Sponsorship Sky

Quote

2011-08-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

"People who can put themselves in the place of other people, who can understand the workings of their minds, need never worry about what the future has in store for them."
Owen D. Young

Yoga in the Rotunda

2011-07-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a yoga class in a museum before? If not, head on over to the Brooklyn Museum this Sunday. In connection with the exhibition Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, three yoga instructors will offer a series of workshops in the museum's rotunda. In addition, a tour of the exhibition will be provided before the workshop. Bring your own mats and enjoy!

BMW Guggenheim Lab

2011-07-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

The BMW Guggenheim Lab launches in New York on August 3! Check out the site and FB for cool updates and more information on the project.

Seven Metrics

2011-06-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

According to Geoff Ramsey and Vipin Mayar, the authors of a new book titled Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success, there are seven performance metrics that are important for performance measurement across digital channels. You can read more about the seven metrics on eMarketer and here.

Sponsorship Conference, IEG

2011-02-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

IEG's annual sponsorship conference is coming up and it looks like a great one.

Overheard

2011-02-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Overheard from a tech EX: "The accelerators in my career were when I opened my mouth, the decerlerators were when I kept quiet."

Oh, there is more..."As long as when your mouth is open, the truth comes out."

Board Engagement

2011-02-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Crain's reported today that Alair Townsend, former publisher of Crain's New York Business has been appointed the president of the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America. She will be the first woman to head the Greater New York Council's board.

Charles Rosser, the CEO smartly states that the "days of not-for-profit governance, where people just join and help raise a couple of bucks, are gone. The environment nonprofits operate in now is too complex and the stakes are too high--board members have to be much more engaged than ever before."

It sounds like Ms. Townsend will face many challenges and opportunities in this role. According to the press release, the Boy Scouts need to find "new fundraising streams to meet a $10 million annual operating budget, 70% of which comes from corporate and individual donors."

Samsung Sponsors the Nam June Paik Exhibition at Tate Liverpool

2011-02-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

I know I'm late on this, but I just read that Samsung is sponsoring the Nam June Paik exhibition at Tate Liverpool.

According to the official press release, "Samsung is to provide a range of innovative products to support Tate Liverpool in realising this ambitious display, including the latest blu-ray home cinema HD projectors and 3D enabled LED monitors, which will enrich and enhance the visitor experience. In addition, twenty-five Samsung personal MP3 players will allow the gallery to offer visitors an exclusive audio tour."

It isn't clear if Samsung is a cash sponsor or simply a product sponsor of the exhibition. Lets hope it's both.

Measuring Success Through Conversions

2011-02-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

eMarketer has a good article today on the way that CMO's are measuring social media ROI. The good news is that marketers anticipate measuring success via conversion rather than number of fans/members.

It's all about the customer experience and the ability to listen to and engage with those who use/consume brands. Moving away from "pushing" and moving toward interacting and adding value to the experience.

Virgin Blue's John Borghetti Makes a Big Blunder

2011-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

Before a major sponsorship announcement, you prep all the key players and then hope for a flawless delivery. Unfortunately Virgin Blue's John Borghetti made a huge blunder when he announced the sponsorship of five-time Olympic freestyle champion Ian Thorpe as “the man that will win many, many gold medals for Qantas." Yikes!

Yes, Mr. Borghetti formerly worked for Qantas for 36 years but he has led Virgin Blue for nearly a year. No excuses for this cringeworthy mistake.

Read more about the sponsorship announcement and the criticism of the partnership here.

$1 Million Grant from Kresge Foundation to Reinvent Museum Business Model

2011-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I am so pleased that a foundation has come forward with funding to help museums to innovate and create new business models.

In January it was announced that The Kresge Foundation awarded the Hancock Shaker Village a $ 1 million grant to innovate around a new museum business model. Read the press release here.

Super Bowl Without Denny's

2011-01-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

There is a great article in AdAge about Denny's decision not to advertise in the 2011 Super Bowl.

I believe that the Super Bowl is a very expensive "one-hit wonder" that doesn't really add value to the customer experience.

A broad, multi-level strategy would be a more effective way to test and optimize key campaigns throughout the year.

The Large Logo

2011-01-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Did you know that in tennis, the Grand Slam rules dictate that logos on the front of the shirt cannot exceed four square inches? I had no idea until I read about a match delay at the Australian Open due to an oversize logo on the front of Ekaterian Makarova's shirt.

As reported on Yahoo! Sports:
"A fourth-round match at the Australian Open was delayed on Monday night when the chair umpire determined that a logo on the front of Ekaterian Makarova's shirt was too large and had to be removed. The 22-year-old Russian was warming up before her match against Kim Clijsters when umpire Mariana Alves noticed one of the logos and made Makarova leave the court to change.

When she returned, Makarova had changed into an identical dress that didn't have any attached logos. She began the match without them and then had some attached during changeovers in the first set. The offending logo was eventually moved to her right shoulder."

Great Entrepreneur

2011-01-27T20:27:00.000-08:00

Every great entrepreneur knows how to sell.

Brooklyn Museum, Valuable Lessons Learned

2010-11-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

In January 2009, the Brooklyn Museum saw an opportunity to engage supporters by creating a new level of membership (1stfans) around in-person meetups, private groups on Facebook and Flickr, and private feeds by artists on Twitter.

Last week the museum posted a great case study or "lessons learned" on the program. Check out this link and read about their plans to improve upon the 1stfans experience via Meetup.com.

Map Envelope

2010-11-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

I came across Map Envelope via trendwatching.com's November Trend Briefing.

Map Envelope is "an application that allows users to select a location in Google Maps and then print the location with a personalized message. Once printed, the cut-out graphic turns into the inside of an envelope and can be sent to a friend via old-fashioned snail mail."

Pretty clever!

IEG's Blog Today

2010-09-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

IEG's Diane Knoepke has a great "copy this" blog post today about TED's simple guidelines around affiliate sponsorships. You may find her post here.

Carnegie Hall, Bank of America and Scooter Media

2010-08-31T15:36:00.001-07:00

I was reading Amanda Ameer's blog, Life's a Pitch and came across this post about Carnegie Hall's use of Scooter Media.

It's a fun idea and I must say that it gives Bank of America (Carnegie Hall's 2010-2011 season sponsor) some great visibility.

