Event Strategy: Build or Buy?

We like to think of consumer (or target audience) connection platforms in one of two ways – build or buy. Build is where you create a proprietary engagement property – effective in a lot of ways, but expensive and potentially challenging to get traction with. Buy is more in line with a traditional sponsorship – you’re getting access to your target audience through something they already care ab...

Chevy Pledges Support For Indestructible Soccer Ball Project

While most of the talk today has been focused on Chevy's huge Manchester United deal, the Detroit automaker has also announced a partnership with the One World Futbol Project which will donate 1.5 million indestructible soccer balls to war-stricken zones, refugee camps, disaster areas and other disadvantaged communities over the next three years. Sting explains.. #activationstag

Jamba Juice Adds Endurance Deals To The Mix

Jamba Juice has signed a deal to become the "Official Blended Fruit Beverage and Smoothie" of seven upcoming events in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. The Emeryville, CA.-based company, whose major sports sponsorships to day include the WNBA and USA Water Polo, will launch its new partnership with Competitor Group's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon serie at the Rockn' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2...

[VIDEO] Check Out The Democratic National Convention's Official Stock Car

#activationstag

Banned Vodka Keeps Launch Sponsorship Anyway

Utah-based vodka Five Wives Vodka had planned to celebrate its launch in Idaho with a sponsorship of the Boise Music Festival, but after the Idaho Liquor Control Division banned the product's sale throughout the state the Five Wives threatened to pull the sponsorship. In making the ruling, state officials had called the product "offensive to a broad segment of our population." However, vowing...

How One Company Is Using Game Mechanics To Refresh A Six Year Old Sponsorship

Gaming is big business. So big in fact that all kinds of businesses/sponsors that you wouldn't normally associate with gaming are looking to in some way "gamify" their interactions with consumers - even stodgy old healthcare companies. So it stands to reason that those same companies would look for new ways to weave game layers into their tired old sponsorship activations. One of the largest p...

Plumbing Company Finds Perfect Fit With Urinetown Partnership

Think your job is tough selling sponsorship? Try pitching a musical named Urinetown. Even with all the Tony Awards, it's not exactly an easy sell to the upscale brands that normally sponsor shows. So Kansas City's the Theatre in the Park turned to the next best and most logical prospect -- a local plumbing company -- and ended up landing a unique title sponsorship for its July run of the show. ...

IBM Ends Its NFL Sponsorship Over Difference In Views

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has ended its information-technology sponsorship of the National Football League because of differing views over how the partnership should be handled. “We determined that our respective views on how the NFL should manage the IT sponsorship were too different and we decided not to renew our agreement,” said Chris Andrews, a spokesman for IBM. Read M...

High School Sports Network Raises $11.7M To Stream Live Events

iHigh.com, the high school sports broadcasting platform run run by Jim Host, has received $11.7M in funding from Cox Media Group to build out a platform that distributes high school sports video content online. In the process, the company hopes to allow high schools to tap into marketing budgets while providing a scalable, one stop shop for advertisers to interact with students and parents. T...

Nike, Xbox Team Up To Bring Personal Training Into Your Home

Yesterday at E3, Nike and Xbox announced plans to bring personalized training into the home through a new collaborative product called Nike+ Kinect Training. Using Kinect for Xbox 360 the training software will track in home workouts, providing real-time feedback whenever you work out. Users will be able to earn NikeFuel points, connect with friends and with Fuel Print, measure against fitness ...