December 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Happy Holidays from Partnership Activation! Thank you for coming to check out the December Issue of the Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter. After checking out the newsletter/site, I hope you have some time available to spend with family and friends, for that is the most important thing in life.

As 2010 comes to a close, I am truly excited to share this month's newsletter with you. It is pretty amazing that we are coming up on the 30th Issue of the Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter. I want to say thank you for all your support, especially to those of you who have shared it with friends and colleagues on numerous occasions via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, word of mouth, etc.

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

• The Nike Vault - Los Angeles
• Creative Promotional Tactics From Across the NHL
• Sports Authority Leverages Social Media to Engage Shoppers on Black Friday
• Leveraging Signage in New Ways
• Explore Engage's Augmented Reality Experiences
• Hot Off the Press: Sponsorship Mag
• Creativity In the Sports Marketplace
• December 2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Social Media Watch: Panthers Purrsuit
• A Close Look at Fan Engagement at the Consol Energy Center
• International Sports Business Watch: The 98th Grey Cup
• 5 #SportsBiz People You Must Follow On Twitter
• Ways to Leverage the Holidays
• Creativity From the Idea Box

Click here to check out the December 2010 Newsletter and be sure to follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

"Must-See" Site of the Day: KnicksNow.com

A few days ago, the New York Knicks officially launched an innovative social media oriented site that has become a hot topic of conversation in the digital sports space. The site, KnicksNow.com, is a team-operated community that provides real-time social media insights and nuggets of information in a concise, digestible format.

KnicksNow.com offers a tremendous amount of high-quality content in a simple format - two aspects of digital media that fans are looking for. The site features a plethora of videos, high-res images, post-game interviews, blog posts, relevant tweets, live Facebook integration, content sharing features, headlines, quotes, daily photo uploads, and caption contests. Fans can feature @thenyknicks in their Tweets throughout Knicks games for the chance to be featured on KnicksNow.com.

Per Howard Jacobs, EVP of Marketing and Sales for MSG Sports, "KnicksNow.com is the next digital step in our total fan engagement strategy. It's the ultimate destination for our most passionate and loyal fans to access exclusive, behind-the-scenes content on the team and fully engage with other Knicks fans and our players in the dynamic, ever-changing conversation that's taking place across the social media landscape."

The interactive site could soon become a benchmark for organizations across all sports looking to host their social media initiatives all in one hub. Check out some screen shots of the site below:

The Suns Sell Social Media Services In A Suite Way

Sports organizations looking for new ways to leverage social media to drive ticket sales should take a close look at a terrific new package the Phoenix Suns are offering local businesses.

Per Darren Rovell of CNBC.com, the Phoenix Suns recently unveiled a Suite and Social Night package that allows companies who opt to host their Holiday Party in a Suns suite to derive incremental value through the team's social media channels. The team's pitch is, Host your holiday party in a Suns Suite and become a digital marketing partner at the same time. Choose a package, pick a night, leave the rest of us."

The Suite and Social Night Package costs $7,000 but delivers a tremendous amount of value for companies, including:

• (20) tickets in a one party suite
• (6) parking passes
• A catering package
• Suns hats and foam fingers
• (1) authentic Steve Nash jersey
• (2) Facebook status updates from the Phoenix Suns (reaching 225K+ potential customers through their Facebook channel)
• (3) Twitter mentions from @PhoenixSuns, delivering a direct message to the Suns' $45,000 Twitter followers
• A mention in the Suns' Post E-Newsletter, a periodical that is sent to 55,000 avid fans

The Suite and Social night package really serves as a terrific way for teams to leverage and derive value from their social media channels during a time when there is some speculation about their true worth. It will be interesting to see if fans are receptive to the sponsored gameday messages, but if the Suns position them the right way, there shouldn't be any backlash... and it serves as a great way to drive additional value for team partners on gamedays!

October 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for coming to check out PartnershipActivation.com. I am excited to share with you the new October 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter.

I am truly excited about the content featured in this month's newsletter. I want to thank you for your continued support and willingness to share the newsletter and content featured on the site with your friends and colleagues. It's remarkable that in just 2+ years, newsletter readership has spread to 60+ countries across the globe- a true testament to your support!

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

• The Fist Pump Cam
• Creative Promotional Tactics from Across the NFL
• Special Vehicles to Leverage Athlete Endorsers
• St. Louis Rams' Green Week
• The Leverage Daily Buzz
• A Look at the October 2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Brands Doing an Effective Job Leveraging Athlete Endorsers
• College Music Videos (I Love My Ducks / Teach Me How To Bucky)
• Versus' New Outdoor NHL Campaign
• 2010 Ryder Cup Insights
• Creative Activation Tactics
• The Coors Light Beer Box
• Unique Ways to Leverage Pizza Companies as Partners

Click here to check out the October 2010 Newsletter now and be sure to also join the Official Partnership Activation - Users Connect! LinkedIn Group today!

One side note for this month, I encourage you to consider attending the 5th Annual Ivy Sports Symposium on Friday, November 19th in Princeton, NJ. The event, which costs $50 for students, $150 for alumni, and $200 for industry professionals, is truly one of the best sports conferences in the United States!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

September 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for coming to check out PartnershipActivation.com. I am excited to share with you the new September 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter.

I hope you enjoy all of the great content included in this month's issue and want to thank you for your support and willingness to help spread the word about Partnership Activation amongst your friends and colleagues in the industry.

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

• Red Bull's NASCAR Taxi
• Creative Sponsorship/Marketing Tactics from the Barclays Premier League
• Old Spice's Interactive Banner Ads
• Los Angeles Dodgers "My Town" Billboard Activation Tactics
• The Oklahoma City Thunder's Corporate Partnerships Website
• The Essential Guide to Grassroots Sports and Social Media
• September 2010 Rising Stars
• Official Redskins Nation Foursquare Badge
• Activ8Social's Reggie Bush's #RedZones Promotion
• Insights about the 2010 FIBA World Championship
• A Close Look at The New Meadowlands Stadium
• Southwest Airlines' Thought Starters
• Fresh New, Creative Ideas from the Idea Box

Click here to check out the September 2010 Newsletter now and be sure to also join the Official Partnership Activation - Users Connect! LinkedIn Group today!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

 

If you enjoyed the September 2010 Issue, you may also be interested in:

• 140 Reasons Sports Teams Should Use Twitter
• 40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare
• The 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports
• World Cup Viewing Parties From Across the Globe
• The 10 Best Sports Billboard Themes of 2009

Bring Game Entertainment to Life for Fans Via Social Media

Each and every football weekend, sports marketers need to consider ways that they can recreate the stadium experience for thousands of viewers at home. With social media, marketers have a very cost-effective platform to bring stadium entertainment to life for fans to watch during the week, before games, and after huge victories.

Quality content that can be captured and rebroadcasted via social media can include:

• Pre-Game
  • Pre-game introductions, scoreboard introduction videos, pre-game traditions, time lapse videos of fans entering the stadium, pictures/video of game day giveaways, the National Anthem, pre-game skydivers, tailgating insights, pep rallies, pre-game concerts, pre-game band performances, warmups/walk-throughs, etc.
• In-Game
  • Scoreboard features, on-field promotions, fan cheers, cheerleaders/dance team, halftime entertainment, in-game ceremonies, etc.
• Post-Game
  • Band performances, team celebrations, post-game interviews, fan celebrations, scoreboard highlights, fireworks, post-game concerts, etc.

As an example of capturing quality game day footage, enclosed is a great video that lets fans experience the thrills of a skydiver gliding into a stadium packed with 80,000+ screaming fans before a rivalry game. Capture these special moments for your fan base!

40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare

Foursquare is one of the hottest social media platforms driving business in 2010 and the opportunities for integration in the sports space are endless. Here are some tips for how your sports organization can utilize Foursquare: 

5 Key Tips to Remember When Implementing Foursquare Initiatives:

• Foursquare should be primarily viewed as a fan engagement channel that offers indirect monetization opportunities (driving ticket sales/concessions/merchandise, promoting corporate partners, etc.)
• Do not create promotions that just reward "Mayors" (those who have checked-in at X venues the most times) - this limits the promotional audience as there are oftentimes only a handful of people who can overtake the Mayor to receive the promotional discount
• Set realistic expectations - While the number of users and check-ins are on the rise, expectations for Foursquare promotions should still be set relatively low until the sports industry begins to experience more of a mainstream adoption rate 
• Foursquare promotions are not self-sustainable - Teams must market Foursquare promotions in-arena, on their team home page, through social media channels (Foursquare, Twitter), and find a way to incorporate notable corporate partners and team personnel (players, coaches, alumni, cheerleaders, mascots, staff)
• Capitalize on Foursquare by creating venues within your venue (Stadium/Arena) to drive traffic to party decks, stadium gates, concessions stands, the team shop, corporate partner displays, etc.
  • To start, claim your venue on the Foursquare venue page: http://foursquare.com/businesses

40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare

1. Offer a team-branded Foursquare badge
2. Give fans a 15% discount at the team store after their 5th check-in
3. Reward the person with the most-checkins (the Mayor) at the team store with 25% off purchase (note that this must be accompanied by a seperate offer for the general public to be effective)
4. Run a real-time treasure hunt that rewards fans for checking in at certain venues (arena, team shop, corporate partner retail locations, games, etc.) with free tickets, merchandise, etc.
5. Encourage fans to check in at billboards/outdoor signs to receive rewards
6. Encourage fans to post tips about their experiences (e.g. tracking fan feedback to see what arena experiences they enjoy the most)
7. Have players check-in at corporate partner retail locations (to drive buzz)
8. Run a promotion that encourages fans to check in at the arena for the chance to receive a Swarm badge (which is given out if 50+ people check in at one venue at one time)
9. Run a contest to see if the team can set the Guinness Book of World Records for most check-ins at one location (Manchester City FC tried doing this in May - the record at that time was approximately 500)
10. Offer fans who check-in for the 1st time at the ticket counter a premium discount or unique giveaway
11. Utilize Foursquare like a Loyalty Card and offer different levels of rewards for X number of check-ins
12. Promote Foursquare ticket offers (receive 25% tickets when checking in at the ticket box office and purchasing a pair on Wednesdays)
13. Provide an incentive for bringing family/friends; Offer a free concessions item for fans that check-in with more than 3 people
14. Run a special on the team's Foursquare page that allows fans to get 30% off a stadium tour when checking in at the stadium on a non-game day
15. Provide tips to fans about the hottest things to check out at the arena on given nights
16. Offer a unique experience for all fans who check-in at all regular season home games
17. Highlight new party deck experiences at the stadium/arena via Foursquare
18. Promote game day giveaways on the team Foursquare page
19. Offer tips to fans about new concessions items and merchandise in the team store
20. Offer tips for families and students about the best time to purchase ticket value packs
21. Leverage corporate partners (e.g. Subway) by offering a $5 gift card to fans who check-in at select party decks, special events, or at the stadium gates 1.5 hours before the game
22. Teams can utilize Foursquare initiatives to provide their fans with real-time, engaging offers on Twitter and Facebook (to bring those channels to life)
23. Offer fans that check-in when the gates open exclusive access to a pre-game lounge where the team features a player appearance, etc.
24. Host a social media panel where team personnel teach fans how to use Foursquare to become a more avid fan
25. Tie in a cause marketing component to a Foursquare promotion - Run a "Foursquare Mayor Gives Back" promotion where a team (or corporate partner) collects can goods/clothing/donations and the Mayor of the Arena gets to choose which charitable organization the items get donated to
26. Have team employees working at the stadium gates, concessions stands, and team store wear pins that tell fans that they can win $1,000 by "checking in" on game day
27. Provide fans who "check-in" at the arena with fun facts about the team
28. Use Foursquare check-ins as an additional fan database (that can be rewarded with virtual gifts, specials on ticket offers, etc.)
29. View Foursquare as a means to reach tech-saavy fans that can be used as a control group to better understand new ways that technology can improve the game day experience
30. Leverage Foursquare as a means for guerrilla marketing, where players/team personnel can "check-in" at Gate 4 outside the stadium and tweet out that the first 4 people that meet them at the gate can receive free tickets
31. Reward fans who check-in at special team events with promotional codes for free ringtones, wallpaper downloads, etc.
32. Reward fans who show a corporate partner badge (e.g. Subway) - Note: CNN just had Official Foursquare badges released for Official World Cup Watch Parties it held
33. Offer a team badge that fans watching at home can receive by simply checking in with the team name in their post (the Boston Celtics/LA Lakers did this during the 2010 NBA Finals)
34. Host Swarm Badge Team Watch Parties
35. Offer a promotion where if fans check in at all four (4) stadium gates during their experience, they can receive a free team t-shirt at a select customer service desk
36. Teams can reward employees for "checking in" (free coffee, free parking, etc.)
37. Teams can leverage Foursquare at Job Fair booths where they reward job prospects with a free premium giveaway, etc. for checking in (an initiative that can help teams gauge which prospects are the most tech-saavy)
38. Incorporate Foursquare into corporate partner B2B sessions as a means to demonstrate new thinking and opportunities for social media integration
39. Track trends about fan behavior (by understanding when/where consumers are checking in, teams can consider new engagement opportunities, etc.)
40. Distribute free virtual tickets at sports locations (sports bars, parks, gyms, etc.) that can be redeemed for real tickets to a specific game - The New Jersey Nets teamed up with VaynerMedia and Gowalla to execute a similar campaign

For more ideas of ways that businesses are leveraging Foursquare, click here.

Live on Social Blueprint Connect!

If you are looking for social media insights, case studies, and personal success stories using social media, you need to check out some of the terrific things that Trevor Turnbull is doing with Social Connect Blueprint. The online social media focused platform serves as a terrific resource that is both educational and interactive.

On the site, Turnbull delivers a number of "How-To" training videos and live interactive webinars for individuals to enhance their social media knowledge and skill sets. In addition, he has featured a number of live interviews with social media professionals and recently incorporated eWayDirect's Jason Peck, Laura Gainor, and myself into the mix.

Take a moment to check out our interviews below and all of the additional content featured on Social Connect Blueprint here!

Brian Gainor Live on Social Blueprint Connect

Jason Peck Live on Social Blueprint Connect

140 Reasons Sports Teams Should Use Twitter

The SF Giants Take Tweetups to the Next Level

Are you looking for new ways to attract and reward your social media followers? Are you looking for ways to capitalize on social media in the sports marketplace?

Considered leaders in the sports technology/social media space, the San Francisco Giants recently continud their charge by hosting a terrific first official SFGiants Tweetup. The team collaborated closely with Twitter and Room to Read to put on the exclusive event, offering the team's avid social media followers an opportunity to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at AT&T Park.

For just $20, the team offered 600 fans a chance to attend a game, receive a limited edition "@sfgiants follow us" t-shirt, listen to a host of influential guest speakers, and enjoy exclusive access into the new Triples Alley space, a behind-the-scenes lounge area of AT&T Park that is not open to the general public. The team promoted the event via Twitter using the hashtag #SFGTweetup.

The Giants entertained their Twitter guests in attendance with a terrific panel of speakers, including:

• Erin Ganju - CEO of @RoomToRead
• Brian Murphy - Moderator (@KDBRMurph)
• Jeremy Affeldt - San Francisco Giants Pitcher (@JeremyAffeldt)
• Biz Stone - Co-Founder of Twitter (@Biz)

The event also featured a surprise guest, @Jack, Co-Founder of Twitter and the CEO of Square, who spoke about his new product, a revolutionary new tool that allows you to accept credit card payments via a 'square' device that plugs into your headphone jack to your iPhone.

The event turned out to be a huge success for the team:

• The Giants sold out all 600 reserved seats for the tweetup a few hours before its scheduled start at 5:15pm
• The Tweetup generated thousands of #sfgtweetup specific tweets and photos, with 99% of the comments posted being positive (a very rare result in the social media landscape)
• A portion of the @SFGiants Tweetup proceeds went to @RoomtoRead, a Twitter supported charity

Check out some photos of the event below:  

Check out the Official Event Invitation below:

A special thanks to Garrett McManus of the San Francisco Giants for his insights and contributions to this column!

VaynerMedia Shows that Geolocation is Here to Stay in Sports

Are you looking for new ways to capitalize on emerging trends in sports social media? Are you looking for new ways to leverage the emerging craze behind Gowalla and Foursquare?

If you're working in sports and you haven't heard of Foursquare or Gowalla yet, it's time to do your research. Why? The New Jersey Nets are paving the way for sports organizations to begin experimenting with the two aforementioned geolocation platforms to measure how they can deliver in the event marketing space. Geolocation platforms allow users to check into and engage with physical locations and events via mobile devices (here in this virutal setting, marketers can reward them for their loyalty/engagement).

Check out a terrific case study below that details how VaynerMedia teamed up with the New Jersey Nets to create an innovative Gowalla initiative that drove a group of select, influential fans to the Izod Center to check out a game live.

Early Proof that Geolocation Marketing will Succeed

View more presentations from Vayner Media.

Huge opportunities lie on the horizon for sports marketers looking to utilize Foursquare and Gowalla - the key question at this point remains how readily society will adopt these geolocation platforms.

To download VaynerMedia's presentation (above) please click here.

A special thanks to Sam Taggart of VaynerMedia for his insights and contributions to this column... a must-see!

Fresh Ideas, Trends, and Perspectives for 2010

Are you looking for the latest trends in sports and social media? After realizing that 2009 wasn't actually so bad, are you looking to have a new outlook on life heading into 2010?

We wanted to share two (2) tremendous e-books that were released today. Both are excellent reads, so please be sure to check them out and pass them (or the link to this article) along to all of your colleagues and friends in the industry who also may be interested.

The first e-book we would like to highlight is a compilation of the top sports and social media trends to follow in 2010. Social media enthusiast Jason Peck did a terrific job bringing the thoughts of 16 sharp individuals together with this piece. Check it out below:

Sports Social Media Predictions 2010

The second e-book we would like to profile was created by marketing guru Seth Godin and 69 of the brightest minds around the globe... This is a tremendous read that will give you a new perspective on life and business heading into 2010 (it is best to view the e-book in full-screen mode; scroll through the document by clicking your mouse on the right page). Enjoy!

What Matters Now

NASCAR Lets Fans Tweet Their Way to Vegas

Are you looking for new ways to leverage Twitter? Are you looking to create new promotional offers using social media platforms?

NASCAR recently announced that it will offer a "Tweet2Vegas" sweepstakes that will enable fans the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas to attend the NASCAR After the Lap session Dec. 2-5. 

For a chance to win, fans must correctly answer questions posted on NASCAR's Twitter page each day between November 9-15. NASCAR will post a question to all of its followers at 3pm EST each day and fans must then respond with the correct answer and list their first and last name, phone number, city, and state to tweet2vegas@nascar.com. Contestants are only able to submit one question response each day.  

NASCAR will provide the winner with a trip for two that includes round-trip airfare, 3-night hotel accomodations, and ground transportation to and from the hotel. The NASCAR After the Lap session (presented by Tissot) includes interview sessions with each of the top drivers in the Chase at the Hollywood Theatre in Last Vegas.

Here is how NASCAR (@NASCAR) has promoted the offer thus far on Twitter:

Are You Looking to Connect with Sports Fans Online?

Are you looking for a one stop shop to engage with consumers in the online sports marketplace? Are you looking for ways to reach a mass of fantasy sports players and sports social media users?

Fantasy Sports Ventures (FSV) is quickly becoming one of the most dominant forces in the sports social media space. The company recently aligned with RotoHog, Watercooler, and Sky Social Media - moves that will enable FSV to offer marketers an assortment of opportunities to engage with consumers in the online and mobile social media space.

With 400+ fantasy websites, the RotoHog.com platform, and hundreds of team-based fan communities on Facebook (through the Watercooler partnership), in its arsenal, FSV offers a collection of assets to help brands tap into sports' flourishing online business.

What does all this mean for brand marketers?

When it comes to targeting online users, FSV's portfolio will quickly rank among the likes of Yahoo!, ESPN, and Fox Sports with 11MM+ users per month. Look for the company to dramatically enhance its clientele roster (which currently includes Coke, Sprint, Gillette, Coors, and Wendy's) in the coming months.

Check back soon for more ways to capitalize in the online sports marketplace!