Nike Demonstrates the Life Cycle of Its Brand with Soccer Viral

Nike does a terrific job demonstrating the life cycle of its brand in a recent piece created for the Czech football club AC Sparta Praha. In the spot, Nike demonstrates how an athlete matures with the brand throughout the various stages in his/her life. From birth to adolescence to playing professionally, there is one constant in sports - wearing the same brand of apparel because you believe in it.

The low-budget spot is extremely well done and serves as a great benchmark for any brand looking to showcase how consumers use their brand throughout the various stages of their lives.

Nike 6.0 Lets Snowboarders Live/Play at Marco's Mansion

Brands looking for new ways to capture the action/extreme sports crowd should take a close look at a recent viral from Nike entitled, "Marco's Mansion". To capture the attention of snowboard enthusiasts who wish they could live on top of the mountain, Nike 6.0 created a man-made igloo (called Marco's Mansion) that a team of notable snowboarders could throw down on all day and sleep in at night.

The concept of the piece is extremely creative and is a great way to drive some incremental interest in the sport and several notable personalities (Marco Smolla and his gang).

Check it out below:

Fuel Guerrilla Marketing Initiatives with QR Codes

Brands looking to create unique guerrilla marketing campaigns that leverage social media technology should benchmark a recent tactic implemented by the Oral Cancer Foundation. In August, the Oral Cancer Foundation called on several teams of young women to hit the beaches of Surf City to message to thousands of teens and 20-somethings attending the 2010 US Open of Surfing.

With 500,000 visitors attending the three-day surfing event sponsored by Hurley, Oral Cancer Foundation personnel knew that they needed to create a compelling, unique program to effectively get their message across about the risks of oral cancer, HPV, and other diseases. To do so, the Oral Cancer Foundation created a social media strategy that leveraged QR codes.

Throughout the US Open of Surfing competition, teams of female Oral Cancer Foundation brand ambassadors scoured the beaches and handed out creatively worded stickers, t-shirts, and temporary tattoos that all beared a unique QR code. When recipients scanned the QR codes with the mobile phones, they were taken to a microsite that provided educational information about the risks of certain preventative diseases.

The Oral Cancer Foundation found that the QR codes enabled their guerrilla marketing teams the ability to communicate life saving messages to consumers in a very powerful way. The initiative proved to be an influential, cost-effective means to target a crowd of young, tech savvy consumers.

Check out some pictures of their guerrilla marketing outreach below:

 

Source: PR Newswire, Oral Cancer Foundation Flickr Page  

3 Sports Technologies to Keep an Eye On

Are you looking for the latest technologies in the sports space? Are you looking for new ways to utilize technology to enhance the game day experience for fans?

Here are three (3) technologies that are changing the game in sports: 

New York Jets - Touchscreen Device

The New York Jets are testing a touchscreen command center, built by design agency Roundarch, that enables team personnel to track various game day operations. With the touch of a button, teams can gauge which concessions and merchandise items are selling fast, whether there are traffic issues outside the stadium, and ticket sales information. Source: Roundarch

New England Patriots - Yinzcam

The New England Patriots are offering all fans attending games at Gillette Stadium a unique opportunity to gain more access than ever before. The Patriots are offering a Yinzcam smartphone application that allows fans to see instantaneous replays during games, live stats and scores, and NFL RedZone. Fans can access the mobile app inside Gillette Stadium by connecting to a Patriots WiFi network. Source: USA Today  

Orlando Magic - Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)

The Amway Center, the new home of the Orlando Magic, will soon be considered one of the most technologically advanced arenas on the planet. The Magic and arena officials have partnered with the Harris Corp. to install an Internet Protocol Television network that features 1,100 flat-panel video screens throughout the building programmed to enhance the fan experience. The two parties will operate a behind-the-scenes control room where technicians can display specific messages, images, mosaics, video, and animation to fans as they scour throughout the arena. Source: Orlando Sentinel

Bring Game Day Experiences to Life with 3D Photo Walls

Sports organizations looking to feature new entertainment options for fans on game day should consider investing in 3D photo walls. These fixtures provide great game day photo opportunities for fans and serve as a means to drive awareness for corporate sponsors.

