Can Non-Endemic Sponsors Stomach Competitive Eating?

This weekend the "super bowl" of competitive eating will delight and/or repulse Coney Island visitors for the 94th consecutive year. In fact, last year in front of nearly 40,000 on-site spectators, Nathan's got some extra mileage as the annual Nathan's hot dog eating competition went into a 5 dog "OT" for the first time in the event's history. In 1997, two brothers, Richard and George...

Think bold. Think different. Above all, think.

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this “lukewarm-ness” arising partly from fear of their adversaries and p...

Yo Quiero NBA!

The NBA has parted ways with 18-year sponsor and the world's largest fast food chain, McDonald's, and awarded the QSR category to YUM Brands' Taco Bell in a four-year deal starting next season. Sports Business Daily reports that the deal provides for "a heavy media component with NBA rightsholders ABC, ESPN and TNT, themed promos at the chain's 5,600 restaurants, themed advertising, title t...

Selling Sponsorships for Nonprofits: Prospecting Circles II

A cause is often the cornerstone of many sports and entertainment sponsorship platforms. Today's "key learning" comes from Joe Waters, who is the Director of Cause Marketing for Boston Medical Center, an avid blogger at Selfishgiving.com and a rabid Boston Red Sox fan. In addition to being a one-time winner of the SponsorPitch Friday Caption Contest, he has agreed to lend us his insights on ca...

Fight over Sponsorship Looming for UFC?

The Vancouver Sun yesterday confirmed our previous story on a reported new UFC policy that charges companies a minimum of $100k to sponsor fighters. Another interesting tidbit from the piece, "managers were reportedly warned that if their fighters appeared in EA Sports' upcoming MMA video game, they would never fight in the UFC again. The UFC and game developer THQ recently released a comp...

SF Giants & AT&T Launch the AT&T Park Experience

A lot of brands talk about revolutionary mobile (wireless) activation plans, but if there's one sponsor that should be able to blow it out it's AT&T in San Francisco. Today, AT&T announced the next phase of their mobile in-stadium activation plans for the San Francisco Giants/AT&T Park sponsorship, which the company acquired via SBC in 2005. "With the rising popularity of smartphones and othe...

Despite Recession, Macy's Embraces Celebration Sponsorship

While these days many corporate sponsors are running away from anything with even the slightest whiff of celebratory excess, there's one company that has embraced it, in good times and bad, for over 85 years. Why is this? Because Macy's, in part, has made its name with events like New York City's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (first sponsored in 1976) and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Para...

Key Marketing Facts for Sponsors of the FIFA World Cup

So, the US unexpected performance during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup raised soccer awareness in the States for a few days. As important as that is, it also served as a good reminder that the FIFA World Cup is only 11 months away. We’ve heard the rumors and echoes whether South Africa was even going to have the chance to host the event. Clearly, the show will go on, albeit with some added a...

Five (or Six) Brands that Won at Wimbledon

For the second year in a row, the AELTC wrapped up Wimbledon with an epic Men's final this time to the tune of a 16-14 fifth set. There was no shortage of storylines this year with Fed gunning for 15, an all-williams women's final and Britain's best hope since that of his clothing sponsor's namesake, Fred Perry. As we say goodbye to another year of Wimbledon and look toward the hardcourts, her...

Deloitte on London 2012

The Olympics games are a logistical rubik's cube many years in the making. Recent Olympics have shown this first hand. Is this the perfect place for some "professional services" value-in-kind? Annabel Pritchard explains to CNBC Europe how Deloitte's sponsorship of London 2012 and LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) provides the perfect showcase for the firm's business ad...