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.  

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"!

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?

A Look at the NFL - Week 6

Here is a quick look at some best practices and unique tactics from around the NFL during Week 6:

For Sunday's home opener at Reliant Stadium, the Texans' video board cued up an animated rendition of the old Super Mario Bros. Nintendo game, complete with Super Mario theme music, with "Super Mario Williams" tossing Manning aside in the clip (Houston Texans blog)

Buccaneer fans created their own version of the Cheesehead - an idea we could soon see replicated by fans of Packer opponents across the league

The Dolphins prominently featured a new banner in the upper deck that details how fans can use a text messaging means to report unruly neighbors in the stands

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps served as the honorary guest for the Ravens-Titans pre-game coin toss, a game played in Phelps' hometown of Baltimore

Eagle fans give a whole new meaning to the phrase "Go Green"

Looking for a Creative Way to Drive Beer Sales?

Are you looking for a creative way to drive alcohol sales in-venue? Are you looking for new ways to leverage your supporting beer providers?

The Vancouver Canucks created a unique LED messaging piece - "Beer Exit Routes are Located to Your Left and Right" - to remind fans that beers are only a few steps away from their seats... It's time to go purchase!

Looking for New Ways to Promote Your Brand?

Are you looking for new ways to capture and hold the attention of consumers? Are you looking for new technologies that will help promote your brand?

360BrandVision may have all of the answers for your needs. 360Brandvision is a Las Vegas based company that designs and develops 3D Holographic images that are suspended in mid-air and can be seen in 360 degrees. The company's incredible technology has proven to be an effective medium for capturing the attention of consumers.

Sports and brand marketers alike can utilize the 360BrandVision technology for permanent displays in-venue, product launches (in-venue), POS displays at retail, trade shows, and special events. The company currently boasts an impressive list of clientele, including Adidas, BMW, Lexus, Bacardi, Microsoft, and Toyota.

Here is a quick breakdown of some of the company's products:

Cheoptics360 - 360BrandVision's Cheoptics360 provides teams and brands alike a chance to promote their team/product in a 360 degree presentation display. This new consumer-facing technology would serve as an incredible interactive feature to display in the concourse/suite levels of venues.

Free Format - 360BrandVision's Free Format technology provides brand marketers with an effective medium to take their static branding to another level. The interactive technology would serve as an effective way to use blank wall space in the concourse levels to attract the attention of passerby consumers.

VideoLogo - 360BrandVision's VideoLogo technological capabilites could lead to a new wave of interactive signage featured in stadiums across the globe. The VideoLogo technology provides brands with a great way to escape the static stadium clutter (in ways similar to LED signage)

For more information on ways to promote your brand using 360BrandVision technology, reach out to Nick Vilardell, VP of Business Development for 360BrandVision at nick@360brandvision.com. This is a new wave of technology that could dramatically enhance your brand's positioning in-venue!

ESPN Amplifies Its Outdoor Branding...

Are you looking for an out-of-the-box outdoor branding idea?

In an effort to promote its 'Is it Monday Yet?' campaign, ESPN posted hundreds of turf-like branded mats in bus shelters and outdoor areas across the nation. Each of the branded mats featured a different football-related phrase, such as "T.G.I.M.N.F"., "Sack Monday's Doldrums", and "Stiff-Arm Monday's Suckery".

The outdoor branding campaign proved to be extremely popular... but actually too popular with fans. The issue? Consumers loved the turf-like mats so much that they started stealing them. Within the first week of the campaign, nearly 10% of the outdoor ads in New York City had been stolen (20 of 205). Thefts also occurred in Boston (3), Chicago (6), San Francisco (2), and Washington D.C. (5) despite the fact that some of the outdoor ads are 72"H x 96"W in size.