While 3D photo walls are relatively uncommon in the United States marketplace, they are becoming a well recognized activation piece in global markets. In the United Kingdom, Global Games Sports has emerged as an industry leader producing the 3D photo wall fixtures. The company produces fixtures standing 6-7 feet high that are made of resign and fiber glass. These display pieces run approximately 2,000 euros but are very durable and can be customized to the exact specifications required by teams, sponsors, athletes, and fans.

3D photo walls can serve as a great, engaging way for sponsors to drive team affiliation awareness (via backdrops, props, adjoining signage, etc.) and awareness for jersey sponsorships.

Check out a few examples below: 

 

 

Buick Lets Consumers "Tweet to Drive" in Chicago

Automobile companies looking for new ways to leverage their sports sponsorships to engage fans should consider featuring a team-branded test drive vehicle in-market that picks up fans on demand via Twitter. The real-time pickup service could take place on game days, during the off-season, or as a gratuity to fans looking for rides to/from the game.

Buick is currently running a "Tweet to Drive" test program in Chicago where consumers can send a tweet to @DriveBuickChi for the chance to get picked up, experience a non-threatening test drive of the new Buick Lacrosse, and get dropped off at a preferred destination. While touring the city of Chicago this past weekend, my wife (@LauraGainor) and I saw the Buick vehicles in town, tweeted to them, and had a wonderful experience testing out the automobile and Buick's new promotion - specifically targeted at the young-middle aged professional demo.

Check out a terrific post-experience recap Laura created that she recently posted on her site, http://www.LauraGainor.com, and consider new ways that you can leverage Twitter to bring your partnership activation plans to life!

Buick Tour of Chicago with "Tweet to Drive" @DriveBuickChi from Laura Gainor on Vimeo.

POLL: What is the Best In-Venue Destination in Baseball?

With the 2010 MLB regular season winding down, we would love to get your take on what is the best in-venue destination in baseball. Please vote below or feel free to leave your thoughts/suggestions for other in-venue destinations in the Comments section below.

All suggestions have to be sponsor-driven of course...

We look forward to seeing the poll results! 

IBM Uses Augmented Reality at the 2010 U.S. Open

IBM is using augmented reality to take the fan experience at the 2010 U.S. Open to new heights. The computer technology company developed a U.S. Open iPhone application that allows users on-site at the tournament to point their phone in the direction of the tennis court (even if you are walking by outside) and receive real-time scores and statistics. Fans can also use this iPhone app functionality to see what restaurants are on-site.

The new U.S. Open App essentially marries the camera and GPS functionality of an iPhone to offer real-time scoring, live radio, venue maps, and the special "Around me" feature that provides fans with an interactive experience via augmented reality. The app serves as a great demonstration of IBM's "Smarter Planet" campaign and helps the company showcase to its clientele how they can use data to make better decisions.

IBM created a similar app with augmented reality functionality for the iPhone and Android at the 2010 Wimbledon tournament. Check it out below:

The 2010 U.S. Open app is even much more sophisticated than the product they offered to consumers in 2009, detailed below:

Identify With Your Fans' Attitudes, Behaviors, and Values

Sports organizations looking to create new, compelling content during the offseason should consider creating pieces that speak directly to their fanbase. As members of a fan base, individual fans regularly conform to the attitudes, behaviors, and values of their fellow peers. That is why Eagles, Raiders, and Cowboys fans love being who they are. As a result, it's important for teams and brands to understand the attitudes and behaviors of their avid fanbase and speak directly to them with compelling story telling.

Nike recently produced a terrific piece about the fans of the historic Brazilian soccer club Corinthians, entitled "30 Million Strong", that serves as a benchmark for brands and organizations looking to demonstrate how well they truly understand and value their fanbase. In the piece, Nike showcases how Corinthians is more than just a soccer club, it's "the people's team", a republic and lifestyle for fans.

Nike is using the viral piece to drive membership of its Corinthians Facebook Fan Page - a great idea!

Check it out below:

POLL: Which social media platform do you prefer to use for networking?

Social media platforms are becoming integral for sports business professionals to connect with one another and share best practices. Let us know which social media platform has been the most beneficial to helping you network and why. 

