Once again, IEG was a huge success! If you missed out on our Sponsorship ROI presentation take a look at the slide show in its entirety below. Of course, if you have any questions, shoot us a message anytime!
Presented by Jed Pearsall and Bill Doyle at the 2011 IEG Conference
Filed under General, Presentations
Hey Everyone!
Performance Research had a great time conducting on site research last week in Indy!
Below you can find some pics we snapped along the way:
Filed under General
This past Sunday, as we all watched rookie Trevor Bayne win the Daytona 500 by edging out a field of seasoned Sprint Cup pros, we couldn’t help but laugh at what great value his current sponsors were getting! Despite the innocent rookie move of forgetting to thank his sponsors in the post race interview, he was providing some serious value to his corporate backers.
Now let’s talk about the reality of the situation moving forward. Trevor Bayne is barely 20 years old and on the top of the world. Of course, while no one may even expect him to win the rest of the year (he isn’t even slated for the whole season at this point), one thing is for sure, guaranteed media attention. He is a media dream and an onslaught of new fans (over 20,000 new twitter followers since winning the race) will catapult him into the big time and the sponsorship should follow.
Sponsors that are considering whether or not to support Bayne have the opportunity to align with him right after his big win and be the saving grace that ensures his presence in NASCAR. Besides the long term results, these sponsors would immediately receive praise from his legions of new, soon to be loyal fans. We already know from past Performance Research Independent Studies that 72% of NASCAR fans would almost always or frequently choose the brand they associate with NASCAR over one that is not associated with NASCAR, and we can only expect this number to hold true for the sports new golden boy, if not be even higher.
That being said, we are keeping our ‘SponsorEye’ open, looking for the brand that jumps at this opportunity and attempts to make Trevor Bayne the household name that he has so much potential to become. In the meantime we anxiously wait to hear what Trevor decides to name his very own sundae later today at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco!
For more on Performance Research and our Independent Studies check us out at www.performanceresearch.com
Filed under Caught Our Eye, General, Independent Research Studies
Being back in Newport after a trip out west to Sundance for the acclaimed film festival has given us some time to reflect on what was for us here at Performance Research, the most interesting movie of the festival – “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” by Morgan Spurlock.
While I am sure the majority of you know what the movie is about, for those who do not, here is the recap:
Director Morgan Spurlock completes a successful plight to create a film of which the main subject is corporate product placement in television and movies. Of course, there is a twist, and the twist is he successfully demonstrates how to garner product placement, by cleverly gaining corporate sponsors to fund the very movie (while filming the entire process) being made. Effectively, the movie becomes a ‘how to’ documentary for anyone looking to find corporate support, while also questioning the notion that Hollywood is ‘selling out’.
Now as those of us who are in tune with the world of marketing know, product placement has been around for a long time, and will continue to be part of the world in which we live for the foreseeable future. That being said, while Spurlock’s film does a good job of educating the masses about product placement and how marketers choose to advertise their product, here at Performance Research, the film nudged us to think more about the effectiveness of this tool. This meaning, does product placement work?
Of course, without conducting specific studies into the value of product placement little can be verified, but we do believe many of the same rules we apply to event sponsorship also apply to product placement. The brand must activate and engage the viewers, just like they would attendees at a sporting event or during a mobile marketing unit tour. In doing so, product placement has the potential to become a fruitful form of advertising, reaching the masses, while possibly creating a desire for the product you are pitching.
Spurlock’s movie certainly created a buzz regarding this subject and we imagine it will grow when the film is released nationwide in April. We look forward to watching it again in the spring and in the meantime we will keep our sponsor eye looking for great activation of product placement in film and television.
Filed under General, Uncategorized
Castrol recently broke news off their official sponsorship of the National Football League. The company is a well established producer of high performance synthetic motor oil and plans to expand their audience. By having the Castrol EDGE endorsement distributed through various mediums that the NFL can offer, Castrol will gain exposure for their product line.
