Gila River Casinos Offers DBacks Fans A Chance to Win Big...

Are you looking for an in-game promotional concept that will capture the attention of all fans in attendance? Are you looking for an idea that will generate a multitude of media impressions?

The Arizona Diamondbacks recently collaborated with Gila River Casinos to create an in-game "Gila River Casinos Million Dollar Hit & Win" promotion. During each Diamondbacks home game (from July 18th through the remainder of the season) randomly selected section(s) will be deemed the "Gila River Casinos Million Dollar Hit & Win Section". If a Diamondbacks player hits a home run off the Gila River Casinos target in left-center/righ-center field during the 4th, 5th, or 6th inning, eligible fans in the selected section(s) will win Circle K gift cards worth a combined total of $1MM. The Diamondbacks have also opened the promotion up to fans everywhere - five (5) fans not in attendance will be selected from mail-in entries to participate in each game promotion.

The actual amount of the gas cards distributed is dependent upon the number of eligible fans in the winning sections that are 21+and have a valid ticket for that section. The targets are located 425 feet from home plate, making a HR off the target a feat in itself. The team selects the "lucky sections" when it lowers the targets from the LED boards during the bottom-half of the fourth inning. To claim their prize, fans just have to fill out a completed affadavit form and submit it with their ticket stub to Diamondbacks representatives located at the Hit & Win Headquarters in Section 300.

Looking for more information on the promotion? Send an email to hitandwin@dbacks.com.

A special thanks to Kristie VanEngelen of the Arizona Diamondbacks for her contributions to this column.

Looking for Ways to Reinvent the Dance-Off?

Are you looking to create quality entertainment for your fans at minimal to no cost? Are you looking for new ways to reinvent the dance-off at your games? Are you looking for unique ways to tie-in a local dance studio, bar/club, or music sponsor?

The following four (4) clips demonstrate some unique ways that teams have implemented the dance off, including:

• A battle between two (2) drunk fields in the outfield stands
• A battle between the mascot and a midget ball boy
• A mascot doing a Striptease routine to the Backstreet Boys (not sure if you want to do this on family night)
• LeBron James doing the Souja Boy dance during a timeout

Looking for New Ways to Integrate Auto Sponsors?

Are you looking for new ways to integrate auto sponsors into your halftime entertainment? Are you looking for ways to make auto partners a part of the action instead of as a complimentary prize?

Face Team, the halftime performers of the 2006 Hungarian All-Star basketball game, found a unique way to integrate the game's supporting automobile sponsor into their halftime entertainment piece. The group of acrobatic dunkers wheeled a car onto the court and set up a trampoline for Aron Takacs, their leading performer, to jump over while completing a dunk. The on-court promotion integrating the automobile sponsor into the mix captured the attention of thousands of fans in attendance.

The three clips enclosed belowcapture potential ways for teams to integrate auto partners into their game/online entertainment:

The first clip captures the Hungarian All-Star game events and integration

The second clip profiles an athlete that jumped over an automobile at a street basketball event (Kobe-esque) - This clip was included to demonstrate that your organization does not need to bring in an acrobatic act to complete this stunt. There are some individuals who potentially could be brought in to specifically perform the dunk.

The third clip demonstrates how automobile partners can incorporate their offerings into video games (see the 1:05 mark) The third clip demonstrates how users can jump over cars in the video game NBA 2K8. Organizations can also potentially offer similar offerings by featuring an interactive game on their website that enables users to jump over the new Ford Focus, etc. 

Have You Considered Implementing Promotions That Have Proven to be Successful in Other Sports?

Are you looking for a new way to capture the attention of fans in attendance? Have you considered implementing promotions that have proved successful in other sports?

The Lakewood Blue Claws, a Class A minor league baseball team, currently offer a half court shot promotion that has proven to be widely popular among fans (as shown below). The Blue Claws created a mobile version of the half-court promotion, which typically would take place during timeouts, halftime, and pre-game entertainment of basketball games.