Home Depot Drives Excitement at Braves Games with Tool Race

Over the past few years, Home Depot has brought its partnership with the Atlanta Braves to life with an engaging tool race during games. The race features four (4) Home Depot tools - a hammer, saw, paint brush, and a drill - competing head-to-head in a race around the warning track. The Braves now drive excitement around the initiative by accompanying season long stats of tool performance and aligning fan contestants representing each tool.

It is rumored that "Two Bit", the Home Depot drill that competes in the race, NEVER wins but here is proof that it did happen once in 2009.

Here is a great compilation of some other on-field races featured at baseball stadiums across the country.

adidas and Zidane Team Up to Market New Line of Products

CPG companies looking for new ways to leverage sports to drive retail sales should take a close look at a recent adidas commercial spot that features soccer legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane is the new face of adidas' Body Care for Men, a line of deoderant, shower gel, and toiletries targeted at young male adults. adidas is using Zidane as a recognizable figurehead to drive consumer awareness and interest for its six (6) Body Care for Men products, labeled "Pure Game", "Play", "Drive", "Impact", "Strength", and "League".

In the commercial spot, Zidane is shopping at a high end retail location when he notices a young male consumer performing some amazing juggling tricks after spraying deoderant on from adidas' Body Care for Men product line. The piece does a great job leveraging adidas' partnership with Zidane and effectively tying a CPG product back to the game of soccer.

Check it out below:

Source: Home Essential

Dana White Connects Directly with UFC Fans Via Fan Phone

Dana White, the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and social media extraordinaire, recently teamed up with Digital Royalty to provide the sport's fans with unprecedented access.

Prior to the UFC 118 Event in Boston on Saturday Night, Dana White tweeted out a phone number to his 4.5MM Twitter followers that allowed UFC fans to call him directly and share their predictions for the fights on tap that night. Within seconds, White received a call from a loyal UFC fan and shortly thereafter heard from a number of other fans from across the world.

Amy Martin of Digital Royalty documented White's "Fan Phone" strategy and created a video case study that she recently posted online to help bridge the gap that exists between the virtual and physical worlds. Check it out below!

The FL Panthers and The Eagles Partner on Marketing Efforts

Sunrise Sports & Entertainment recently announced a unique partnership between the NHL's Florida Panthers and the storied American rock band, The Eagles. The sport/music entities are teaming up to create a unique, fully integrated marketing partnership that is believed to be the first of its kind in the sports and music entertainment industry.

The Eagles will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the team's 2010-2011 Training Camp and will benefit from exposure via numerous branding channels throughout the duration of training camp (Sept. 11 - Oct. 10), including:

• 2010-2011 Training Camp Logo Entitlement
• Training Camp mentions on FloridaPanthers.com
• Social Media Messages
• Training Camp Press Releases and Marketing Adverts
• Messaging In-Game, In-Arena, and On Television Broadcasts
• Media Backdrops
• Ice Signage
• Additional Signage Inventory in the Panthers Den Training Facility

The Eagles' Training Camp sponsorship will provide exposure for The Eagles' concert at the BankAtlantic Center on Friday, October 8th, eight (8) days prior to the Panthers opening night matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Financials of the partnership agreement were not disclosed.

Source: Panthers.nhl.com

Air New Zealand Leverages Rugby Partnership with Safety Video

As part of their partnership with the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team, Air New Zealand recently released a terrific airplane safety video that incorporates players, fans, and more. The video demonstrates new ways that teams and airline partners can leverage their affiliations in creative ways.

Check it out below:

State Parks Open Their Terrain Up to Sponsorships

Brands looking for new ways to message to outdoor enthusiasts may soon be able to via state park sponsorships. Per a recent Associated Press feature, New Hampshire, Maine, Virginia, and Georgia are reportedly considering using corporate partnerships to support and fund their state parks.

The state of New Hampshire may become the first state to delve into corporate partnerships. The state has a deal on the table with Eastern Mountain Sports to promote state parks in its outdoor clothing and apparel stores in exchange for having state park's promote the company's products. As part of the agreement, park staffers would wear uniforms featuring the Mountain Sports logo and other partnership ideas call for Eastern Mountain Sports to provide kayaking lessons and other programs and host a "park of the future" contest that enables park goers to suggest new programs and features they would like to see.

