Latest Thinking from IEG

From the AFP Conference–Customer Lifetime Value, Customer Retention and Value Segments

I attended the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Midwest Conference on Philanthropy yesterday and although the content of the conference was not sponsorship focused, there were some insights that were very relevant to sponsorship.

The opening session was led by Adrian Sargeant, the Robert F. Hartsook Professor of Fundraising at Indiana University. Even though the content of the session was focused on driving donor loyalty, there were several topics covered that are pertinent, and three that I would like to highlight. The concepts of retention and defection, lifetime value, and value segments all have a place in sponsorship. Because of the limited information available on some of these topics within fundraising, during his research Sargeant turned to insights developed on the consumer side.

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Filed under: nonprofit, research, selling, sponsorship ROI, activation

Extreme Makeover: Sponsorship Edition (Episode #2)

See Episode 1 for information about this blog series.

Motel 6’s Great Teddy Bear Roundup

Before: This week, Accor North America’s Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands launched the second annual Great Teddy Bear Roundup. This program asks people to donate new teddy bears at Motel 6/Studio 6 drop-off locations. The locations then deliver the teddy bears to local law enforcement, fire stations and hospitals that use the teddy bears “to comfort children experiencing stressful or traumatic situations.” The 2008 campaign yielded 10,000 teddy bear donations across the country. This year, the local police or fire department in the community where the most donations are made will also receive $6,000. Read the Motel 6 press release here.

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Filed under: cause marketing, destination/tourism, government/municipal, hospitals and healthcare, local, nonprofit, strategic philanthropy, activation

Don’t Rip the Gatekeeper’s Arms Off

If you have ever been nervous about giving a speech or presentation, you’ve probably heard that you should picture the audience members in their underwear. If you’ve ever tried it, chances are you know how bad that advice is.

In that spirit, play this 12-second video for some bad advice on how to get past the gatekeeper in your next sales effort.

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Filed under: entertainment, evaluation, how to get sponsorship, nonprofit, selling, sports, agency

New Day In Sponsorship: Nonprofit Pays Cash To Sponsor Nationally Televised Sports Event

Cancer.net Skate America begins today in Lake Placid, N.Y., marking a significant development in sponsorship. The title sponsor is the consumer Web site of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a physician’s membership association.

The professional organization is paying a cash fee to U.S. Figure Skating, and told IEG Sponsorship Report last month that this will not be its last sponsorship. “Doing this once is not going to be sufficient. We’re in the process of talking to other organizations,” said Allen Lichter, MD, the association’s CEO.

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Filed under: beverage, hospitals and healthcare, medical societies, nonprofit, non-traditional categories, sports, trends, associations

Carrie’s Top Ten (Mostly Sponsorship Related) List

There were some pretty big sponsorship news stories during the past week or two and since everyone else seems to have a top ten list, I wanted to do one too. Plus, doing a top ten list pretty much guarantees at least some people will be interested. Personally, I always turn to the top ten lists in magazines first and click on any news stories that say “Top Ten”. Maybe this will be the beginning of a series…hmm…enjoy!

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Filed under: entertainment, events, music, nonprofit, research, selling, activation

Smart Sponsorship; Questionable Activation

Received a press release yesterday from Pheasants Forever, a nonprofit conservation and hunting-oriented organization, announcing that Miller High Life will again be the official beer of the group, extending a longtime relationship.

MillerCoors will overlay the sponsorship with an on- and off-premise promotion that raises funds for PF. The Miller High Life Rooster Promotion allows adult consumers to purchase paper roosters for either $1 or $5, with “net funds raised” going to local PF chapters to fund wildlife habitat projects.

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Filed under: backlash, beer, beverage, cause marketing, nonprofit, activation

Drug Side Effects Are Pleasant Compared to Results of Over-regulated Relationships

Dizziness? Fainting? Numbness in the extremities?

These are child's play compared to the pictures painted by some concerned healthcare industry colleagues yesterday afternoon at an event put on by the Association Forum of Chicagoland. The topic of the event was the codes of ethics and regulations the healthcare industry is implementing that govern activities of companies, healthcare practitioners and the organizations and institutions that represent them.

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Filed under: legislation, medical societies, nonprofit, hospitals and healthcare

Vonage Calls Up New Sponsorship Campaign

Properties that draw Indo-Americans, Hispanics and other multicultural and general market audiences that make frequent international phone calls should put Vonage Holdings Corp. on their prospect list.

The Internet phone service provider last year hired former Cingular Wireless CMO Marc Lefar as its new CEO. At Cingular, Lefar oversaw the telco’s massive sponsorship portfolio that included everything from pro sports teams to festivals, fairs and performing arts organizations.

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Filed under: nonprofit, pro sports, selling, sports, how to get sponsorship

Where a Dose of Corporate Social Responsibility Could Come in Handy

Last month, Mattel’s American Girl line of dolls caused quite a stir when they unveiled Gwen, a homeless American Girl doll.

American Girl dolls, as I recently have learned, are high-end dolls with even higher price tags and are all the rage for young girls. The Gwen doll in question carries a $95 sticker price.

The Gwen doll certainly helps raise awareness in young children about the plight of the homeless. But despite the doll’s focus on homelessness, no proceeds from the sale of the Gwen doll went to benefit homeless causes.

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Filed under: cause marketing, nonprofit, backlash

Siemens UK Outfit Puts Together a Classic

The sheer volume of sponsors doing sports/cause cross-property promotions means the approach is no longer trendy. Rather, it’s become a new classic—the sponsorship equivalent of “Jackie O” sunglasses or leather motorcycle jackets.

I came across an example yesterday that struck me for how textbook the activation seems—and I mean that in a good way. Siemens sponsors both the Great Britain Rowing Team (GB Rowing) and The Stroke Association in the UK. Siemens is activating them both simultaneously, with a cross-property platform called Stroke for Stroke, which challenges the public to row 10K—inside or outside—to raise funds for the cause.

Having looked at the components online and the supporting press, it seems to me that Siemens and its partners are working from a very smart little checklist of how to set these types of promotions up.

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Filed under: cause marketing, digital media, hospitals and healthcare, nonprofit, non-traditional categories, olympics, sports, strategic philanthropy, activation