IEG Sponsorship 2011

Summary
A report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship conference, discussing HP's sponsorship strategy. The firm sponsors a variety of events, from the NFL to the Sundance Film Festival to tennis' Davis Cup. The strategy includes events, such as a "consumer showcase" of HP's latest products launched at Sundance. For the Davis Cup, HP integrates sponsorship initiatives with retail initiatives, such as using the trophy to publicise a store launch. HP advises global advertisers to take care of local sensitivities in its sponsorship strategies.

Summary
Macy's local and cause-related sponsorship initiatives is the focus of this Warc report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship Conference. The company's aim is to combine the marketing efficiencies of a national brand while still allowing Macy’s to sustain regionally driven initiatives. Focusing on a cause allows Macy's to show their commitment to local communities. Examples discussed include the 'Go Red for Women' campaign (in association with the American Heart Association) and 'Book a Brighter Future' (with Reading Is Fundamental).

Summary
A report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship Conference, focusing on Principal Financial Group's sponsorship strategy. The Principal seeks to attract small-to-medium-sized businesses. Sponsorship initiatives from the company include an annual ProAm golfing event (The Principal Charity Classic), the Inc. magazine 500|5000 Conference, a business-to-business CFO gathering and the annual gathering for the Women Presidents Organization (WPO).

Summary
A report discussing UBS' sponsorship initiatives. The Swiss investment bank has participated in a variety of arts sponsorships in the U.S., including deals with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Art Basel/Miami Beach. UBS launched a new partnership with Formula One motor racing - a sport with notably global appeal. The company's sponsorship considerations are Business, Brand and Employees, with different initiatives focussing on each group.

Summary
A report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship Conference, focusing on UPS' sponsorship strategy. The firm has a highly visible NASCAR presence for its U.S. audience, along with a variety of global initiatives. These are informed by four marketing "pillars": direct revenue, indirect revenues, PR and employee recognition.

Summary
A report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship Conference. American Express uses sponsorship programs to build experiences for existing cardmembers and to engage new prospects. The company prefers to use entertainment-based sponsorships - which can be seen in its 10-year association with the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. As the Tribeca management team took on the interests of the independent film-making community, American Express marched in lock-step with a sponsorship extension that was keenly aligned with its memory-making mission - the sponsorship was an opportunity to reinforce the brand's goodwill connection with a group of card loyalists it had identified as film fanatics. Other deals discussed include American Express' sponsorships of the US Open tennis tournament and the US PGA golf series.

Summary
Report from the 2011 IEG Sponsorship Conference - focusing on two initiatives from General Motors for its Chevrolet brand. Its sponsorship of Transformers, a series of blockbuster movies, was international and across many media channels (Transformers has 4m Facebook fans, for example). For Glee, a TV show, Chevrolet faced the tough challenge of getting a car brand integrated into a story about high-schoolers. The problem was solved by presenting the spot as a dream sequence. The Glee/Chevrolet sponsorship connection was also reinforced by a Fox “Behind the Glee” programming-background site that boldly and brightly featured a Chevrolet Cruz on its opening page - as well as a red carpet event attended by cast members.

Summary
A report from the IEG Sponsorship Conference. VW attempted to leverage the heritage of the Beetle brand with a star-studded commercial for the 2010 Super Bowl. One of the facets of the campaign was a "Punch Dub cam" - an enhancement that did little for the brand. A sponsorship strategy that worked better for the brand is its various initiatives around soccer, which includes a grassroots "Junior Masters" effort and a deal with the US broadcasts of English Premier League games.

Summary
A report from an IEG event held in Chicago, discussing GE's Olympic sponsorship initiatives. The sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Olympics targeted Chinese customers and focussed on GE's infrastructure projects in the region. For the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, a GE Mobile Medical Unit provided an operating room, 12 hospital beds, state-of-the-art imaging technology and equipment, and a triage unit; GE also funded a restoration of a skating rink in center city Vancouver that had been in total disrepair for seven years. For the London 2012 Summer Games, GE Homerton University Hospital will be the official hospital for Olympic contestants and guests. GE can attribute $700 million in incremental sales to its Olympic sponsorship programme.

Summary
Conference report discussing IBM's sponsorship of TV show Jeopardy. The sponsorship was based around IBM's creation of a computer, Watson, which could play Jeopardy well. In the Watson challenge, a sophisticated computer would play against human rivals on the TV show. The Jeopardy sponsorship lended IBM - which had a "nerdy" reputation - a modicum of "cool". The story then picked up PR buzz ahead of airtime. On the nights of the programs, the company sponsored more than 2,000 “come-watch” parties for prospects and offered the promise of pizza to entice some 11,000 college engineering, computer-science and math students to share in the excitement. The online audience for the Watson/Jeopardy audience has exceeded 1.5 million views—more than the number who watched President Obama’s “State of the Union” address.