One Sponsor, Several Products, New Direction

There is an article in today’s Wall Street Journal that discusses the NFL’s new sponsorship deal with Proctor & Gamble.  This is a new direction for the NFL.  They realize their traditional sponsor/partners can no longer be counted on.  How can we learn from this?

All of us that sell sponsorships for our venues, shows, or events know that sponsorships have taken a huge hit in this recession.  Most of our sponsors have taken a second look at their deals.  In many cases they have decided to cut back or cut out sponsor deals all together. We need to think outside the box just the like the NFL. 

By cutting a deal with P&G, the NFL is expanding all their partner options.  P&G has lots of different products that could be used.  In one example they have created “Official Locker Room” products.  These include Old Spice, Head & Shoulders, and Febreze.  I think this is great!  They are taking sponsorship into the locker room.  The tie-in fits and the customer can relate.  This is a win-win.

As we go forward, we should look to companies that have multiple products that will work for your brand.   Working with several products from a single source will make your job a lot easier.  Create your ticket campaigns around these products.  Re-think where you could add partner opportunities. Go for non-traditional options.  Make them a true partner and promote each others brands.  Don’t make it just about signage.  That is so 1990′s!

Friday Fun & Facts

When you gotta go!

Here is a fun marketing example of “thinking out of the box”.  Proctor & Gamble’s Charmin brand is sponsoring a new website and an app for both the iphone and the BlackBerry called SitOrSquat.  Yes, you can now download a free app to find out where the closest public restroom is.  I am not kidding on this one. Not only will it tell you where to find a restroom quick, but it gives you review rankings.  Users of the app can rank the public bathroom on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.   I love this marketing tool.  Even better for the brand, I remember who sponsors it.  Charmin doesn’t make any direct money from this.  They list all public restrooms they know about (not just ones using their product).  With this app you can search for nearby restrooms, search by address, rate the restroom, and you can add a toilet to the list.  This could be a great form of marketing for any establishment looking to promote it’s self.  Check it out at www.sitorsquat.com. 

Even better then the app is the Charmin Bathroom Experience they created in New York City.  Just click on the link and see fun experience marketing at its best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwPYdgjnzxs.

They win my “out of the box” marketing award of the week!

Newspaper ads don’t work: fact or fiction?

As I continue to work on events and meet with event marketers across the country I hear the same response about newspapers.  Every time I discuss the marketing plan I hear “and we don’t plan to run newspaper ads.  They don’t work”.  Is it true that newspapers ads don’t work or is it a perception problem?  As with anything, are we like sheep and just follow the herd?  If I was in the newspaper business I would try and do something about it quick.  Marketers now have it locked in their brain that newspapers don’t work.  If I ran a newspaper ad department I would put together a whole marketing campaign to get advertisers back. Create excitement!  Do something!  Make them try you again! Lower your ad rates!  If newspaper ad departments continue to sit back and do nothing then I guess the grim reaper will continue to stop the presses.

Question of the day

Why doesn’t the NCAA do more to promote women’s sports?  I think it’s really sad when you see hardly anyone in the stands watching.

Have a great weekend!