sponsorships – Page 3

Leveraging digital marketing and media strategies

kirk_wakefield Digital Strategy, Sell, Sponsorships February 1, 2013November 2, 2018activation, Danica Patrick, digital, drive sales, Houston Texans, leverage, media, social media, sponsorships, twitter 0 Comment

by Anita Sehgal – February 2013

As organizations continue to utilize sports sponsorships and activation within their marketing mix, they are also faced with the ongoing challenge of ensuring activation is relevant, measurable and engaging for consumers.

Leveraging digital marketing and media strategies will enhance sponsorship initiatives in three ways:[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”curled” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Expanding the reach of your activation to a broader audience
Extending the activation beyond the actual event time
Engaging fans in relevant and measurable experiences[/dropshadowbox]

At Academy Sports + Outdoors, we’ve found sharing content and generating exclusive content supporting the partnership is a great way to extend the reach of activation initiatives. Our long time partnership with the Houston Texans greatly evolved this year thanks to both teams’ commitment to digital integration within core sponsorship assets. Leveraging our shared fan bases on multiple social media sites, executing a calendar of content that engages Academy customers and Texans fans, and tailoring that content to the various social media platforms is a win-win for both of us.

”Collaborating with Academy on social media promotions this season, including promoted posts on Twitter, generated a lot of interest for our in-store player appearances and raised the profile of our partnership with Academy” says Nick Schenck, Houston Texans director of integrated media.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”raised” width=”450px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

“Through my partnership with Academy, we’ve probably had the most fun with the digital components of our relationship”, says NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. “I’ve live tweeted with their fan base from one of our TV shoots, filmed behind the scenes footage and shared workout tips for use on their tablet app. Academy supports me throughout the racing season and even helped me get voted NASCAR’s most popular driver in 2012. I’ve helped to support their annual fitness campaign and drive new followers and entries into their Pinterest contest through my social media sites.” [/dropshadowbox]All professional sports partners are constantly innovating new ways to provide fans with insider access, and we are always seeking additional avenues to drive sales, traffic and deeper engagement with our customer base. In many cases, we’ve found a way to meet both goals through digital only events, which are spontaneous and often only shared via social media. Digital-only events are easy to execute, low cost additions to any activation strategy that (a) expand the reach for partners and (b) create opportunities for content generation.

Sharing content with consumers before, during and after an event is a great way to extend activation length. Live tweets, contests, and appearances all generate opportunities for our team to capture unique and exclusive content making the activation more powerful. We also take the approach of supporting our partners in their key initiatives and ask they do the same in return.

One of the major challenges sports sponsorships often face is relevant, measurable activations.

Third party profiling, audience attendance and participation at an event or over a season are key measurements that marketers use to measure value. Digital marketing brings another key dimension to the table as sponsors are continually challenged to not only drive customer engagement but also measure the benefit. While traditional logo and designation rights support brand awareness and often brand affinity, social media and digital media integration into fan initiatives drives customer engagement and allows both sponsors and sports entities to assess value of shared consumer bases and engage directly with consumers.

Structuring corporate partnership departments to serve and sell

kirk_wakefield Sell, Sponsorships February 1, 2013November 2, 2018corporate partnerships, new business, organizational structure, renewals, Sales, service, sponsorships 0 Comment

by Tyler Epp – February 2013

Service or new sales first?

Every franchise experiencing a significant internal leadership change or external threat like the recent recession sees an immediate focus on new revenue.

Understandably, new corporate partners are often expected in order to reconcile revenue projections made during the sales process of a franchise or to deal with a down economy. A short-term push to add partners can be successful, but must be balanced with providing long-term service and performance. In an informal poll across counterparts in the NFL, MLB, & NBA, approximately 80% of corporate partnership annual revenue comes from current partners and renewals.

Wendy Morris, Vice President, Team Sponsorship Development for the NBA, shares,

“We see the biggest growth come from companies already working with our teams. As a result, we’re seeing teams move to a more sophisticated approach to activation and investing in activation staff with brand and agency backgrounds. Partners are looking to our teams to serve as an extension of their marketing team and expect us to be proactive in providing creative activation ideas, insights to drive their business and measurement to show success.”

In short, our first priority must be to take care of the companies already invested in our franchises. The revenue from up-selling a current partner counts the same as revenue from a new partner.

Renewals: Service or sales?

The people who (a) build the relationship with partner, (b) take the time to understand the company’s objectives, and (c) solve fulfillment problems should be involved in renewals. Since our role is to produce revenue, all members, with few exceptions, should have revenue goals.

If we trust Cindy or Carl to manage a $1M, 5-year relationship with Ford, do we not trust Cindy or Carl enough to renew the business? If the job is done properly, Ford would certainly prefer to work through the renewal with Cindy or Carl than someone who sold the deal through 5 years ago. New Business people should be focused on New Business – not on keeping the relationship with a current partner “warm” until they need to be hit up for a renewal.

Know Your Personnel

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”curled” width=”200px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Every Sunday afternoon NFL fans yell at the coach for obvious mistakes: “Why would we pass on 3rd and 1?” “Why is he returning punts?” Chants of “Te-bow” ring out after a mistake from Mark Sanchez. As fans, poor personnel management drives us crazy. But, are our sponsorship departments around the leagues managed properly?[/dropshadowbox]

Do we have the right people in the right places?

If you are dealing with a company based in Dallas for three generations and your staff has a Dallas native who sets his body clock on the Red River Rivalry, should you think about that person to manage this business? Buck the trend of separating beer partners to avoid conflict. Instead, assign the right person to truly understand the business and know everything there is to know about beer. MillerCoors and Budweiser will quickly forget about any potential conflict once they realize they are working with someone who knows their business as well as they do.

Conclusion

It is probably good to remember the words my high school prom date was clearly not familiar with: “Dance with the one who brung you.”

Current partners invested in our franchises. Take care of them. Learn about their business. Help measure their investment. Be a good partner.

Chances are your franchise doesn’t get 100% of their advertising or marketing spend, so there’s upside with nearly all current partners. If they spend so much that the upside isn’t significant, then you certainly owe them a fully integrated and fantastic program.

Corporate partnership departments should not be built on sales people creating “books of business.” The mission should be to build a team of people to collectively sell and service a partner’s investment. Potential partners will appreciate that you spend more time on the partners you have than chasing new business. In a funny way, your investment in your current partners is the best way to grow new business.

The 3 Cs of Effective Media Partnerships

kirk_wakefield Sell, Sponsorships January 11, 2013November 2, 2018charity, communication, community, customize, NBA, Oklahoma City, selling, sponsorships, strategy, Thunder, US Fleet Tracking 0 Comment

by Wayne Guymon – January 2013

How do sponsors stand out from one another?

As advertisers’ marketing and branding objectives expand beyond simple metrics, properties must find new ways to deliver results. Selling strictly media buys or signage assets is no longer sufficient. By developing integrated partnerships, properties can help an advertiser’s messages stand out in a crowd.

Grasping opportunities to communicate to all of a team’s fans means spending advertising budgets more efficiently. Commercials and signs tell part of the story, but true integration comes from investing in the 3 C’s of brand communication.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

The 3 C’s of Brand Communication for Sponsors

Community programming,
Customized features, and
Charitable programs.[/dropshadowbox]

By taking the message these additional steps, the client reaches even further and fans receive a clearer message. As Tyler Epp, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships with the San Diego Padres, stated, “Driving revenue is more than just media numbers and spreadsheets.”

Virtually all advertisers have a community based initiative they support, whether supporting the military, civic pride, youth-based programs or health initiatives. By activating these programs through teams and properties, they can effectively communicate to a fan base without coming across as boastful. They can demonstrate to their constituents, both internal and external, their pride in supporting these initiatives.

One client that I worked with while with the Oklahoma City Thunder who really grasped this concept was US Fleet Tracking. US Fleet Tracking is an Oklahoma City based technology company that wanted to demonstrate a message of pride in their community. By partnering with the Thunder on both in-arena and in-broadcast assets, they are able to drive their message home. US Fleet Tracking took the message one step further by creating integrated commercial spots featuring Rumble, the Thunder mascot.

“Looking back, it was a huge risk for us to invest at such a level with the Thunder. But now I can state that the cost has been returned to us immensely. The credibility we received as a “real partner” in the city for our sponsorship has led to people thanking us for our support in a sport and team that they love, ” said Cindy Hunter, Owner/Vice President, US Fleet Tracking. “General fans are appreciative and other sponsors have reached out to us on collaborative endeavors. The in-arena signage has bred name recognition, while the television assets allow us to explain our products and services as well as highlight the different industries we serve.”

US Fleet Tracking also collaborated with the Thunder to promote the 2-1-1 Crisis Hotline to communicate its care and concern for community through this non-profit organization.

As an integral partner with open lines of communication, the Thunder and US Fleet Tracking were able to move quickly to mobilize fan passion when the Thunder made their first trip to the conference finals in 2011. Customized shirts sponsored by US Fleet Tracking were designed to blanket the arena for the first game in the series. Cindy still sees these shirts at every game and often around the community.

By taking this approach of integrated partnerships, companies stand out from their competition. Utilizing integrated assets increases a fan’s loyalty to a brand by capitalizing on the goodwill associated with their passion toward their home team.

How to turn ad agencies into influencers, allies, and advocates

kirk_wakefield Sell, Sponsorships January 1, 2013November 2, 2018advertising, advocates, agencies, Outback, sponsorships, sports, structure, understanding 1 Comment

by Bill Boyce – January 2013

If sponsorship salespeople want to turn advertising agencies into advocates, we must understand their needs like any other relationship. How do we do that?

First, understand how an ad agency works. Agencies are divided into three basic functions with whom we interact: account management/client servicing, creative, and media planning & buying.

Second, understand how the media side is structured. Because account managers and planners are concerned with strategy, they are our best contacts within an agency. Following is a diagram of a typical ad agency media department. The planning (left) is responsible for developing strategy. The buying (right) side is responsible for executing the strategy.

Third, understand the language. The following are basic media definitions you should know before going into the meeting or call.

Fourth, always call with a specific client in mind. Agencies do not like general sales calls about their client roster.

Finally, ask the right questions. The following are good questions to supplement your standard needs analysis questions.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ] The Agency View

“As we plan our annual marketing calendars, we look across the media mix assessing all the tools.
There are more choices now than ever before. Marketing budgets are ruthlessly analyzed to ensure each dollar is working hard toward the brand’s objectives. A sponsorship’s ROI will be compared to all other ways those marketing dollars could be deployed. Playing up the differences vs other media types or programs and tying sales whenever possible to the sponsorship makes it easier for a marketer to sell the program internally.”

Jody Bilney, EVP, Chief Brands Officer, Bloomin’ Brands

[/dropshadowbox]

“What is the fiscal year for this client?” The objective is to determine when proposals are reviewed and budgets set.
“When is the media planning cycle?” During what months is the media team planning for the fiscal year?
“Does your client include sports in their media plans?” Drill down: Do they plan for sports generally or pick teams? What level of detail does the client provide?
“What is the role of sports sponsorships in the client’s media plan?” When they add sports (sponsorships) to a plan, what do they believe will be the benefit for the client?
“What current sports sponsorships do you utilize?” Which sponsorships are working? What do they like? Not like?
“What are your evaluation criteria?” What is important to you when reviewing a proposal?

If you find yourself talking to someone on the buying (right) side of the diagram, don’t conclude all is lost. Try asking:

“Is sports inventory or sports sponsorship inventory specified in the client’s media plan?” If not, you will need a longer conversation with the media planners. If the answer is yes, then proceed to the next question.
“For the sports spend, what is the target audience for this particular buy?”
“What is the CPM/CPP that they are planning to buy against?”
“Will you consider us for inclusion on the media buy?” Don’t be afraid to be direct: “Are we on the plan?” Ask a few additional questions to confirm intent. If not, ask the next question.
“Why are we not included in the media plan?” This is the opportunity learn and overcome objections.
Close: “We would like for our inventory to be considered for upcoming media buys. What do you suggest as next steps so we can help each other?”

