Google Back On Top As World's Most Valuable Brand

Last holding the top spot in 2010, Google has dethroned Apple to once again become the world’s most valuable global brand in the annual BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking. Some of the key findings highlighted in this year’s research report include: Share of Life: Successful brands such as Google (No 1 brand), Facebook, Twitter, Tencent and LinkedIn are more than just t...

Poll Results: Sponsorship Agency Comp

Do you know of agencies that will sell my property and what is the standard commission for sponsorship sales? We get this question at least two or three times a week so we recently put it to a SponsorPitch member poll. With 295 precincts reporting, 10-20% commissions look to be the standard protocol. Disclaimer: this can vary significantly depending on the agency's experience, deal size, retain...

Experiential Marketing Agency Acquired For $52 Million

Dentsu's Aegis Lifestyle division has agreed to acquire New York-based event marketing agency, MKTG. MKTG has approximately 340 full time employees and 6,600 non-fulltime field network employees, who reportedly execute approximately 70,000 marketing events annually across the United States. The $52 million acquisition is yet another signal of the growing preference for experiential marketing. ...

Chrome Gets Kicks For Crown Run

With California Chrome contending to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years, the world's most famous horse (ATM) will look good getting into the gate thanks to a new sponsorship deal. In what is reported to be the biggest horse racing sponsorship since UPS and Big Brown, California-based apparel maker Skechers will brand the trainer and owner team jackets, caps and apparel as well as ...

Gatorade Wants Everyone To Know It DOES NOT Sponsor "The Person Cramping"

The world's largest sports drink brand took some opportunistic shots at its chief competitor (a LeBron sponsor) during last night's opener of the NBA Finals. and it didn't stop there... and here... Despite all of this, LeBron was repeatedly spotted drinking what appears to be Gatorade, an NBA sponsor, throughout the game. According to Deadspin, due to LeBron's deal with P...

World Cup Sponsor Commits To First Carbon Neutral Activation

In a world where sports fields can transform into solar panels at the simple flip of a switch, committing a multi-million sponsorship activation to carbon neutral may not seem like that big of a deal. Still, Yingli Solar plans to become the first-ever carbon neutral sponsor of the FIFA World Cup. The Chinese company says it will offset all carbon emissions from its sponsorship activati...

Who's Ready For The Bitcoin Bowl!?!

In an effort to move bitcoin into the mainstream, BitPay, a merchant processor of the much-hyped digital currency which just raised $30 million, has agreed to sponsor a major bowl game. The St. Petersburg Bowl (formerly Beef O'Brady Bowl) will be renamed the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl for the next three years. "Our goal is to continue to move bitcoin into the mainstream and sponsoring the ...

Uber's Paramount Partnership: Hitch A Ride With Optimus Prime

To promote the premiere of Transformers 4, the popular black car service, Uber, is giving customers in select cities the chance to hail a ride with one of the lead characters from Transformers: Age of Extinction. Here's how you can roll with the Autobots this weekend:

World Cup Biter Loses Brand Sponsor

Less than one month after signing Uruguayan football star, Luis Suarez, 888poker has withdrawn its sponsorship after the biting incident that got him a nine match, four-month FIFA ban. Adidas, which also has a deal with Suarez, says it is also evaluating its £1 million partnership with the 27-year-old striker. While Adidas and 888poker distanced themselves, other brands have taken advantage of ...

Airbnb Scores Shrewd Sponsorship Deal

Amid significant opposition from the hotel industry and a slew of recent subpoenas from New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Airbnb has decided to take its case to the streets. Literally. The wildly popular accomodations sharing website has struck a shrewd deal to be a sponsor of this year's New York City Marathon, in what is the most significant deal yet in a fast growing categor...