Talisman Centre

One of Calary's most successful corporate sponsorships is the Talisman Centre. Talisman signed a 10 million, 20 year, sponsorship deal with the sports centre starting in 2002.The Talisman Centre is a great sponsorship for Talisman as the mission of the sports centre -  Talisman Centre is a dynamic organization dedicated to providing people of different ages and abilities inspiring, developmental sport and wellness experiences, assisting them to achieve their goals - reflects well on Talisman Energy. 


There is also a level of recognition that comes along with a sponsorship like this. I remember when the change from Lindsay Park to the Talisman Centre happened, and it did take a while for the name to become normal in my vocabulary; I'm sure the same can be said for many other Calgarians. After 10 years, this has changed, and the Talisman Centre is clearly recognizable as a Calgary landmark. The amount of brand recognition a sponsorship likes this brings is immeasurable as there's now way to count how many people say, "I'm going to - working out at - playing a game at - etc. the Talisman Centre." The re-name cements Talisman Energy as a strong civic and community leader. 


It also shows that Talisman is a large force in the Energy industry. For them to be able to afford a sponsorship of such magnitude means they are a big player. To sign a contract for 20 years also speaks to the level of success and optimism the organization feels they'll have. It can't be predicted what will happen a year from now for most organizations, so 20 years is quite a big risk to take and commitment to make. 



According to a spokesperson from, what was formerly known as Lindsay Park, "The support of Talisman Energy will revitalize our ability to achieve these goals and continue to meet the needs of our growing city.  This sponsorship agreement is part of an overall strategy that will allow us to realize our expansion plans without major increases in fees for Calgarians."


This has been a hugely successful sponsorship for both parties. The Talisman has since expanded since it took place and Talisman is not in the everyday vocabulary of all Calgarians. 


R.M.

Jay-Z and Bing.com 

When I worked for an advertising agency, my boss asked everyone working on the account service team to examine a creative campaign, and report to the rest of the agency the successful components which made their campaign ‘award winning.’

When I hear the words sponsorship, I often think about race cars covered with hundreds of decals representing large corporations looking for another venue to display their brand. So when I was handed a sponsorship campaign to examine, I didn’t expect to discover anything profound…

What I learned from this assignment was sponsorship isn’t always about money, and a few decals, it’s about creativity, hype, and should benefit all parties involved.

Rapper, R&B artist, and soon to be author Jay-Z was ready to launch his book Decoded in November 2010. Also eager to make a debut in the market was Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing.com.

Knowing they faced stiff competition particularly with Google, Bing knew they needed to do something different, effective, and never seen before in order to have a chance in the search engine market.

So what did they do? They decided to become a sponsor. Yes! A sponsor. Bing wasn’t looking for money, or help from a large organization to help launch their brand; Bing wanted to use their product, a search engine, to bring awareness of other brands like no other search engine had done before…

Each of the book’s 320 pages were blown-up and placed strategically across 13 major cities, including New York. The pages showed up on parked cars, billboard, basketball courts, high-rise rooftops, and even the bottom of the swimming pool at Miami’s Delano Hotel. 

Once the pages of Decode were successfully placed, Bing released hints and clues using Facebook and Twitter revealing the location of the pages. With these hints, users then used Bing’s satellite search component (similar to Google earth) to find and read the pages with the goal of unlocking all 320 pages.

As a result, Jay-Z fans were able to read his book prior to release, and Bing.com, through this sponsorship was able to showcase its abilities.

Within a month of the campaign going live, users had unlocked every single page of the book before it was even available for sale. Bing received an 11.7 per cent increase of visitors while the campaign was live with an average player engagement of 11 minutes.  Jay Z’s Facebook page received one million ‘likes’ in under a month and his autobiography reached 3^rd in the New York Times Best Seller list (slingshot sponsorship), and won the Cannes Lions Grand Prix.


-JS

Visa's sponsorship of the Olympic Games

Visa is no stranger to effective sponsorship, as witnessed through their 25-year relationship with the Olympic games. The winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988 marked the kick off of Visa’s Olympic sponsorship. In July 2011, Visa entered their 25^th year as a sponsor of the Olympic games and a member of the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) TOP (The Olympic Partner) program. I have always been an avid watcher of the Olympics and Visa is an organization that has become synonymous with the Games. When researching their ties the IOC, I became aware that their sponsorship is more comprehensive than meets the eye.

