IEG’s sponsorship experts provide unique perspective on the latest industry developments, news and trends. These posts will make you think, challenge conventional wisdom, give you new ideas, and spark discussion.
William Chipps Jul 24
Coffee War Percolates New Sponsorship Spending
Today’s coffee lover faces more choices than ever on where to buy their favorite brew, and that has prompted new sponsorship spending on behalf of coffee retailers.
That activity has been driven in large part by McDonald’s Corp., which took on Starbucks Corp., Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. and other coffee retailers earlier this year with the launch of the McCafe coffee line.
Competition also has been fueled by convenience stores, many of which are adding premium coffee blends to their product offering. Coffee can be a profitable item: New Jersey-based Quick Chek reported a 10 percent increase in coffee sales in its fiscal first quarter.
More >
Filed under: how to get sponsorship, marathon, spending, cause marketing
William Chipps Jun 5
Procter & Gamble Does Hometown Sponsorship Right
P&G has stepped up sponsorship activity around its Cincinnati headquarters, signing title of Memorial Day weekend’s Taste of Cincinnati and expanding its partnership with last month’s Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon.
The soap giant activated both deals with a handful of brands, each of which gained ownership of an on-site proprietary program. For example, the Taste of Cincinnati featured the Pampers Stroller Speed lane, the Bounty Quilted Picker Uppers cleaning teams and the Old Spice Swagger Zone, a special seating area where attendees could watch Cincinnati Reds games on a giant TV.
At the Flying Pig Marathon, P&G’s Tide used branded laundry carts to pick up clothing discarded by runners, Old Spice High Endurance deodorant awarded a prize to marathoners who ran the last mile the fastest, while Mr. Clean sponsored the Clean Your Clock fastest split-time award.
The strategy makes a lot of sense: In addition to promoting its hometown presence, P&G was able to make a more meaningful connection with its target audience by integrating its products into the fabric of each event. The multi-brand strategy also allowed P&G to spread the cost of the sponsorships over multiple budgets.
Way to go, P&G.
More >
Filed under: events, local, marathon, sports, activation