Develop a proposal and pitch as usual. Treat the account manager as your partner to create a customized solution. With knowledge of agencies, their language, personnel, and relevant questions, you can confidently turn agencies into influencers, allies, and advocates. Go for it!

What drives fan passion?

kirk_wakefield Experiences, Research, Sell, Tickets January 1, 2013November 2, 2018baseball, Chicago, Cubs, culture, experiences, fans, passion, research, sponsorships, team, tickets 1 Comment

by Kirk Wakefield – January 2013

What makes a passionate fan?

A passionate fan devotes heart, mind, body, and soul to the team. The consequences of a passionate fan base are increased ticket, media, merchandise and sponsorship revenue to the team.

But what are the antecedents to fan passion? What causes fans to be passionate?

Researching passion across thousands of fans and all major sports, we can now explain the vast majority (~75%) of the WHY fans are passionate for a particular team and not a fan of another team. Teams become popular when it becomes part of CULTURE.

In Chicago, “Cubs fans are part of a special group; the best fans in baseball who get to call the best place to watch baseball their home, Wrigley Field,” explains Colin Faulkner, Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service with the Cubs. The experience fans get at Wrigley make it cool to be a Cubs fan and it provides a positive identity for fans. It’s become part of the Chicago culture.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”550px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Fan passion is based on the team’s CULTURE:

Cool: Is the team cool, original, and different from other teams?
Unique: Does the team occupy a distinct space in the sports marketplace based on their exclusive logo, brand name, and singular quality, design, colors or style?
Love: Do fans love the players on the team? Are fans emotionally attached to players?
Trust: Do fans trust the organization running the team to be dependable, competent, responsive, and to act with integrity?
Utility: For what fans get for what they give up in time, effort, and money, what is the value of a ticket to a game?
Relationships: What does the image of the team say about fans to others? Does following the team bring social approval?
Experiential: Does the game environment allow fans to enjoy the experience and entertainment? Does the game experience build evangelists for the team?[/dropshadowbox]

We can score and rank teams on how strong the CULTURE is for teams in their markets. This data offers marketing diagnostics for teams and quantifies value for brands evaluating sponsorships.

An example

We took a sample of 430 students at Baylor University to measure their passion for professional teams in Texas. Given our location 90 minutes away, students are biased toward DFW teams.¹

Implications

1. Fan perceptions of team performance doesn’t necessarily predict passion. Students accurately see the Texans as one of the best performing teams and the Astros the worst, but this doesn’t correspond with how passionate they are about these teams. In fact, once we statistically account for the other elements of CULTURE, performance doesn’t help explain fan passion at all.

2. The Cowboys have not performed particularly well on the field in the past 15 years. Why are they so popular? Because they effectively position themselves as a cool, unique franchise with an exciting game experience. They have become part of the CULTURE.

3. The Spurs are frequently recognized as one of the best run franchises. While these students have a bias toward the DFW teams, they recognize the trust fans have in the Spurs organization.

4. The utility–or perceived value–of ticket prices is closely related to fan passion and the experience at the game. The true value of tickets is never a matter of cost, but always a matter of passion and past experiences.

What can teams do to build a CULTURE of passionate fans? Next month we’ll discuss, among other things, how organizations can build passionate fans by upgrading the experience and developing coolness.

“At Penn State football, if you missed the awesome touchdown catch, no worries. Pull out your smartphone and watch as many times as you want from multiple angles,” explains Mike Birdsall, FanConnex. “Don’t want to wait in line for food? At Stanford you can order food from your seat and receive a text when it’s ready to pick up at a special express window.”

¹Survey was taken the week prior to the Rangers falling out of first place.