December 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Welcome to the December 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter! Thank you for your continued interest and support for Partnership Activation and the monthly newsletter.

Click here to purchase the December 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

After reviewing the newsletter, please take a moment to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other platforms and modes of communication. Here is a shortened URL that you can use to include in tweets, etc: http://bit.ly/tg9WZ3

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • 20 Non-Traditional Bowl Game Sponsors in 2011-12
  • 2012 - GMR Marketing's Social Media Channels
  • Ohio University Center for Sports Administration
  • 2012 National Sports Forum
  • Navigate Research Industry Spotlight
  • Barclays 20,000th Goal Celebration
  • Sevilla Sells Space on Team Jerseys to Fans
  • Adidas Launches an Augmented Reality Initiative in Scotland
  • Audi Gives a Nod to the Barcelona-Real Madrid Rivalry in a Commercial
  • Oregon Athletics Play Up the Civil War Rivalry
  • All Blacks Fans Experience Rugby in a New Way
  • The Manhattan Sports Business Academy
  • Creativity In the Sports Marketplace
  • December 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • The Old Spice Classic's Social Media Efforts
  • A Close Look at the 2011 Grey Cup
  • 5 #SportsBiz Handles You Must Follow on Twitter
  • 50 of the Most Creative Ideas in Sports Business in 2011
  • Zlaty Bazant Beer Encourages Fans to Drink Responsibly
  • Baylor IMG Gives Fans a Suite Seat for the Game
  • The Western Bulldogs' Capture Their Brand Story
  • The New BC Place Showcases the Future of Stadium Lighting
  • Red Bull Soars Over Moses Mahiba Stadium
  • Four (4) Creative Ways to Engage Fans with Interactive Walls
  • Idea Box

Click here to purchase the December 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

November 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Welcome to the November 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter! Thank you for your continued interest and support for Partnership Activation and the monthly newsletter.

Click here to purchase the November 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

After reviewing the newsletter, please take a moment to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other platforms and modes of communication. Here is a shortened URL that you can use to include in tweets, etc: http://bit.ly/tKW46y

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • 20 Digital/Social Platforms to Utilize in 2012
  • The Baylor Bold Rewards Program
  • 7 Key Insights from the World of Sports Media & Technology
  • The 2012 National Sports Forum
  • The Emergence of Social TV
  • Asics' Run with Ryan Campaign
  • Long Beach State's "Like Us" Campaign
  • Betfair's QR Cuts Initiative with Bromley FC
  • ESPN UK's New Soccer Augmented Reality Feature
  • The University of Michigan's Jet Pack Delivery
  • Contrex's Cycling Initiative
  • A Look at BeerToasts.com
  • The November 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • The Phoenix Suns' Top Facebook Fans App
  • Tailgate Lot Activation
  • A Close Look at Preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games
  • 50 Ways to Leverage Automobile Partners In-Venue
  • Five #SportsBiz Profiles You Must Follow
  • Manchester United's Tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson
  • The Winnipeg Jets Deliver a Truly Exclusive Corporate Partner Experience
  • ING's Pop-Up Finish Line Displays
  • The Montreal Canadiens Celebrate Team History
  • Betfair Lets Fans Skydive While Betting on Soccer
  • Four Ways to Take Your Kids Club Efforts To New Heights
  • Idea Box

Click here to purchase the November 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Brian Gainor Speaks at NACMA on the State of College Athletics

I wanted to take a quick moment to thank the folks at NACMA (National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators) for allowing me to serve as the Keynote Speaker at the 2011 NACMA Convention in Orlando, FL. It was truly an honor to take the podium and speak with the best and brightest marketers in collegiate athletics.  

The focus of my presentation, "The Current State of Sports Marketing and Forecasting the Future" touched on the current state of collegiate athletics and highlighted ten (10) innovations that college marketers should keep an eye on in the next 2-3 years.  

Check out the entire presentation below:

Brian Gainor Presents on College Athletics at NACMA from Laura Gainor on Vimeo.

Note: I also wanted to send a special thanks to Old Hat Creative for professionally filming the presentation and posting it on the new NACMA Online Library. If you're not familiar with Old Hat Creative, you need to be... they are doing some amazing things in the college space and are a terrific group to work with ... and a special thanks to GMR Marketing as well.

I highly encourage those who work in and around college athletics to make a concerted effort to attend the NACDA Convention on an annual basis, particularly the NACMA discussion panels and breakout sessions. The Convention was truly exceptional, attracting the top college marketers, vendors, and industry minds from across the nation. The event served as a terrific forum to network, share best practices, discuss industry trends, and stimulate out-of-the-box thinking.

