Introducing You to the Chipotle Blimp and the Moo Force One...

The video below captures some great footage of the Chipotle blimp doing some acrobatic tricks at a Dallas Stars home game. The blimp often drops restaurant coupons into the hands of fans in-arena. A great activation tactic by the Stars organization!

Chick-fil-A featured the Moo Force One at the 2007 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament in Greensboro, NC...

Align Your Brand With Ambassadors Who Really DO Like/Use Your Product

Stephen A. Smith loves Cheese Doodles. There's no question about it.

He may not be the perfect brand ambassador for Wise, but if he was, he would at least be "authentic". Check out the clip below that shows Stephen A. Smith's love for Cheese Doodles...even in pressure situations.

Signage... That Reflects In-Game Team Performance?

While watching a few of the NBA playoffs this past weekend, I began thinking about "signage of the future"... In the past few years, the sports world has seen a number of new advancements in the realm of signage inventory - LED ribbon board, courtside rotational, baseline rotational, 360-degree scoreboard, VMS, digital billboards, ProStar, Galaxy LED, ProFence field displays, fascia, outdoor marquee - teams are starting to cover an array of options.

But with the advancements in LED technology, will we soon see brand messaging that reflects in-game team performance? (This could be happening currently, I just haven't seen it)... Teams could customize brand messaging to fit in-game scenarios. Here are a few examples*:

When the Team is Winning:

• "The offense is running like a well-oiled machine" (Tie-in messaging for an automobile company)
• "That score gives them a big cushion" (Furniture retailer)
• "They've answered the call" (Cell phone provider)
• "This one's in the bag" (Trash bags, etc. (i.e. Hefty)
• "They're putting on a clinic" (Healthcare Clinic, etc.)
• "That's the nail in the coffin" (Morgue services)
• "Warm up the bus" (Bus Service)

When the Team is Losing:

• "It ain't over till the fat lady sings" (Jenny Craig, other weight loss companies with unique tie-in)
• "The wheels just fell off" (Junkyard, Towing, etc.)

During the Game:

• "Fans, get on your feet!" (Podiatrist, etc.)
• "You can feel the electricity" (Power/Utility company)
• "That was a textbook play" (Local university bookstore)
• "It's Gut-check time" (Specialist/Docter)
• "The clock is their ally/enemy" (Senior Citizen Center)
• "(Insert team name) draws first blood" (Red Cross)
• "Good call by the official" (Miller Lite - "Good Call" Campaign)
• "Ice the Kicker" / "It's time to milk the clock" (Local grocery store, ice company)
• "He cleaned his clock" (Clock manufacturer/repair service)

Just a thought.

*Sports sayings courtesy of: The Sports Cliche List

Tie-In Your Non-Profit Partners with Unique Promotions!

Are you in search of innovative ways to engage your non-profit partners? Have you considered activating non-profit partnerships in a way that directly speaks to your fanbase?

The American Red Cross recently launched Red Cross Racing, a national Blood Donor Rewards program that offers frequent donors the chance to receive points, which can be exchanged for Red Cross Racing gear (hats, t-shirts, jackets, die-cast cars). Consumers can register to join the Red Cross Racing promotion either online at redcrossracing.com or at one of nine (9) NASCAR tracks where a Red Cross trailer is featured in the midway. To spike consumer demand, the Red Cross is offering all participants who sign up between April 24 and October 1 the chance to win an all-expense-paid trip for two (2) persons to the Phoenix race (11.9.08).

The Red Cross will support its promotional activation with a full paint scheme of the #16 Greg Biffle car in two (2) Sprint Cup races (Talladega - 4.26.08, Phoenix - 11.9.08). In addition, the Red Cross logo will be featured on the #16 car in eight (8) other NASCAR races in 2008.

Use this rewards concept to drive thinking for innovative ways to tie-in your non-profit partners!

Activate Your Running Partnerships... Adidas Guerilla!

Are you looking for unique ways to have a presence in the running/marathon world?

Check out the clip below, which details an interesting tactic that Adidas developed to drive brand awareness among consumers partaking in a marathon in Auckland, Australia.

The Evolution of Coca-Cola's Sponsorship Approach

Sponsors:

Take a moment to read the following excerpts from a 4.7.2008 IEG piece that details the evolution of Coca-Cola's sponsorship approach. Coca-Cola is an industry leader in the sports sponsorship space and serves as a great company to benchmark "best practices" in strategic sponsorship thinking and execution.

Coca-Cola's Sponsorship Evolution

I. Pervasive Presence (1890-1990) - Coca-Cola used marketing to ensure that the company's product was available anyplace that beverages were sold. Coca-Cola looked to place its product within an arm's reach of desire of consumers. 
Coca-Cola evolved to expand beyond availability and started sponsoring things and "painting things red" (an ubiquity strategy). With time, the space became cluttered with numerous brands, forcing Coke to seek out a new strategy to avoid diminishing returns.

II. Marketing Activation Strategy / 360 Degree Marketing (1990s) - Coca-Cola began using marketing activation to tap into consumer passions (going beyond just having a presence), and started exploring experiential marketing - creating personal interactions with consumers where they could tap into emotional connections. Coca-Cola began putting their brand in the middle and surround it with advertising, on-pack, POS, and related promotions. Coca-Cola eventually realized that they were confusing consumers with this strategy by having three (3) or four (4) 360-degree programs in the market at one time (NASCAR, football, Six Flags).

III. Marketing Fusion (Present) - After realizing that consumers were confused with Coca-Cola's messaging, the company decided to evolve its sponsorship strategy around "marketing fusion". Marketing fusion places the consumer at the center of Coca-Cola's strategy and is surrounded with a core creative idea (i.e. The Coke Side of Life). Coke's new strategy requires that it be choiceful where it interacts with consumers (selective partnerships/advertising). 

The marketing fusion approach forces Coca-Cola to understand what the critical areas are to develop relationships with consumers (as opposed to just gaining exposure). Coca-Cola also must determine how to synergize the different places that they choose to interact with their consumer base. The company also needs to ensure that its fusion strategy and marketing assets align with its overall vision platform and five (5) P's: profit, portfolio, people, partners, planet.

To achieve the demands of the fusion strategy, Coca-Cola developed six (6) operating principles that guides the sponsorship team in their strategic thinking processes:

• Understand the Consumer Environment
• Gain Alignment
• Be Choiceful
• Integrate and Activate
• Be Innovative and Fluid
• Measure with Objectivity

In addition, Coca-Cola focuses on four (4) different areas when deciding on partnerships:

• Common Business Objectives
• Brand Fit
• Value-Based Relationships
• Willingness to Innovate

Postseason Partnerships for Non-Playoff Teams?

SportsBusiness Journal featured a great piece this week on the New Jersey Nets' ability to sell a postseason team sponsorship to T-Mobile, DESPITE MISSING THE PLAYOFFS. Brett Yormark, President and CEO of Nets Sports & Entertainment, orchestrated the deal, which provides a variety of postseason events for Nets season ticket holders (the deal is figured to be in the six-figure range and runs from April 21st through May 15th).

T-Mobile sponsored season ticket holder benefits include:

• Lunch with the Nets dancers
• Porsche driving school event
• Playoff viewing party with Nets players and coach Lawrence Frank
• 3-on-3 basketball tournament at the Nets training facility

The postseason partnership directly parlays into T-Mobile's "Stay Connected" motto and provides the company with a chance to have a presence in the #1 media market in the U.S. T-Mobile will receive brand exposure on all Nets events and communications, and the company will have a heavy presence on the team’s Web site during the contracted period.

Has your organization/brand considered a postseason partnership? This may be something to consider benchmarking from one of the (10) teams in the 2008 NBA playoffs with a similar type of deal.

Are Your Auto Partnerships Diesel Powered?

If the Phoenix Suns are looking for a potential partnership that will offset their costs to acquire Shaquille O'Neal, the team should look no further than the hot topic stiring conversation in the auto industry. Leading automakers (Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Kia) have identified North America as a key market to introduce a new generation of diesel-powered passenger cars. These automobiles, deemed "clean diesels", will boast good fuel efficiency (up to 35% better mileage) and potentially could overtake hybrids in the market for eco-cars.

Currently, diesels account for just 6% of sales of light-duty vehicles in the United States but it is predicted that by 2015, the market share for these diesel autos should hit 15%. In contrast, hybrids are slated to account for 6% market share in 2015. Volkswagen is leading the way, introducing a diesel Jetta in all 50 states this year (these light-duty vehicles have emission levels that pass tests in all 50 U.S. states). Honda is following Volkswagen's lead with a six-cylinder diesel Acura.

By now you are probably thinking that these autos will never catch on in the United States with rising gas prices. But while diesel prices at the pump are running about 12% more than gasoline, their per-mile fuel costs are 15-20% lower than gas-powered autos.

For properties selling/looking to sell the automobile category, beware of this new trend!

Product Integration... Heineken and Tennis?

When you think of the game of tennis...Heineken doesn't generally come to mind.

If this is so true, how did Heineken effectively demonstrate to the general consumer that their product could indeed have a direct impact on the tennis viewing experience? By using humor of course... and leveraging the camera man.

The message here is: Develop unique ways to leverage your brand within sports... A direct correlation does not have to exist - create one of your own by using innovative thinking to drive home a clear and understandable message for consumers!

When the Red Sox Win, You Win?

Feelin' thirsty Red Sox fans?

Dunkin Donuts is teaming up with the Boston Red Sox to offer the "Red Sox Win, You Win" promotion, an innovative idea that offers consumers the chance to win a free 16 oz. iced coffee or iced tea with the purchase of a flatbread sandwich or personal pizza after 11am the day after the Red Sox win a game. The promotion will take place in participating Dunkin' Donuts locations in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Southern New Hampshire and runs through June 24th.

Sales figures will determine if this is a successful promotion from a monetary standpoint, but it is an exceptional idea from an awareness standpoint. I am sure that I do not stand alone when saying that I had no clue the "world's largest coffee and baked goods chain" even sold flatbread sandwiches or personal pizzas. An incredible idea! Dunkin' Donuts devised the promotion to draw attention to the new food items featured on its menu. Dunkin' Donuts teamed up with the Fenway Sports Group to create the promotion...

Will this team-performance based promotion become a sweeping trend as sponsors look to activate around team occurences rather than use static signage and advertising at the ballpark?

About Dunkin' Donuts

• The chain currently has 5,500 stores but plans to triple that figure over the next 20 years
• The company is targeting Dallas, Cleveland, and Nashville outside of its Northeast base
• The chain is looking for the Fenway Sports Group, its agency of record, to shape its sports marketing strategy, develop programs that leverage its portfolio of marketing assets, and maximize the value of its future sports, marketing, and entertainment partnerships