Are you looking for ways to make a splash in major media markets? Are you looking for unconventional ways to drive awareness for a team/league?
Sony Ericsson recently featured a guerrilla-style street tennis exhibition in downtown Toronto to promote the start of the WTA Rogers Cup. The global phone manufacturer, known for executing unique stunts, relied on a small team of staff to create a special street court environment on Toronto's Yonge Street for tennis stars Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki to compete in a unique fashion.
The street-style tennis promotion served as an effective way for Sony Ericsson to drive some attention around its title sponsorship of the WTA Tour. The stunt took place on Toronto's Yonge Street, the longest (and one of the most traveled) street in Canada.
Check out Sony Ericsson's execution of the event below:
Are you looking for new ways to commemorate historic games? Are you looking for new ways to leverage social media in the collegiate space?
In July, the Big East officially launched SixOvertimes.com, a microsite designed to commemorate the historic 2009 men's basketball quarterfinal game between the Syracuse Orangemen and the UConn Huskies. The site, created by row27 Studios (located in Minneapolis, MN), features 10+ minutes of video from the game, including an eye-catching introduction video and a vignette detailing each overtime period of play. Users can also purchase an exclusive DVD and several photos on the site and check out box scores, player profiles, and key facts from the game.
The SixOvertimes microsite is extremely interesting because it could signal the start of a new trend in collegiate athletics (and all of sports for that matter)- conferences and athletic departments creating microsites around individual matchups/historic games to drive incremental revenue. To make the site a viral phenomenon, Big East officials provide users the opportunity to share the site's content through email, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (check out the Big East on Twitter - @BigEastChamps).
Users who click the Twitter function on SixOvertimes.com find that it automatically pastes a message into their Twitter stream (Relive One of the Greatest Basketball Games in Big East History http://SixOvertimes.com) to share with colleagues and friends.
A special thanks to Garret Munro of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column!
Are you looking for new ways to capitalize on team affiliation? Are you looking for creative tactics to promote a partnership in the local marketplace?
Brand managers looking to capitalize on team affinity should consider modeling the Dunkin' Donuts guerrilla billboard strategy detailed below. With more sports organizations turning to outdoor media to promote ticket sales, community initiatives, and re-branding initiatives, sponsors have a unique opportunity to drive affiliation awareness by leveraging neighboring billboards.
By simply using an arrow technique(as pictured below), sponsors and ambush marketers can imply association with sports organizations through outdoor billboards. The trouble is often the planning ahead of time (knowing where and when the team's billboards will go up) but most uncertainty can be limited by analyzing historical placement.
Sponsors can drive home team affiliation using a variety of messaging campaigns:
Great Teams (arrow pointing to team logo) Drink Great Beverages (arrow pointing to sponsor logo)
Go Big (arrow point to team sponsor logo) or Go Home (pointing to a competitor's logo who was recently eliminated from the playoffs)
The "Heavenly" Association
Great Team (arrow pointing to team logo), Great Beer
Fast Teams (arrow pointing to team logo) Drive Fast Cars (arrow pointing to sponsor logo)
Are you looking for unique ambush marketing ideas? Are you looking for for new ways to drive awareness on-site without owning rights to marks?
Pringles, a Procter & Gamble brand, recently took on Wimbledon with a creative ambush marketing campaign. As tennis fans lined up to head into Wimbledon's famous All England Club on July 1st, representatives distributed 24,000 specially marked Pringles"crisps" tubes that read, "These are not tennis balls!" (playing off the fact that Pringles tubes mirror the packaging that tennis balls are sold in).
Pringles drew extra attention to the campaign by featuring Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg look-a-likes (termed "doubles") on-hand to interact with consumers. According to Event Magazine, the guerrilla tactic gained coverage on Radio 1, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Washington Business Journal.
The limited edition Pringles tubes were also sold at select retailers in Europe. Check out some pictures of the unique tennis themed packaging and execution below:
Are you looking for new ways to enhance all aspects of your media spend? Are you looking for new ways to captivate readers through print advertising?
Brands looking for new ways to capture the attention of readers through print media should consider modeling the following two (2) print media "best practices". Keep searching for out-of-the-box ideas!
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (kwp! advertising, Australia, 2008) - Source: AdsoftheWorld.com
Are you looking to build excitement for an upcoming match against an inferior opponent? Are you looking for creative ways to drive mass media impressions?
In 2008, the Socceroos (the Australian national soccer team) was looking for a creative way to promote their upcoming match against Ghana. To help drive buzz and awareness for the match, the club turned to Lowe Sydney, a notable advertising agency, to devise a unique marketing campaign.
The collaborating parties created a radical grassroots marketingcampaign centered around a fake Ghanaian soccer fan club that consisted of four members who spelled out G-A-N-A on their chests. In an effort to recruit people to be their missing "H" (to complete the club and spell out G-H-A-N-A) the fake fan club heads to high-traffic locations to engage with consumers and drive awareness for the match.
