Can State Farm Take Their Signage to the Next Level?

Are you looking for unique ways to take your signage to the next level?

With LED and static signage becoming so common in today's sports marketplace at all levels of play, it's easy to see how fans attending games can tune it out. Sports marketers are now being tasked with creating new ways to utilize these branding pieces to escape from the clutter and engage consumers.

State Farm and other insurance companies that spend large sums of dollars on sports sponsorships (Allstate, Geico, etc.) have a unique opportunity to engage consumers by making their field signage an interactive component. State Farm can create a promotion that rewards one (1) lucky fan with free insurance coverage for a year if a player in the outfield makes a catch while crashing into the State Farm signage (as demonstrated in the picture to the right, simulating that State Farm is there when a player crashes into the wall.

To drive awareness for the offer, State Farm can create custom signage(e.g. "Be Alert BeforeCrashing, State Farm is Here") and utilize the video board and/or a stadium emcee to promote theincentive for fans. The insurance company can simulate the experience for fans by offering a "softwall" in the concourse level that fans can crash into whiletrying to catch a ball (or offer a green screen opportunity for fans to have their picture taken looking like they are crashing into a State Farm sign on an outfield wall).

If the company wants to open upan offer to a group of fans, every time a player crashes into a State Farm sign, a designated section can win an exclusive prize from State Farm (autographed State Farm baseball,State Farm-branded rally towels, exclusive meet-n-greet with the player who crashed into the signage, etc.)

The same promotional positioning can be applied to NASCAR (ifa driver crashes into the State Farm branded secton of the wall) and hockey(if a player gets hit into a State Farm dasherboard).

Looking to Drive Awareness for a Realtor?

Is your organization looking for new ways to leverage a realtor?

The Philadelphia Eagles collaborated with Pulte Homes to feature an on-field "Take it to the House" promotion, offering three (3) fans the chance to throw a football for a new Pulte Home. The select contestants must throw a football 25 yards to hit a10x4 target on a model home set up at the goal line to win the free home (worth $300,000).

Through the promotion, Pulte is doing an excellent job redefining the home game experience.The company is running its next on-field "Take it to the House" promotion during halftime of the Eagles' Monday Night football matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Decembr 15, 2008. The promotion rewards three (3) select contestants with two (2) tickets and an Eagles gift pack, which includes an Eagles hat, Eagles Yearbook, and an autographed Eagles football.

Check out the promotion below:

Looking to Leverage a Deodorant Brand?

Are you looking for a unique way to promote a deodorant brand?

Sure Sport for Men created a unique watch party for fans in England to watch the World Cup. The company built the Sure Fan Zone, an exclusive venue created to enable English soccer fans to go wild during games. The Sure Fan Zone footprint spanned 800 square meters and held 150 fans per match. The setup was located at Potter's Field, across from the Tower of London.

The Sure FanZone featured six (6) million strands of confetti (which appeared like falling deodorant flakes in the sky), 160 light strobes, 2,000 liters of dry ice, and 16,000+ liters of smoke to drive England fans wild. In addition, the company incorporated 850 different sound effects, recorded in four (4) different continents around the world, into the viewing party experience.

Fans could win the chance to watch the World Cup games live in the Sure Fan Zone by registering online on the company's website.

Looking to Leverage Health Care Partners?

Are you looking to leverage health care partners in-venue? Are you looking to create health care messaging that resonates with fans?

Utilize the Jumbotron to show clips of hazardous things that can happen to fans while tailgating on game day (as demonstrated in the clip below).

By showing fans the accidents that can occur (in a funny way) while tailgating, supporting health care partners can drive home a message that not only resonates with fans but reminds them WHY they need health insurance and health care support in the first place.

Health care partners can support these short viral clips by tagging them with a unique web page (www.PackerFansontheIR.com) that drives fans to learn more about their team affiliation, coverage and services.

Turn Your Venue Concessions Into Commemorative Items...

Are you looking for ways to commemorate an historical event at your venue? Are you looking for new ways to provide relevance for your brand?

While America was sleeping, the rest of the world recently tuned in to watch the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix last weekend. The event was spectacular - Formula One cars raced through the city streets at night at speeds of 185mph+. But one of the most unique aspects of the race's festivities was the way that event organizers decided to brand water bottles distributed at the event:

This is such a great idea. Hopefully in the near future, we will see more teams work with concessions partners to create commemorative products that fans can receive at concessions stands. Why not create a limited edition concessions product that is only sold at the stadium on a historic night?

Beverage and food providers can work with teams to create unique branded products that highlight team records, player records, and historic nights at the ballpark/arena. This is a great way to deliver incremental value to fans in a non-traditional manner... Look for new opportunities where your property can deliver incremental value for fans and supporting partners!

Note: Singapore paid $150MM to host the Formula One event over the course of five years. Sixty (60) percent of the fee is being paid by the government-owned Singapore Tourism Board and the remaining forty (4) percent is coming from a private company., Singapore GP Pte.