Ask a Curator Day

2010-08-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wanted to ask a museum and gallery curator a question, you will have an opportunity via twitter tomorrow.

Yes, September 1st is "Ask a Curator Day" where you can Q&A with over 300 curators around the world.

Flexible

2010-07-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Flexible: characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.

Are you still sending blind sponsorship proposals to brands? Move away from that buyer-seller model. You will surely be more successful in forming partnerships if you are flexible with rights and you consider what brands are in need of.

HBR: Welcome to the Experience Economy, 1998

2010-07-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

I picked up the July-August 1998 issue of Harvard Business Review at the local Goodwill this weekend and read a great article written by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, cofounders of Strategic Horizons LLP.

There are some very insightful nuggets that may be useful to those who work in museums and the arts, especially the piece on staging experiences that sell.

Doom and Gloom in the Arts

2010-07-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today as I was skimming the headlines of ArtsJoural I just felt a sense of doom and gloom for the arts. Here are several of the headlines:

"UK Film Council to Be Abolished"
"Southwest Florida Symphony in Debt, Leaderless"
"CEO of Dallas' New Performing Arts Center Abruptly Resigns"
"Pittsburgh Symphony Faces Tough Times"
"Ballet Nouveau Colorado Seemed So Healthy -- How Could It Have Come to the Brink?"
"Charleston Symphony Unsettled and in Limbo, Tries to Arrange 75th B'day Concert"

Sigh

Chief Marketing Officer

2010-07-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

AdAge has a good piece on CMO's and their evolution from big personality/high-profile to one of power.

Speaking of CMOs...The Skoll Foundation is looking for a Chief Marketing Officer. Check out the job description here.

Tweet4YWCA

2010-07-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

I recently read that The Allstate Foundation is partnering with the YWCA to support economic empowerment for domestic violence survivors by donating $1 for all tweets that include #Tweet4YWCA.

The goal is to raise $75,000 by tweeting as many times as you can through July 16.

For more information on #Tweet4YWCA, visit: http://www.clicktoempower.org/twitter.aspx

Business, Brand and Employee

2010-07-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

When approaching a prospective sponsor, consider ways in which your property could help the corporation build business (client acquisition/retention), brand (awareness, association) and employee commitment.

Call to Action and Secondary Calls to Action

2010-06-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

I previously mentioned that Call to Action: Secret Formulas To Improve Online Results is one for my favorite books about Internet marketing and website optimization. Well, today I went onto grokdotcom and came across a good piece about "secondary" calls to actions, defined as motivations and interactive elements offered to the prospect in case they are not ready to take the primary action.

Take a look at the entry and think of ways that you could apply the concept to your site.

The World Cup and Nike's "Write the Future" Video Campaign

2010-06-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

PSFK has a good piece on Nike's "Write the Future" video campaign around the World Cup.

PSFK discusses the fact that although Nike is not an official sponsor of the World Cup, the video campaign has generated more online buzz (blogs, message boards, social networking sites) and more of an association to the World Cup than any other brand’s efforts to date.

The kicker? Nike isn't even an official sponsor of the World Cup.

Lands’ End Partners With DonorsChoose.org

2010-06-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Lands’ End is partnering with DonorsChoose.org to help teachers and students across the country by donating $1 toward art supplies for every new member of the Lands’ End Facebook community (June 3rd through June 6th).

Join the Lands’ End Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LandsEnd.
For each new Facebook community member Lands’ End will donate $1 towards art programs through DonorsChoose.org, up to $10,000. Donations will be made for new community members through June 6th.

For more information visit: www.facebook.com/LandsEnd.

Rolling Stone to Extend Brand

2010-06-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last year Rolling Stone announced that it would be extending the brand into the restaurant/bar arena. The first venue is set to open this summer in Hollywood.

It will be interesting to see if the Rolling Stone brand is strong enough to pull this off.

Paperless Choice Challenge is Open

2010-06-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Calling all nonprofits..."Catalog Choice is sponsoring a national contest to discover and reward creative digital fundraising techniques and campaigns. Whether your organization has gone completely paperless, or your digital fundraising efforts are part of an overall mix, we are looking for great examples of successful campaigns that have moved your organization away from traditional paper-based direct mail fundraising."

For more information on this cool contest, go here.

Kmart's Laundromat

2010-06-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Kmart will be test-marketing a new business venture called Kwash in Iowa City. It is set to open in June and the aim is to build new customer relationships.

This is truly an innovative way for Kmart to acquire/retain customers. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Robin Hood Foundation Seeking a Development Officer

2010-06-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Robin Hood Foundation is looking for a Development Officer. Check out the job description here.

Charities and Text Donations

2010-06-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

The Christian Science Monitor ran a piece on text donations and charities a few weeks ago. I've spoken with several nonprofits about text giving and the feedback is that the effort (staff time, set up and logistics) is not worth the small outcome. I have a feeling this will change in the near future.

Seattle Art Museum Cutting Expenses

2010-05-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times reports that the Seattle Art Museum is closing its three buildings for two weeks next year, reducing its staff and instituting a two-week furlough in an effort to balance its budget.

BP's Olympic Sponsorship

2010-05-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

BP announced in February that it would be a sponsor of the 2010 and 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, as well as the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team. The deal is estimated to be worth between $10 million and $15 million.

Today I read a blog on the London Evening Standard:
"BP is taking advice from a London PR agency about how to handle its sponsorship of the 2012 Games.

As the clean-up operation from the oil spill in the US continues, the firm is wondering how much publicity it can dare generate on the back of the 2012 deal.

It is the backer of the "Open Weekend", a cultural festival which will take place in July to mark two years to go to the Games. But the headache for the oil firm bosses is whether there could be a backlash from promoting this work.

It can only be a coincidence that a press release for BP's Olympic mentoring programme "Young Leaders" was pulled at short-notice this week. Apparently this was because the young participants were tied up with exams. A case of heads down all round, it would appear."

BP chose to sponsor the Olympics because they felt it was a perfect platform to promote their green initiatives. If you were in BP's situation, how would you handle the Olympic sponsorship?

Social Media and Measuring Value

2010-05-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

The AFP conducted an online poll that showed that 2/3 of nonprofits use social media but only 17% actually measure the value for their organizations.

