Strength In Numbers: Sponsors Should Work Together On Activation
Posted: 10/9/2009 12:53:08 PM by
Jim Andrews | with 0 comments
Often when you look at an event or other sponsored property, sponsor presence is akin to a bunch of strangers attending a party—all lined up against the wall, well-dressed and smiling, waiting for someone to notice and engage them.
Someone—it really should be the party host, or sponsored property—should nudge them and say, “Hey guys, why don’t you start by mixing with each other? That will probably help attract others to you.”
IEG has long been a proponent of cross-promotions among cosponsors as a way to access new channels, share costs and in general, join the party. I consider hosting sponsor summits and facilitating conversations among sponsors as one of the most fun parts of the job.
There are literally hundreds of ways for sponsors of different stripes to team up around a sponsored property. A recent example I liked a great deal came out of New York last month. It’s especially noteworthy due to its variety of partners—some nontraditional—and its ability to add value to the mundane process of on-site recycling.
To mark the Glass Packaging Institute’s Recycle Glass Week, GPI teamed up with bottled water brand Voss and Tomra of North America—a manufacturer of recycling equipment—to sponsor weekend daytime concerts in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park. The deal was activated through the use of three of Tomra’s reverse vending machines and offered prizes to park visitors who used the machines to recycle glass, aluminum and plastic beverage containers. In addition, any refund money collected from for-deposit recycled bottles and cans was donated to the Madison Square Park Conservancy.
The deal provided a win for each party: GPI got to promote glass as environmentally friendly; Tomra received a showcase for equipment that it would like to sell to other properties; Voss was able to support its positioning as a carbon-neutral product; the park received recycling services and cash; and visitors were able to feel good about being green and supporting a city park.
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Filed under: beverage, government/municipal, non-traditional categories, activation