Adidas Sneakers Give Berliners a One-Year Pass to their Mass Transit System

Reading Time: 1 minutes, 43 seconds

Via Adidas/BVG

Adidas is all about innovation and creativity, and one of their latest sneakers checks both of those boxes.

With the limited edition EQT Support 93/Berlin, Adidas has created a shoe that not only provides support for one’s feet but also provides a one-year pass to the city’s mass transit system known as the BVG.

In her explanation to the Guardian, Petra Reetz (spokeswoman for BVG) stated “The motivation behind the collaboration is really to get young people on to public transport… in a big city like Berlin, the quality of life and quality of the air are important. We wanted to tell young people public transport is cool – you don’t need to buy a car.”

Not only is this collaboration an attempt to make public transport cool and relevant, but it is also an attempt to modernize the BVG and the culture of public transport. As Berlin’s transportation system turns 90 this year, this collaboration with Adidas is a great attempt towards rebranding the BVG.

Via Adidas/BVG

While also appealing to footwear collectors with limited pairs sold (only 500 were made) and with their unique BVG-inspired look, the EQT Support 93/Berlin also appeal to people seeking a significant discount on Berlin’s yearly public transport system. Currently, the cheapest option is around 728€ ($893). But the sneakers, which double as transit passes, sell for 180€ ($220).

As far as the technology that is used to produce the transit pass within the sneakers, the pass is embedded in the tongue of the sneakers and doesn’t involve any over-the-top technology. 

Via Adidas/BVG

How this technology will work in practice is unsure. However, people won’t have to take their shoes off to scan them. Berlin public transport is honor system-based, with occasional security checks. But rules around using the shoes as a pass are strict: You must have both shoes on your feet when you expect to use them (as opposed to giving one to a friend and having one in your bag).

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From My Perspective

This is a great move by Adidas and an even greater move by Berlin and the BVG. Not only does this collaboration bring a new feeling to the 90 year old BVG, but it also helps sustain Berlin's public transport system beyond its years. By collaborating with Adidas, BVG is setting the tone for other cities to involve more of their culture and staples with a new and current generation in regards to style/fashion and technology. 

The EQT Support 93/Berlin went live on January 17, 2018, and sold out on the first day. The BVG transit pass will last until December 31, 2018.
 

Sources: AdWeek | The Guardian

3 Things Bose Isn't Doing With The NFL That They Should

Reading Time: 3 minutes, 54 seconds

Bose/NFL

Bose has been the official headphone sponsor of the NFL since 2011, but if you don’t pay close attention to the sideline, you would never know it.

These days, being an official sponsor of a major brand or sports league such as the NFL means more than just slapping your name next to theirs on a commercial or any promotional material or marketing collateral. Being an official sponsor also means that you have the right to use the likeness of the company you are sponsoring in any way that isn’t counterproductive to the objective of the sponsorship. 

If you are not familiar with anything I’m saying, let me break it down a little. Being an official sponsor gives you the rights (in most cases) to use the logo, colors, etc. of the company you are sponsoring in any of your promotional efforts. By obtaining these rights, you can use the logo, name, colors, etc. to leverage your sponsorship through various activations (going beyond what the company you are sponsoring already does).

There’s a definite lack of activation and creativity taking place on the part of Bose, but I figured I’d help them out with some creative ways they can engage their fans and create loyalty by leveraging their NFL sponsorship.

1. Get In Front of The Athletes and Fans

Yes, Bose, you’re the official sponsor of the NFL, but the athletes and fans couldn’t care less. In 2014 the NFL decided to make it a public statement that they have banned players and coaches from wearing any brand of headphones - other than Bose - interviews and on-camera appearances. Of course, this is to protect the sponsorship, but Bose should feel free to use it to their advantage.

Start giving away free headphone to all the players in their team colors. Get in front of the fans by giving away headphones to season ticket holders or the first 1,000 people that come into the stadium. Get in front of the athletes and the fans by connecting that memorable game or funny, yet controversial, press conference with your sponsorship. This creates loyalty and makes your products memorable.

2. Seek Out Players Who Are Not Sponsored

via Bose

This seems like a no-brainer, but why aren’t they doing it. Bose has the leverage, and with the NFL banning all other brands of headphones, that makes Bose’s job that much easier.

Currently, Bose has 13 NFL players on their #TeamBose roster including Russell Wilson (SEA), Larry Fitzgerald (AZ) and Landon Collins (NYG), but they could always add more. NFL players have no choice but to wear Bose headphones during televised interviews and appearances, so give them sponsorship and make sure they have Bose headphones to wear during those interviews and appearances. 

