Terry Lefton of the Sports Business Journal reports on the activation plans of several brands with regarding to the May 1st boxing super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley.
Tecate is offering a $25 rebate off the $54.95 PPV retail price, a promo delivered largely by point-of-sale advertising. AT&T will run dedicated spots in Spanish and English pushing the fight and offer content via its mobile network. Stanley’s DeWalt brand is placing massive POS, including end-aisle displays, at Home Depot and other retailers. DeWalt also will hold events, including mobile marketing vehicles at more than 1,000 stores. A retail promo offers free PPV of the fight with the purchase of $250 of DeWalt tools. StubHub is activating online, while Paramount’s “Iron Man 2,” which opens the Friday after the fight, will have signs and branding on-site and in the telecasts. On the canvas, Tecate will have the prime center position; AT&T will have logos on two sides; while StubHub and MGM Grand are also on the canvas. Two ring posts will be branded for “Iron Man 2;” the others will carry MGM Grand logos.
Payout Perspective:
The importance of activation – essentially defined as the additional marketing a brand uses to support its sponsorship investment in a property – cannot be understated. It’s simply no longer enough to write a check for a couple hundred thousand or a couple million dollars and think that some peripheral signage is going to accomplish anything for your brand. Thus, I’m always very interested to see the new and innovative ways that companies are trying to activate on their sponsorships.
Activation isn’t just about extended advertising or naming rights, either. Good activation involves an integrated marketing approach that hits the consumer on all angles: advertising, promotions, on-site product demonstrations/sales opportunities, distribution incentives, co-branded product packaging arrangements, and hospitality options are all necessary components of a solid activation platform.
Tecate is an example of a company whose target audience aligns well with boxing’s fan base demographic. In addition to Tecate’s main canvas signage, things like PPV rebates available at local beer vendors help to accomplish a variety of objectives: 1.) enhance brand image, 2.) increase sales, and 3.) promote the fight which further drives home affinity for both the boxing property and its own brand. Moreover, the fact that the rebate is available on point-of-sale means that Tecate can track exactly how successful this element of the activation platform has been.
Stay tuned later in the week as we profile Harley Davidson’s newest activation on its UFC sponsorship.
Very interesting insight. Thank you.
Interesting.
Would you say that this is pointing to a monster PPV show?
Damn, these boxers are learning a thing or two about putting together PPVs. Maybe rumors of boxing’s demise were premature.
rumors of boxing demise just came from one person .Dana White lol….and now its backfiring..boxing is now activating its mainstream resources…and would resurge once again…specially with the huge threat of mma…just remember all the top executives in companies 40 years above experienced the boxing hayday..and they can easily relate with the sport..and see its potential..the only real problem of boxing is the promoters —
I love it. I think fighting sports in America are making a comeback – that includes not just MMA and Boxing but also college wrestling which was headed for extinction. MMA has a big part in that by forcing boxing to become more competitive and by rekindling an interest in wrestling. Hooray for MMA!
Mayweather is a pure coward his people look at manny and know he’s can match hand and foot speed. Mannys the most exciting figure in all of sports. ” who r u picking” is the name that Floyd came up with because he is a degenarate gambler and thinks the rest if the world gambles and wishes we could all be Ritch like him. Well Floyd there’s a classy way to do things obviously your not. If you watch 24/7 he claims to be a gorilla and surley he acts that way. I won’t watch his fight I’ll watch NCAA wrestling if I want to go to sleep early on a sat night
Yeah that Manny fight was the personification of excitement. If Manny were an amatuer he couldn’t fight in the olympics due to his “superstition”.