JetBlue Wraps Itself in Real Salt Lake

Southwest started the practice of wrapping planes to promote their partnership with Sea World of Texas back in the 1980's. Now, JetBlue's coming out with their "first-ever sports branded aircraft" as a way of activating their recently announced partnership with MLS team' Real Salt Lake. JetBlue CEO Dave Barger on the deal: "Real Salt Lake's impact on the game and the diverse, brand-loyal and...

SponsorPitch, The Official Sponsor of Sponsorship (TM)

Here's a question: can you be an official sponsor of an "unofficial" property? Somewhere along the way, advertising and brand creatives started coming up with "official" sponsorships as their trademarked ad slogan. In fact, the trend has gotten so popular that there's even a big time lawsuit between Oprah and Mutual of Omaha over the use of the federally trademarked advertising slogan "offi...

New Golf/Fishing Sponsorships Keep Industry Afloat

It's been a long week... your turn to help us do some of the work. Luckily, lots of Bethpage golf today, but yesterday was a complete washout. Both the LPGA (with 19 tournaments expiring this year) and the PGA (with 22 title sponsorships slated to expire in 2010) are trying to weather the economic "storm." Here's a photo from yesterday at Bethpage: Take a break from the golf and give us you...

Giants/Jets Get Back to the Basics: Time and Healthcare

With the meltdown of heavyweight sports spenders from the financial, auto and airline sectors; it would seems that both the Giants and Jets have been busy winning the "small" (more reasonable) battles, but biding their time for the big prize - naming rights to the new stadium. MetLife, Verizon and Anheuser-Busch have already agreed to sponsor three of the new stadium's "cornerstones" - with th...

In the Game of Sales, It's OK to Fail First!

Key Learnings is a regular weekly posting that covers insights and stories from thought-leaders within the sponsorship industry. Today's key learning comes from Jim Loria who has over 30 years of sports management experience and for the past 10 years as served as President of the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. Before approaching the major sponsors or corporations in the business world, you have ...

Lead Gen: From Sticky Notes to Sales Prospects

Have you ever sat down and thought about how you generate new sales leads? Here are a few of my personal experiences, as a sports team executive, that can be tailored to any rep in the sales business... Invest in your local city newspaper. Browse through articles and advertisements. Great way to pull up new businesses and learn of the top contacts for that company! Every paper will also have ...

Experiential Entrepreneurship

As marketers get cheap and look for clever ways to guerilla market their products, lots of start-ups are looking to cash in with new products to help them stand apart from the crowd - or rather, spread their message with it. We recently came across a couple start-ups that, though not created with the sole purpose of doing so, could potentially help brands capitalize on two time-honored teen tr...

UFC Goes to "War" with Electronic Arts

First, MMA superstar Brock Lesnar buries a title sponsor and now UFC's going to war with their own advertiser! What's next?! On the heels of arguably the most successful event in MMA history, UFC President Dana White isn't just confirming a rumor that they'll ban fighters for being a part of EA's new game, he's going a step further and declaring outright "war" against the video-game maker. ...

Scorned property or negligent sponsor? You decide.

While perusing GM's 54 cancelled sponsorship and promotions contracts, we came across a couple that seemed curious. We don't know all of the details around #48 (the Chanler Inn at Cliff Walk) so we would never question the deal's merit, but we do know that if you're paying enough to get it waived in bankruptcy court you should presumably go ahead and wrap up "official vehicle of the beach butl...

Deal Flow 7-14-2009

The Indianapolis Colts have sold corporate sponsorship on practice jerseys to Farm Bureau Insurance of Indiana. The partnership is a five year deal valued in the mid-six figures. The Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans New York Jets, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans have all signed or are expected to sign practice jersey sponsorships ahead of c...