Bose should be actively seeking one to two players on every NFL team who are looking for, or lacking, an audio sponsor and grab them as soon as they can. This not only provides Bose with a walking advertisement on and off the field, but it also brings them more media value and increases the number of impressions (people seeing) their brand/product. Not to mention, this widens the playing field when it comes to other sponsorship opportunities (summer camps, events, and parties hosted by players and more).

3. Use Social Media The Right Way

Everything is happening on social media, and if you aren’t using it to leverage your sponsorships, you’re being lapped in the race. Bose, it’s time to ask the NFL to slap your logo on a social media graphic, or it’s time for you to put their logo on one of your social media graphics. You’re the official sponsors, use that logo everywhere you see fit (within reason of course). 

These days a social media mention can be worth thousands of dollars. At the price Bose is surely paying the NFL for their sponsorship, it shouldn’t be a problem for the NFL to place Bose’s logo in the corner of a social media graphic.

According to Blinkfire, a similar social media graphic used by the Utah Jazz including the Chick-Fil-A logo awarded the fast-food chain an estimated media value of $3,800. Almost $4,000 for simple logo placement.

All-in-all, it isn’t the job of the sponsee (NFL) to activate the sponsorship on behalf of Bose or anyone else that is a sponsor. The NFL is letting Bose put their headphones and audio equipment on the sideline, which is more than enough for the NFL to do. But now, Bose and their marketing team are tasked with activating the sponsorship and leveraging the NFL’s likeness as much as they can to increase the value of their sponsorship and the loyalty of their fans and NFL fans. 

Sources: Bose | The Verge

The Value Behind NBA Jersey Patches

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

via NBA

The 2017-2018 season brought a new look to the NBA. Being the first of the four major U.S. sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) to add sponsorship patches to their jerseys, the NBA welcomes the expansion of its legacy by adding a new revenue stream for its teams and players.

Currently, 19 of the 30 NBA teams have signed jersey patch deals. However, the sponsored jersey deals are not long-term for the NBA - they are a part of an initial three-year agreement in which the NBA will evaluate the ROI (return on investment) of the jersey patch agreements.

So what is the value of a jersey sponsor patch for not only the NBA but also for the sponsors?

Let's start with the largest jersey patch deals:

• Golden State Warriors and eCommerce company Rakuten, valued at $20M (the largest jersey patch deal so far)

• Los Angeles Lakers and eCommerce platform Wish, valued at $12-$14M

• Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear, valued at $10M

• Boston Celtics and General Electrics, valued at $8M

Two weeks into the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics accounted for 87% of the total earned media for jersey patches where earned media value equaled $2,592,513.73, according to BlinkFire Analytics.

So what supplies the value surrounding sponsored jersey patches? The value comes directly from digital marketing across various media platforms, where social media takes the lead.

When analyzing sponsorship value for the Golden State Warriors across their social media channels, Blinkfire reported that Rakuten earned media value totaling $1,030,811.25 during the first two weeks of the 2017-2018 NBA season where they also made up 52% of the Warriors sponsorship value.

I know you are saying "enough with the big numbers. What does all of this mean"? Well, the significant value for NBA jersey sponsor patches is in the increased brand value for the sponsors and of course the increase in revenue for NBA teams and players. 

Think of how many times you have seen the new NBA Nike jerseys with the sponsor patches. Now, think of how many times you or others may have researched or inquired about the sponsor and why they chose to sponsor a particular team. Also, think about how many people may have liked, commented, or followed the jersey patch sponsors just because of their association with a specific NBA team. That creates an increase in brand awareness and recognition for the sponsors. 

With the rise of digital media consumption and the forward-thinking progress of the NBA, becoming a jersey patch sponsor of the NBA is a win-win for any company that takes advantage of this three-year patch deal.

Sponsored jersey patches not only bring in money for the NBA and recognition for the sponsors - it adds another layer of storytelling between brands and sports teams. The majority of brands that have sponsored patches have a lasting history in the cities of the NBA teams they are sponsoring, and some have been sponsors of the respective teams for years (i.e., Goodyear and the Cleveland Cavaliers or Infor and the Brooklyn Nets).

Coupled with the additional revenue and brand awareness, adding sponsored patches to jerseys puts the NBA in a global space that the NFL, MLB, and NHL are not in. When you watch global games, you see sponsors on jerseys. With its growing global presence, the addition of sponsored jersey patches solidifies the NBA as a global game. In return, more value for the NBA and its sponsors on a much larger (global) scale.