It is a bit shocking that nonprofits are spending energy in the social media space but not measuring value and outcomes. I would suggest that they begin by determining their goals and then deciding what needs to be measured. This could range from pageviews, fans, followers and interactions, to press/blog coverage and conversion rates. The key is to identify the data points that map directly back to your goals.

Walgreens Donates Times Square Billboard to the National Center for Learning Disabilities

2010-04-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Crain's New York reports that the National Center for Learning Disabilities will get free use of Walgreen's Times Square Jumbotron billboard for five days!

Walgreens "donated five days of use of its Times Square Jumbotron billboard, above 1471 Broadway, to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Spots on the 17,000-square-foot digital video display will run four times an hour for 30 seconds through this Saturday."

Oh, and by the way, the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) will host their 33rd Annual Benefit Dinner tonight. "The evening honors Charles Walgreen III, Former CEO of Walgreens, who will be presented with the Spirit of Achievement Award by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. James Carville, the American political consultant, will be presented with the Distinguished Advocacy Award. The evening’s emcee is TV Newscaster Paula Zahn. The Benefit Chair is Nancy Poses, and the Dinner Chair is Wade Miquelon, EVP, CFO, Walgreens.

Way to go NCLD!

Brooklyn Ball

2010-04-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Brooklyn Museum showed us that breaking away from tradition can pay off. As I posted here, the museum put on a whimsical event that garnered terrific pre and post press on the Brooklyn Ball. Check out bizbash.com for more pictures of the event.

Bing Sponsorship

2010-04-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

WNBA team, the Seattle Storm landed a sponsorship deal with Bing. According to the Seattle Times, "The Bing logo will replace "Storm" and "Seattle" on home and away jerseys and warmup shirts. The multiyear deal is worth at least $1 million annually, according to Storm CEO Karen Bryant. It will include KeyArena advertising; joint promotions through Bing maps, video and visual search; integration between Bing and Storm scavenger hunt; and sponsorship of the Junior Storm Initiative community program."

To learn more about the Jr. Storm Initiative, go here.

Brooklyn Museum, American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection

2010-04-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Brooklyn Museum is holding their Brooklyn Ball this evening where they will "break with the traditional arrangements of years past. A newly conceived event will focus on fashion, fun, and culinary excitement as only Brooklyn can do it! Jennifer Rubell, whom New York Times senior art critic Roberta Smith credits with “laying waste to the prolonged ordeal that is the benefit dining experience,” will present Icons, an interactive food journey through the Museum including drinking paintings, suspended melting cheese heads, and more."

In addition, those in attendance will be able to preview the American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection exhibition which opens to the public on May 7.

Pitching to the Financial Industry? Read This

2010-04-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Are you pitching to the financial industry? Check out this summary from the JFAM:Live! Financial Marketers’ Conference that took place in March. A ton of insight into the way financial services are marketing.

Gowalla and Foursquare

2010-04-20T18:30:00.001-07:00

Heard of Gowalla or Foursquare? If not, you should check them out. They are both location based social networking sites and they are taking off. Check out the sites and think of ways that you could leverage the apps to raise your visibility, create a unique campaigns, or build buzz.

Parisian Museum Les Arts Decoratifs Cancels Kate Moss Exhibition Due to Lack of Sponsorship Funding

2010-04-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Parisian museum Les Arts Decoratifs canceled the Kate Moss exhibition due to lack of sponsorship. More detail here and here.

Starbucks on The New York Times

2010-04-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you haven't visited NYTimes today, you should check it out just for the Starbucks campaign. It is simply brilliant because it addresses a cause (saving forests), shows the deep community involvement (together), and makes a call to action.

The Big Picture, Starbucks on April 15th

2010-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

On April 15th, you can bring your travel mug to your local Starbucks and they will give you a free brewed coffee. This is a part of The Big Picture project where Starbucks encourages people to switch from paper cups to reusable travel mugs.

Check out the facebook post: "One person can save trees. Together, we can save forests. That's why we'd like to encourage everyone to switch from paper cups to reusable travel mugs. Check out http://www.starbucks.com/TheBigPicture to see the thousands of people taking the pledge to make a difference."

USA TODAY's "#AmericaWants" Twitter Campaign for Charity

2010-04-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Kindness community kicked off the USA TODAY's "#AmericaWants" Twitter campaign for charity where the top tweet-getting charity will receive one full-page, full-color ad in USA TODAY.

Read more about how you can tweet for you favorite 501(c)(3) organization here. Hurry, the tweeting ends at 11:59 pm (ET) on 4/16/10.

Charleston Symphony Orchestra to Suspend its Operations, "This is not a ticket problem, this is a fundraising problem."

2010-03-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Post and Courier reported that the Charleston Symphony Orchestra will suspend its operations immediately due to a drop in fundraising dollars.

Here is the full article http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/mar/29/cso-suspends-its-operations/#comments.

Some interesting points in the article:

- The drastic move was caused by a decline in major gift giving of 60 percent compared to last year."

- More than half of the symphony's budget -- $2.3 million for the 2009-10 season, reduced from about $2.8 million the year before -- depends on fundraising, not ticket sales.

-The goal of the restructuring is to stabilize the orchestra and come up with a better model.

- A telling quote by Legasey, "We're going to have to make a business case to key people that investing in this is worthwhile."

- Legasey and Scott said it was critical that the symphony design a business model that the community can support "on a sustainable basis."

- The organization has not operated within its budget for nine of the past 10 years.

- According to board president Ted Legasey, the budget has included funds for a development director, but qualified candidates have been in short supply.

The CSO has a huge opportunity to turn it around. It will be interesting to see what sort of "better model" they come up with. Hopefully it will be one that other organizations may benefit from.

W Hotels, We're Looking Forward to Your Arrival

2010-03-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am spending a few days in San Diego in April and booked a room at the W Hotel. Within minutes of booking online, I received a message from the W Hotel with the subject line: "We're looking forward to your arrival‏." When I opened the email, it read:

"Well Hello There Stacy,
Who knew you were visiting? We've received your reservation and wanted to ask if you'd like anything special while you're with us? We'll be happy to provide Whatever you want, Whenever you want it. E-mail me at GM.Kaminski@whotels.com and we'll do our best to fulfill your dreams.

Want to treat yourself to a little something special? Up, up, upgrade away to our Spectacular, Cool Corner, Fantastic, or Penthouse rooms. Upgrade for a little as $20. Click on the link on the right to learn more.
Warmest wishes,"

This is a great way for the W Hotels to build brand, build customer loyalty and to entice the user to upgrade.

Harry Winston at the Guggenheim

2010-02-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

In the market for a new watch? Check out the fancy watches that Harry Winston created with a Guggenheim Dial. For a mere $46,000 (or $41,400 if you are a Guggenheim member), you can have an 18k white gold case, chronograph quartz movement, mother of pearl spiral dial with diamonds on bezel, lugs, attachments and buckle. How many carats you ask? Approximately 2.65!

The House of Harry Winston and the Guggenheim launched this product line-the Guggenheim Collection by Harry Winston- in late October. Take a look at the other pieces here at their online store.

AOL Sponsors MIT Media Lab

2010-02-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

According to paidcontent, AOL has entered into a three-year, $200,000 “consortium sponsorship” of the MIT Media Lab. Check out the details on the sponsorship here.

KFC Promotes "Fiery Grilled Wings" Through a Public Service Sponsorship

2010-01-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

Back in March, I posted about the unusual KFC cause-marketing push. Now KFC is involved in another innovate partnership to promote their new Fiery Wings. KFC will provide Brazil, Indiana with funding to repair 85 fire hydrants. In return, KFC will brand the hydrants with the KFC and "Fiery Wings" logos.

CMD Global has the case study and IndyStar.com has a longer article here.

Like Ad, Dislike Ad

2009-12-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

I love Hulu.com (no, I don't have a TV) and I just noticed that they have a "like ad" and "dislike ad" button on the side of the screen. Kind of smart.

Super Bowl and Pepsi

2009-12-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Change is good...

"According to the Associated Press, Pepsi will not be advertising its beverages in next year's Super Bowl, effectively ending a streak that began in 1987. The soft drink giant will instead shift its focus to marketing efforts that will mostly appear online.

Starting next month, the brand will unveil the "Pepsi Refresh Project," which will pay out at least $20 million for projects people create to "refresh" communities. A web site for the initiative goes live on January 13th where people can list their projects, which will then be put up for public vote on Feb. 1."

BlogHer Conference and Sponsorship

2009-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

BizBash has a Q&A with the events manager at BlogHer. I like how the conference sponsors understood that they needed to add value to the conference experience and engage the attendees. Here is the full article on BizBash.

Guggenheim's New Restaurant, Wright Opens on Friday

2009-12-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Guggenheim's Wright Restaurant opens to the public on Friday for lunch!

"A modern American menu created by David Bouley protégé, Rodolfo Contreras, emphasizes seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients, appealing to savvy palates of New Yorkers and discerning travelers from around the globe."

Dinner service will begin in mid-January.

All About Marketing: Simplicity vs Minimalism

2009-12-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended an interesting symposium at the Museum at F.I.T. The presentation by Kohle Yohannan was excellent and really hit home in a marketing sense. Kohle's topic was The Small Town Girl and the Femme Fatale: Claire McCardell & Vanentina. I don't expect you to know about these two designers, but the point I want to make is that they had different marketing styles. Claire McCardell was all about mass marketing (affordable) and simplicity. Valentina on the other hand was about exclusivity (expensive), "cult of the celebrity" and dressing the best of the best.

The take away: It's all about the marketing. You may have the same dress, same material, same cut but your message and attitude is what matters. McCardell sold dresses for a very reasonable price at the time (simplicity) and Valentina inflated the price point because she could (minimalist)...she was dressing celebrities such as Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson, Katharine Hepburn, Millicent Rogers, and Audrey Hepburn.

So, where are you in the spectrum of marketing? A McCardell on the cover of Time Magazine, or Valentina, a carefully constructed persona and lore of your subject?

DIY at Museum of Arts and Design

2009-12-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

The Museum of Arts and Design has a fun interactive event this Thursday called DIY Salon.

"Join MAD in the Open Studios for a night of hands-on art making, music, food, and drink in celebration of the Museum's current exhibition Slash: Paper Under the Knife. Local do-it-yourself artists will demonstrate their personal skills and help guide you in creating your own paper-based projects. Techniques will range from book-making to jewelry-making, among other cut paper projects. In addition to do-it-yourself workshops, the DIY Salon will include drinks, snacks, and a live DJ. Guided tours of Slash will be available. Over 200 people did-it-themselves at this event last year, so don't miss out this time around!"

DIY Salon III: Cut Paper
Thursday, December 10, 6:00 PM
$10/$7 members (tickets at the door)

Daily Candy, Oh My

2009-12-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

I used to live by Daily Candy to tell me where the "new" things were. Now, uh, not so much since they posted the same PR stuff as Urban Daddy on the same day.

I actually believed in Daily Candy's biz model but I guess things aren't going so well for them lately:

"DailyCandy is eliminating the special editions for seven of its twelve cities, according to an internal memo we've obtained, resulting in almost as many layoffs. NBC Universal, take heed: Even inside Comcast's profitable umbrella, no one is safe from cutbacks."

They used to be insiders but the growth of interactive, community and social media kind of killed them. Food for thought. News is instant, no longer print, no longer scheduled or controlled.

It's in our hands.

Events, The Well-known Secret

2009-12-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in a planning meeting about an event to be held this May. Someone said, "If we could only get a celebrity to attend the event." I then said, "You can! If you have $10,000, you could get a celebrity to show." The group looked at me in shock. Gosh, I thought everyone knew about well known secret of celebrity wranglers.

From a BizBash article in 2005: "Wranglers may charge a per-celebrity rate or a flat fee based on an estimate of their time, the number of celebrities needed, the difficulty of securing positive RSVPs, whether the client is corporate or nonprofit, the event's location, the amount of motivating perks and gifts, and the complexity of logistics. While the cost can range greatly, one professional wrangler says getting a dozen or so celebrities to attend an event will run $10,000 to $20,000 on average, plus any expenses."

Too Small for Sponsorship? Nope

2009-12-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

I had a conversation with a small arts organization today. They told me that they were too small to have a sponsorship strategy in place.

Too small to have a sponsorship strategy? I don't think so. I think the issue is lack of knowledge around sponsorship opportunities.

Don't Compete on Price and Benefits

2009-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

One problem with the Platinum-Gold-Silver sponsorship lists that many nonprofits use, is that the model is about What, not WHY.

Unfortunately the What becomes a commodity - a product that is the same no matter who produces it - and nonprofits end up competing on price and benefits alone.

With the WHY, you will be better equipped to have a more successful conversation with a corporate sponsor.

Delta Calls New York Home

2009-11-30T04:32:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon The Crew Report Blog and read this piece about Delta aggressively moving into New York City via sponsorships, advertising and media buys. Here a a few quotes from the blog:

"This year, Delta has taken some of its biggest steps yet in New York —- including spending almost 90 percent of its advertising and media buying budget on the area, according to Gail Grimmett, Delta’s senior vice president-New York."

“We’re sponsoring all of the iconic things of New York,” said Grimmett, who moved to New York from Atlanta. She added, “I have never seen such fierce baseball fans.”

In January Crain's New York reported that Ms. Grimmett would be "seeking philanthropic opportunities and hosting events for corporate customers. She'll also be reaching out to New York's ethnic communities, now that Delta flies from JFK to China, Japan, India and Eastern Europe."

They made a big splash with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Lets see what they do next.

American Express OPEN forum and Twitter

2009-11-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

I think the American Express OPEN forum is so well done. To add value to the user's experience, they introduced new tool to allow small businesses owners to share Twitter posts through the site.

According to mediapost.com, "American Express OPEN, the financial giant's small business unit, found nearly 60% of entrepreneurs feel challenged in finding innovative ways to market their business, but only 10% are turning to online social networking, based on a recent survey.

To help educate small businesses owners on the topic, OPEN Forum has also started a dedicated social media section, featuring a group of expert contributors including John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing; entrepreneur Rafe Totengco of Rafe New York; and Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief of social media blog Mashable. The new section features both articles and podcasts of interviews with the assembled experts."

The Allstate Foundation, $635,000 In New Economic Empowerment Grants

2009-11-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Allstate Foundation is aiding domestic violence survivors with $635,000 in new economic empowerment grants for statewide coalitions against domestic violence in eleven states.

The grants will be used to support a variety of programs focused on developing strategies to move survivors of abuse toward financial independence. The grantees’ work will center on:

· Financial literacy

· Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)

· Job readiness activities

In addition, FICO, a leading proponent of consumer credit empowerment, is donating 500 free FICO scores for survivors involved with the Economic Empowerment Grant Program.

Mary Lou Quinlan at AWNY: Reinvention in a Recession

2009-11-23T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday night I had the pleasure of hearing Mary Lou Quinlan, the author of What She's Not Telling You, speak at the AWNY (Advertising Women of New York) workshop.

The title of this AWNY workshop was Reinvention in a Recession. The event began at 6:00pm and most people were in their seats by 6:15pm. Normally 6:00pm is a bit early to start an event but this group was ready to go.

Mary Lou asked the audience how many were in transition- which meant they were unemployed, looking for jobs, exploring new careers or scared to death that they would lose their current job - and nearly half of the audience raised their hands.

Mary Lou then asked the audience to answer a series of questions called GAMES:

Good Intentions: One of these days I will...

Approval Seeking: Who are are you pleasing by staying put?

Martyrdom: How do you describe a typical day's trials? Who do you vent to?

Ego Protection: What keeps you in your job? What self image am I trying to preserve?

Secret keeping: Is there something that you want--a reinvention you dream of--that you haven't told anyone about?

After each question, she asked for volunteers to share their responses. Little did I know how emotional this would be. There were women who were out of work and lost hope, drive and self esteem. Some were afraid to get back into the workforce. One 40ish year-old was terrified that she would lose her creative ad job to a young 20-something. A magazine editor who lost her job a year ago (and didn't understand "digital") had an interview scheduled with a shelter magazine the day they announced its closing. The atmosphere of doubt, fear, and empathy permeated the beige room of the 21st floor in the Time Warner Building.

As I left the workshop and entered into the empty shops at Columbus Circle, I realized that in order to survive, we need to push ourselves and ask what we can do differently to navigate this new economy.

Power of Online Brand Interaction, eMarketer

2009-11-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

There is a good article on eMarketer about online brand interaction.

"The power of online brand interaction is not to be denied: A solid majority of connected consumers have had their opinion of a brand swayed, either positively or negatively, by an online experience."

My Anniversary at Bank of America

2009-11-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations!

"You have successfully registered for your $10 Starbucks Card. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Thank you for being a loyal customer and making your Bank of America® credit card your card of choice."

Today I received a mailer from Bank of America informing me that it's my anniversary as a credit cardholder. To show their appreciation, they are sending me a $10 Starbucks Card (um, in 6-8 weeks!).

Credit Suisse Sponsors Roger Federer

2009-11-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

According to the AP, Credit Suisse signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with Roger Federer.

Credit Suisse said that they will make a "significant annual contribution" to the Roger Federer Foundation. They declined to say how much the sponsorship is worth or how much will go to the foundation.

Made To Stick, The Real Thing

2009-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read the Made To Stick October 1 posting on Fast Company about marketers selling emotion, you should check it out.

It really hit home after attending the ad:tech conference and hearing agencies and marketers speak about their constant quest to build emotional connections with audiences. Many speakers used words such as:
- engagement
- community
- relationships
- passion
- value
- interaction
- trust
- emotion

Everyone is striving to better understand their audience and find ways to interact with them. Unfortunately many marketers and their agencies are creating short-term campaigns, not valuable relationships.

Marketers need to stop creating artificial environments and short-term campaigns where they must keep "feeding the beast" with more content. I suggest that they look more closely at nonprofits that have established, passionate and engaged audiences. Once this happens, then together they can form innovative partnerships that add value and produce mutually beneficial outcomes.

Fujifilm's SeeHere.com Sponsors Homes For Our Troops

2009-11-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Fujifilm's SeeHere.com entered into a sponsorship of Homes For Our Troops. The partnership includes an initial $25,000 donation and a minimum donation of $100,000 over the next 12 months. The details are below in the news release.

"SeeHere.com, the year-old photo sharing site created by FujiFilm, is branding itself as the "Home of the Free" with a new cause-marketing effort that helps an organization that builds homes for severely injured veterans.

"When we were looking at our brander marketing campaign, we hit upon the idea that SeeHere.com is the 'Home of the Free,'" Joan Rutherford, vice president of marketing Web businesses for Fujifilm, tells Marketing Daily. "We felt [injured veterans] were an under-served population that we could help out."

As a corporate sponsor of Homes For Our Troops, SeeHere.com will make an initial $25,000 donation to the nonprofit and has committed to a minimum donation of $100,000 over the next 12 months. As part of its sponsorship, SeeHere.com will donate $2 from the sale of certain products -- stainless steel travel mugs, hooded sweatshirts and tote bags -- on its site.

"We were looking for an organization that served families in the United States," Rutherford says of the sponsorship. "We thought this would be a good way to spread these messages across the U.S."

On Thursday, SeeHere.com kicked off an ad campaign touting the initiative with a print ad in The New York Times. The ad shows a disabled veteran and his family alongside a house. "They've helped protect our way of life. Now it's time to improve theirs," reads the headline. Body copy reads: "We created a new kind of photo-sharing site with SeeHere.com from Fujifilm. Now we're going to be sharing in a different way," before explaining the details of the initiative.

Later this month, the company will break TV ads promoting the partnership, as well as extensive online and search-engine marketing, Rutherford says. The company will also participate in the building of about 20 new, accessible homes for veterans and will provide the new owners with digital cameras and photo gifts to chronicle the first year in their homes.

Fujifilm will also support Kids for Our Troops, a student-run organization that activates schools and student groups to support the local Homes for Our Troops "Build Brigades" in their communities"

Etisalat Three-Year Sponsorship

2009-11-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

In Etisalat’s aim to become one of the top-10 telecoms service providers in the world, the Abu Dhabi based company signed a three-year sponsorship MOU with Manchester City.

"Etisalat’s agreement with Manchester City reflects our passionate commitment to football, in the UAE and internationally, and to our growing global customer base,” said Etisalat Group Chief Marketing Officer Essa Al Haddad.

Check out the announcement here and always remember to think global.

David Beckham's Sponsorship Deals

2009-11-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

I guess there is money out there. According to this article, David Beckham earned nearly $16.5 million from personal sponsorship deals during his first full season with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Wow!

Shelly Palmer's Digital Power User Boot Camp at ad:tech

2009-11-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Today was the final day of ad:tech New York and it ended with a bang!

I attended Shelly Palmer's Digital Power User Boot Camp sessions and he rocked! If you don't know about Mr. Palmer, check him out here.

ad:tech New York, Comments

2009-11-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

Day two of ad:tech and I must say that the workshops that I attended were very lame. The case studies (Secondlife!?!) were weak and showed lack of innovation. In fact, during Q&A, one audience member told the panel that he was disappointed in the case studies. Bold indeed.

More snippets from the day:

- Hulu came up in several sessions. People are really watching that space and video.
- China, China, China. Enough said.
- "I buy ideas. I don't buy ads."
- Someone on a panel said this was worth a read.

New York ad:tech Day II: The Pictures Continue

2009-11-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

Sitting in ad:tech New York, day two. The audience continued to take pictures of panelist's power point presentations even after the moderator announced that deck would be available for download. Is this a new phenomenon?

Taking Pictures of Power Point Presentations at ad:tech

2009-11-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Flash! Flash! Beep! Flash! Is Madonna in the house? Oh no, it's just a deck.

I've been to plenty of conferences, but never have I seen so many people take pictures of a presenter's power point presentation while he was speaking!

Esco Strong of Microsoft Advertising Institute packed the room with his "The New Consumer Funnel: Engagement Mapping and the Death of the Last Click Reporting Standard" session this afternoon at ad:tech.

Why did this frenzy of flash occur? My guesses include:
1) ad:tech doesn't provide attendees with copies of presenter's decks
2) it was the best looking deck attendees have seen in a long time (look out Madonna)
3) attendees needed to prove to the higher-ups that they attended the conference
4) attendees have blogs that need images (darn, why didn't I take pictures?)

Social Media at ad:tech

2009-11-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Not much talk around social media today (although I didn't attend the Facebook sponsored workshop). Melva Benoit of Fox Broadcasting Company said that it only helps as a branding element. Other than that, it's useless. Others said they aren't focusing on it because they don't make money on it.

Sizzle Video

2009-11-04T16:53:00.000-08:00

Why do presenters go on panels and run their brand's "sizzle" videos? Do they really need to prove that they are that cool? I just think it's annoying.

Technology du jour

2009-11-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

A common question that ad:tech moderators had for panelists today was around predicting the next "new" technology. Surprisingly most panelists said it's about achieving goals, not the technology du jour.

Elephant Traffic at ad:tech New York

2009-11-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

After a long day at ad:tech New York, we walked out to get the shuttle to Times Square but to our surprise, there were reps from Elephant Traffic offering to drive us anywhere in Manhattan. So we walked (OK, ran) out to their branded car and they said that they had stopped service but gave us a brochure and an invite to their party at 1 Oak.

Great idea to tie in the "traffic" piece by driving people around. Not so great when they couldn't deliver. One man from Spain said that they lost his trust but he would give them a second chance by going to their party!

Measurement

2009-10-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

From a company that was founded in 1850: "If you can't measure it, don't do it." Old school thinking?

Copy This: Facebook is Good for Cupcakes

2009-10-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times writes about a small cupcake business that leverages Facebook to communicate with their fans.

"Each day on the website, Sprinkles announces a secret word, such as "ganache," or "bunny," or "tropical," or "love," and the first 25 or 50 people to show up at any of its five stores and whisper that word get a free cupcake.

"On Facebook, we can ask our customers what's the next location they want," Nelson said. "What do they think of our next flavor? It's an amazing way to communicate with our fans."

Facebook is not just for friends anymore. The free social networking site -- blocked in many workplaces as a potential time-waster -- is increasingly becoming an inexpensive marketing tool for small businesses."

Think about innovative ways to replicate this to communicate with your customers and gain insight into new products and services.

P.S.
Be sure to look at the comments on the Sprinkles FB page such as:

"Got mine this afternoon in Newport beach! It was sooo GOOD! You need to make this a daily flavor. :-D

p.s. DO NOT ever go to Three Dog Bakery a few doors down. The only customer service I received was from the dog."

*image taken from Sprinkles FB photos page

Social Networks, Raising Money and Awareness for Charities

2009-10-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Still not sure about Facebook or Twitter? Check out this article from the San Francisco Chronicle to see real examples of charities raising money and awareness through social networking.

Are You All on the Same Page?

2009-10-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

In my experience, one of the most crucial steps in selling sponsorship is to get internal buy-in. If your team (marketing, licensing, project management, interactive, creative, sales) doesn't believe in your approach, it could be damaging to your ability to reign in and activate a successful sponsorship.

Step One: Make sure you are all on the same page. This will pave the way for success and even innovation.

ING's Sponsorship

2009-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sports Business Journal ran a very insightful story about ING and their sponsorship of the New York City Marathon. Although the sponsorship has been a success on both sides, that may not really matter. Why? Because one of the economic buyers, in this case the new CMO, prefers media purchases to sponsorship and events. In addition, Ewald Kist is no longer the ING Group chairman. Kist was a big marathoner who obviously had a passion for the sport.

This is a classic example of change being constant and the importance of developing as many relationships as possible to create a solid network.

ING to shift strategy for marathons?
"ING has finalized an extension to continue as title sponsor of the New York City Marathon through 2013, but the company’s long-term commitment to its full marathon program is less than certain.

At the conclusion of its new deal with the New York Road Runners, ING, the sport’s largest non-endemic sponsor, will have sponsored the world’s most renowned marathon for a decade, expanding brand awareness and building U.S. business for the Dutch financial services conglomerate.

However, ING’s sponsorship support of the other marathons and half-marathons in the U.S. is less clear. In addition to New York, ING also title sponsors the Miami, Georgia , Bay to Breakers (San Francisco), Philadelphia and Hartford races, and it sponsors Denver and Twin Cities marathons at lower levels. All those sponsorship deals run through next year. Officials at several of those races said that over the past three weeks they have been told that ING will not renew their deals and that organizers are free to recruit a replacement. Additionally, ING has been negotiating with the Competitor Group Inc. about its Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which currently represents 13 races, for an omnibus title sponsorship deal, but that, too, is on hold.

“We are committed to all our marathons through 2010,” said Scott Rolf, ING vice president of brand sponsorship. Beyond that, Rolf acknowledged “we had a first right of refusal, and by certain deadlines we had to tell them whether we are in or out. We did not commit either way, which does give them the right to shop their marathons if they wish to. However, we have not said to any of our marathons that we are not renewing.”

But sources within the running and sponsorship community said ING’s exit from its number of American marathons, except New York, was fait accompli and they pointed to several catalysts.

The company’s CMO, Ann Glover, hired in April of 2008, prefers media purchases to sponsorship and event marketing. Support of the marathon sponsorships at the highest levels of the company is also not what it was when ING signed on as the New York City Marathon’s first title sponsor in 2003, and then launched its supporting marathon marketing platform across the U.S. and globally, including races in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Brussels, Belgium. At that time, the ING Group chairman was Ewald Kist, a former Dutch Olympic athlete and avid marathoner, who ran in a number of New York City Marathons, including the first one sponsored by his company. Additionally, at a time of distress across many financial services companies, ING is no exception. Last year, the Dutch government gave ING a $13 billion bailout after it suffered its first loss.

Sources said there is also some thinking within ING that given the reach and breadth of the New York City Marathon, that perhaps that deal alone might suffice. Rolf said brand awareness had increased by double digits annually in New York since the sponsorship was signed. However, he said that ING is more recently moving toward using the sponsorship “to make the whole experience better for runners and the running community.”

ING is completing its marathon marketing for this year’s event by building a Runners Nation platform that will be rolled out over the next two years, with social media extensions planned for this year and a greater experiential presence and Runners Nation lounge next year at the Runners Expo during the marathon. Of course, these executions could be used with or without a network of supporting races.

“Runners are planners, and there is a great correlation before planning for a distance run and those inclined to plan their financial future carefully,” Rolf said. “But some objectives we are looking at may change, and until we get our national plans together for 2011, I can’t commit to anything. Running has been a great platform for us and our conversations on running continue on a daily basis.”

ING signed its original deal to sponsor the New York City Marathon in 2003 and had two renewals since. It is believed to be paying $2 million to $3 million per year.

On the property side, ING’s sponsorship has produced benefits beyond revenue.

“Having a title sponsor was a great legitimizer for us,” said Ann Wells Crandall, senior vice president of business development and marketing for New York Road Runners, which owns the event. “ING’s made our sport more relevant to a broader audience, so we are happy to get this finished at time when it isn’t easy to get sponsorships done.”

Pew, 47% of Adult U.S. Internet Users Use Online Social Networks

2009-10-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

ClickZ has a piece about the Pew research on social networking:

"Forty-seven percent of adult U.S. Internet users use online social networks, and 19 percent now use Twitter or other status update services, according to research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project." continued here

VIP Event and the Nanny

2009-10-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we were hosting an ultra VIP event to cultivate new prospects and retain existing sponsors. This was an event where people had to RSVP and only the person who was invited could attend. The purpose was to prevent the VIP from passing the invitation on to their assistant, which occurred way too often.

The day of the event I received a call from a major prospect telling me that she couldn't attend, but wanted to give the invitation to her nanny and her husband (!). I had to tell her that I was sorry but we just couldn't do that. She had a hard time accepting this and I told her that this was a very intimate event for selected C-Level guests. I then suggested that she give her invitation to someone else in her organization that would benefit from networking with the high-level guests. Well, she just couldn't think of anyone.

I have a feeling that several factors were involved in this decision: 1) She was disconnected with the VIPs and couldn't identify the right person 2) She would have been humiliated to ask a VIP to attend the event at last minute, and 3) She wasn't a strategic thinker and didn't understand how to fully leverage this asset.

Ad Age, Marketers Go for Squeeze Play

2009-10-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

There is a great column by Rance Crain in Ad Age that brings more light to Bank of America's thinking around sponsorship. Here is a snip of the column:

"One thing we have learned is that avidity is so critical when it comes to how well a sponsorship works," said Ray Bednar, senior VP-global sponsorship executive at Bank of America, in a discussion with Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. "So that's leading to great conversions with properties about the fact that winning matters for marketers, too. ... So if winning does matter, properties should be paid more when they win. Conversely, when they don't win, they should get paid less."

He said BofA has started inking variable compensation deals -- pay-for-performance models based not only on winning, but also on the property delivering business. "The bankers I have to go to for budget approval don't really care if we have a suite or a sign. They want to know how much money they're going to make."