Look for more content about the 2011 NACMA Convention in the July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter and on the site in the months to come!

June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation.

Click here to purchase the June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

After reviewing the newsletter, we would really appreciate it if you would be willing to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other channels of communication. To keep things simple, here is a shortened URL that you can use: http://bit.ly/kEwld3

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Ford Focus Cam
  • A List of Official Partners and Suppliers of the 2011 French Open
  • Creative Tactics From Across Major League Baseball
  • Manchester City FC's Lift The FA Cup Initiative
  • Trinity Displays
  • Nike's People's Republic of Corinthians
  • The Mercedes-Benz Performance Center
  • The Durex Guerrilla Marketing Soccer Campaign
  • The Vodafone Recharge Truck
  • Enticing Fans with QR Code Prizing
  • The Cynopsis Sports Newsletter
  • June 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Major League Soccer's National Sales Center
  • Mountain Dew's Pinball Machine Skate Park
  • Ole Miss Athletics' "100 Things in 100 Days" Campaign
  • A Close Look at the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Finals
  • A Look at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Finals
  • Adidas' "Football Paintball" Initiative
  • Red Bull USA's Cubed Pipe
  • Sports Like You've Never Seen It Before
  • Idea Box 

Click here to purchase the June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Guest Editorial: How Connecting Online Can Produce Real Business Value

Jonathan Norman is a sports sponsorship strategist for GMR Marketing, a major U.S. sports and event marketing firm. Jonathan has been in sports marketing and media for more than 10 years, and has worked on several major corporate branding campaigns around sports. His expertise resides in how brands reach consumers through sponsorship and activation of sports properties. Follow Jonathan on Twitter at @Jonathan_Norman and his official blog here.

The main ballroom at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square was filled last month with the best and the brightest from sports, as executives from the leagues, teams, networks, brands and agencies gathered for the annual Sports Business Awards. Outside the ballroom, there was a familiar scene. Colleagues and friends shared updates and insights that could lead to the next great idea in sports, and introductions were made that could lead to new partnerships that alter the sports landscape.

Networking is critical for our industry, and as many of you know, it’s expanded online significantly in the last five years. Portals such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other industry-specific social communication sites have changed the way we do business. With nearly 750 million accounts between the three major sites, the impact continues to grow.

Twitter has certainly found popularity among the sports industry in particular, as 42 percent of those surveyed in the 2010 SBJ/SBD Reader Survey are using the service, up six percentage points from the previous year. Assuming that our industry has a universe of 50,000 individuals domestically and internationally (a very round estimate), that would mean that at least 21,000 of us could be connecting on an hourly, daily or weekly basis on Twitter.

If we were to look at those Twitter users within the sports business community, we could likely classify them in three ways. I’ll call them “no-shows,” “lurkers” and “connectors.” No-shows are industry members who are not using Twitter. Lurkers are those who have a Twitter account, but use it only for keeping up with the news and conversation, rarely or never contributing. The connectors are those who are plugged in, both receiving and sharing information, all in a highly targeted way.

Each of these groups plays a role in sports business online, but all three have the opportunity to continue to build the community. For no-shows, it’s about getting onto the site, creating a handle and surveying the landscape — listening in. For lurkers, it’s about joining the conversation and interacting with the community — being engaged. If you’re a connector, you’ll want to continue to advocate for using Twitter and engage others to also connect — doing more. That’s where each of these will experience real value. If we look specifically at that value, it’s primarily fourfold. For ease, I’ll just call it the four C’s:

Connection: Twitter provides connection points with colleagues in real time, paired with the ability to network with individuals we don’t normally come across on a daily basis. There’s real value here: Tangible business relationships are formed every day through the medium.

Collaboration: Through these relationships and subsequent conversation on Twitter, we’re able to dissect important issues of the day as a group, each providing our own insights and opinions for the group to consider. While we all represent our own organizations and areas of business, we find opportunities to share valuable thoughts and ideas in an open forum.

Consideration: Through connection and collaboration, we have the opportunity to consider new ways of thinking from other areas of sport. While some may criticize Twitter as a means to erupt with short-sighted musings, it is also a way to read others’ opinions as they unfold, and possibly reconsider your own positions.

Current events: Twitter is increasingly becoming the go-to site for breaking news, whether it’s SportsBusiness Journal reporting a Pac-10 media deal or updates on the latest free agent signing. By simply following one of the many lists of sports business reporters, you can help eliminate the dreaded daily onslaught of Google Alerts.