The multi-year sponsorship of the NFL will represent a considerable investment for Castrol. Companies often obtain the title of official sponsor but are unable to break through the clutter of other sponsors competing for exposure. As a result unaided awareness for a company’s sponsorship may fall short of company goals.
What can Castrol do to get the most out of their investment? One way is by making the sponsorship work for them at point of purchase. This means have a promotion in store, on the product itself. Attach an entry form for chances to win tickets to NFL playoff games and later promote tickets to off-season training camps. This would represent a comparably inexpensive approach to making the initial sponsorship work for them.
Point of purchase is where the majority of purchase decisions are made. A promotion such as this would also serve to remind consumers of the connection between the performance demanded in the NFL and by the Castrol EDGE product itself.
Promotions like this would be a great way for Castrol to reach potential customers at the local level while also helping to break through the clutter of other sponsorships.
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Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of gift giving around the Performance Research office, and our beloved dog, Austin, was not to be left out! While un-wrapping Austin’s latest gift, a stuffed dog toy, we noticed an interesting partnership between the toy maker and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
What caught our eye about this partnership is not only how unique it is, but also how it truly serves a purpose. When you purchase one of the toys, you are given the opportunity to register it with Sergeant’s Pet Care Products (the manufacturer) and when you do, they give a donation directly to the NWF. This program, which is part of all of Sergeant’s “Protected Wildlife Series”, shows consumers that by purchasing this product, they are actually contributing to a good cause. It is also worth noting that while the toy is for a dog, the packaging provides “kid friendly” information about the animal, in this case a Bison, and about the NWF.
It is nice to see a company that is thinking outside the box and utilizing their partnerships to benefit an organization that they truly care about!
Filed under Caught Our Eye, General
With one days notice, the city of Newport has put together a pep-rally and support gathering today to bring the America’s Cup into town. Thousands have showed up to hear members of the venue selection committee and America’s Cup dignitaries talk to the press about the real possibility of Newport hosting the next America’s Cup.
Filed under General
Check out the presentation below to see the full results from the Performance Research independent study regarding the sponsorship ramifications in the wake of the BP oil spill.
Filed under General, Independent Research Studies
Just yesterday while waiting in yet another airport terminal, we noticed a great activation that actually enhances someones airport wait time experience! In a co-branded effort from Microsoft and Southwest Airlines, the two companies have placed a photo booth in select airport terminals where travelers can pose in front of a snowy landscape and even take a seat with Santa. After your photo is taken, you will receive a printed copy and also have the chance to use Windows Live to edit and share your photo over the internet!
Good job by both Microsoft and Southwest in making the wait at the airport more bearable and in step with the season via their “Holiday photos on the Fly” campaign!
Filed under Caught Our Eye, General
Among all professional sports, whether it is MLB, NBA, PGA, NFL, etc., we can highlight many differences in the way the leagues are marketed, one trait remains the same – all of the leagues have “official sponsors”. Now while having these brands on board helps to provide the league with money and exposure, we find that it doesn’t always do the same for the brand. However, a recent article tuned us into a tire manufacturer that is combating this trend and making their league sponsorships work for them.
Bridgestone tires recently announced a Facebook promotion where they leverage their title as the “Official Tire of the NFL” and offer people who choose to ‘like’ the tire company on the social media website a chance to win a ticket package to the 2011 Super Bowl. This type of promotion not only allows fans to win a great prize, but it actively engages them, and promotes the tire company’s relationship with the National Football League. Bridgestone has also had success running a similar promotion using Facebook by providing fans with the chance to win passes to a professional golf tournament as part of their being the “Official Tire of the PGA”.
While some brands settle for the title of “official sponsor” and having their brand logo flashed at several points during a broadcast, it is great to see a company that is so heavily invested in sponsorship, stepping outside the box and becoming a leader in social media engagement. We can be sure that other brands will follow this trend if they want to make the most out of their sponsorship programs.
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