Ambush Marketing Insights

There is a great piece on eventmarketer about Ambush Marketing. Specifically, the article addresses South by Southwest and the Sundance Film Festival's experience with ambush marketers.

Here are several nuggets that I gleaned:

1. The importance of education about sponsorship.

"Nine times out of 10, they had no idea they weren’t officially related to Sundance because they had been sold a sponsorship by an event planner and they thought they were buying into the festival,” says Sarah Pearce, director of festival operations at the Sundance Film Festival. Sometimes the calls result in the brand pulling out or signing on as a bonafide sponsor."

2. It is no longer OK to give sponsors a "list of benefits" in exchange for dollars. The time has come to listen to what sponsors want and create mutually beneficial partnerships.

"When SXSW started 23 years ago, it created all of the event’s assets. Now all of its sponsorships involve some sort of unique activation for the brands. “That is a fundamental change that we’ve had to take in our approach,” says Swenson."

3. Maybe we should stop fighting and collaborate. Good things may happen.

"At Sundance this year, the festival for the first time worked with a long-time ambush event planner to turn his venue into an official festival attraction. The festival shut down a portion of Main Street and set up upscale tents with hardwood floors to create a press junket space called The Lift where talent could go and get all of their interviews done, and where sponsors could activate in an exclusive area. “It was something we were resistant to before but is something we realize now actually benefits our sponsors,” Pearce says. “If our sponsors are happy that means that we can put on a better festival because we have more money.”

4. Don't forget the smaller brands by creating unique packages that will fit their budgets. If you sign them on and execute flawlessly, they may come back again. In addition, they could bring some innovation to your partnership.

“If you want to get a lot of bang, you have to spend a lot of money,” says Scheer Ettinger, explaining why Carrera went its own way.

Check it out:
AMBUSH SHOWDOWN
Monday, April 13, 2009
By Jessica Heasley