The UK's Top Sponsorship Shop Is...

Synergy was named Sponsorship Consultancy of the Year by the 18th annual Hollis Awards, held last night in London to honor the best of the best in the UK market. Aside from the agency's achievement, Synergy Chairman and Founder Karen Earl was also honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award for her contribution to the sponsorship industry. O2’s partnership with Academy Music Group was name...

Sign of the Times? Samsung-Backed Cyber Games To Go Mobile-Only

The World Cyber Games, heavily backed by Samsung and others, is going mobile only in a major strategy shift, according to a leaked letter from WCG CEO Brad Lee **. WCG officials have confirmed that the international events company will drop PC and console competitions to focus solely on mobile gaming. World Cyber Games started as a PC gaming tournament in 2000 hosting major sponsored events ac...

What's A Facebook Like Worth To Partners?

Dan Migala, founder of the Migala Report, kicked off a lively conversation this AM on the value of a Facebook "like." Here's the tweet that got things started. As more properties fling open the doors to social media assets like Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook, it's important to consider the value partners place on a "like," "share," "tweet," "pin" or whatever-comes-next provides. At the same...

Mark Cuban on Jersey Sponsorship: "For $25 Million, It's Done"

If the price is right, at least one owner, and probably quite a few others, are in favor of jersey sponsorship in the NBA. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram caught up with Dallas Mavericks owner/shark/billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban to talk about the hot topic, which will be considered at this April's NBA board meeting. Using Go Daddy as an unlikely example, Cuban told the paper "if there are ...

Nike Sues Reebok Over Tebow Shirts

On Wednesday, Nike filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court claiming that Reebok has used Tebow's name to sell Jets-related apparel without permission since he was traded to New York last week. Numerous outlets are reporting that Nike was granted a temporary restraining order that will force Reebok to recall all Tim Tebow jerseys it had sold to retailers, as well as stop the production of new Teb...

Sponsor Exemption? Augusta Faces Questions Over IBM's Female CEO

Augusta National Golf Club, which has never accepted a female club member, is in a unique situation heading into this year's edition of the Masters. IBM, one of only three Masters sponsors, recently inducted Ginni Rometty as CEO, the first woman in its history to head IBM. According to Bloomberg News, CEOs of the Masters' three main sponsors have historically received the club’s signature gree...

UK Students Pay Off College Debt With Face Paint Partnerships

Cambridge college students, Ross Harper and Ed Moyse, created BuyMyFace.com as a wacky idea that they thought may help pay off their student debt. Since the start of their project in October 2011, the boys have been painting their faces for major news outlets, and have been sent skiing, skydiving, rappelling, ice swimming and go-karting by their sponsors. So far, they have raised over £31,000 t...

Check Out Virgin America's Amazing SF Giants Activation

On Thursday, Virgin America unveiled what in all likelihood is the first plane to dawn a beard. The Airbus A320 pictured below will be used this season to promote the company's role as official airline of the San Francisco Giants. The beard is a head nod to popular pitcher, Brian Wilson, and his "fear the beard" viral campaign. What's more cool than this? Take a ride down the airline-in...

Three Olympic Partners Who Feel A Bit Distant

The obvious problem for the IOC’s TOP sponsors (as opposed to Locog’s domestic partners) is striking the balance between global and local. Often the activation work around the Games can feel a bit distant, like its been ‘flown in’ from some global marketing department in a remote HQ. Here are three that I’m finding it hard to love: 1. McDonald’s This is not meant as a Mc rant particularly. A...

Report: Audio Giant Interested In Naming Rights To Former Kodak Theatre

San Francisco-based Dolby Laboratories is said to be in discussions to acquire the naming rights to the former Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars. According to Bloomberg, coming to deal terms may be complicated by the fact that the property's owner, Los Angeles-based CIM, is currently also in negotiations with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to keep the awards show at the venue....