The fact is that successful promotions translate with fans, no matter the arena of play. With fan avidity levels rising across the board (and many fans considering themselves fans of multiple sports), consider finding ways to implement promotions that have proven successful in other sports leagues!

Check out the clip below that dictates how the Blue Claws implement the half court shot promotion.

Update on 2008-08-08 22:27 by Brian Gainor

Create Promotions That Engage Fans...

Are you looking for a new way to engage fans in-venue?

The York Revolution, a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, has aligned with Pizza Hut to offer a unique "K-Man" promotion. During team introduction prior to all home games, the team selects a player on the opposing team to be the "K-Man" of the game. If the Revolution strike out the designated "K-Man", all fans in attendance can redeem their game ticket for a free order of breadsticks at a local Pizza Hut location. The promotion is extremely popular with fans.

The same principle can be applied in practice for:

• Hockey - Fights/Penalty Minutes
• Football - Pass Interception, Fumble
• Basketball - Turnover, Blocked Shot, "Foul Out"
• Soccer - Yellow Card, Goal Allowed
• Tennis - Fault, Ace

Check out the video below to learn how the York Revolution implement the "K-Man" promotion.

Update on 2008-08-08 21:59 by Brian Gainor

Vitamin Water's Homers in the Hudson...

A month ago, MLB All-Star weekend provided the sports industry with some memorable moments, most notably Josh Hamilton's performance in the Home Run Derby. However, one piece of activation that is a must-see is Vitamin Water's efforts to counter Gatorade's presence in the New York City market.

Enclosed is a video clip that captures Vitamin Water's "Homers in the Hudson" promotional execution in New York City (as we had mentioned in a previous post). Check out the clip below to see how Vitamin Water pulled off the promotion!

Update on 2008-08-06 01:23 by Brian Gainor

Capitalize on High Gas Prices...

Are you looking to create an effective promotion that capitalizes on high gas prices? The Milwaukee Brewers have been running a promotion in 2007-08 that has proved... Too Successful.

The Milwaukee Brewers collaborated with team partner BP to create a "C'Mon Back Card" promotion. The team offered one (1) free Terrace Level ticket at select Brewers home games during the season for consumers who made six (6) purchases of eight (8) gallons of gas or more at participating BP Gas Stations. Consumers are given a card that they get stamped as validation of their purchase each time they fill up. Fans have the option of using the $13 voucher towards a ticket in an upgraded seating section should they want a better view of the field.

The problem? Too many fans have decided to partake in the promotion. The Brewers had to deny some fans trying to receive free tickets for the team's home games on August 8th and August 19th. The Brewers are offering four (4) more "C'Mon Back Card" promotional nights for the rest of the season. If the team is unlikely to fulfill consumer demand, it will likely issue free tickets to a game next season/

Note: Fans have the option of either mailing in their completed gift cards (with receipts) to the Milwaukee Brewers Ticket office or presenting them on-site. However, the team encourages fans to place their request well in advance of the day of the desired game due to high demand for the promotion.

This promotion is great because it is so simple, yet so effective! Find a way to benchmark it for your organization!

Penske Offers Video Board Promotion for Fans...

Are you looking for a unique way to promote your brand in-venue? Are you searching for a way to incorporate fans into your messaging?

Penske Trucking is teaming up with the Green Bay Packers to offer the "Go Pack! Go Penske! Commercial Contest", a promotion that offers Packer fans the chance to win a suite experience with seventeen (17) of their frends...

Penske is asking all Packers fans to create a 22-second commecial that encompasses the following elements: 

• Describes the benefits of renting a truck with Penske Truck Rental
• Depicts a Penske rental truck (in any way, shape, or form)
• Depicts the wonder of living in Wisconsin & being a packer fan

Penske will select the seven (7) best commercials as semi-finalists for fans to judge on Packers.com. All video submissions are to be sent to Penske's Marketing Department (the address is included on the promotional page) for review.

