IEG’s Sponsorship Blogs

The Changing Face of Festivals

Posted: 6/11/2010 9:49:17 AM by Lesa Ukman | with 0 comments

With a growing array of attractions—carnival rides, fireworks, restaurants, bungee jumping—Europe’s music festivals are looking more like theme parks.

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Filed under: festivals, green, international, events

Festival Sponsors Get Creative With Activation

Posted: 4/27/2010 11:38:28 AM by Lesa Ukman | with 0 comments

Festivals are going from strength to strength, especially in Europe. Just one indication of their prominence is the special limited edition jeans Diesel produced for Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. The run of 1,000 jeans are specially treated to deal with mud, wind, rain and other surprises that you might come across during the course of a festival. 

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Filed under: beverage, digital media, events, festivals, international, music, new media, social media, activation

What I Learned About Sponsorship Backlash While Waiting Out The Ash Cloud

Posted: 4/23/2010 8:46:38 AM by Lesa Ukman | with 1 comments

While reading the April 16th edition of The Independent, I came across two striking images. The first was a banner unfurled at a rally staged by Fair Pensions, which lobbies for ethical investment of UK pension funds, reading “BP Sponsors Climate Chaos.”

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Filed under: events, festivals, international, backlash

Shout Out To Long-term Sponsorships

Posted: 2/18/2010 3:57:39 PM by Jim Andrews | with 0 comments

If you have checked out Sponsorship.com’s News section you may have read the February 17 release from the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning announcing a renewal of the title sponsorship that began in 1993.

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Filed under: festivals, motorsports, NASCAR, sports, events

Behind The Numbers: Sponsorship’s Spending Decline

Posted: 1/20/2010 9:53:18 AM by Jim Andrews | with 2 comments

We recently released IEG’s 25th annual sponsorship spending review and forecast, delivering the historic, if unwelcome, news that sponsorship spending by North American companies declined in ’09. If you haven’t had a chance to read the report and see the specific numbers, click here.

The fact that less was spent on sponsorship last year does not come as a huge shock to properties who have had to work much harder to close deals at fair market value, nor to sponsors who have been directed to make budget cuts. As we reported on new deals and success stories in IEG Sponsorship Report last year—success defined mostly by the oft-repeated phrase “flat is the new up”—we also heard many tales that could not be published about discounting and sponsors who were going back and revisiting existing agreements intent on decreasing their commitments.

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Filed under: associations, cause marketing, entertainment, events, festivals, IEG, spending, sports, trends, arts

Key Insights From The 2009 International Film Festival Summit

Posted: 12/8/2009 4:04:29 PM by Dan Kowitz | with 0 comments

I am in Las Vegas this week for the 2009 International Film Festival Summit. Yes, the shows and the gambling (Don’t worry honey, I didn’t spend much!) can be distracting but the summit content has been fantastic. What I find comforting in a way is that many of the sessions are about issues, challenges and opportunities we all are dealing with.

There are many sessions specific to the film festival industry, but just as many sessions that provide good counsel for all industries. Here are five key insights from several sessions that may help you:

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Filed under: festivals, how to get sponsorship, selling, events

Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami And Sponsors Deliver For Audience

Posted: 12/8/2009 3:37:50 PM by Lesa Ukman | with 0 comments

Although Audi was not the primary sponsor of either Art Basel Miami Beach or its sister event, Design Miami—roles that belong to UBS and HSBC Private Wealth respectively—it was the most ubiquitous.

Eschewing auto shows in favor of the Miami events for the unveiling of its 2010 A8, Audi of America spent north of $6 million but south of $10 million building out its presence.

The automaker, which has increased its marketing budget by 20 percent this year to seize share from its more distressed competitors in the luxury car segment, did not merely sponsor the Miami happenings. Instead, Audi took on the roles of cultural creator and arts curator. For example, in addition to providing the vehicles for the shuttle service for VIPs attending the events, Audi:

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Filed under: arts, automotive, events, fashion, festivals, financial services, retail, activation

Combining Sponsor Activation And Audience Data Collection Is A Good Idea

Posted: 11/13/2009 10:54:12 AM by Jim Andrews | with 1 comments

Because audience data is crucial to properties’ ability to sell and renew sponsorship, I’m always intrigued to see creative ideas for obtaining such research.

We recently heard from Jeff Springut of Springut Group, producer of many events in Rochester, N.Y., on how he collected demographic info from attendees at this summer’s Party in the Park concert series and the Big Rib Bar-B-Que and Blues Fest.

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Filed under: events, festivals, research, activation

Of Sponsors, Worlds Fairs, Olympic Games And Posters

Posted: 10/1/2009 11:14:25 AM by Lesa Ukman | with 1 comments

Just in the nick of time, sponsors came forward and there will be a U.S. Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in China.

Considering the ease with which we field an Olympic team every two years, you might assume a U.S. presence at a world’s fair such as Expo 2010—which is expected to draw 70 million visitors, some 63.2 million more than the Beijing Games—is a given. It is not.

Sponsoring a world’s fair is a hard sell to corporate America. Similar to the rest of the world’s love of soccer versus Americans’ tepid support, world’s fairs are a much bigger deal outside the U.S.

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Filed under: festivals, olympics, selling, events

Survey Says: People Like Sponsors!

Posted: 9/9/2009 2:38:09 PM by Jim Andrews | with 0 comments

Interesting research from the U.K. commissioned by London agency Target Media: Of 2,000 music festival attendees surveyed, 41 percent had positive feelings toward brands that sponsored such events.

Thirty-nine percent said sponsor ads fit better with the festival experience than ads elsewhere, while only 19 percent said they were annoyed by sponsor ID at festivals. Additionally, 75 percent of attendees said they could recall beer, wine or spirits sponsors at music festivals, with 77 percent believing such adult beverages “work best” as festival sponsors.

British and European sponsors typically do a very good job at activating their presence at music festivals to ensure their brands play a role in enhancing the attendees’ experience, which I am willing to bet plays a large role in the positive feedback to this survey.

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Filed under: events, festivals, international, activation