Visa is one of 11 TOP global Olympic Games sponsors. This program was created in 1985 as a means for the IOC to develop long-term partnerships that would benefit the global Olympics movement. It has been estimated that organizations pay around $100 million for a four-year commitment, and then spend three to four-times that to plan and execute their marketing campaign (Andrews, 2012). The TOP Program is managed by the IOC and grants global exclusivity and marketing rights on a larger scale. Sponsors are also given access to official Olympics logos for their marketing materials. This program allows Visa to extend its sponsorship benefits to their extensive client base. Revenue generated by commercial partnerships accounts for more than 40% of Olympic revenues and partners provide vital technical services and product support to the whole of the Olympic Family (Olympics, 2012). Eleven corporations currently participate in the TOP program: Acer, Atos Origin, Coca Cola, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, P&G, Samsung, and Visa.

As part of their sponsorship agreement, Visa is the official credit card of the Olympics, and the only card accepted when purchasing tickets on the IOC’s website. This provides great exposure for Visa, as individuals who wish to purchase tickets for the Games are given a one-off account number and therefore encouraged to apply for the card. Within their media kit posted on their website, Visa and the IOC have agreed that Visa will be the only card accepted at the next four Olympic Games. This strategic sponsorship provides Visa with a platform to further their brand messaging on a global scale.

When looking for a company that conducts effective sponsorships, I didn’t have to look far. Visa is a brand with global recognition and has effectively positioned itself within the world of sport sponsorship. They currently hold the exclusive rights to all FIFA world cup events through 2014. They have also sponsored the NFL since 1995, and the preferred card at all stadium outlets for many teams. Events of this magnitude present a big opportunity for marketers to catch the world’s attention, and Visa is no different.

“Sport unites people, communities and nations. It enriches people’s lives and creates economic development opportunities. In today’s world, where brand and trust mean so much, the Olympic Games reflect those equities found at Visa — worldwide acceptance, reliability, versatility and leadership. Sponsoring the Olympic Games makes good business sense for Visa and our clients.” (Visa, 2012)

-CP

Bell Canada Sponsors the Stampede

Bell Canada is known to sponsor Canadian sports and entertainment. Bell is sponsoring major events such as Basketball Canada, the RBC Canadian Open, the Toronto Film Festival, and closer to home, the Calgary Stampede! 


Bell Canada is focused on making a customers experience "even better." Their customers expect a reliable, consistent and efficient service or product. As a large communications company and consumer oriented business, they care most about the customers experience. For this reason I think sponsoring the Calgary Stampede is an excellent fit, demonstrating their support. Signage and video clips have a massive audience at the Stampede. In 2011, a whopping 1.2 million people took in the festivities (CBC News). This year marks the 100th Anniversary for the Calgary Stampede and more attendees are expected to attend than ever before. 


A large presence at the Stampede will allow Bell to: 
-Obtain credibility
-Build brand awareness quickly with a large audience
-Increase visibility
-Promote services and products to consumers
-Receive a large amount of signage 
-Perhaps invite their clients/staff to some of the events
-Engage with customers and networking opportunities
-Shape consumer attitudes 


The Calgary Stampede is a short but monumental event. Therefore, I believe Bell's sponsorship is effective. In this case scenario, naming a building or sponsoring a specific sporting or charity event is not relevant. 
Overall, I think this is a relevant sponsorship because Bell has established a connection between itself and what they are sponsoring (relationship marketing). It's important they show customers that they have something in common with the Stampede instead of slapping their logo all over the event to act as advertising. 


Bell also targets a very broad audience, Canadian consumers age 20 and older. The Stampede has over a million attendees who fit into this large category. Another reason for the success of the sponsorship.


Keep your eyes peeled this summer for Bell signage and engagement at the Stampede. Perhaps you'll agree with their sponsorship strategies or come up with some improvements. 


Another thing to think about: How do you think Bell should deal with being targeted by Canadian humane societies and animal activists about sponsoring the Stampede? Do you think this is something they considered before their commitment to the Stampede? 


-JS

Scotiabank Sponsorships

In my opinion, one company that is using sponsorship effectively is Scotiabank. 

Scotiabank focuses their sponsorships at the community level in the areas of arts, education, health care, social services, sports and environment. They are particularly interested in partnering with non‐profit and charitable organizations that empower people with skills, tools and information to improve their health, safety and well-being.