One (1) lucky fan will win a suite experience at the Packers' December 28th home contest against the Detroit Lions with seventeen (17) of his/her friends. At the game, the winner will be recognized and the winning promotional spot will be featured during the game. The six (6) remaining semi-finalists will receive a $250 Packer Pro Shop gift certificate.

The Maple Leafs and Coke Offer a Game for FREE

Are you looking to attract new fans to your games? Are you searching for a unique way to reach out to the consumers in the local marketplace?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have teamed up with Coca-Cola to offer an extra pre-season game in 2008... for FREE. The free "Coca Cola Zero Fans First Game" exhibition will take place on September 22nd when the team plays the Buffalo Sabres. With Coca-cola picking up the tab on all the tickets for the game, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment is hoping to attract a different audience to the game and create a lively atmosphere.

The Maple Leafs are distributing two (2) free tickets to all fans who attend the team's off-season pep rally and the rest will be given out through online registration and promotional contests. With the majority of seats at Leafs games controlled by season ticket holders, the free exhibition game will give consumers in the local marketplace a chance to experience their first Leafs game live. The promotion signals the Leafs efforts to target a new fan base and connect with the 50% of Toronto residents that were born elsewhere. 

Drive Team Interest at Retail...

Are you looking for a unique way to drive interest for your organization at retail? Are you looking for new ways to integrate QSR and casual dining partners?

During the early part of the 2008 MLB season, Norm's Eatery and Ale House in Seattle created a unique promotion to drive sales for their featured brew. The team created "Cheap Sex Monday", a promotion that bases the price of their brew on the batting average of Richie Sexson. The restaurant began the offer when Sexson's batting average dipped to .167 (offering the featured beer for $1.67). The promotion proved to be extremely popular among consumers and will continue as Sexson gets a fresh look as a new member of the New York Yankees (his batting average is now up to .219).

With alcohol regulations varying from state to state, organizations should consider developing similar promotions with their retail partners (Casual dining, QSR, wholesale retailers, electronic retailers, etc.). Teams and partnering retailers can base product offers on:

• Batting Average (as seen below)
• ERA (team, player, closer, etc.)
• Home Runs per game
• Goals
• Number of three-point field goals
• Free throw percentage
• Number of goals scored
• Penalties
• Laps

... and plenty of more... It just takes a little bit of creativity!

Offer Consumers An Incentive To Tune In...

Are you looking for innovative ways to get fans to tune into your broadcasts? Are you looking for new ways to leverage media for promotional purposes?

The Golf Channel recently teamed up with Callaway and FedEx to offer a rewards program for all consumers tuning in to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Each Thursday and Friday of PGA Tour Coverage on the Golf Channel, consumers can pick up a code that they can redeem online for the chance to win weekly prize offerings and one (1) of two (2) grand prizes:

• Grand Prize Packages Include: 
• A trip to the 2009 Buick Invitational, offering exclusive FedEx hospitality, Callaway golf equipment, and an insiders look at the Golf Channel's production of the tournament    

• Weekly Prizes Include:
• Callaway golf balls and branded golf merchandise  

Fans can also receive codes by purchasing Callaway equipment, visiting FedEx stores, watching "The Approach with Callaway Golf" on the Golf Channel, and frequenting FedExCup.com, CallawayGolf.com,  PGATour.com, and Golf Channel.com. The promotion is being supported by the four (4) aforementioned parties through on-air, print, and retail measures.

This promotion serves as a benchmark for corporate partners looking to find ways to leverage and align their media spend. With the rising increase in email and text messaging redemption, look for other companies in the future to implement similar promotional offerings (this is unusual in the fact that so many parties have collaborated on the rewards efforts).

Update on 2008-07-23 03:42 by Brian Gainor

Are Your Promotions Socially Responsible?

Have you considered tying your partnership around a "socially responsible" campaign? Have you considered new, unique ways to bring athletes that represent your brand to the people? Are you looking to create a promotion that saves consumers some cash, especially when they travel long distances to your events?

