The Cleveland Indians and BP Capitalize on Pre-Game Inventory

The Cleveland Indians recently announced a partnership with BP that is highlighted by a series of promotions in-stadium and at retail.

As the Official Fuel of the Cleveland Indians, BP receives the exclusive naming rights of Indians batting practice and the company is taking full advantage of the designation to enhance the fan experience:

• Fans can win free BP gift cards by catching specially marked balls into the outfield stands during batting practice
• The first 100 fans who arrive for pre-game batting practice receive a limited edition Indians t-shirt at Gate A
• BP will reward select fans with VIP batting practice experiences at 40 home games. The experience includes special on-field access and a gift bag of promotional items

From a retail standpoint, the Indians and BP are teaming up to execute a pretty standard fill-up and win promotion across 215 BP locations in Northeast Ohio. From June 1st to August 30th, fans who fill-up their cars with ten (10) gallons of gas can receive a scratch-off card that provides a unique code. Fans are encouraged to register five (5) unique codes on BPIndiansBaseball.com to receive two (2) free Mezzanine tickets to an Indians game online at www.indians.com/BP.

Let Brands Use Athletes to Capitalize on Birthday Shout Outs

Brands looking for unique ways to celebrate birthdays in-venue should align with team partners to create a scoreboard vignette series that features current team players sending humorous birthday wishes to fans and other recognizable celebrities.

Teams could align with select brands whose businesses revolve around birthday celebrations (QSR's. card stores, confectioneries, ice cream and cakes, jewelry stores, party stores, kids establishments, etc.) to have a duo of players film a :30 scoreboard vignette that features a mix of recorded messages.

The vignettes can be filmed during a morning practice session and edited in time to be featured on the scoreboard that same night. Teams could charge fans for the live birthday shout out or make it available gratis with a corporate partner on board. All fans who receive a special shoutout on the scoreboard can pick up a special birthday premium at will call as a celebratory gift. Teams could ask that fans submit their birthday dates/information online, via social media channels, or via text in-arena.

As an example, check out how Dwyane Wade and LeBron James of the Miami Heat send a special brithday wish to The Rock, Dwayne Johnson:

Enhance Stadium Concourse Signage with QR Code Giveaways

Corporate partners looking for new ways to engage fans on gameday should consider featuring QR code displays within the stadium concourse that deliver unique, interactive content. Brands leverage QR codes on back-lit displays to distribute free music downloads, gameday programs, virtual premium giveaways (wallpapers, animated characters, 3D characters), free mobile subscriptions, video vignettes, books/magazines, interactive games, and highlight reels to fans.

Firstbank, Colorado's largest locally owned bank, recently engaged travelers at Denver International Airport with three (3) engaging billboard displays featuring QR codes that offered free books, Sudoko, and crossword puzzles. Each of the billboards featured specific messaging that explained to travelers how to access the free content.

Program Details:

• Firstbank estimated that it would give away 7,000 books, Sudoko games, and crossword puzzles over a 5-month span
• The process of downloading a book to a smartphone via QR reader took less than 30 seconds
• Firstbank offered twelve (12) classic books, three (3) crossword puzzles, and Sudoko for travelers
• Consumers could download via mobile phone or online at efirstbank.com/books

Teams could look to replicate this concept within their stadium venues (on behalf of corporate partners) or as a unique messaging campaign in the marketplace. For example, teams could leverage their partnerships with airline partners to feature signage inside airports offering free team content (highlight reels, gameday programs, special offers) to travelers as they wait for their flights. This could also be replicated with auto partners (in waiting rooms), grocery store partners, electronics partners, etc.

Check out Firstbank's terrific airport marketing campaign below:

 

The Boost Mobile Knicks Groove Truck Hits the Streets in NYC

The New York Knicks have teamed up with Boost Mobile to create a mobile tour that serves as a focal point of the team's community efforts. The two entities are partnering on a Boost Mobile Knicks Groove Truck grassroots initiative that brings the excitement of Knicks basketball to the local community and private events.

The Knicks Groove Truck is a branded box truck equipped with televisions and basketball hoops built into the side, that travels throughout the city hosting basketball clinics, skill competitions, XBOX 360 game tournaments, and free throw and 3-Point shooting contests for fans to enjoy. All participants who engage with the Groove Truck's offerings can win Knicks-branded premium items, tickets, merchandise, and more. The Knicks plan to take the vehicle to 100+ events, including street fairs, festivals, schools, basketball tournaments, and private parties.

Boost Mobile signed on as the Official Wireless Telecommunications Partner of the New York Knicks in October 2010 and are leveraging their marketing partnership in the community (Groove Truck, player appearances at retail, March to the Garden 3-on-3 tournament, Knicks poetry slam, Knicks Bowl) as well as in-arena with a Boost Mobile Celebrity Row initiative that features Knicks reporter Jill Martin interviewing celebrities seated courtside for games at the Garden. Knicks fans and Boost customers can win opportunities to experience Boost Mobile Celebrity Row and win chances to receive A-list treatment.

Check out some photos of the truck below. The Knicks did a really nice job teaming up with SkinzWraps to wrap the vehicle and include details about their social media offerings on the back door. The Knicks truly understand the power of social media!

