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.
Lesa Ukman Aug 4
The Seven Essential Functions of Successful Event Apps
My last post shared some great examples of festival and event apps that build audience engagement for both the properties and their sponsors. In reviewing the elements that allow apps to live up to their engagement potential, seven specific functions rise to the top:
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Filed under: events, festivals, international, new media, social media, digital media
Lesa Ukman Aug 3
Great App Ideas for Festivals, Live Events and Their Sponsors
It used to be you grabbed the festival calendar from your free weekly and circled what bands you wanted to see. Now, Web-based applications for smartphones and tablets let you plan, share and update schedules with military precision. Before committing to a stage, you can review a band’s videos, see how many “likes” they have on Facebook and check out which bands they are most similar to in your music library.
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Filed under: events, festivals, international, new media, social media, telecommunications, digital media
Lesa Ukman Jul 25
Sponsorship Success Depends on Activation
Sponsorship can build brand equity, sales and shareholder value, but it is mostly the activation of sponsorship that does those things.
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Filed under: international, London 2012, olympics, activation
Jim Andrews Jun 30
Activation Watch: Praiseworthy Programs from Budweiser and Spanish Insurer
When you’ve been tracking the sponsorship industry for nearly a quarter of a century (yikes!) it can be a challenge to find partnerships that stand out or break new ground.
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Filed under: beer, branded content, international, pro sports, social media, trends, activation
Lesa Ukman Jul 29
P&G Example Shows Activation Leads To Bigger and Better Deals
Procter & Gamble's success at the Vancouver Olympic Games—which prompted its new TOP deal with the IOC—was a result of great activation of its USOC sponsorship.
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Filed under: international, olympics, activation
Jim Andrews Apr 15
FIFA’s Local Merchant Crackdown Offers Golden Opportunity For Sponsors
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports on FIFA’s efforts to control ambush marketing and the sale of unlicensed merchandise in conjunction with the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.
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Filed under: backlash, international, sports, ambush marketing
Lesa Ukman Jun 23
Story Telling
There’s no getting around it. Without an explanation for a sponsorship, fans will make up their own and often they are negative. Fittingly, Allianz—official risk manager of Formula 1—runs little risk of its sponsorship being misinterpreted. While directly tied to its core lines of business—road safety and risk management—Allianz uses the F1 platform to educate and entertain fans and media so that its sponsorship comes off as a benefit rather than an intrusion. And by having its story live across multiple platforms, Allianz tells the story with various degrees of intimacy, depending on the audience.
For example, F1 fans may read about it in print ads or hear an interview with the driver of the company-sponsored Formula 1 Safety Car. Customers and prospects may hear the story directly from one of the firm’s safety ambassadors or AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg, also sponsored by Allianz. Journalists may encounter the story via free race clips and graphics. Even now, when F1 is in the news almost as often for scandals, rules changes and a possible breakaway circuit as it is for racing, Allianz connects the news to its story line. For example, a recent Allianz ad was titled “Prepared for the Unexpected.”
Allianz, which recently renewed its F1 partnerships, is among the many insurance companies adding deals despite the economic downturn.
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Filed under: how to get sponsorship, international, motorsports, selling, activation
Lesa Ukman Jun 15
What’s Your Story?
Watching the German telecast of the French Open here in Italy, ads for Longines watches touted the amazing work of the Andre Agassi Foundation. A revealing twist to standard endorsements, Longines creative saluted the accomplishments of Andre’s foundation rather than Andre singing the praises of Longines. Tying to substance rather than pure celebrity hits the spot in these more modest times (see my previous post on The New Modesty).
And in a world of product parity in most every category—plus rampant commercialization—the most valuable assets of sponsorships and endorsements are morphing. For example, the implied endorsement of official product status used to have far more value than it does now. Directionally, the value’s in the audience affinity and the story that can be told.
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Filed under: international, research, activation