IEG SPONSORSHIP REPORT THE LATEST ON SPORTS, ARTS, CAUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING

Transcription

1 THE LATEST ON SPORTS, ARTS, CAUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING APRIL 27, STRATEGY HOW KOHLER IS USING SPONSORSHIP TO GAIN SOCIAL CURRENCY Kohler doubles down on sponsorship to reach consumers in unexpected places and drive social media conversations. When Elizabeth Brady joined Kohler Co. as senior vice president of global brand management in late 2013, one of her charges was to help the 142-year-old company engage consumers in new and innovative ways. A year-and-a-half later, the strategy is gaining traction. Kohler has signed a new partnership with the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, a tie that may be the first of a number of new deals with music festivals and other types of properties across its diverse product portfolio. The crux of the strategy: reaching consumers in new ways through product integration that enhances the event experience and drives social media conversations. We have our eyes on a lot of different partnerships. There is no better way to connect with consumers than by supporting the activities they are passionate about in an authentic way. Kohler plans to implement the strategy across its four business segments: kitchen and bath (Kohler, Sterling, Kallista, etc.); engines and generators (Kohler Engines, Lombardini, etc.); furniture and tile (Baker, McGuire, Ann Sacks, etc.); and golf and resort destinations (American Club, Scotland s Old Course Hotel, etc.). Like its new partnership with Bonnaroo, Kohler will use future sponsorships to promote specific products. Sponsorship will be based on the needs of each business and who their customer is. There is no sponsorship that fits all of them. Showing Moxie At Bonnaroo Kohler will activate Bonnaroo by upgrading the festival s 10 shower locations with showerheads, shower curtains, floor mats and custom artwork. The company will install roughly 400 showerheads including Kohler Moxie, a showerhead with a Bluetooth-enabled wireless speaker IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1

2 The Moxie is in the sweet spot of the millennial crowd, said Brady, noting that the festival also provides access to families and other audience segments. Enhancing the on-site experience was also critical to Bonnaroo. People live at the festival for four days, and the shower experience is absolutely critical to their on-site experience, said Alex Machurov, director of new business and partnerships with Superfly, which produces Bonnaroo. Bonnaroo is the largest camping music festival in the U.S., said Machurov, noting that tens of thousands of the event s 80,000 attendees use the shower facilities. Six hundred of the festival s 800 acres are dedicated campgrounds. Kohler will run promotions outside the shower facilities offering the chance to win Moxie showerheads. It also will sponsor half-price shower happy hours to encourage consumers to experience its products. The privately-held company will distribute content from the event through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media channels. The company hopes to generate a buzz due to the unexpected nature of the sponsorship, said Brady. People might be surprised that Kohler is at Bonnaroo. That helps create news and allows us to tap into social channels with social currency. Kohler also will use the sponsorship to support a two-month old marketing campaign built around the Never too bold tagline. The company will use on-site messaging to promote Moxie with the Never too loud tagline. Kohler s legacy portfolio includes the NHL Green Bay Packers and golf (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, World Golf Championships, etc.). Kohler s Whistling Straits golf course will host the 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup matches. Golf is in our DNA. Sources Kohler Co., Tel: 920/ Superfly, Tel: 212/ IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2

3 THE LATEST ON SPORTS, ARTS, CAUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING APRIL 27, APPAREL NEW BALANCE BRINGS MADE IN USA TO LIFE VIA EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING Footwear manufacturer visits music fests and other events to educate consumers about the importance of domestic manufacturing. Domestic manufacturing plays a major role in New Balance s DNA, and the company is taking its Made in the USA message directly to consumers. The New Balance MiUSA Craftsmanship Tour will visit large-scale music, art and food festivals this summer with the goal of educating consumers about the importance of domestic manufacturing and New Balance s heritage as the only athletic shoe company still producing in the U.S. The tour will visit the Brooklyn Half Marathon, Safeway National Capital Barbeque Battle, Boston Calling music festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and other events across the country, said Kevin Tripp, New Balance enduring purpose marketing. The MiUSA Craftsman Tour will feature a number of interactive elements including on-site poster printing, make-yourown key chains using material found in New Balance shoes; a display of heritage Made in the USA lifestyle footwear and screens that allow consumers to participate in NB Maker, the company s custom web site. Source New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., Tel: 617/ IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3