Is Your Brand in the Hands of Consumers?

Are you looking to put your brand in the hands of more consumers? Are you looking for new ways to make your brand top-of-mind when consumers attend sporting events?

The Washington Wizards found a unique way to do this by featuring AOL branded beers in the AOL Executive Suite at the Verizon Center. The picture on the right of the AOL branded beerwas taken at a Wizards game in 2007 when the the team hosted the Detroit Pistons. This creative branding tactic opens up a variety of sponsorship ideas within the realm of sports.

Branding cups (especially in the suite/100 levels) for specific fans/consumers is a new inventory piece that teams can sell to supporting partners. While this may not appeal to some brands (e.g. automobile partners), others may love the fact that they can have their logo in the hands of consumers consistently throughout the duration of a sporting event.  

If your team/organization is looking for a company that specializes in branding plasticware, etc. take a minute to check out BrandedCups.com

Looking to Leverage Medical Partners?

Are you looking for unique ways to leverage medical partners in-venue?

As medical and pharmaceutical companies become bigger spenders within the sports landscape, teams will be asked to deliver additional assets and value. A simple answer for this? The stretcher.

Soccer teams and tournaments have already begun selling the stretcher as a branding piece. As the video demonstrates below (:47 mark), team/tournament representatives sold Coca-Cola on using the stretcher as a branding piece.

It is a little unclear as to why a company like Coca-Cola would want to brand the stretcher (does watching an injured person being carted off the field make consumers want to go buy a soft drink?), but it could be a serve as a valuable branding tool for a medical company/hospital who is looking to demonstrate their quality care for patients.

The Ravens and VW Rev Up Section Branding...

Are you looking for classy, yet subtle ways to brand your stadium seating sections? Are you looking for a unique way to sell a corporate partners message to your fanbase?

The Baltimore Ravens and Volkswagen teamed up to place VW branding on the entrances to sections at M&T Bank Stadium. The branding looks classy and delivers an impactful "Drivers Wanted" message to Ravens fans as they leave the concourse area and head to their seats.  The Volkswagen message is perfect in this case because it has a subtle direct call to action.

Teams have a unique ability to align supporting partners with fan demographics based on seating sections. Meaning, a club can brand the entrances of lower level seating areas with different messaging than the upper bowls (e.g. Mercedes-Benz vs. Kia), based on the buying power/behaviors of the consumers seated in each of those sections. The brands and organizations that find unique, effective ways to do this, have a very powerful way to get their message in front of consumers each and every time they leave and return to their seats.

The Ravens also feature some other classy, distinguishable corporate signage at M&T Bank Stadium. Enclosed below are two (2) examples:

Clear, Distinguishable Visa Lines at the Concessions Stands

Prominent Signage for the Budweiser Ravens Walk

Looking to Add a New Partner?

Have you considered signing an "Official Sunflower Seed Snack" partner for your organization? If not, you could be leaving some real dollars/trade value on the table (especially in the baseball world).

Why? Teams can provide sunflower seed companies with performance level visibility (within the dugout/bench area, as pictured on the right with the branded blue crates) and direct access to team personnel (players, coaching staff, staff).

To complement performance level placement/direct personnel access, organizations can also offer sunflower seed companies banner placement throughout the concourse (near concessions), on-site product sampling, rights to marks for package labeling, and access to a sponsor support system that facilitates cross promotions with other team sponsors (e.g. if your organization has a grocery store/c-store/wholesale retail partner).

The leading sunflower seed companies are:

• DAVID Sunflower Seeds (founded in 1926, DAVID Sunflower Seeds are now a part of the Nestle Corporation and are headquartered in Fresno, CA) (www.davidseeds.com)
• GIANT Sunflower Seeds (www.giantseeds.com)
• Spitz Sunflower Seeds (www.spitzseeds.com)
• Deerfield Farms Sunflower Seeds

Drive Your Product Into Consumers' Minds...

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness of your product in-venue? Are you looking for ways to leverage your baseball partnerships?

The Hiroshima Toyo Carp, a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League, have found a very unique way to promote Cup Noodles at their baseball games. The team outfitted a small truck with a huge Cup Noodles on the bed. During innings throughout the game, the truck drives around the baseball field, encouraging fans to head to the concessions stands to purchase their very own Cup Noodles. The "mobile" promotional vehicle provides Cup Noodles a great way to escape from all of the signage and corporate activation in-venue.

A similar mobile promotional vehicle would be a relevant for numerous companies to promote their brands in-venue:

• Soft Drinks / Energy Drinks / Juices (e.g. the Seventh Inning Stretch Sponsored by Sprite, with the vehicle rounding the field showing a large Sprite can on the back and a half-off all Sprite purchases during the seventh inning)
• Cell Phones (New Models)
• Tools / Lawn Care Products
• QSR Menu Items
• Alcoholic Beverage Companies
• Companies Selling Household Amenities