How To Be A Brand Ambassador 101

Move over Speidi, enter Sparah. Virgin Mobile's newest campaign takes a look at what it takes to be a celebrity couple. Can it be manufactured? The carrier is attempting to sponsor and coach a random couple into becoming a full blown celebrity "spokescouple." Check out these entertaining videos to learn more about the campaign. Recently Sparah got together with Morgan Spurlock of Greatest M...

The 68 Most Innovative Event Pros

Who are the most innovative in the events biz? That's a question that BizBash Media recently tackled in their first “Innovation Issue"- which strangely came up with the top 68. The list includes everything from caterers to chefs, with some notables from the experiential branding world in between, including Tara Back of Jack Morton Worldwide, Maneesh Goyal of MKG, and David Michael Rich of Geor...

U.S. Cellular Signs First Official NBA Team Deal

While on the court, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to push on to the Western Conference Finals, off the court the team recently announced a three-year partnership that will make U.S. Cellular the official wireless sponsor of the team. Financial terms were not released. During the 2011-12 season, U.S. Cellular's interactive kiosk will let fans check out U.S. Cellular's devices and learn about ...

Newport Jazz Fest Secures Presenting Sponsor

The Newport Jazz Festival, established in 1954 and thought to be one of the first annual American jazz festivals, announced today that Natixis Global Asset Management will replace Care Fusion as the annual event's presenting sponsor this Summer. Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Global Asset Management provides investment solutions to both institutional and individual clients. “As a...

The 10 Most Innovative Event Marketing Brands

What are the 10 top event brands? From sponsoring events like music festivals (Levi's) to launching eye-popping stunts (Red Bull) and developing idea-generating b2b content (IBM), the event mechanics can vary widely. But despite different tactics and goals, each of these 10 brands are leveraging events to engage key audiences at an unprecedented level. “Style was a factor here, of course, but...

Gaga Partners With Zynga For GagaVille

Lady Gaga and social game maker, Zynga, today announced a partnership that will support the launch of the hit artist's new album, “Born this Way,” by launching GagaVille, a neighboring community to the Zynga's hit game, Farmville. Launching May 17th, the game will give fans a chance to listen to exclusive un-released songs from the upcoming album by completing "quests." On May 20th, a broader...

Swiss Watchmaker Sponsors Jet Pack Flight Over Grand Canyon

After being delayed several days due to FAA certification, Switzerland's Yves “Jetman” Rossy has successfully made a flight across the Grand Canyon and swiss watchmaker, Breitling, is making the most of it. “My first flight in the U.S. is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences in my life, not only for the sheer beauty of the Grand Canyon but the honor to fly in sacred Native America...

Northern Trust Renews PGA Tournament

Northern Trust today announced a four-year sponsorship extension with the PGA Tour for the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles through 2016. Northern Trust’s original five-year agreement was set to expire after the 2012 tournament. The deal is a positive sign for the PGA Tour. After taking TARP money in 2009, Northern Trust drew fire from lawmakers for its sponsorship of the tournament. The ban...

Questioning the Importance of Brand “Fit”

When I first began to review the academic research done on sponsorship marketing, one of the accepted norms was to make sure the theme of the property matched the brand. If the brand was about endurance, sponsoring a triathalon might make sense. If it were about providing financial security, an air show sponsorship would be passed over. As someone new to the field, it made sense and I didn’t...

Ironman Fills Antifungal Category

GSK's antifungal powder brand, Zeasorb, has agreed to a two-year sponsorship of World Triathlon Corporation's Ironman and Ironman 70.3 brands. The brand will become the official sponsor of the antifungal & anti-chafing categories – as well as the presenting sponsor of the 2011 and 2012 Ironman 70.3 Augusta and the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Florida. "With Zeasorb, we hope to help athletes achieve ...