Deal Flow 8-10-2009

Yardbarker Network has signed a sponsorship deal with Coors Light that will run throughout the NFL's pre-season and 17-week regular season. The Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday announced Cleveland-based Medical Mutual of Ohio would be the team’s official health insurer as part of a one year sponsorship. Standard Life has become the first title sponsor of the British Basketball Federation (BBF...

Update: AVP & Crocs Officially Split Ways

Update > 8-10-09: In follow-up to a story we broke Saturday morning, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball today released a statement today confirming that they have agreed part ways with Crocs at the end of the 2009 season. In the statement, they noted that Crocs has agreed to buy out the remainder of their contract; noted as restructuring charges in the original story mentioned below. Here's the full...

Quick Tip: Sell Assets AND Outcomes

Sponsorship professionals sell assets. Successful sponsorship professionals sell outcomes. photo cred via photobucket: blogs.msdn.com/michael_oldenburg

Make Community Programs A Winning Sponsor Proposal

Going back to the mid 1980's when I was first a ‘baby’ in the sports marketing world, we developed a unique niche by packaging the team’s community programs to our sponsors, a practice that most businesses had never before seen nor been asked. Back then, most sponsorship proposals were about as vanilla as you could get, including the usual mix: a program ad, game tickets, a shootout promotion a...

Cirque Gets New Insurance Partner

The U.S. division of Sun Life Financial today announced a new partnership with Cirque du Soleil that will make Sun Life the Official Insurance Partner of Cirque du Soleil U.S. Big Top Touring Shows, U.S. Arena Touring Shows, and the Presenting Partner of a major new Cirque du Soleil U.S. show to be announced next month. The sponsorship is the first in a series of announcements comprising a new,...

A Jump Start for Your Stalled Sponsorship Program

Festivals and events across the country are feeling the impact of the recession on their sponsorship programs. You may be, too. Worse, you may not know what to do next. One crucial but perhaps counterintuitive next step is to deepen your commitment to your existing sponsors. Now is the time to strengthen the ties and all the ways your two organizations are interconnected and enrich the spons...

AVP in Talks for New Title; Crocs Deal Expires

Crocs, who has title sponsored the AVP Tour since 1996, will not be back as title sponsor of the Tour next season. The company's three year sponsorship deal expired yesterday, the same day as the company's quarterly earnings call. CEO John Duerden indicated the company would be shifting their marketing strategy to a more direct to consumer model. "As part of our cost reduction initiatives,...

Deal Flow 8-7-2009

Continental Airlines will be the headline sponsor of the London Tower Festival 2009 as it seeks to engage with business travellers who are arts and music lovers. Frito-Lay has teamed up with the Carolina Panthers as an official sponsor in a deal that includes branded packaging on Lay's, among other assets. The Toronto Blue Jays andThe Stanley Works have reached a sponsorship agreement running ...

SMI's Bad Day Sheds Light on Sponsorships

On the same day that Speedway Motorsports Inc announced a Q2 $22 Million loss, one of its biggest clients, Lowe's, confirmed it would not be coming back as title sponsor of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The street took notice as SMI's stock was off 5% on the day. While SMI does not break out sponsorship revenue specifically, some interesting tidbits from the 8-K. On long term contracts: Ma...

Activation Tactic of the Week: $0.99 Gas

Are you looking for new ways to leverage official auto, c-store, and oil partners? Are you looking for new ways to create a promotion that directly impacts residents in the local community? Over the past (4) years, CARFAX has supported its title sponsorship of the CARFAX 400 at Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 15-16) by offering discounted gas to Michigan residents. A few weeks prior to t...