Jim Andrews May 31
I have been holding my breath for a week now, but I think it’s time to let it out. more
backlash motorsports servicing soft drink activation
Jon Kander May 9
Building off of my colleague Diane’s latest blog, I recently watched Morgan Spurlock’s newest documentary, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. One of the major themes of the film is the importance of discovering your brand personality for the purpose of partnering with ‘like’ brands. In the movie, Spurlock visits a noted branding agency where they identify his primary brand attributes as a juxtaposition of being both playful and mindful. From there, the brand agency listed several companies that had a similar brand identity, such as Apple and JetBlue, as potential partners for Spurlock’s documentary. more
branded content branded entertainment endorsements entertainment pro sports activation
Jon Kander May 2
With marathon season underway, one specific sponsorship jumped out at me. Arcadia Brewing Company, a Michigan-based craft beer brewery, is partnering with the inaugural Kalamazoo Marathon. According to marathon coordinator Karen Townsend, one of the first questions she received from the runners is whether there was going to be beer at the finish line tent. Instead of just filling the category and providing beer to runners and spectators, Arcadia Brewing really stepped up. Not only is the brewer sponsoring the event, but it will also be creating a special-edition ale (called Finish Line Ale) specifically for the event. more
beer marathon sports activation
Jon Kander Apr 21
Reading this month’s Partnership Activation newsletter (a must read for sports business professionals), I found the utilization of virtual advertising during in-game broadcasts by several NHL teams compelling. While in-game virtual advertising is not a new concept (baseball has been utilizing it for behind-the-plate advertising for 10+ years), it is becoming more prevalent amongst NHL teams in recent years. Thinking about it in greater detail, selling digital advertising inventory would be a great fit for teams in several different sports and a potential league-wide activation platform for a sponsor. more
college sports digital media pro sports valuation activation
Jon Kander Apr 8
I got the chance to cross “Attend the NCAA Championship Game” off of my bucket list this past weekend. One of the many valuable experiences I had was visiting the NCAA fan fest, Bracket Town Refreshed by Coke Zero. Getting to see how each NCAA partner activated their sponsorship was a marketer’s dream. more
sports activation
Jon Kander Feb 23
I was watching the NBA Slam Dunk contest on Saturday night when Blake Griffin made his event-winning dunk over a Kia Optima. It got me wondering – can a cosponsor ambush another cosponsor? Kia appeared to receive the most post-event buzz on the twitter-sphere despite Sprite being the event title sponsor and newspaper/website headline pictures all featured Griffin’s dunk over the car. Yet, was this necessarily a bad thing for Sprite?
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ambush marketing automotive product placement soft drink sports activation
Ashley Wescott Dec 8
A couple of Saturdays ago, three of my worlds collided: the library, Girl Scouts and sponsorship. more
backlash activation
Courtney Reilly Dec 7
Did the NBA’s ban of the Concept 1 basketball shoe make the brand more marketable than a sponsorship of the NBA or the league’s players could have?
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sponsorship measurement sports activation
Sarah Hartman Dec 2
Looking back at the season for marathons, triathlons and other endurance events that unofficially wrapped up last month with the ING New York City Marathon, it’s clear that sponsors have tuned into the many benefits and opportunities that make those events unique and desirable properties. They offer sponsors access to an engaged, passionate audience; often economical rights fees; opportunities for creative and meaningful activation; and opportunities to highlight a company’s social corporate responsibility efforts. more
events marathon sports activation
Jon Kander Nov 22
As a follow-up to last week’s blog post, here are three of my favorite sponsorship activation tactics/takeaways from the Allstate Wrigleyville Classic. more
festivals pro sports sports activation