Latest Thinking from IEG

Keep Your Eye On Online Gaming As Potential Blockbuster Sponsor Category
Just a little over two years ago, the Internet gambling industry in the U.S. was under siege from the federal government. It was declared illegal and the operators of its largest concerns were the targets of criminal and civil lawsuits.

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Filed under: prospecting, selling, spending, non-traditional categories

What If The Sponsor/Property Model Is Not Sustainable?
This is one of those topics that maybe I shouldn’t even be raising, as I can hear colleagues and readers shouting, “Are you trying to kill the golden goose?”

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Filed under: servicing, trends, selling

11 Basics Of Successful Sponsorship Sales
Back in the early ’80s, when sponsorship was new to pretty much everyone, IEG traveled the world teaching sponsorship acquisition and sponsorship sales. The industry has incorporated those learnings and sponsorship “mavens” from near and far have incorporated those ideas into their books, blogs and practices.

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Filed under: media sponsorship, packaging, prospecting, selling, sponsorship valuation, how to get sponsorship

Sponsor Survey Outlines Steps Rightsholders Must Take
In case you missed it, IEG has released the finding from the 12th annual IEG/Performance Research Sponsorship Decision-makers Survey.

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Filed under: IEG, research, selling, servicing, social media, spending, sponsorship evaluation, sponsorship measurement, sponsorship ROI, sponsorship strategy, trends, activation

Sponsorship Takeaways from the AFP Int’l Conference on Fundraising
I had the pleasure of moderating a sponsorship panel discussion at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 49th International Conference on Fundraising in Vancouver earlier this month.

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Filed under: cause marketing, how to get sponsorship, local, nonprofit, selling, venues, arts

Power Balance Pavilion: I Don’t Hate To Say I Told You So
Thirteen months ago when the NBA Sacramento Kings signed a five-year deal for wristband-maker Power Balance to take over the naming rights to the Arco Arena, I tweeted the following: “Did the Maloof/Kings/Power Balance naming rights deal just set the #sponsorship industry back 100 years? I'm leaning toward yes.”

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Filed under: non-traditional categories, pro sports, selling, valuation, venues, naming rights

What Does Pujols Deal Mean For L.A. Angels’ Sponsorship Revenue?
While Angels fans start planning World Series celebrations and Cardinals fans assess their club’s fortunes in the wake of Albert Pujols’ departing St. Louis for Anaheim, others are looking at the impact the slugger’s arrival will have on his new team’s bottom line.

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Filed under: pro sports, selling, endorsements

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

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

USA Luge Demonstrates How To End A Sponsorship

I have to hand it to the folks at the U.S. Luge Assn. for the way they announced the end of the Olympic national governing body’s 30-year relationship with Verizon. Not only did they do it gracefully, but they used the occasion to subtly position the organization as a credible and worthwhile sponsorship opportunity to prospective corporate partners.

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Filed under: selling, olympics