Crown Royal is offering a promotion where Jamie McMurray, driver of the #26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, will pick up several lucky fans in Indianapolis from their favorite bar or restaurant and give them a free safe ride home on July 24th... The initiative, part of Crown Royal's 'Safe Rides Home' program. McMurray will moonlight as a taxi cab driver as he leads a fleet of eight (8) replica No. 26 Ford Fusion cars around downtown Indianapolis to provide late-night transportation and spread the message about the importance of designated drivers.

Crown Royal's 'Safe Rides Home' initiative is in its fourth year of existence and has proved to be a very successful program supporting the company's 'Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly.' campaign. In the past three (3) years, the program has saved bar patrons nearly $15,000 in taxi fees!

This promotion is a tremendous idea that all brands and organizations can consider implementing to promote responsible drinking... Possibly create a promotional extension where a player/team personnel drives select fans to or from a game?

Here is a clip of Crown Royal's messaging efforts around the campaign in 2007:

Special thanks to Zach Nobinger of Taylor PR for his contributions to this column. 

Who Have You Considered For Your Emcee Position?

When analyzing your game atmosphere, you should be looking at everything from speaker levels to concessions lines to arena entertainment... But when was the last time you evaluated your arena emcee position? Do you have a recognizable personality? Have you found a person that really resonates with your target audience?

The Phoenix Suns have taken an unusual, but effective approach to their emcee position. The club hired Cedric Ceballos, a former Suns player and 11-year NBA veteran, as their in-arena personality. Ceballos is embarking on post-basketball career in media and currently serves as a morning radio personality on MEGA 104.3 FM in Phoenix. The Suns called upon Ceballos to handle their in-arena duties and serve as a co-host on their weekly Suns.com web show, Nothin' But Net.

By hiring Ceballos, the Suns have found a unique way to enhance their game experience and further resonate with their fanbase. This could present an interesting strategy for a minor league/expansion team that is looking to have an impact in the local community without spending top dollars for a high profile player or coach. But remember, it has to be the RIGHT fit and the RIGHT personality for the job, no question about it... 

For more information Ceballos and his credentials, check out his webpage and him live in action:

VitaminWater Let's Consumers Hit for $1 Million!

How do you drive significant buzz around a jewel event without being a partipating sponsor?

VitaminWater is capitalizing on the Home Run Derby craze by hosting its own hitting competition tomorrow morning on the banks of the Hudson River. From 10am - 1pm, VitaminWater is giving 200 lucky consumers the chance to hit for $1MM!

Tomorrow (Monday, July 13th), VitaminWater is hosting a "Homers in the Hudson" contest on the deck of the Chelsea Piers lighthouse on Pier 61 at 21st Street and the Hudson River. The company is going to feature a 25-foot-high inflatable VitaminWater bottle tied to a floating barge on the Hudson River with a 5-foot hollow glove attached to the top.  There will be a hole inside the glove that consumers must hit off a tee for the chance to win $1MM!  

Yes, the promotion sounds difficult (moving barge, small hole, thousands of ongoers and media attention), but nonetheless, this promotion is an excellent way for VitaminWater to draw some buzz around All-Star weekend without being an MLB sponsor (guerilla at its best!).

There will be a collection of athletes, celebrities, and New York personalities on-hand for the event... not to mention the thousands of consumers who are likely to come out for their chance to retire early.

Note: Each recipient gets one (1) swing. If multiple consumers win, the $1MM jackpot will be split equally.

Looking for a Way to Tie-In a QSR and Lottery Partner?

Are you looking for a way to create a traffic-driving retail promotion? Are you looking for a way to tie-in a QSR and Lottery partner to create a unique promotion?

A Burger King store franchisee in Qatar is currently running an in-store scratch off "Win Win" promotion that is drawing serious attention. The franchisee has created a scratch-off promotion offering 65,000 prizes for consumers looking for an extra incentive to eat at Burger King locations throughout Qatar... All consumers have to do is visit any Burger King outlet in Qatar, buy a Mega meal (Large Fries and Soft Drink), and get an instant scratch off coupon. That's it. The promotion is available to all dine-in, take out, drive through, and home delivery customers.

