October 2012 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Welcome to the October 2012 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter! As I noted previously, I will continue to distribute the newsletter on a quarterly basis. Thanks for your continued support and I look forward to connecting with many of you soon!

Here is a link to the link to the October 2012 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter. After reviewing the newsletter, please take a moment to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other platforms and modes of communication. Here is a shortened URL that you can use to include in tweets, etc: http://bit.ly/TxKeM8

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

• A Look at the Grey Cup 100 Tour
• The Top 20 Influential Sports Teams on Twitter (per Klout)
• Eyes on the Industry - Content
• 10 Ways to Leverage Storify
• Navigate Research Industry Spotlight: The Value of Social
• Under Armour's Out-Ray Ray Initiative
• adidas Welcomes RGIII to D.C. in Style
• Technology to Keep an Eye On: GPS Trackers
• Sports Business Now
• Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
• October 2012 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Social Media Spotlight: Farmers Insurance 
• Partnership Spotlight: KPMG
• A Close Look at the 2012 London Olympic Games
• 30+ Ways to Leverage Energy Drink Partners
• 5 #SportsBiz Twitter Handles You Must Follow
• The Partnership Activation Rising Stars 1st Annual Retreat to Chicago
• Mizuno Engages Consumers with Augmented Reality
• Partnership Activation Grab Bag
• Idea Box
• Manchester City Showcases Social Integration 

Click here to check out the October 2012 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and followBrian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

Red Bull Stratos Lives Up to All Expectations

Red Bull pulled off the unthinkable today when it called upon skydiving expert Felix Baumgartner to attempt one of the most incredible stunts ever performed by man. As part of a Red Bull Stratos mission, Baumgartner executed a record breaking jump from the edge of space wearing a special space suit. 

During the jump, Baumgartner reached speeds of 833 miles per hour... absolutely incredible.

Will thousands around the world will debate whether the Stratos stunt will help the brand sell more product, there's no question Red Bull will see the fruits of their efforts. The stunt captured the minds and interests of consumers across the globe for several weeks and received a significant amount of media coverage from the world's largest media outlets. 

Brands are defined by consumer engagements and experiences and this will stunt alone will be something that's talked about worldwide for years to come... and aligns so closely with everything the brand stands for.

Check out the highlights from the Red Bull Stratos jump here:

Leverage Fan Impressions to Power Online Channels with Fresh, Engaging Content

As teams look for creative ways to power their social and digital channels with humorous, engaging, and shareable content, they should consider identifying a fan who delivers world-class impressions.

As featured in the viral below, which has attracted 350,000 views, teams can easily turn to a social influencer to record his/her impressions of every player on the team (as well as opponents' players each game). This type of content is very cost-effective, easy to execute, and fresh for teams to produce, especially if they can identify a great fan to deliver a memorable performance.

This type of content also presents opportunities to incorporate corporate partners - from local comedy clubs to brands simply looking for new ways to drive awareness on gameday.

Check out the video below and consider new ways that your organization can bring fan impressions to life through your online channels!

West Bromwich Lets Compete to Score a House

Soccer organizations have a prime opportunity to get creative with the way they leverage corporate partnerships during halftime. In recent years, we have seen several Barclays Premier League clubs begin to get very aggressive with integrating corporate partners into the action.

A great example of this is West Bromwich, who is partnering with Zoopla.co.uk to create and execute a halftime challenge that gives fans a chance to test their shooting accuracy for the chance to win a free house! The promotion is a very simple, yet very effective means to drive awareness for Zoopla as a partner, drive fan excitement, and create a memorable impression.

Check out their halftime execution below: