L.A. Hits A Homer With Universal Studios...

Have you considered signing a local theme park on as a corporate partner? Have you considered innovative ways to reward your fanbase based on team performance?

The LA Dodgers are currently leveraging their partnership with Universal Studios with an in-game offer that promotes the park's new mega attraction, The Simpsons Ride. The Dodgers created "Hit a Homer", a promotion that rewards fans in attendance with one (1) free kids ticket with one (1) adult paid admission to the Universal Studios theme park when a Dodger fan hits a homerun during the 5th inning of any home game during the 2008 season. Tickets are redeemable by bringing in and surrendering the Dodgers game ticket stub to a Universal Studios Hollywood ticket booth.

The Dodgers are also offering six (6) "Universal Studios Hollywood Free Kids Ticket" nights where children ages 15 and under can get into the game for free with one (1) paid adult admission. The team uses outfield "Play In Our Park" signage and LED ribbon board signage to drive awareness of the promotion; a practice that actually caught my eye during SportsCenter yesterday morning. The Dodgers also helped drive awareness for the promotion by having Homer Simpson throw out the first pitch one night, as demonstrated by the clip below:

How Long Are Your Fans Waiting In Line?

When was the last time you took into consideration how long your fans were having to wait in line for concessions? Or at the ticket/Will Call booths? Or inside your team gift shop? Or the bathroom?

Have you created any solutions to help justify this issue? Or considered the fact that a fans displeasure for waiting in line could directly affect their overall game experience, especially if they happen to miss a big play?

The reason that I propose these questions i because M/A/R/C Research* recently released a report that states:

• Overall, customers are staisfied (79% extremely/very satisfied) with an average wait time of about four (4) minutes or less
• Optimal wait time varies slightly by store/service category, but satisfaction decreases drastically as wait times increase above four minutes
• Generally, older consumers ages 45-64 are more satisfied with wait times when compared to younger consumers ages 25-44
• Long wait times can impact a store's bottom line (concessions in this case). Approximately 10% of customers state that they will forgo a purchase if the line is too long. In fact, 43% of consumers state that long lines aftter their decisions to shop at specific places/locations

As a result, teams should begin to consider a number of alternatives to entertain and distract consumers while they wait in line for purchase. Tactics can include:

• Equip staffers with a pocket full of coupons, free samples or other goodies they can give to shoppers as a thank-you while they are waiting in line or providing feedback on their game experience
• Interactive brand experiences; creative branding
• Cheerleader/dancer/mascot appearances
• Photo opportunities (companies like PictureU offer capabilities for fans to have a picture taken on a digital camera that is very similar to "green screen" technology)
• Offer premiums (courtesy of concessions, corporate partners) to fans while waiting in line
• Offer technology (Kangaroo television handsets, iPods where fans can listen to team music/watch team highlights) featuring informative and entertaining content
• Enable persons seated in certain sections to make handmade signs, etc.
• Product trial (food, drinks, etc.)

*June 2008 M/A/R/C Research Report (Measure - A Measurement of the Retail Experience). This particular survey measured the impact length of check out times have on store sales.

The PGA Tour Presents the Kodak Challenge...

Kodak and the PGA Tour recently announced the creation of The Kodak Challenge, an inagural competition that provides players on the PGA Tour with a chance to win $1MM in an eighteen (18) hole competition. Beginning in January of 2009 (coincidentally when Tiger Woods returns), select PGA Tournaments will feature a Kodak Challenge hole. The player that manages to post the lowest score relative to par on eighteen (18) of the Kodak Challenge holes will win the cool $1MM prize.

The Kodak Challenge holes will be pre-determined by Kodak, the PGA Tour, and an advisory board of officials... Players must play at least eighteen (18) holes to be eligible to win. Kodak touts the underlying objective of the promotion as a way to celebrate and capture the PGA's beautiful holes and memorable moments... In other words, develop an innovative promotional concept that drives some direct publicity and attention (and hopefully camera sales) back to Kodak.

Kodak will drive consumer engagement with interactive content available at pgatour.com/kodakchallenge. The promotion is Kodak's way of activating its six (6) year agreement with the PGA Tour, which also includes corporate hospitality benefits and digital scoreboard branding.

I am not sure yet how I feel about the promotion... A lot will depend on Kodak's ability to execute the idea and draw enough fan and player interest... I would be a lot more drawn in if there was an aspect that tied back to golf fans (either on television or attending each tournament where the Kodak Challenge is featured)... To drive consumer affinity, why doesn't Kodak:

• Create an online offer for a few select fans to be paired up with participating PGA Tour golfers with the chance to win $1MM (i.e. Century 21 Home Run Derby, where the player can win a select consumer a house)
• Incorporate fans into the hole voting
• Ask fans to submit their best photos of the selected holes for a chance to win Kodak prizes, etc.
• Activate on-site with an interactive golf simulator that enables fans to shoot for the closest-to-the-flag position for the chance to win Kodak gear/trip to see the final tournament hole played out
• Provide fans with a unique opportunity to have their picture taken on the selected hole of each tournament on the Sunday night after the evening takes place (with a select PGA Tour player)
• Set up a similar consumer promotion offering four (4) select winners the chance to play the nation's eighteen (18) best public courses (travel included) for the chance to win $500,000 or a lifetime supply of Kodak supplies and/or a trip to the Masters

Detroit Digs the Octopus Come Playoff Time...

Are you looking for a unique component to feature in your pre-game introductions? Has your organization capitalized on leveraging its mascot and/or historical elements?

During the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings do something very unique that leverages the team's "Legend of the Octopus" tradition. The team features a large octopus, nicknamed "Al", that emerges from the video board onto the ice during pre-game introductions and then drifts up into the stadium's rafters... It is pretty incredible, check it out:

The octopus tradition stems from Red Wings fans throwing an octopus onto the ice at every home game for good luck. The giant octopus is nicknamed "Al" after Red wings ice manager Al Sobotka, who generally cleans up all of the octopuses that are thrown onto the ice during the game and usually will wave them above his head to get the crowd going. The tradition of throwing octopus on the ice in Detroit dates back to 1952 when an owner of a local fish market threw one from the stands onto the ice. At that time, the octopus' eight legs represented the eight wins it took to win the Stanley Cup and it has been a tradition ever since.

Dig deep into your team's historical roots to add value and entertainment to your pre-game festivities!

Are You Looking to Gain the Support of Consumers Nationwide?

Are you looking to win over consumers to drive your product sales? Are you looking to drive the affinity that consumers have for your brand? Then make your brand stand for something, which is exactly what Jim Beam is doing with its new campaign, "Save Our Ballpark Name" - www.saveourname.com

Jim Beam's Save Our Ballpark Name" campaign centers around the push to keep the Wrigley Field name intact. Beam has taken the position as the voice of the consumers (Cubs fans, Chicago natives, traditional sports fans, and consumers across the globe) to end the thought of selling the naming rights to Wrigley Field. 

This really is an innovative promotional concept. Why? Because Jim Beam has found an innovative way to leverage the power of its brand to serve as the voice of consumers across the globe. The campaign is all about the voice of the people (Beam's brand has taken a "supporting" role) but this is such a smart play for Beam because they are driving considerable brand awareness and hopefully in their case, brand affinity.

On the campaign's page, Beam takes a backseat and really places the issue and consumers' opinions at the forefront by explaining the issue, offering an online petition, letting consumers voice their opinions, and providing the latest news. Beam is going to support its online movement by featuring the campaign on a billboard that overlooks Wrigley and distributing t-shirts and bumper stickers to consumers.

If you have a moment, check out the promotion and sign the petition to keep the Wrigley Field name intact!

ESPN Recaps the Top 10 In-Game Fan Contests...

ESPN does a pretty good job in the clip below detailing "The Top 10 Best Fan Contests"... This clip may be worth your while to watch for 3 minutes to get a grasp of some in-game contests that have been run over the past decade...For venues that host both a football and soccer franchise, I love the idea of having a fan kick both a field goal and a long soccer kick to win a big prize (#10).

A 40-Foot Chick-Fil-A Cow is Coming... To Turner Field

Chick-Fil-A recently announced that on June 20th, the company will be unveiling a 40-foot tall, 15,000 pound "tomahawk chopping mechanical cow" at Turner Field... The Best Part? The 40-foot cow will be adorned with an Atlanta Braves Hat and a board that reads "Du Tha Chop. Eat Tha Chikin." The cow will lead the chop at every game with a extendable arm that bends 90 degrees in the motion of the chop.

The massive cow will be situated between the stadium's infamous Coke Bottle and the out-of-town scoreboard in left field and will serve as a great consumer engagement piece in-venue. The giant cow ties into Chick-fil-A's "Eat More Chikin" campaign and was designed to enhance the fan experience at Turner Field, which I am definitely sure it will... And the cow will be leading fan interaction for years - Chick-Fil-A signed a five (5) year agreement to feature the cow inside Turner Field...

Note: Chick-Fil-A utilized the services of Kern Studios, a New Orleans company best known for making Mardi Gras floats, to make the towering interactive cow.

More to come on this great example of unique in-venue branding...

Taco Bell Freezes Phillies Fans in Their Steps...

From a sponsor perspective, are you looking to capture the attention of fans entering the stadium? Are you looking to leave a lasting impression on passerby consumers?

From a team perspective, are you looking for innovative ways to integrate sponsors outside your venue at minimal cost?

Taco Bell utilized the services of cannibalized flash mobs to promote its new Fruitista Freeze product offering recently at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taco Bell enlisted LevLane to hire actors costumed in iced-over beachwear with blue tinted skin to stand in a frozen position for hours as fans walked past to enter the stadium. Alongside these "frozen humans", a support team handed out coupons for the new, frozen tropical beverage and circulated further awareness in the parking lot.

This is an incredible idea, at minimal cost (labor expense), to leave a lasting impression on consumers... It directly translates back to a Escaping the Clutter - Frozen Awareness post I made in February on using persons "frozen in time" to generate awareness for your brand at stadium venues...

Japanese Baseball... New Signage Inventory?

Check out the short Japanese baseball clip below... The video details two (2) pieces of signage inventory that I have yet to see offered in Major League Baseball:

• Cisco has "on-the-field" branding behind home plate (I cannot tell if this is a graphic or actual branding in the turf)
• An alcoholic beverage company has paid to feature their actual product image (beer can) next to the meter that measures pitch speed

Two very interesting tactics! Please let me know if you have seen similar practices implemented elsewhere...

VIP Lounges Taken to the Next Level...

Are you looking to do something innovative with your suite level? Are you brainstorming new ways to drive business meetings and B2B discussions at your events?

Hild und K, a German architecture firm, designed a very unique VIP area for the Allianz Arena in 2005. The arena, located in Munich, Germany, is questionably the finest stadium to ever be built. Stadium officials contacted Hild und K to develop a fresh, B2B feel for the VIP Lounge and this is how it turned out: