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.

Our thoughts are with the crew as they tackle the completion of this grueling race!

Check out the pic below for Jed’s locations as of 14:20 EDT.

You can find additional info and tracking details here:

http://cloud.iboattrack.com/r/start.php?&r=2010_newport_bermuda&view_zoomto=0&view_class=ALL&mm=false

Of course while each stadium, ballpark, coliseum, or garden has a story, certain venues seem to carry a heavier weight due to age or historical significance. One venue that fits into this category would be Wrigley Field in Chicago. While other cities have torn down and rebuilt multiple stadiums, this baseball icon has remained relatively unchanged since the first pitch was thrown there in 1914.

Now while die hards will note the ivy walls lining the outfield or the neighborhood feel of the stadium as the marks of this classic ballpark, others (especially in our industry) focus more on the lack of advertisements. While other venues have sold the vast majority of space to sponsors, Wrigley has had a long standing tradition of not allowing ornate advertisements anywhere within the ballpark. Of course, like many time honored traditions in sports, this may soon come to an end.

As of last October new stadium ownership has been pushing for several changes. Perhaps the most controversial is the potential addition of a bright red 16×22 ft. Toyota sign that would extend above the bleachers. Now while we can imagine a strong resistance from a large amount of loyal Cubs fans, this could possibly be a good move for Toyota.

A common answer when we ask people what they see when looking at advertisements in a stadium is “clutter”. This response is obviously a result of the massive sea of banners and neon lights that line almost every visible space at most major sporting events. Now while Toyota and the Cubs are both taking away a certain part of the Wrigley culture, they could also be erecting a new icon for the ballpark. If Toyota has the ability to maintain their spot in the outfield as a large stand alone, this is when the sign can be truly beneficial. Not only would the sign be more noticeable standing by itself, over years it has the chance to become part of the architectural landscape of Wrigley.

If you question the ability of advertisements to affect fans, than look no further than the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, Fenway Park in Boston. Above the famed Green Monster left field wall you will see the towering CITGO gasoline sign. This sign has been in place since 1965, and as one Boston fan recently stated, “If you don’t know about the CITGO sign, then you don’t know about the Red Sox”.

You can bet that the Japanese auto maker would be hoping for a similar type of brand association at Wrigley. We’ll just have to wait a few years to see if it works out.

Check out the video below for the heart felt response from the crowd after her inspiring Tuesday night performance.

These picture received today answered my question:

Here at Performance Research we have always stood behind platforms that embrace uniqueness. On several occasions we have recommended to clients that supporting the first viable female NASCAR driver would push significant attention to their likeness.

With her multiple Super Bowl ads and high profile NASCAR start, Danica should expect to reap great rewards.  Now that all this attention is on Danica and her race car, I wonder how traffic on Go Daddy is fairing?

The Summer Olympics not only have a longer history, more sports and more recognizable athletes than the Winter Games, according to a recent Forbes article, they also have a lot more value.  Coming in second on the list of the worlds top sports events, the Summer Olympics are valued at $230 million dollars in comparison to the $93 million dollar value of the Winter Olympics.

Besides Forbes offering these measured values for the Olympic Games, a recent Sports Biz article on MSNBC.com offered some insight into the value gap between summer and winter.  Using examples of sponsorship dollars for summer athletes and how their likeness is being used even in Winter Olympic ads (e.g. Michael Phelps), the article illustrates how much the Summer Olympics has a greater draw, with better paid athletes, more competitions and higher visibility.

MSNBC cites viewership ratings and audience numbers as a primary example of what the article identifies as a “comparative lack of exposure” between the two games.  The last Winter Olympics held in Torino had the lowest ratings for any winter games, trailing the viewership of the Bejing Summer Games by 7.4 million (both broadcast over a 17 day schedule).

The article raises all valid points when comparing the two events; however there may be another factor in play.  While most people consider the Winter and Summer Olympics to be two years apart, in actuality, the summer games are competed 2.5 years after the winter games, while the winter games are competed only 1.5 years after the summer games.

Sure the Summer games have had it’s fair share of super stars, Michael Phelps being a record-breaking (in all senses) example, but exposure and stars may not be the only reasons the summer games are more profitable for sponsors.  It may also be the longer you have to wait, the more you appreciate what you experience.

Check out the MSNBC article here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35085223/ns/business-sports_biz/

And for the Forbes Sports Values:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/03/most-powerful-sports-names-tiger-woods-nike-cmo-network-sports-brands_slide_14.html

During this panel, he talked about the findings from Performance Research’s extensive research in regards to sporting events and fan retention. He also provided tools and guidance on how schools can conduct their own research to find out who is, who isn’t and who should be coming to their sporting events.

We hope that his years of experience and industry expertise were helpful to the event attendees!

In association with the popular NBC television show, The Biggest Loser, Subway is offering this past season’s contestant Shay Sorrells $1,000 for every pound she loses between now and next season’s finale in May 2010.  She will also receive free meals from the restaurant chain and have the opportunity to join Jared as Subway spokeswomen for 2010.  At the start of this past season Shay was the shows heaviest contestant ever, weighing in at 476 lbs.  As of last weeks Season 8 finale, she has trimmed down to only 304lbs.  Subway hopes that with their help, Shay can continue to drop the pounds through the spring and reach her optimum weight.

The sponsorship of Shay by Subway seems to be a perfect fit for their image.  Subway relies heavily on the promotion of their “Fresh Fit” menu items, and their position as a healthy alternative to other quick service restaurants.  Also, this sponsorship links Subway to one of the most watched reality shows on television; one that brings hope and positive feelings to so many people around the country.  Kudos to Subway for understanding what has worked for them in the past and finding new ways to stick with a good thing!

Also, this blog post would be a “loser” if we cease to mention how The Biggest Loser not only benefits from the program that Subway is offering them, but they also use the power of their show to do their own good deeds.  The television shows offers a program where viewers can go online and pledge to lose weight, with The Biggest Loser donating 14 cents to Feeding the Hungry for each pound lost.   The show also has produced an online weight loss club and fitness video game to promote effective weight loss in the United States.  It’s no wonder that The Biggest Loser is such a winner!

Check out these sites for more info:

www.subwayfreshbuzz.com

www.biggestloser.com

Just a few moments before the start of the race, a UPS Delivery Truck circled the track, raced to the start finish line and hand delivered the green starter flag! With this exhibition, UPS shows how they utilize their sponsorship in a unique way, tapping into the minds of the thousands of spectators in the packed stands. The stunt allowed UPS to create a link from their company’s services to a NASCAR race in an exciting fashion. Thanks for giving us something to smile about!