Scotiabank’s CSR philosophy is to integrate environmental, social and governance practices into their day-to-day business activities. They measure success not only in terms of financial criteria, but also in building customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

The following are a sample of some of the organizations and events Scotiabank has chosen to sponsor:

• Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's – Scotiabank is the title sponsor of Canada's largest annual fundraiser for Alzheimer's
• Scotiabank Kid Captain – Scotiabank gives 7-14 year old children the chance to be the Scotiabank Kid Captain at select CFL regular season home games
• Scotiabank Calgary Marathon – Scotiabank is the title sponsor of Canada's oldest marathon and premier running event 

In 2011, Scotiabank allocated over $50 million into corporate sponsorships and donations. 

A detailed chart of their expenses is below:

Scotiabank was the most awarded organization at the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada's 2012 Sponsorship Marketing Awards, receiving top honours in three categories: Gold Awards for the Scotiabank Community Hockey Program, Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada and a Distinction Award for the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche sponsorship.

Scotiabank does an excellent job of sponsoring a variety of different events and initiatives, from introducing their Scotiabank scene cards in movie theatres to sponsoring the Flames Better Halves Ultimate Ladies Night Out.

Scotiabank has been recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for their sponsorship and philanthropic activities, providing approximately $45 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. They have an excellent return on investment and have made numerous strategic sponsorship decisions that have impacted their company positively. It is for these reasons I believe Scotiabank has chosen their sponsorships effectively.

It's up to YOU

In May 2011, Shell launched their new FuellingChange program where Canadians have six months to vote for their favourite  environmental projects to receive 25K, 50K or 100K from Shell Canada. 

In total, Shell grants $2 million annually to Canadian environmental organizations for programs that improve Canada's land, air and water. Shell also gives 10K to every participating organization if they don't receive one of the major grants. The FuellingChange program differs from other CSR programs as it allows Canadians to make decisions and vote on where they want Shell's funding to go. 

The 54 organizations participating in the program are found online at www.fuellingchange.com. 

Anyone in Canada can sign up for free to have a say and to vote for his or her favourite project. Site users sign up for a username and password and are then eligible to cast their votes. First time site users also gain 10 bonus votes for signing up.

Canadians can earn votes by purchasing Shell fuel products. Anything from magazines, gum, to fuel are eligible for votes. During special occasions in Canada, such as Canada Day or Earth Day, Shell commonly gives out 50 bonus votes to account holders. 

I think Shell is doing an excellent job with this program because even if environmental organizations don't receive one of the major grants, they are still receiving 10K, gaining awareness and strengthening their community by their efforts. 

The online voting is engaging and fun, especially when you are rooting for an organization located near your own community. It will be exciting to see how the organizations can make a difference with the funding they receive.  One of my favourite past programs is "Turning Tides for Turtles,"a recovery program for turtles at the Toronto Zoo. Click here to check it out. 

-JS 

Karo Kaus

KARO KAUS

Over the last year I've been working at Karo Group, a multi-disciplinary creative agency. Soon after I began working there I learned about Karo Kaus, Karo's CSR initiative. Karo Kaus is two $100,000 creative services grants given to one well deserving non-profit in Calgary and Vancouver. The money is distributed over a two year period and is used to provide any of the services Karo provides.

The Kaus begins with a call for participants that lasts two months. Applications and references are checked, and the top 10 applicants in each city are chosen for an interview with the Kaus panel. From there, the panel deliberates and chooses a winner, and so begins the two year relationship with Karo Group.

Becoming a Kaus winner is similar to dressing for success. First impressions are vital to the success of anyone entering the work force, and the same goes for non-profits trying to gain credibility with their brand. A re-brand can breathe new life into a non-profit, who usually don't have the funds to effectively brand the first time. As well as a re-brand, Karo will create a communications structure that allows the non-profits to use their brand across all mediums - a new web-site, brochures, a small ad campaign, public relations or any combination of the aforementioned.

Previous recipients of the Kaus have went on to great success with their new campaigns. As a secondary benefit, Karo has also won some awards for their various Kaus campaigns.  Below is some of the creative work done for past recipients.


Union Gospel Mission was the recipient of the 2010 Vancouver Kaus grant.
http://tinyurl.com/3bxbl38


Kids Cancer Care was the recipient of the 2012 Calgary Kaus Grant.
http://www.karo.com/article/new-brand-kids-cancer-care-puts-challenge-new-light








Homefront  - When Marriage Becomes Abusive campaign was the recipient of the 2011 Calgary Kaus Grant.

All of these organizations were able to get a needed injection of creativity in their brand which led them to more volunteer engagement and donation dollars. Karo Group is currently in the process of choosing a 2012 Calgary and Vancouver recipient. Another two organizations will soon be able to re-connect with their cities and share the vision of their brand.

Ryan McCaffrey