The prizes at stake?

• A Kia Opirus, round trip tickets from Qatar to Dubai, 32" televisions, DVD's, Laptops, and gifts from Coca-Cola and Nescafe, and Circus Land

The promotion's success?

• Through twenty (20) days of the promotion, over 30,000 scratch off cards have been distributed.

Now, legalities vary state-by-state, but why couldn't a professional franchise consider implementing a similar promotion by tying in a QSR (or any retailer for that matter) and a Lottery partner? We have recently seen a surge in "scratch off promotional activity" among teams; isn't it only a matter of time before this translates into the retail space? Upfront costs may deter some, but these expenses split between three (3) parties - all with something to benefit - could be a very effective retail traffic driver that creates "team buzz" and an instant craze for scratch-off tickets (i.e. McDonalds Monopoly Game) at retail chains throughout the local DMA.

Teams could distribute branded "instant scratch-off cards" to a local franchisee chain (i.e. Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's, etc.) within a 75-mile radius that offer consumers the chance to instantly win tickets, exclusive VIP experiences, exclusive meet-n-greets at XXX store locations, and an ultimate prize of "A Trip for Four on the Team Plane to An Away Game" (dinner with the team owner on the plane provided by XXX retailer). The promotion can be tied to consumers ordering a specific menu item (a product the QSR is pushing into the market/has sluggish sales/is team specific), a combo meal, or driving store traffic at a certain time of day (breakfast/lunch/dinner/weekends, etc.).

To support such a promotion, teams would need to set up a will call booth at the stadium to validate all winning entries (tickets, exclusive appearance logistics), provide an informative website (rules, regulations, prize offerings), offer in-store POS displays, and provide some online media support to drive awareness.

Are Your Fans Aspiring Composers?

Over the past few weeks, Canada has been in an uproar because CBC failed to renew its rights to the Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song, leaving the door open for CTV to purchase those rights. The song has a long and storied history in Canadian sports and had become engrained in the hearts and minds of hockey fans across the globe...

How did CBC respond to this? By creating a new, unique promotion that presents the opportunity for hockey fans across Canada to CREATE history.

CBC recently launched Canada's Hockey Anthem Challenge, encouraging all aspiring composers to submit audio/video files with their bid to provide new music for Hockey Night in Canada, a show that has been on air for 50+years. Musicans have until the end of August to submit personal music that they feel best reflects the show for the chance to win $100,000 in cash, half of the ongoing performance royalties, and bragging rights. The contest's website features video/audio anthem submissions for fans to review and share and offers an online program that enables aspiring composers to easily upload their music entries. 

Five semifinalists will be presented to the country and judged by a celebrity panel on a CBC network television special on October 4th. Two finalists will face off at the beginning of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader on Thursday, October 9th and the show's new theme song will be selected on the show's traditional broadcast on Friday, October 11th. This is huge.

What is the magnitude of this promotion? This would be similar (if not larger) to Monday Night football/Sportscenter conducting a nationwide promotion asking fans to create new theme music for the show...

Unfortunately, the promotion is only open to Canadian residents, so beware American musicians...You Cannot Apply.

The Nationals Attempt to Convert Orioles Fans...

Are you looking to attract and convert fans in your local marketplace?

If so, you may be interested in a "Conversion Day" promotion that the Washington Nationals recently implemented during their cross-town series with the Baltimore Orioles. On June 29th, the Nationals hosted "Conversion Day", a promotion offering the first 10,000 game attendees the chance to trade in one (1) piece of their gear from any MLB team for a new Washington Nationals ballcap, made of recycled, organic material. The promotion was supported by ExxonMobil, the team's official Energy Partner, in an effort to drive greater awareness for the promotion's "green" initiative (distributing recycled, organic products to fans).