Over the last three years, our industry has developed a subset of executives that actively participate on Twitter, primarily through the hashtag of #sportsbiz, which is a means of identifying conversations. About 800 users consistently use this identifier to stay up to date on news, share insights, connect with fellow professionals and become more engaged in our industry. This community has become one of the critical components of the ongoing education of sports business executives across the globe. The value of this group, and others built around the sports industry, is evidenced through their rapid growths.

Let it be said that the sports business forum on Twitter will never replace the value of working the ballroom and hallways at industry conferences. We need the face-to-face interactions that are the backbone of our industry. And to be fair, some of the criticisms of Twitter are rooted in the truth. While some of the early perceptions of the medium are well-founded (i.e., sharing what you had for lunch), Twitter has evolved and will continue to do so as business professionals embrace the channel. There’s little downside to joining the community.

By engaging through Twitter, we all share in the ability to be more informed and in tune with the sports business industry. It allows us to serve our clients and sponsor partners better and, in the end, further develop our own ability to collaborate and connect.

For smart sports professionals, I believe the choice is easy: We all have to develop an online networking game plan and execute it. Whether you’re a no-show, lurker or connector, commit to the plan and you’ll find rewarding interactions that have real business value.

May 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation.

Click here to purchase the May 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

After reviewing the newsletter, we would really appreciate it if you would be willing to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other channels of communication. To keep things simple, here is a shortened URL that you can use: http://is.gd/UssJ3S

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Fan-Centric Signage
  • The Top Sports Advertisers of 2010
  • Creative Sports Business Tactics from Major League Soccer
  • Navigate Marketing Spotlight: Five Questions with Matt Balvanz
  • Three Things You Need to See
  • The Carrier Classic
  • The Heineken Star Player
  • Miami Heat - Kumho Tires Partnership
  • #SBChat
  • Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
  • May 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Manchester City FC's 'His and Hers' Suites
  • Standley Systems OSU/OU Licensed Copiers
  • Vineyard Vines' Activation at the Kentucky Derby
  • A Close Look at the Carolina Panthers 2011 NFL Draft Party
  • 5 People You Must Follow In #SportsBiz
  • Creative Tactics to Leverage a Tecate Partnership
  • AC Milan Uses Jersey Launch to Showcase New Technology
  • The Minnesota Twins Feature Twins O-Grams
  • Sports ... Like You've Never Seen It Before
  • Idea Box

Click here to purchase the May 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

March 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation.

Click here to purchase the March 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

If you have a moment, we woulld really appreciate it if you would share the newsletter with friends and colleagues in the industry via email, Twitter, LinkedIn, and/or your personal blog using this shortened URL - http://bit.ly/fwpr2S.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • State Farm Territorial Cup Series
  • Creative Tactics From Across Minor League Baseball
  • Industry Watch: Panoramic Fan Cams
  • Crowd Flash Mobs
  • Year of the Beard Campaigns
  • Personalized Field Boards
  • Marketing Activity Around the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
  • Range Rover's Wireframe Campaign
  • Dimensional Innovations
  • The Migala Report Re-Launched
  • Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
  • March 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Colorado Rapids' Ambush Marketing Tactics
  • The Trenton Thunder's "Tweet Your Seat" Campaign
  • A Look at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game Festivities
  • 5 #SportsBiz Professionals You Must Follow on Twitter
  • Activation and Branding at the 2011 Daytona 500
  • 3 Terrific Concepts From The Idea Box

Click here to purchase the March 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

February 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation.

Click here to purchase the Fall 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Innovative Recycling Kiosks
  • Creative Promotional Tactics From Across the NBA
  • Navigate Marketing Industry Spotlight: Camera-Visible Signage
  • Three Things You Need to See: Reality Touchscreens, Interactive Architectural Mapping, Helmet Cams
  • Engaging Fans Via Facebook Fan Night Promotions and Social Media Days
  • Kia Leverages Media Buys with Augmented Reality
  • Nouveau Jour Activates Orange's Sponsorship of the RBS 6 Nations Rugby Tournament
  • The Deloitte Football Money League Report
  • Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
  • February 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Visa Canada's Hockey Love Hurts Campaign
  • The Charlotte Bobcats' Social Network Challenge
  • A Close Look at the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend
  • Five (5) People You Must Follow on #SportsBiz
  • Creative Tactics From Super Bowl XLV
  • Creative Messaging Campaigns
  • Puma's After Hours Athlete Campaign
  • Leveraging Pet Partnerships With "Pup Rallies"

Click here to purchase the February 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter and be sure to follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

January 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for coming to check out the January 2011 Issue of the Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter. After checking out the newsletter/site, I hope you have some time available to spend with family and friends, for that is the most important thing in life.

Let's make 2011 a great year! Thank you again for your interest in Partnership Activation and I look forward to having the opportunity to connect with you in the near future!