The Future of Stadium Signage - For Auto Partners

Honda recently teamed up with GT Media, JC Decaux, and Puca to develop an innovative outdoor messaging campaign designed to engage young, male consumers and demonstrate the innovative attributes of its automobiles.

To generate buzz around the launch of the new Civic R Series in Ireland, Honda displayed a large, interactive billboard in the trendy streets of Dublin that allowed consumers to actually start the car (featured on the billboard) by texting "START" to a designated shortcode (51500). Upon doing so, the call-to-action signalled the lights on the car to light up and smoke to exit from the car's exhaust pipes on the billboard.

Consumers that engaged with the billboard received a bounce back link to a Honda mobile brochure, providing additional details about the car, and also had an opportunity to receive a free ringtone of the car's engine roar if they engaged with the billboard via Bluetooth technology. The four-week campaign ran during June 2010.

Honda's innovative billboard technology serves as a great benchmark for sports organizations looking for new ways to take their signage to the next level, notably in baseball. While a billboard with interactive elements could not be run in-stadium during play, there is plenty of down time during games (between innings, pre-game, post-game, pitching changes, etc.) when brands could engage with fans via SMS technology without having to feature personnel on-site to operate the signage.

Look for a number of sports organizations to begin experimenting with SMS technology to take their stadium signage and brand activation to the next level!

Source: Puca

Take Fans Behind-the-Scenes to See Players Using Your Products

Brands looking for new ways to drive excitement for their products amongst sports fans should work with players, agents, teams, and leagues to create videos that literally show players using their product. While it's easy for some category partners (apparel, footwear, etc.) to showcase athletes actually wearing and using their gear, others need to go to further lengths to show players in an authentic light with their products in-hand.

The locker room video below shows LeBron James distributing a box of his new headphones, Miami Heat Beats by Dre, to all of his teammates as a token of his appreciation. The video is terrific because it literally shows all of the players as they receive their new set of headphones and is very authentic. Realizing that LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and the entire team wear these headphones will make Heat fans across the globe who see the viral piece want to go out and purchase a set.

Behind-the-scenes videos showcasing players using products (whether in real-time or a staged viral setting) can serve as a very effective play for locker room products, electronics, jewelry partners, magazines/books, etc.).

Check out the video below for an inside look: 

Bring Your Team Billboards to Life!

Are you looking for new ways to engage fans throughout the week? Are you looking to drive online engagement and an incremental number of fans to your organization's Facebook Fan Page?

Rockit Wrigleyville, a new bar and grill located in the heart of Wrigleyville, recently featured a promotion that provided consumers with a chance to have their face appear on a billboard located just outside Wrigley Field. For a chance to win, consumers just had to take their picture in front of the billboard and upload it to the restaurant's official Facebook fan page.

The entrant who posted a photo on the Facebook Fan Page that generate the most "likes" by other viewers was selected as the ultimate winner of the promotion. To drive interest in the offer, Rockit Wrigleyville offered a free $25 gift certificate to each contestant. The winner, John Walters, garnered 82 "likes" for his picture submission.

The low-cost promotion served as a tremendous way for Rockit Wrigleyville to drive buzz in the marketplace (consumers would encourage their friends to check out their photos and "like" them) as well as drive traffic and new fans to the restaurant's Official Facebook Fan Page.

The promotion serves as a really simple way for sports organizations to leverage stadium landmarks and billboards in the marketplace to spur fan engagement and drive traffic online to the official team facebook page via valuable content.

Check out some of the pictures that were submitted here.

Watch a video of the campaign below:

10 Ways to Leverage Sharpie as a Corporate Partner

Are you looking for new ways to leverage Sharpie as a corporate partner? Are you looking for new ways to provide fans a medium to have a voice?

Check out ten (10) ways to leverage Sharpie below: 

I. Sharpie Sign Creation Stations

II. Fan Message Board / Signature Walls

III. Video Board Feature Detailing the Art of an Autograph

IV. Player/Legend Autograph Appearances

V. Autographed Game Day Magazine Promotional Offer (via Jumbotron/PA)

VI. Interactive Digital Autograph Display

Teams can feature an interactive display in the concourse/OOH destinations where fans can practice their autograph on a basketball/football/tennis ball using a digital Sharpie pen

VII. Giant Autograph Inflatables

 

VIII. Personalized Photo Autographs via Email

 Click here for more information.

IX. Autograph Ball Display

X. In-Venue Autograph Booth

      

Falcons Fans Enjoy Benefits with State Farm...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage insurance providers? Are you looking for new ways to provide fans direct benefits prior to the game?

The Atlanta Falcons are teaming up with State Farm Insurance in 2009 to provide the team's fanbase some exclusive privileges. During the upcoming season, Falcons fans that are also State Farm customers can show their State Farm policy card on-site for the opportunity to only have to pay $10 to park in the State Farm Lot prior to games (normally, pricing for parking is $20+).

The Lot, located directly across from Gate B of the Georgia Dome, is available to fans on a first-come, first-serve basis, with parking not available for sale in the days/weeks leading up to the game. The concept of the State Farm Lot is tremendous because it is just another example of how teams and corporate partners are working harder than ever to provide new, exclusive benefits for fans.