Links 04/27/10

Deals Champion Energy to light up Houston's Sam Houston Race ParkMedical device co, Smith & Nephew, to present PGA TOUR's St. Jude Classic in MemphisBridgepoint Education to take over as Holiday Bowl sponsorFord Funds Arts, Beats & Eats Festival - Detroit's BiggestA catholic church has taken £10,000 from bookie Paddy Power in return for #sponsorship rights to the confession boxVolv...

Molson Coors Makes Grassroots Hockey Play

Canlan Ice Sports, an owner and operator of 22 recreational ice sports facilities in North America and Canada, announced today that it has signed an exclusive five-year marketing agreement with Molson Coors Canada. The deal combines sponsorship, branding and web-based promotional activities around its grassroots hockey facilities. Under the agreement, Molson Canadian has been named "The Offici...

Branded Merch: BDA Buys Evigna

Only a few days after being named the NCAA's preferred premium vendor, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc. (BDA), is snapping up merchandising distributor, Evigna. The Detroit-based Evigna counts many of the world's largest automotive brands as clients including Ford Motor Company, Honda Motor Sports, Land Rover and Jaguar. Terms of the purchase agreement, expected to close in May, were n...

BarclayCard Takes Naming Rights to Wembley Arena

Barclaycard, the credit card and loan provider of Barclays plc, has acquired the naming and promotional rights to London's Wembley Arena. The five-year deal will rename the venue "Wembley Arena, a Barclaycard Unwind Venue." Over 10.4 million Barclaycard customers will receive exclusive information about forthcoming acts and preferential access to Wembley Arena tickets, which will be fulfille...

Survey: Properties Working Harder Than Ever To Secure Sponsorship

A new survey by sports marketing research firm, IFM, indicates that properties may be warming up to a wide range of new tactics to gain the interest of sponsors within the framework of an overall more difficult selling environment. In the full report, conducted during the first quarter of this year and obtained today by SponsorPitch, IFM says that "rights holders are working harder than ever to...

Links 04/28/10

Deals BarclayCard Takes Naming Rights to Wembley ArenaAlbert Lee Appliance, Boeing take Seafair #sponsorship rolesMetLife Foundation Funds Theater Rental Subsidy Program for DancersMolson Makes Grassroots Hockey Play with CanlanEmirates mulls Spain soccer sponsorshipA catholic church has taken £10,000 from bookie Paddy Power in return for #sponsorship rights to the confession boxIn anticip...

Carlsberg Sponsors UK Soccer Match in Chinese

When English football team, Liverpool, sports Carlsberg's name on their shirts this weekend against Chelsea, fans may have a tough time reading it. The Danish brewers' name will be displayed in Chinese on Liverpool's jerseys. The marketing ploy is aimed at building the beer's brand awareness within Asia and as acknowledgement of Liverpool being the only UK city to be exhibiting at the World E...

Mercedes-Benz Renews Fashion Week with Three Year Deal

Mercedes-Benz USA has renewed its title sponsorship for FashionWeek over the next 3 years, which includes the twice annually organized Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in New York plus Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek SWIM in Miami, both produced by IMG Fashion. "The industry support and innovation being utilized to transform Lincoln Center into the new home of Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek is a testament to Ne...

Visa Ramps Up Around Major Events, but Slims Sponsorship Portfolio

Visa returned strong second quarter results yesterday, reporting a 33 percent increase in earnings and raising its 2010 revenue forecast. During the company's conference call, CEO Joseph Saunders talked openly about the company's sponsorship strategy and the critical role it will play in terms of 2010 results and beyond. When asked if Visa was "happy" with the particular portfolio of relation...

Ferrari Calls 'Subliminal Sponsorship' Claims Unscientific

For some time, critics have speculated whether Ferrari Racing's red, white and black color scheme was in some part a subliminal ad for Philip Morris, a partner of Ferrari's through the 2011 F1 season. Now some doctors are demanding a Department of Health inquiry into whether the matter violates the EU's tobacco sponsorship regulations. Ferrari addressed the criticism today in this blog post. ...