Fresh Insights from IEG

A Renewed Look at the WWE and Sponsorship of ‘Risky’ Properties

Growing up, I was a big fan of the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment). Last night’s WWE Monday Night Raw broadcast sent me on a trip down memory lane as I watched one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, Shawn Michaels “The Heartbreak Kid”, announce his retirement. Not going to lie, it got a little dusty in Kander Manor towards the end of his speech and when he left the ring for the ‘final’ time. (By the way, Shawn Michaels’ speech was everything that Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech wasn’t – emotional, passionate, acknowledging his fans/colleagues for their support, etc.)

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Filed under: sports, pro sports

Many Takeaways from my Professional Sports Special Interest Group Discussion

I had the pleasure of co-leading a discussion amongst many of the IEG Conference’s sports-centric properties, sponsors and agencies with my coworker, Larry Albus. There was a diverse range of conversation topics that included developing new revenue streams, emerging categories, cause-based partnerships and effectively measuring a sponsorship’s ROI.

With regards to new revenue streams, the discussion centered largely around the NFL teams incorporating sponsors on their practice jerseys and practice facilities. One of the issues with those platforms was the difficulty in building awareness and getting eyeballs for those sponsors. One category that was able to avoid this issue was news & media sponsors, who could guarantee practice coverage for their sponsored team. Another common sponsor of practice facilities are hospitals and rehabilitation centers. These companies business is endemic to the purposes of a practice (e.g., rehab, preparing the team to participate in the weekend’s game). A specific example, the Methodist Training Center partnered with the Houston Texans as the practice facility naming rights sponsor.

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Filed under: IEG 2010

Not Sold on Lewis Hamilton’s Secret Life

Formula 1 driver, Lewis Hamilton, and Reebok unveiled an alternate reality game (ARG) yesterday called Lewis Hamilton: Secret Life. Hamilton is the central character in this game, which allows its users to experience a facet of Hamilton’s “life” beyond being a Formula 1 driver. The overall goal of the game is to help Lewis train and prepare to recover priceless artworks, sculptures and manuscripts from thieves. Apparently (or as Reebok would like you to believe), Hamilton is a big “The Thomas Crown Affair” fan and bypassing museum security/stealing priceless artifacts is his secret passion.

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Filed under: branded content, motorsports, new media, non-traditional categories, social media, sports, activation

Just Because you Aren’t an Endemic Sponsor, Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be Endemic to the Overall Sports Experience

In a down economy, companies are forced more and more to make their sponsorships relevant and meaningful. Companies who are endemic to a particular sport are a natural fit for those particular sponsorship opportunities. However, for companies whose businesses do not naturally fit into the sports experience, they have to be a little more creative with how they activate their sponsorship platforms to make their presence meaningful to the fans and attendees. In particular, companies within the consumer and B2B technology and communications categories have done a great job of leveraging their sponsorship opportunities and made themselves largely endemic to the sports experience.

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Filed under: pro sports, sports, trends, activation

Big Leaps, Big Returns: Watchmaker Hublot’s Approach To Sponsorship
I was in Switzerland last week meeting with Jean-Claude Biver about his keynote at Leap, IEG’s 2012 Sponsorship Conference next month.

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Filed under: cause marketing, endorsements, IEG conference, international, motorsports, sports, activation

Komen Controversy's Lessons For Sponsors
Having enjoyed many years of a productive partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the organization’s corporate partners are no doubt feeling blindsided by this week’s firestorm over SGK’s decision to no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood.

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Filed under: cause marketing, nonprofit, social media, backlash

Sponsorship and Return on Innovation
Speakers at IEG’s 2012 Sponsorship Conference are bringing unprecedented levels of innovation to the sponsorship space.

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Filed under: arts, events, festivals, IEG conference, non-traditional categories, activation

Paterno’s Legacy And The Big Question For Sports And Sports Marketers
My family and I moved to the suburbs of Pittsburgh when I was nine and Joe Paterno was already many years into becoming a football and Pennsylvania legend.

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Filed under: college sports, pro sports, sports, backlash

Despite Many Questions, Tebow Is A Prime Sponsorship Candidate
It may seem odd that I wrote the headline to this post during the third quarter of Saturday’s night playoff game, at the exact moment Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was getting sacked with his team down 42-7 to Tom Brady and the Patriots.

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Filed under: pro sports, endorsements

Procter & Gamble Understands The Value Of Cause Marketing Better Than Anyone
Jerry Welsh introduced the term cause related marketing—a strategy he created while EVP of worldwide marketing at American Express—at the second annual IEG Sponsorship Conference in 1985.

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Filed under: IEG conference, trends, cause marketing

Will Short-term And Shared Deals Be The Death Of Sponsorship?
In the beginning, stadium naming rights agreements were largely 20-year commitments, with a few 10-year exceptions. The bulk of NASCAR team sponsorships were for a full season, and marketers signed on to sponsor every stop of a concert tour.

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Filed under: what is sponsorship, sponsorship measurement

Measuring TV Exposure Does Not Capture Sponsorship ROI
There is much more to measuring the ROI of a sponsorship than accounting for the value of brand exposure during TV broadcasts, yet I continue to hear stories of sponsors that put nearly all of their measurement emphasis on that

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Filed under: sponsorship measurement, sponsorship ROI, international

Heineken’s Smart Approach To Sponsorship Activation
While in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, I dropped in on Hans Erik Tuijt, global manager of activation for Heineken and a speaker at IEG’s 2012 sponsorship conference.

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Filed under: beer, branded content, digital media, events, festivals, IEG conference, international, music, new media, research, sponsored content, sponsorship measurement, sponsorship ROI, activation

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