for ways to celebrate the final game of a season?

Toronto FC supporters recently celebrated the team's final game at BMO Field in 2009 by paying tribute to Danny Dichio, a recently retired striker who now serves as one of club's assistant coaches.

Fans of Toronto FC created a massive banner that stretched the length of the entire south end of the stadium to show their appreciation for all that Dichio has done for the club since coming from overseas. Dicho was taken back by the incredible gesture by the team's fans and went on the field to thank them for their efforts. The banner was unveiled prior to the game during the national anthem and then again, after the conclusion of the season finale match.

The team's supporters, the Red Patch Boys and the U-Sector, put in a lot of work to create the largest fan-produced banner in team history. Check out the production process below!

Here is a clip of the banner terrific execution in real-time...

Here is a video compilation of the banner effort and Danny Dichio's thoughts and appreciation:

Partnership Activation 2.0 - October 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 October 2009 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to three (3) Linked In contacts who also may enjoy some of the insights shared in the newsletter.

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

• Video Board Gaming
• Batter's Eye Activation
• Doing the Small Things That Make a BIG Difference
• A Look at the 2009 China Open
• Details on the Sponsorship Insights Group Newsletter
• The October Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
• Ways to Leverage a Geico Partnership
• Creative Activation Ideas

*For those interested in subscribing/unsubscribing to the newsletter distribution list (who have not already done so), please send an email to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com and include "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Please also include your full name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the October 2009 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!

Consider Bringing Your Stadium's Stairs to Life

Are you looking to provide incremental inventory for corporate partners? Are you looking for new ways to leverage sonic branding at your venue?

Sports organizations looking for new ways to enhance the gameday experience via branding should take note of the piano stairs craze circulating around the world. If you have not seen the clip yet (shown below), Volkswagen decided that it would change consumer behavior (taking the escalator vs. the stairs) just by making a staircase "more fun".

The result? Volkswagen's plan worked. After the company worked with DDB to transform a staircase in Stockholm's Odenplan subway station into a giant piano (that played music as people stepped on the stairs), 66% of persons chose to take the stairs. Check it out below:

Sports representatives should take the creative piano stairs concept and look for ways that it can be applied in their stadium environment. After all, Stockholm execution proved that it is a concept that consumers are receptive to and react positively. Soon enough a vendor will emerge that will help make piano stairs a mainstream phenomenon in the United States.

How can this idea be replicated in the sports space? Sports organizations can create piano stairs that play:

• Excerpts of team theme songs
• In-game jingles (7th inning stretch, goal horn, famous announcer sayings, etc.)
• Corporate partner theme songs (e.g. McDonald's jingle)
• Team music (e.g. Banshee Music produced intro/outro tunes)
• Popular music amongst fans (pop hits, etc.)

The piano stairs concept has already been implemented at various locales in the United States and at venues across the globe (for those sports organizations looking to benchmark how this idea may work in their venue):

• Science Museum of Minnesota
• Museum of Science in Boston
• Sony Center (Tokyo)

Source: Pixelsumo.com

Have You Considered the Human Jumbotron?

Are you looking for unique ways to engage fans in-venue? Are you searching for ways to add entertainment value to the fan experience?

While the stadium arms race has dominated the North American marketplace, some Asian sports organizations (particularly in South Korea) have continued to place an emphasis on creating a human jumbotron effect. In fact, they have gotten pretty good at it over the years.

The human videoboard involves a large group of individuals who carry out choreographed chants and color movements (using layers of shirts), driving spirit and excitement amongst onlookers. It really is something that you just have to see for yourself:

Looking to Sell More Pizza at Your Venue?

Are you looking for new ways to leverage a corporate pizza partner? Are you searching for ways to drive concessions sales at your venue?

Donato's recently teamed up with Columbus-based Engauge and Clear Channel Outdoor to create a compelling outdoor billboard campaign in an effort to promote the chain's new hand-tossed pie. The pizza chain created a gigantic pizza billboard in downtown Columbus that created an illusion that steam was rising from the pizza (due to it being so hot and fresh).

How did they do it?

According to MediaLife Magazine, Clear Channel Outdoor and an independent contractor installed ducts in the billboard to emit steam. Afterwards, the parties positioned the giant pizza at a certain height on the billboard to create an illusion that the steam was rising from the pizza. The billboard released steam every minute during peak commuter hours in downtown Columbus.

Check out the creative billboard below. This would serve as an effective way for sports organizations to bring their pizza partners' static signage to life in-venue!

Source: PMQ.com