As a result, ESPN has temporarily halted the installation of more turf-like branded mats in major cities around the nation. While turf-like mat branding proved "too popular" for ESPN's tastes, it definitely is a promotional item that football teams (and other sports teams playing on turf) can consider creating to distribute to their supporting partners and select season ticket holders.

Are You Maximizing the Value of Your Giveaways?

Are you receiving maximum value from the stadium giveaways that your company endorses?

Giveaways have become commonplace in today's sports society. With teams distributing giveaways on a regular basis (the Florida Marlins offered 140 giveaways/promotions in 2008), fans have come to expect these items when they head to the ballpark for a game... Unfortunately, giveaways are still considered commonplace in the eyes of many sponsors as well.

Who has done an effective job leveraging their premium giveaway nights?

AIG's execution of their "Endy Chavez Bobblehead Night" on July 13th, 2007 was exceptional:

• AIG distributed 25,000 branded Endy Chavez bobblehead boxes to Mets fans
• AIG  promoted the giveaway to fans entering the stadium gates using billboards adjacent to the stadium ticket box office
• AIG reiterated their sponsorship of the giveaway in-game using the main video board and alternative outfield signage 

AIG after all had good reason to exhaust so much energy into the Endy Chavez Bobblehead Night. Chavez made an exceptional catch while crashing into the AIG outfield wall signage during Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, a moment that provided AIG significant publicity in print publications across the globe. Three (3) weeks after the sensational catch, AIG's earnings and shares surged to their highest value in 21 months!

Do You Want Team Employees to Live and Breathe Your Brand?

Are you looking for ways to have team employees live and breathe your brand? Are you looking to instill your corporate culture in the stadium environment?

Sports Business Journal featured a very interesting article this week profiling Red Bull's efforts to drill its brand messaging into the minds of the New York Red Bulls team staff. Team management hired Global Interface Consulting Group to create a course teaches the principles of the Red Bull brand to all stadium employees held under contract. Everyone from team staff to custodians to security guards will be required to attend the training session, which details company information, game day expectations, and the roles of personnel on-site. The team estimates that 1,500 people will take the course.

The "brand education" sessions are being implemented as the New York Red Bulls prepare to launch their new stadium in Harrison, New Jersey in 2009/2010. Check back for more details on the team's preparations and other innovative brand building strategies!

Interested in Bringing Your Sport to the City?

Are you looking to drive more buzz and interest for your sport/organization in New York City? Are you looking for a unique idea to help you promote the game of golf?

In 2007, UBS took "city golf" to the next level with "The UBS Golf Challenge: Experience THE PLAYERS Championship at Rockefeller". UBS created an interactive exhibit at the Rockefeller Center that featured a scaled replica of THE PLAYERS Stadium Course's iconic island 17th hole.

Fans were provided the chance to hit a shot onto an island green surrounded by water ( the shot approximately 50 yards - 1/4th the distance of the actual hole at THE PLAYERS Championship). The exhibit attracted a wide variance of ongoers and participants, including businessmen, locals, and tourists. 

The USB exhibit also featured a putting area, full-swing net, golf pros on-site, and a giant LED television broadcasting the tournament for consumers to enjoy the ultimate golf experience.  Tishman Speyer partnered with Cutlip Golf Design to recreate the famous 17th hole and transform Rockefeller Plaza into a unique golf experience. The promotional exhibit required 3,500 square feet of sod, 31,000, gallons of water, 40,000 pounds of fill, and a large amount of netting.

USB, a Proud Partner of THE PLAYERS Championship, initially rolled out the free-of-charge exhibit at the 2006 TPC at Sawgrass tournament. Check out the interactive exhibit at Rockefeller Plaza below:

When It Comes to Licensing, Think the Unthinkable.

Do you think you have seen it all when it comes to licensed products? Are you currently brainstorming new product ideas that you can bring to market based on the recent success of your sport?

Could Michael Phelps and the USA Swimming Team bring back the Speedo? Could Misti May -Treanor and Kerri Walsh bring out a new beachwear look?

When it comes to licensing, think the unthinkable. If you think you have seen it all, think again...Unless you have seen the Durex England Supporter World Cup Condoms. Durex actually created the specific condom brands for English, German, and Brazilian soccer fnas traveling to the 2006 World Cup. With this being said, is there a whole new market that exists in the United States that has yet to be tapped?

As licensing rights become more complicated (and fragmented), expect the unexpected when it comes to vendors looking to develop and produce new licensed products. While condoms may not be appropriate for the NBA, NFL, or MLB to place their logo onto, there will come a time and a place where an entity will look to take advantage of utilizing a similar means to drive awareness/sales, etc.

Everything from USB's/flash memory to binoculars to wine are now being identified as opportunities and labeled. Take advantage of using these unique branding opportunities to drive awareness and loyalty for your brand!

Six Tips for Reducing "Unsubscribers"

Are you looking for tips on how to reduce the number of people choosing to "Unsubscribe" from your organization's publications/promotional offers? Are you weighing the differences in consumer receptivity to periodic informational emails vs. sweepstakes offers?

In a recent MediaPost Email Insider column, Melinda Krueger (director of email marketing at OgilvyOne) provided six (6) tips to help organizations and brands reduce the number of "unsubscribes":

1. Provide value in the first place. So easy to say, so difficult to achieve, given the time and budget constraints faced by most email departments
2. Give opt-ins an option to "opt down" or receive less frequent email
3. Ask why the recipient is opting out and do something about frequent complaints
4. View your opt-out trends by campaign. At the end of the year, look at those campaigns with the highest opt-out rates and see which messages insipired the most drop-outs.
5. View your opt-out rates in relation to frequency. Did more frequent mailings have subscribers bailing out?
6. View your opt-outs by source. Did that co-reg campaign, sweepstakes, or fill-in-the-blank generate a lot of disinterested subscribers?

If all these suggestions fail, always consider building a loyalty system (which many professional organizations now offer), to induce consumers to be more receptive to periodic emails and other pieces of communication.

Are You Looking to Honor a Team Representative?

Are you looking for some measures to honor an owner or team representative?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are implementing some classy measurers  to honor the organization's late founder and majority owner, John H. McConnell during the 2008 season. The team is integrating a logo bearing the initials "JHM" that will be worn by the team players and used in a variety of in-game elements.

The JHM logo featured behind each creaseMembers of the Columbus Blue Jackets will wear a patch bearing the JHM logo on the front right shoulder of their home (blue) and away (white) jerseys throughout the season. The team will also feature the JHM logo on the ice behind each goal and on a pair of dasherboards at Nationwide Arena. 

To drive home messaging among the team's fan base, the Blue Jackets will distibute a commemorative "JHM" cap to all fans in attendance for the team's home opener against the Nashville Predators on October 17th, 2008. The team also established the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund to give all Blue Jackets fans the opportunity to honor the late owner and give back to the community. The money raised will be used to award an annual scholarship to Central Ohio high school students who personify Mcconnell's character and leadership.  

Please check back for more updates on ways that the Blue Jackets will honor their late owner.

A special thanks to Josh Hafer of the Columbus Blue Jackets for his contributions to this column. For more information, please contact Josh at Jhafer@BlueJackets.com.

Are You Living in the Moment of Exclusivity?

Is your brand living in the "moment of exclusivity" in-venue? Are you selling the "moment of exclusivity" to your corporate partners?

MediaPost Publications recently featured an interesting article on how "the moment of exclusivity" has quickly become the newest buzz word in the sports biz. What is it exactly? When teams convert every piece of digital signage in-venue to display a select brand's messaging at a given moment during a game. For example, teams can control the in-venue signage so that if a fan leaves his seat to go to the bathroom and misses the massive Sprite ad on the center-hung LED scoreboard, he/she will see the same branding on the LCD monitors mounted outside the restrooms.

Who is doing it? Currently, only a handful of powerful brands (e.g. Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, etc.) have invested in the opportunity to own a given moment in-game. As properties update their signage, eliminating static panels, the industry will see more and more brands investing in "the moment".

Stay tuned for more information on strategic plans that brands are implementing to differentiate themselves in-venue...

The Race That Will Change The World...

Nike will forever change the running landscape when it hosts the Nike+ Human Race 10K next Sunday, August 31st. The event, expected to attract millions of participants, will be the largest one-day running event in the world. The race is open to anyone, anywhere (have we ever seen an event that was open to the entire global population?) The Nike+ Human Race is set to take place in 25 cities around the world, including:

• Austin, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Sao Paulo

The Nike+ Human Race serves as Nike's way to celebrate runners and their sport. All consumers interested in partaking in the event can log in to www.nikeplus.com. Consumers who sign up for the Nike Human Race event online can have their results officially counted as part of the race by tracking their miles on their  Nike + iPod or Nike+ SportBand device and downloading the information to NikePlus.com.

Nike will complement the running events in each of the 25 cities with a live concert on race day that features some of the world's top musical artists.

To drive awareness and buzz for the event, Nike has created a great viral campaign that leverages its sports personalities. Check out the clip below:

Take Your Brand to Fans in the Parking Lots...

Are you looking for new ways to take your brands to the fans? Are you looking for ways to capitalize on the 2-3 hours of tailgating time prior to games?

Consider using promo bikes (or a similar method) to drive awareness for your brand on game day. Promo bikes (i.e. advertising bikes) are human powered vehicles fitted with a 120x180cm six sheet light-box. The vehicles, which have proved successful in London, Paris, Dubai, and Barcelona, are a great, transportable way to get your message out there...

Promo bikes are a cost-effective way to bring your message to thousands of consumers prior to a game when they are tailgating, etc. At 1/5th of the cost of a billboard, promo bikes provide closer POS opportunities, drive brand exposure in an impactful way, and are a nice complement to product trial and sampling efforts.

Promo bikes can be used at:

• Football games (tailgates at-venue, away from venue)
• NASCAR races (all weekend long while fans camp)
• Team parades
• Tennis events (through the tournament footprint)
• Basketball, Hockey, Baseball events (circling the stadium exterior and parking lots)

If you are interested in such a marketing tactic, consider contacting:

AdRide Advertising, LLC.

1375 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY, 10018

Tel: (877) ADRIDE-1 or (212) 404 7600

Fax: (212) 812-3210

Website: www.adride.com

 Check out a clip below of the promo bicycles in action.

Update on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 05:10PM by Brian Gainor

Has Your Conference / Festival Gone "Green"?

Have you considered ways to make your conference, festival, or sponsorship summit more eco-friendly? Are you looking for new ways to promote green initiatives at your annual meetings?

The Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is embracing a number of green initiatives to help promote recycling and conservation at its event in Miramar on September 6-7. The festival is positioning free-standing containers throughout its event footprint for consumers to depost glass/plastic bottles and aluminum cans. In addition, event organizers are offering large recycling containers in a central area on-site for event staff, vendors, and sponsors to dispose recycable items (e.g. cardboard, mixed paper, glass, plastic, aluminum).

In addition, the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is encouraging event attendees to use public transportation and bicycles as a mode of transportation. The festival is hoping that this tactic (along with offering valet parking for bicycle riders) will help reduce carbon emissions and vehicular traffic. Festival exhibits will promote organic, natural, healthy, and eco-friendly products (e.g. Solar Energy, Cascadian Farm, Clif Bar, Planet Organics, Icelandic Glacier Natural Spring Water, etc.)

These are some simple "green" measures that are often overlooked. When planning your next event, be sure to consider new ways to help conservation and recycling efforts! 

A special thanks to Dan Beeman of Sponsorship Insights for his contribution to this column.