4 THE LATEST ON SPORTS, ARTS, CAUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING APRIL 27, SPONSOR PROFILE FIRESTONE GAINS TRACTION AT COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVALS Firestone replaces MLB with music to engage consumers in a competitor-free environment. Firestone is finding its groove with country music. The Bridgestone Americas, Inc. brand this year has added five music festivals to its Destination Country music platform. Ties include the Stagecoach music festival in Indio, Calif.; Kicker Country Stampede in Manhattan, Kansas; Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Oro-Medonte, Ontario; and the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, Fla. Firestone also has broadened its partnership with the Country Thunder Music Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisc. with a tie to the festival s sister event in Florence, Ariz. Bridgestone launched Destination Country in 2014 to engage consumers who work hard and play hard, an audience segment that aligns with truck-driving country music fans. Firestone the tire manufacturer s mid-tier brand between Bridgestone and Fusion targets 25-to-54-year-olds with household income of $50,000 or more. The program is named after Firestone Destination, Firestone s line of truck tires. The music marketing platform replaces Firestone s partnership with Major League Baseball, a tie it dropped following the 2014 season. Firestone opted out of the six-year-old partnership due to several factors including MLB s small number of tent pole events (MLB All-Star Game and Fall Classic) and competitive deals at the team level. Major League Baseball positioned nicely with the brand, but it was time to move to a space that wasn t occupied, said Phil Pacsi, vice president of sports and event marketing with Bridgestone Americas. Replaces Music Tour With Music Festivals Firestone uses music and its long-running motorsports program to engage the work hard, play hard set. The brand launched Destination Country last year with presenting status of the Legends Day concert at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4

5 The concert headlined by Jason Aldean took place the day before the Indianapolis 500. Firestone is the official tire of the Verizon Indy Car Series. We have a long history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. We were talking, and they said they wanted to launch a country music platform, and we said we wanted to launch a country music platform. Pleased with the concert s success the event drew more than 40,000 attendees Firestone extended its relationship with Aldean with product display at ten stops on the musician s 2014 Burn It Down tour. While the tour provided access to a significant number of consumers, Pacsi was disappointed by the depth of engagement. The one-and-done aspect was discouraging. We engaged people going to their seats, but we didn t get a lot of time to talk to them. Firestone subsequently switched focus to music festivals, an environment that typically offers longer engagement opportunities. Ties included the ACM Party for a Cause Festival in Arlington, Texas; CMA Music Festival in Nashville; and the Country Thunder Music Festival. Festivals are a great place for consumers to engage the brand. People have time on their hands and are willing to engage. Firestone hosts acoustic sets, selfie photo opportunities and other activities to draw consumers to its on-site display. Firestone chose the 2015 festivals based in part on the routing schedule of Florida Georgia Line, a country music act that will headline next month s Legend Day concert. While Firestone does not have an official relationship with the band, it hopes to build an affinity with fans through an implied endorsement with the music duo. Firestone will have a nice connection with the band in Indianapolis, and we re tagging on to other festivals where the band is playing. Going forward, Firestone plans to leverage current and future music festivals with ticket sweepstakes and other promotional activity with independent tire retailers. The brand this year is entertaining retailers at the music fests. Engaging local retailers will be part of our planning for 2016 and Chicago-based Marketing Werks manages Firestone s on-site execution. Source Bridgestone Americas, Inc., Tel: 615/ IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5

6 ABOUT IEG IEG leads the way in sponsorship solutions. With over 30 years providing insights, evaluation, and guidance, our teams bring unparalleled perspective and proven methodology to every challenge. We partner with top brands and properties to create fresh strategies, evaluate opportunities and maximize results. Our clients redefine what s possible, exceed expectations and achieve lasting impact. A unit of WPP s GroupM, IEG is connected to specialty sibling communications companies in media, digital and activation. GroupM is the leading global media investment management operation that also serves as parent company to WPP media agencies including Maxus, MEC, MediaCom, and Mindshare. INSIGHTS EVALUATION GUIDANCE IEG LEADS THE WAY IN SPONSORSHIP ANALYSIS, INSIGHT, VALUATION & MEASUREMENT For more information about IEG and the sponsorship industry, please visit or call 800/ (outside the U.S. and Canada, 312/ ). WWW. SPONSORSHIP.COM 2015 IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6