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Marquette Athletics - BIGNOGGINS
  • Creative Promotional Tactics From Across College Athletics
  • Creating Concessions/Merchandise Apps that Benchmark the Carl's Jr. Happy Star Rewards
  • Synergy Events' Activation on Behalf of Reebok at the NHL Winter Classic
  • Hot Off the Press: Networking is a Contact Sport
  • Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
  • January 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Social Media Watch: Preseason/Post-Season SM Inventory
  • Brand Activation at the 2010 China Open
  • The Ashes Cricket Series
  • Three Things You Need to See: Word Lens, Interactive Digital Signage, and Multiple Dance Cams
  • Five #SportsBiz People You Must Follow on Twitter
  • Activation and Branding from the NHL Winter Classic
  • Creativity From the Idea Box

Click here to check out the January 2011 Newsletter and be sure to follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing. 

Land Rover Challenges Fans With Activation at the Dubai Rugby Sevens

In December 2010, Land Rover signed on as an Official Partner of the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens and leveraged its affiliation with several terrific fan engagement initiatives. Land Rover announced the partnership in conjunction with a global announcement that it would serve as an official sponsor of the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

The Land Rover display at the Rugby Sevens featured a number of an interactive rugby-related games, including a Land Rover Scrum Down Challenge, Wheel Spin Challenges, and a Big Boot Challenge. Land Rover offered all participants a chance to enter to win a free Land Rover for a year.

Land Rover Scrum Down Challenge

The Land Rover Scrum Down Challenge truly tested the strength of rugby fans. Teams of consumers were challenged to see if they could push a Land Rover using a rugby scrum machine.

Wheel Spin Challenges

The Wheel Spin Challenged tested the passing accuracy of rugby fans. Consumers were challenged with throwing passes through a series of spinning car wheels.

Big Boot Challenge 

The Big Boot Challenge featured a select number of rugby players from the UAE competing to see who could drop kick a rugby ball through the goal posts during an on-field competition.

The Rugby Sevens attracted 120,000+ fans over a three-day span from December 2-4, 2010. As one can tell from the pictures depicted above, many rugby activation tactics can be applied in the NFL and college football (and vice versa). Check out a full video recap of Land Rover's Rugby Sevens activation below:

Source: Ameinfo.com

June 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for coming here to check out the June 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 newsletter. I promise that there will be no mentions of vuvuzelas as best practices this month. As you tune in to some incredible sports coverage this weekend (World Cup, Wimbledon, etc.), please feel free to send along any unique activation tactics that may catch your eye.

Click here to check out the new June 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. This month I would love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to share your thoughts by emailing me at [email protected].

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Innovative Mobile Tours
  • Ten Sports Business Trends to Keep an Eye On
  • Leveraging the World Cup
  • The Heineken Stadium of Stars
  • World Cup Activation and Branding
  • The Ohio University Professional Master of Sports Administration Program
  • Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
  • June 2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • A Compilation of the 2009-2010 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
  • Sports Social Media Watch
  • Facts and Insights About the 2010 French Open
  • Creative Ways to Leverage Trading Card Partners
  • Idea Box

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the June 2010 Issue now... and please feel free to send along any feedback or suggestions you have this month!

Partnership Activation - March 2010 Newsletter

Are you looking for the latest and great best practices in the sports marketplace? Are you looking for new ways to leverage corporate partners?

Take a moment to check out the new March 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to two (2) friends in the industry.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Store Challenges
  • Insights Into Using Crowdsourcing in Sports
  • Carlsberg Lets Fans Give Their Best Pep Talk
  • Selling Signage for International Stars
  • Details on the Top 50 Sports Business Blogs
  • The March 2010 Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
  • Sports Social Media Watch - World Class Moustaches
  • Activation Tactics from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games
  • 2010 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
  • Ways to Leverage a Dr. Pepper Partnership
  • Creative Activation Tactics

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the March 2010 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!

  

Partnership Activation - February 2010 Newsletter

Are you looking for the latest and great best practices in the sports marketplace? Are you looking for new ways to leverage corporate partners?

Take a moment to check out the new February 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to three (3) friends at work.

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

  • Sidewalk Challenges
  • Insights Into Using Augmented Reality
  • 27th Annual IEG Sponsorship Conference
  • 7 Tips for Bringing Your In-Venue Signage to Life for Consumers
  • Details on the UK Sports Network
  • The February 2010 Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
  • Sports Social Media Watch - Molson Canadian
  • Activation Tactics from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and 2010 NBA All-Star Game
  • 2010 Australian Open
  • Ways to Leverage an ESPN Partnership
  • Creative Activation Tactics

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Check out the February 2010 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!