Mr. Bednar also said the bank tells sponsorship properties that, for instance, it's going to put their brands inside 1,000 banking centers. "Then they will have X many impressions, which would cost them $2.5 million to buy, so we're going to factor that in as part of the sponsorship price."

The most telling quote is, "The bankers I have to go to for budget approval don't really care if we have a suite or a sign. They want to know how much money they're going to make."

In my conversations with major financial institutions, this has always been the case. Marketing, Advertising, Sponsorship is there to help drive the bottom line so the bankers ask: how will I make money, how will I get new clients, how can I leverage this to interact with my current clients?

It is crucial to think about ways to help your contact sell the opportunity internally. An open conversation with your prospect is the best way to do this.

Your Gala, Their Goals

2009-10-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

So you have this huge gala coming up and your CEO wants you to get a sponsor...NOW!

Because companies are looking more closely at their marketing investments and how they are impacting business goals, you may want to (or you may have to) change your strategy.

Think about making the gala a piece of a larger, more innovative package. Extend the opportunity arc of sponsorship out to three years rather than a one time event.

Remember to look at the opportunities through the eyes of your corporate partner. What are their business goals and how can you work together to form a cohesive partnership?

Keep it New

2009-10-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

I've spoken with several organizations that seem to be in a rut in terms of new ideas to offer corporate partners. For example, an arts organization hosted a workshop series (that was not very well attended) sponsored by a major financial institution. That sponsor pulled out a few months ago. They said it was because they needed something new and fresh.

Unfortunately the arts organization hasn't come up with a fresh idea so they are now trying to sell the old workshop model to other financial institutions.

Take away: Constantly keep in touch with your corporate sponsors. Be prepared to develop innovative promotional elements to keep the partnership fresh.

BAMbill

2009-10-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

This evening I attended Songs of Ascension at BAM. Going through the BAMbill, I noticed how different the messages were from the BAM supporters who had a one-page ad. Most were self serving but some were actually pretty good. Here are a few examples with my grading:

Continental Airlines: D-
Get a meal, not a song and dance.
Still serving free meals at mealtime.
The competition has nothing to show but cutbacks. That's not the case with Continental. We're still providing you with free meals at mealtime. For us, it's all about giving you good service, not dancing around it. For reservations and information go to..."

R/GA: C
A proud supporter of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Bank of America: B-
"Performing does more than entertain - it enriches us all.
Those who march to a different drummer share our passion for creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. That's why Bank of America is proud to sponsor BAM and be the presenting sponsor of The Bridge Project."

CRUNCH: A
CRUNCH is a proud partner and neighbor of BAM. We salute the thriving urban arts center for cultivating and celebrating the leading creative voices that shape our community and culture.

Sovereign Bank: A+
Sovereign is proud to support BAM. And, we salute all those involved in keeping the performing and cinema arts alive in this community. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Quiz

2009-10-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Listen to people as though you'll be quizzed on it later.

Permanent Pop-up?

2009-10-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Crain's New York reports that The Limited's SoHo pop-up store has done so well that they are considering making it permanent.

I just don't think they will see the same results if they make the pop-up permanent. People are attracted the the pop-up because of the limited (no pun intended) editions, different experiences, buzz and merchandise that can't be found at the "permanent" locations.

Live to Virtual

2009-10-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, Event Marketer wrote about bringing live event attendees into the realm of virtual events. It's a good read and helpful when thinking about the 360 experience.

I would also add American Express, OPEN Forum as a great model to replicate. They created a platform that fosters communication, scales live events, engages users and hosts valuable content. In addition, they have great resources just for AmEx card members. Which, by the way allows them to collect data, gain and retain customers and differentiate themselves in a crowded environment.

Cause Marketing and Self Magazine

2009-10-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

WWD ran this blurb today about the Self magazine study on cause marketing.

"Self magazine commissioned a study on cause marketing several years ago as a response to the dozens of calls it was fielding from marketers, asking how they could get involved in philanthropy. Vice president and publisher Kim Kelleher visited more than 100 marketers after that first study was released and now she’s on the road again, with more research to share on the subject. “This space has exploded in the past 10 years,” Kelleher said. “I’ve already talked to over 40 companies on the next wave of research.” Kelleher said firms leading the way in the space include Procter & Gamble, Burt’s Bees, Estée Lauder, Avon, Paul Mitchell and Neutrogena. “Consumers are very afraid that companies will walk away now [because of the downturn],” she said. “Consumers don’t have enough money so they are looking for companies to fill that void. Engage with your customers and let them know you’re still involved. They will come back in full when things get better.”

According to the study, the causes that attract the widest followings are related to medical research and diseases, child welfare, education and literacy, animal welfare and poverty. Kelleher noted the new findings are also opening doors for the magazine, and she is meeting with advertisers now that had previously said no to a traditional meeting."

Several interesting points to think about:

- Marketers were calling the magazine to get involved in philanthropy.

- Philanthropy is a vehicle for customer engagement.

- This study is helping Self magazine to land more meetings with advertisers. It was brilliant of Self to 1) see this opportunity, and 2) use the study to differentiate themselves with advertisers.

Brooklyn Museum Deal of the Day

2009-10-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Check out this interesting promotion that the Brooklyn Museum has going for one day only.

Living Hand to Mouth

2009-10-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

An executive at a major New York institution said that arts organizations "have been living hand to mouth. This is the way it has been and this is the way it will always be."

Hmmm, I don't call that a good business model at all.

ad:tech New York

2009-10-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Going to ad:tech New York this year. Looks like a great agenda.

Luxury and China

2009-10-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Keep an eye on China. The WSJ Wealth Report blog posted a summary of the Bain & Co luxury forecast here and then WSJ wrote a piece about the report here.

Toolkits and Tricks

2009-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

I know that the word sponsorship ranges in meaning from events, activities, products and online ads to partnerships, long-term relationships and so on. For years we've had access to toolkits, out-of-box packages and tricks to win sponsors.

What our industry needs now is to start more conversations around what we should be doing differently to navigate the new economy. We need to listen to what prospects are looking for today: more bang for the buck, ownership, deep emotional connections, return on business objectives, ways to differentiate, interactive platforms for thought leadership, money can't buy experiences and interesting ways to leverage social-media.