Corporate partnerships, if executed correctly, make a lot of sense for state parks. They provide funding to support park maintenance and upkeep, help drive awareness, and create nontraditional relationships with local communities.

Per the Associated Press article, the state of Virginia is close to announcing a promotional partnership with The North Face, allowing the company to install touch-screen welcome kiosks with trail information and printable maps. The state of Maine has worked with local private companies to sponsor a passport program that gives park goers benefits.

Look for more state park programs to come in the near future!

Source: Associated Press 

August 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation. Click here to check out the new August 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter.

Thanks to our friends at adidas Eyewear, if you pass along the August 2010 Newsletter to a friend or colleague in the industry and they submit a sponsorship/marketing "best practice" that is selected to be featured in the September Newsletter, you BOTH can win a FREE pair of adidas Eyewear!  

Pass along the newsletter and send in your "best practice" submissions to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com! Only (1) winning duo will be selected! In the meantime, check out the great adidas Eyewear styles that you could win here: http://www.adidas.com/us/eyewear.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

• Marketing Hometown Pride
• 20 Top Sports Graduate Programs to Consider
• Creative Promotional/Engagement Tactics from the Barclays Premier League
• 2010 NFL Training Camp Title Sponsorship Breakdown
• In-Venue Baseball Destinations
• A Look At SportsAgentBlog.com
• August 2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Thermopylae Drives Mobile Fan Engagement
• The Singapore Youth Olympic Games
• Maker's Mark Thought Starters
• New Idea Box Insights

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the August 2010 Issue now... and please feel free to send along any feedback or suggestions you have this month! 

 

If you enjoyed the August 2010 Issue, you may also be interested in:

• 140 Reasons Sports Teams Should Use Twitter
• 40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare
• The 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports
• World Cup Viewing Parties From Across the Globe
• The 10 Best Sports Billboard Themes of 2009

Hewlett Packard Celebrates Dallas Cowboys Partnership

Hewlett Packard recently created a tremendous viral piece that highlights its partnership with the Dallas Cowboys in a unique way. The clip provides insight into all of the work that went into designing and building the IT infrastructure behind the most technologically advanced stadium on the planet - the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

The viral piece highlights the HP converged infrastructure and would serve as an impactful piece to show on the video board and the team website for fans to enjoy. Check it out below:

Celebrate Unique Team Experiences

Sports organizations looking to post unique content on their websites, social media channels, and related pages should consider creating a "Day in the Life" series that provides fans with an inside glimpse of the lives of their players.

Chicago Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane, a Buffalo native, recently began his day with the Stanley Cup trophy by bringing it to Niagara Falls for an iconic photo shoot. Kane, sporting a red Blackhawks jersey, was greeted by a pack of fans as he arranged to bring the Stanley Cup to the Hurricane Deck at Bridal Veil Falls. Kane posed for several photos holding the Stanley Cup up high while getting soaked by water falling down on him from the Falls. 

The moment was truly memorable and was a spectacle that hockey fans around the globe would love to see. A number of fans on-site captured raw footage of the action, which serves as great viral pieces for teams to promote on their site, blogs, and social media channels - especially in a day and age where teams are looking to provide exclusive content to fans 365 days per year.

Check out some videos of the action below:

Source: NHL.com

The Yankees Launch Ticket Booth at Modell's in Times Square

The New York Yankees have teamed up with Modell's to create a ticket sales booth at the sporting good chain's retail location in Times Square. The unique sales location will offer tickets on sale at discounted prices, up to 50% off, starting at 8 AM for day games and noon for night games. Each customer willing to wait in line for tickets can purchase up to four (4) "Mo Saver" tickets, which will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Yankees and Modell's drove buzz for the launch of the new ticket sales venture on Monday by featuring former Yankees star Tino Martinez on hand to greet fans and speak to future opportunities. The booth is part of Modell's plans to turn its retail locations into more of an interactive experience for fans.

 The venture serves as a great way for the Yankees to drive buzz in Times Square and capitalize on selling tickets to tourists and busy fans looking to purchase tickets at a discounted price that are sold directly from the team.  The Yankees and Modell's senior management are expecting the new service to be an instant hit with locals and tourists alike.