Latest Thinking from IEG

Are NASCAR Feuds Good For Sponsorship?

After watching this crash by NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt 500, you might be left thinking the same thing I did: “Wow, his sponsor must love all that additional exposure.”

Actually, I was wondering how incidents like this one square with the sport’s efforts to maintain its fan base and, of course, attract sponsors.

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Filed under: NASCAR, pro sports, activation

Just Because you Aren’t an Endemic Sponsor, Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be Endemic to the Overall Sports Experience

In a down economy, companies are forced more and more to make their sponsorships relevant and meaningful. Companies who are endemic to a particular sport are a natural fit for those particular sponsorship opportunities. However, for companies whose businesses do not naturally fit into the sports experience, they have to be a little more creative with how they activate their sponsorship platforms to make their presence meaningful to the fans and attendees. In particular, companies within the consumer and B2B technology and communications categories have done a great job of leveraging their sponsorship opportunities and made themselves largely endemic to the sports experience.

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Filed under: pro sports, sports, trends, activation

A Company’s Sponsorship Budget Should be “a” Factor Not “the” Factor When Choosing a Property

Among the numerous considerations a sponsor must wade through to determine which properties to sponsor, cost is usually at the top of the list. Unfortunately, focusing too much on cost can sometimes lead a sponsor down the wrong path or create unnecessary boundaries, ruling out properties that might otherwise be appropriate.

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Filed under: arts, associations, cause marketing, events, local, sports, activation

Maximizing the Value of Social Media Sponsorship

As a property, incorporating sponsors into your social media presence is a logical way to enhance sponsorship value.

However, similar to the old adage that you can’t put the horse before the cart, you cannot successfully incorporate sponsors into social media without a well-established social media presence.

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Filed under: digital media, social media, sponsored content, activation

Would You Price A Sponsorship Like You’d Price A Steak?

Would You Price A Sponsorship Like You’d Price A Steak?

If you know IEG, you know we generally advise against selling sponsorship with an a la carte menu. Surprisingly enough, this idea was affirmed for me this weekend while listening to The Splendid Table, American Public Media’s outstanding weekly food show.

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Filed under: packaging, selling, activation

Project Runway is No “Loser” When it Comes to TV Sponsorships

Last week, my colleague Carrie posted on Ziploc’s brand integration into The Biggest Loser. I shared her confusion at how the show or the brand would think the final cut was acceptable. As Carrie put it so well, “I actually debated whether the feature should be considered branded entertainment, product placement or brand integration. Technically, it is integrated in to the show, but it just feels like a bad infomercial.”

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Filed under: branded entertainment, digital media, entertainment, new media, activation

Proof Of The Value Of Sponsorship To Coca-Cola

Yesterday’s earnings call with analysts to discuss The Coca-Cola Co.’s fourth-quarter 2009 results demonstrates the importance of the company’s global sponsorship platforms. (A transcript of the call can be found here.)

Within the first few minutes of the call, Coke chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent discussed the most important initiatives underway for 2010, with the Vancouver Games and FIFA World Cup claiming center stage:

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Filed under: beverage, international, olympics, soft drink, sponsorship ROI, activation

Ziploc's Latest Brand Integration in The Biggest Loser is a Big Loser – Success is in the Details

There are several reasons why Ziploc's latest brand integration in The Biggest Loser was a bust. Somehow the :45 brand integration managed to leave me confused and conveyed nothing of value about a product that is actually useful. I have to wonder if anyone watched the integration before it aired. I actually debated whether the feature should be considered branded entertainment, product placement or brand integration. Technically, it is integrated in to the show, but it just feels like a bad infomercial. Beyond the less than stellar actual integration, it appears Ziploc needs to step-up its activation around The Biggest Loser to make it pay off.

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Filed under: branded entertainment, activation

Leading with Activation

A property’s typical, linear approach to developing a sponsorship program is to gather assets, allocate those assets, create packages at various levels, solicit sponsors that seem to fit with the property and then hopefully sign a few sponsors at each level. Ultimately, the package may be slightly tweaked to offer benefits that are a better fit for the sponsor, but overall, it is still a pretty standard package. The activation of the sponsorship is left to the sponsor, possibly with some assistance from the property. There isn’t really anything wrong with this process, it makes sense, it follows a well-worn path and it has often proved successful. It makes allocating assets easier, it is easier to price and manage, and initially it is a lot easier and quicker to take to market.

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Filed under: selling, activation

Part Two: How can I Maximize the Value of my Sponsorship Opportunities?

Per my blog last week, I stated that one of the most common questions that I hear is: “How can I maximize the value of my sponsorship opportunities?”

As I said, this can be a daunting question for a property because there are numerous potential answers and generally there isn’t one “right” answer. There are both short-term solutions, such as adding overlooked tangible benefits to a package, or enhancing existing benefits and long-term solutions, such as increasing awareness of an organization. As always, the answer is unique to each property. Last week’s blog discussed some higher-level thinking around adding value. For this blog, the focus is on tangible benefits.

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Filed under: activation