The campaign generated alarge amountof publicity across Australia and served as an effective means to promote the match. Check out the creative promotional campaign below:
Are you looking to create a captivating in-market display that utilizes your products? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?
As CNBC's Darren Rovell reported a few weeks ago, Gatorade recently created a unique mural of Michael Jordan ona sidewalk in the South Side of Chicago using 14,641 Gatorade bottles. The sidewalk street are was created to introduce the brand's new, limited edition Jordan Series (which includes six (6) different MJ-themed flavors) and commemorate His Airness'upcoming induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall ofFame.
Gatorade called on an internalteam of experts and celebrities (Scottie Pippen, Jackie Joyner-Kersee) to create the impressive street art display in a matter of only 16 hours. A series of lighting fixtures enable the thousands of Gatorade bottles making the Michael Jordan display glow at night time. But what's even more impressive than the actual display itself is the amount of preparation, teamwork, and planning that was required to execute the project. The second video below does a tremendous job detailing all of Gatorade's behind-the-scenes work. Check it out!
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 group 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, FSVoffers 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!
Are you looking to create an inspirational sales piece that does a nice job incorporating product placement? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?
During the 2009 NBA playoffs, Gatorade launched its most recent commercial to support its "G" campaign. The advertisement does a tremendous job incorporating Gatorade's product and athlete endorsers into a storyline that makes sense. All of the company's miscellaneous slogans are starting to come together to form an impactful messaging campaign.
What is G? Gatorade's newest commercial, "That's G" should give you a better idea:
Despite the initial ambiguity of its $50MM "G" campaign, Gatorade has not lost any strides when it comes to fan recognition (despite losing 7.3% in market share in Q1 2009). More NFL fans correctly identified Gatorade as the league's sponsor in the sports/energy drink category then fans who identified the official sponsor in any other measured category (and higher than any other league-sponsor recognition scores in the NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and MLB). Source: Turnkey Sports & Entertainment Poll for Sports Business Journal
Are you looking for ways that your organization can penetrate new marketplaces? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness and support for your brand across the globe?
Sports organizations looking to drive their fanbase in markets across the United States should consider creating a platform that rewards their ultimate fans of major cities/states across the nation.
For example, an organization like the Tampa Bay Rays could create an online promotion entitled, "The 50 Top Rays Fans of America" where fans are asked to submit short videos stating why they should be nominated as their state/city's representative. Teams with a more global focus (e.g. Lakers, Rockets, etc.) could create a similar promotion around the Top 50 fans around the world.Team can either reward these "select fans" with exclusive gear, special entitlements (monthly calls, guest visits, etc.), or special offers from supporting corporate partners.
Which sports properties are currently running similar campaigns?
I. Barclays
Barclays is currently offering a "Barclays Fan of India"promotion as they search for the most passionate and fanatical Barclays Premier League supporter across India. Indian residents are asked to submit an entry form on http://barclaysfanofindia.com that tells why they are the biggest Premier League fan in India in less than 100 words. Fans can complement their submissions with videos and photos to enhance their chance of winning.
The first prize winner will receive a trip for two (2) to see a Barclays Premier League team of their choice during the 2009-10 season. The winners will receive airfare, three (3) nights of hotel accommodations, tickets and transfers as part of their experience. Ten runners-up winners will receive a free authentic Barclays Premiership jersey. Here is a quick video of the promotional campaign:
II. Boston Red Sox
In 2008, the Boston Red Sox ran a contest to name 45 Governors of Red Sox Nation (e.g. state representatives). The team received 1,500+ applications from supporters representing all 50 states (741 from non New England states). Each of the appointed governors will help connect members of Red Sox Nation within their home state to their favorite team and provide the President and Vice President of Red Sox Nation with continuous feedback. The Governors program will serve as the foundation for the official census of Red Sox Nation... and they also hold some popular watch parties around the nation.
To apply for the chance to be a Red Sox Governor, fans had to submit answers to two (2) short answer essay questions and solicit support from friends. Fans were judged on their enthusiasm for the Boston Red Sox coupled with knowledge of the team's history, creativity, understanding of the social climate of the state they represented, and the number of endorsements they received on their fan page.
Those selected as Bosten Red Sox Governors were given an unlimited Fenway Tour pass for themselves and one guest, two (2) tickets to a 2009 Boston Red Sox game, a Certificate of Governorship signed by Red Sox Team President Larry Luchino, the opportunity to partake in periodic conference calls with other Governors, a Red Sox Nation t-shirt, a 2009 RSN Fan Pack Citizenship, a subscription to MLBTV.com for the 2009 season, personalized business cards, and a photograph of their name on the Fenway Park scoreboard.
Are you looking for ways to implement a guerrilla marketing stunt in-arena? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness support in a competitor's arena?
During the 2009 NHL Playoffs, LetsGoSharks.com featured a creative guerrilla signage stunt at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The tactic, designed to drive awareness and support for the Sharks organization (specifically LetsGoSharks.com), featured two (2) rows of Sharks fans doing a chomping motion with large-sized shark teeth.
