Latest Thinking from IEG

Look Before You Leap At That First Dollar

A few articles we recently published in IEG Sponsorship Report discuss deals that at first glance appear to offer win-win propositions, but which should be examined more closely. The common question raised in each case is: Does the revenue from the relationship justify what the property is (or might be) giving up?

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Filed under: selling, cause marketing

Attention Drivers v. Value Drivers for Cause/Marketers

Have you checked out the Dynamics of Cause Engagement study released earlier this month by Ogilvy PR and Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication? For any one in the nonprofit fundraising or cause marketing business, it provides useful insight into what Americans think are the top causes (“causes” referring, in this case, to issues or content areas rather than specific nonprofit organizations).

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Filed under: evaluation, nonprofit, sponsorship measurement, cause marketing

Solid Advice on Sponsorship’s Legal Issues

Mary Hutchings Reed, the attorney who has defined many of the business and legal issues surrounding sponsorship, sports, arts, entertainment and cause marketing, spoke to my graduate class at Northwestern University last night, and as always happens when I listen to her presentations, issues were clarified and solutions emerged.

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Filed under: endorsements, negotiating, contracts

Know Thyself: Discovering your Brand Personality

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.

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Filed under: branded content, branded entertainment, endorsements, entertainment, pro sports, activation

Soulful Selling: Morgan Spurlock and A Day at the Zoo

I spent Friday morning in Philly in meetings with an IEG Consulting client, the Philadelphia Zoo. Though I was really there to talk sponsorship, I admit the day’s highlights included excitedly waving at a black leopard and cooing to an adorable baby giraffe. Life is good.

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Filed under: branded content, branded entertainment, entertainment, how to get sponsorship, museums/zoos/aquariums, backlash

By Necessity or Choice, Chicago Cubs Take Different Approach to Securing Sponsors

Michael Kirschner, director of corporate partnerships for the Chicago Cubs spoke to my graduate class at Northwestern University last night. With stints at the NBA, Madison Square Garden and Tribeca Film Festival, he pulled from his league and entertainment experiences as well as those with team sports.

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Filed under: how to get sponsorship, local, pro sports, selling, assets

Brewer Makes Special-Edition Ale for Marathon Sponsorship

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.

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Filed under: beer, marathon, sports, activation

Transmedia Storytelling and Sponsorship

It seems each time I step into the world of media buying and planning I come away more convinced than ever that sponsorship should play a much more prominent role in corporate and brand advertising plans.

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Filed under: social media, trends, new media

Three Cups of Tea or Three Card Monte? Our Continuing Need for Nonprofit Metrics

This past week, I’ve watched and read the Greg Mortenson/Central Asia Institute investigation coverage with a frown on my face. (For the CBS 60 Minutes piece, click here.) Sure, I enjoyed and admired Mortenson’s stories and work described in Three Cups of Tea and it is always uncomfortable to have the integrity of someone you admire come into sharp and pointed question. But such is life, and we will have to wait and see what comes of the ongoing investigation and debate.

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Filed under: cause marketing, nonprofit, sponsorship measurement, sponsorship ROI, backlash

Virtual Advertising as New Sponsorship Inventory and Activation Platform

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.

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Filed under: college sports, digital media, pro sports, valuation, activation