Rationale: Armed Forces & Racing

The Armed Forces and racing (both NASCAR & IRL) are so closely tied to each other that sometimes they get recognition for sponsorships that don't even exist! If all branches of the armed forces are involved with racing, it must be successful in helping them meet their core objective: recruiting. Aside from the demographic overlap (18-24 year old men), Capt. Homero Martinez who serves as ...

Step up to the Chalkboard, We're all Teaching Sponsorship 101

In the last year or so, I can't tell you how many times I've heard "we were close to a deal and then so and so left" or in this environment more likely "got laid off." We hear a lot about the direct hit that shrinking sponsorship budgets have on sponsorship projections, but one secondary issue you've most likely encountered is the loss of corporate side sponsorship professionals as companies d...

Key Learnings: "Recruiting" Partners the Right Way

Key Learnings is a regular weekly posting that covers insights and stories from thought-leaders within the sponsorship industry. Our fourth 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 making that first sales call, consider this strategy or thought process: ...

What is Lead Time™ by SponsorPitch?

You may notice a few new additions to the SponsorPitch website. We wanted to take a minute to catch you up. Our new social research service, Lead Time™ is the result of a long term trend, not an isolated idea (although we think it's a good one!). There is a systematic lack of transparency and teamwork across sponsorship sales peers. Everybody, except the ones that need it most, sellers ...

Mediaedge:cia Forecast 15% Rise in Global Sponsorship

From AdWeek today: "Mediaedge:cia, the WPP media agency, is issuing a report -- supported with data from sister sponsorship consultancy arm EIG -- that forecasts significant global growth in the sector, despite the economic downturn....At a time when ad budgets are shrinking, the report predicts that spending on sponsorships and related activity will climb worldwide by 15 percent this year ...

Hanes Launches Passionately Pink for the Cure®

For all of those marketers thinking about building a cause sponsorship campaign these days (and there are a lot!), Hanes recently launched Passionately Pink for the Cure (R), which might prove to be a good case study of integrated activation. The partnership includes a celebrity and apparel tie-in with TV star Sarah Chalkey, a slick new website, a print campaign, text to donate capabilities, P...

A Tale of Two Bankruptcies

On the same day that properties like the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks announced that they believe newly bankrupt General Motors will honor its multi-million dollar sponsorship commitments, Bearing Point and the PGA Tour reached a deal to scratch the bankrupt company's name off the benefactor’s pavilion and the dining chalet at upcoming golf tournaments....

UPDATE: IEG says Mediaedge:cia/AdWeek Report "Erroneous"

There is no doubt that the U.S. sponsorship market has been hurt disproportionately to the worldwide sponsorship market. Some of the factors are mentioned in yesterday's release that announced global sponsorship will grow by 15% this year (compared to 2% for the U.S.). 15%? We don't blame you if you're a little confused by this latest report from AdWeek: "Mediaedge:cia, the WPP media...

Starbucks & MSNBC: How Much is Official Worth?

Yesterday, MSNBC and Starbucks announced that Starbucks would continue to star in their "Morning Joe" morning segments - only this time MSNBC will be getting paid as part of a $10 million sponsorship deal between the two companies. For many months, folks have speculated about how much Starbucks was paying for the placement, but the show's host, Joe Scarborough, insisted that up until now the ...

Have Pro Sports Teams Found Their Cash Cow?

Chalk one up for the media people. Jersey sponsorship broke new ground this week and will be bringing millions of new impressions to a TV, NFL practice field and WNBA arena near you. First, Manchester United signed a new deal with yet another three-letter insurer that starts with an A - AON - in what is rumored to be a four year deal worth around $100 million. Some have questioned the me...