LetsGoSharks.com's guerrilla tactic served as an effective way to drive awareness at a competitor's arena and provides a benchmark example for ways that companies with small marketing budgets can drive some incremental visibility in-venue (those without partnership rights will likely get caught and removed but it might be worth the shot).
Check out LetsGoSharks.com's in-venue guerrilla tactic below:
Are you looking to demonstrate to consumers how they can benefit from using your product? Are you looking for ways to leverage soccer personalities?
In March, adidas released a series of soccer viral pieces that feature the world's premier soccer players testing out the company's prized Predator footwear. In each of the clips, adidas demonstrates the benefits derived from wearing Predator soccer boots by measuring the shooting power and precision of the world's finest players using a Pred-a-Rater machine.
The Pred-a-Rater machine is said to use a mathematical analysis to accurately track a shot's velocity and trajectory on its 11-meter distance from the penalty distance to the goal. Whether the Pred-a-Rater is an accurate measuring tool or not, the clips effectively demonstrate benefits believed to be derived from wearing the Predator footwear (and showcase the personalities of the world's finest soccer stars). Check out two clips from the Pred-a-Rater campaign below:
Are you looking to create a unique guerrilla marketing campaign to promote a beverage? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness at an event where a competitor has exclusivity to distribution rights?
In 2008, marketing personnelfrom the Spoetzl Brewery found themselves in a David vs. Goliath battle as they searched for ways to make an impact at the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival.For years, the brewery had used the three-day festival (attracting 65K persons per day) as a platform to promote and drive affinity for their Shiner Bock beer. But to their disfortune, Heineken paid an undisclosed amount of money in 2008 to become the festival's official beer sponsor, gaining exclusive distribution rights.
As a result, the brewery's representatives turned to their agency, McGarrah Jessee, to create a captivating guerrilla marketing campaign to steal the show.
The result? McGarrah Jessee created and distributed 10,000 beer koozies that exactly resembled the Shiner beer cans. The koozies were distributed to concertgoers en route to the festival, where only Heineken was sold inside. When consumers at the Austin City Limits Music Festival put the koozies around the Heineken beers they purchased at the festival, it appeared that people were drinking Shiner Bock - not Heineken.
The guerrilla marketing strategy serves as a perfect example for ways that brand with smaller marketing budgets and activation dollars can overcome their large competitors. Check out the Shiner guerrilla branding tactic below:
Are you looking for a new way to commemorate your organization's success on and off the field? Are you looking for new ways to engage your fanbase through a unique experience?
When Arsenal FC moved into its new stadium facility, Emirates Stadium, the team honored its 91 years of tradition competing at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury by creating a specially-made time capsule. The EPL team invited current and past players, team personnel, and thousands of guests to attend a special ceremony. Arsenal FC featured footage of the event and exclusive player interviews on its team channel, Arsenal PLUS, for subscribers to view during their free time (creating exclusive content for fans).
The club filled the time capsule with nearly 40 items, 25 of which had been chosen by the team's fans. Items placed in the time capsule included original team jerseys, Captain armbands, and replica models. Arsenal FC placed the time capsule on display at Emirates Stadium for fans to enjoy while attending the club's home matches.
Time capsules serve as an excellent way for organizations to commemorate their history, engage fans, and highlight the best practices of their corporate partners. Tactics teams can consider implementing can include:
Promotional Offers / FanIncentives- Teams can ask all fans who attended their games ina given season to submit a ticket stub with their name on it to win free tickets for a decade/lifetime. The team can anonomously place one winning ticket stub in the capsule and announce the winner 5-10 years later when it is opened
Corporate Partner Engagement- Teams can create "Corporate Partner Capsules" that highlight their initiatives during a given season. When the team opens the capsule in 5-10 years, if any of the sponsors involved are still partners with the team, the club will provide them with exclusive inventory/value (to encourage partners to remain committed to the team, etc.)
Commemorate Team History - When teams are looking for ways to honor their history when moving into facilities, honoring retired players, and renovating their current venues, time capsules can serve as a great way to commemorate special occasions
Are you looking for new ways to enhance your concessions stands? Are you looking to provide fans with healthier food/drink items at the ballpark?
When Yankees fans head to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time in 2010 they will notice a variety of changes at the concessions stands. In addition to the standard ballpark fare (hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, etc.) the Yankees organization will now sell a variety of new offerings at its 137 concession stands, including:
Cuban Sandwiches (sold at the Latin Corner)
Nachos and Burritos
Noodle Bowls
Sushi and Salads
Barbeque
But one of the biggest changes that fans will notice is that concessions stands around the new Yankee Stadium will post information detailing the amount of calories that are in the food available for sale. With consumers thinking more consciously about their health and eating, and exercising habits, industry personnel can expect to see more teams follow in suit with similar calorie insights at the concessions stand.
Check out some examples below of the calorie information posted at concessions stands around the new Yankee Stadium:
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Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 07:27AM 
Are you looking for ways to make a splash in major media markets? Are you looking for unconventional ways to drive awareness for a team/league?