The promotion served as a great way for the Nationals to attempt to convert Orioles fans but is pretty unusual for a club that is entering its fourth year in existence. Nonetheless, it is an interesting initiative that many organizations with smaller budgets could consider implementing to drive awareness and fan affinity in their local marketplace! On a side note, all non-Nats gear was donated by the team to the Goodwill of Greater Washington...

Miller Hits a Grand Slam with its New Promotion...

Are you looking to create a unique promotion that rewards fans and creates significant industry buzz?

Miller Lite recently launched an innovative "Grand Slam Giveaway" promotion that rewards each fans who catches a grand slam during the second half of the 2008 MLB season with free Miller Lite for a year... The promotion will surely become a popular topic among the MLB fanbase, serving as an extra incentive for many to chase after balls that are hit over the fence.. Free Miller Lite for a year is essentially three (3) cases per month (72 beers isn't bad!), a prize pack worth $550 (but in many consumers minds, much more).

To redeem their prize, lucky fans will be required to submit a picture of their ticket stub, a picture of the ball they caught showcasing MLB's insignia, and proof that they are 21+ years of age to UltimateHR@mbco.com within ten (10) days of the day they caught a grand slam baseball. If more then one (1) claim is received for a single grand slam home run baseball, all valid and eligible entries received within 10 days of the Grand Slam will be entered into a random drawing.

But there has to be a catch, right? Yes, of course. Consumers that live in AL, AR, CA, CT, KS, ME, MA, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, and VA are not eligible to win due to state legalities, meaning that all fans attending Angels, Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers, Royals, Cardinals, Mets, Padres, Yankees, Indians, and Reds games cannot take advantage of the promotion...

What are the chances of catching a grand slam ball? In 2007, there were 136 grand slams (approx. one GS every 18 games). The best grand slam hitters in the game today are Manny Ramirez (21 - 2nd all-time), Alex Rodriguez (16), Ken Griffey Jr. (16), Richie Sexson (14), Jeff Kent (13), Jason Giambi (12), Gary Sheffield (12), Carlos Delgado (11), and Carlos Lee (11). So good luck to all those fans seated in the bleacher seats!

M&M's Scores With Its Airport Displays...

MARS recently devised an innovative strategy to activate around the European Football Championships at retail that proved to be widely successful. Mars International Travel Retail (MITR) created engaging in-store M&M's displays at airports across the Europe that captured the interest of traveling soccer fans.

 Promotions varied region by region, but most displays featured a "3 for 2" offer and provided M&M's branded foosball tables for consumers to play while waiting for their flights. Promotional vehicles catered to each market (i.e. distributing orange soccer balls at Schipol airport to align with the colors of the Netherlands team)

The promotion resulted in sales increases of 40-200% across a number of major retail locations in airports across Europe: Paris, Schipol, Lyon, Marseille, and Antalya Turkey)

Looking to Draw Butts in the Seats? Try Free Prostate Screening Night...

The Brewers have done it again. The team recently conducted the second annual "Free Prostate Cancer Screening" night at the ballpark - an effort that resulted in 480 people getting screened, a 25% higher turnout than the team's 2007 event.

How did they do it? The Brewers teamed up with local television station WITI Milwaukee, the National Coalition Against Prostate Cancer, a Milwaukee-area hospital, and Froedert & the Medical College of Wisconsin to run the promotion... The collaborating parties targeted their messaging at men 40+ and their wives and required participants to only have to fill out minimal paperwork and take a quick blood test on-site. Oh yea, the team also offered each participating individual two (2)free tickets to a future Milwaukee Brewers home game... Now the general rule of thumb is that you should never give away tickets to the general public, but this case is definitely a true exception (tying in quality partners to collaborate on a worthy cause and driving media attention).

There were rumors that men even began arriving at 4:30am for their checkups, which took place from 7:00am-3:00pm in a mobile unit parked adjacent to the ballpark. Check out the clip below for more details!