Digigraph.me Ink Partnership with Formula Drift’s Ford Racing

Digigraph.me has agreed a partnership with Ford Racing of the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship.

With a goal of enhancing the fan experience and engagement at the “Title Fight” of the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship in Irwindale, CA, Digigraph.me partnered with Ford Racing to offer attendees a personalized, digitally-autographed keepsake from the team’s star drivers, Justin Pawlak and Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Digigraph.me, Inc. a Southern California-based company with a growing clientele, reached out to fans with several options for getting their instantly-delivered, personal digital souvenir. Driver cards were distributed to the crowd at Irwindale Speedway, giving them the option to text their request and receive the personalized autographed, Digigraph, on a mobile device.

In addition, a social media campaign was implemented by both Ford Racing and its drivers. Pawlak, Gittin Jr. and the team tweeted and sent out Facebook messages with a call to action for fans. This option allowed the Formula DRIFT patrons to access a web form and have the Digigraph sent directly to their email inboxes.

“These drivers have very passionate fans that are mobile savvy, so the Digigraph execution was a perfect fit,” said Trisha Habucke, Digital Marketing Manager at Ford Motor Company. “It’s a great opportunity to give our fans something personalized that they can take home and share with friends and family, either in person or via social media.”

Digigraph.me CEO Barry Berkowitz added, “We’re thrilled to be working with Team Detroit, helping their Ford Racing clients engage devoted motorsports fans with personal connections to the Drivers they admire. It’s a rare privilege to foster communications between fans, drivers and the sponsoring brand, in the digital channels and on the devices where those fans consume & share that information. It’s an exchange where everyone involved wins and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

Recently, Digigraph.me successfully executed a similar campaign with NASCAR’s Trevor Bayne. That, along with the Ford Racing Digigraph campaign, stemmed from a solid partnership with Team Detroit. The Michigan firm offers world-class advertising and a variety of pro-bono work benefiting arts, education, non-profits and small businesses.

BetButler Become Official Gaming & Betting Partner of Football League

ISportconnect sponsor, viagra BetButler have announced a Official Gaming and Betting partnership with the English Football League.

The betting concierge service has pledged to boost club coffers with every bet fans place at BetButler.co.uk. They have made the generous offer thanks to their unique business model, allergist which brings you the best odds from more than 100 bookmakers via one simple account.

Chris Bell, chairman of BetButler, commented on the deal: “I am delighted by this deal that benefits both football league clubs and supporters. It is a marvellous endorsement of our unique technology which will offer the fans the best available price, but also deliver an important revenue stream for their club.”

“This is a really innovative partnership that delivers a fantastic win-win situation for supporters.  They will get the best odds in the marketplace and their club will benefit directly from their betting activity,” added Football League chief commercial officer Richard Heaselgrave.

This follows iSportconnect announcing a partnership with BetButler in July: http://dev.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12906:isportconnect-announce-a-major-partnership-with-worldlink&catid=77:press&Itemid=199

Tiger Woods’ World Challenge Golf Tournament Gets New Presenting Sponsor

PGA Tour’s World Challenge golf event hosted by Tiger Woods has a new presenting sponsor.

The World Challenge will now be presented by Northwestern Mutual between Nov.29-Dec.2 at Sherwood Country Club. The field includes 13 players who competed in the Ryder Cup, but it does not include Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world.

The 18-player field includes: Woods, Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Nick Watney.

Five are ranked among the top 10 in the world.

“Without great sponsors such as Northwestern Mutual and all the local sponsors, this tournament wouldn’t be what it is,” Woods said. “All the guys who are playing here this year, it’s been, as Greg (McLaughlin, the CEO and president of the Tiger Woods Foundation) was alluding to earlier, one of the deepest fields we’ve ever had. So we’re very excited about having (13) Ryder Cup players and players who have won all around the world playing in this event.”

Woods won this tournament with a birdie on the final hole last year, snapping a two-year winless drought. It was the fifth time he’s won the tournament he hosts.

The tournament has previously been sponsored by Target and Chevron.

“We are proud to be the presenting sponsor of this year’s World Challenge to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation,” said John E. Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. “Northwestern Mutual, in addition to helping people achieve financial security, shares a common goal of helping secure the education, health and development of young people so they experience better tomorrows.”

Holiday Inn to Sponsor Force India F1 Team at Abu Dhabi

Holiday Inn have agreed a sponsorship deal with Sahara Force India Formula One Team to become an official team partner for the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The hotel brand, which is part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), will feature on the drivers’ race suits, garage panelling and team marketing tools, ensuring significant global visibility during the race weekend.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “We are delighted to join forces with one of the most well-known hotel brands in the world and it’s encouraging to see such a powerful brand recognise the potential of the Indian market going forward. We always aim to take a fresh and creative approach to our partnerships and we have plenty of activities planned in Abu Dhabi to celebrate Holiday Inn’s partnership with us.”

Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer, Asia, Middle East and Africa for IHG: “Formula One provides an exciting global platform for Holiday Inn and our partnership with Sahara Force India recognises both the reach of Formula One internationally and the continuing importance of India to our business. Our involvement with the only Indian team will help ensure the visibility of the Holiday Inn brand in one of our most important emerging markets.”

Wonga Renew Blackpool Shirt Sponsorship

New Newcastle United sponsor, pills Wonga has announced an extension to their sponsorship of English Championship team Blackpool FC. 

The money-lending company has been the club’s shirt sponsor since the start of the Premier League season in 2010.

The deal caused a stir at the time, and with many supporters claiming Wonga were not a suitable sponsor for the club.

But they went a long way towards winning the fans over with a series of marketing campaigns and incentives for the Tangerine Army.

The money lender sponsor Scottish Premier League side Hearts and have recently agreed a deal with Newcastle United where they gained notoriety for gaining criticism from MPs for the level of interest charged by Wonga on its 30-day loans.

SunPower to Drop Bayer Leverkusen Shirt Sponsorship

Bundesliga club, Bayer 04 Leverkusen are set to lose their shirt sponsor as SunPower announced it will withdraw it’s sponsorship of the German team.

The American company cited “tax and economic” conditions for its decision to terminate the three-year deal struck last year at the end of the current season.

Reinhard Lampe, managing director of SunPower Germany, said: “We are very happy with the brand recognition we have achieved to date with our sponsorship.

“However, the tax and economic conditions for the solar sector in Europe have changed significantly. We have therefore decided to end our partnership after two years at the end of the current season and not take up the option for another season.”

Bayer 04 managing director, Wolfgang Holzhäuser, added: “Of course, we would have liked to haveSunPower as our main sponsor for a third year. We held constructive talks with SunPower. We are now in a position to work with our distribution partner Sportfive to start a targeted search for a new partner.”

Breuninger wird neuer fortuna PARTNER

Das Fashion- und Lifestyle-Unternehmen Breuninger wird neuer Sponsor von Fortuna Düsseldorf. Gemeinsam mit Infront Sports & Media, medic dem Vermarktungspartner des Bundesligisten, konnten die Rot-Weißen die Fashion- und Lifestyleunternehmen für ein dreijähriges Engagement als fortunaPARTNER gewinnen. Das Unternehmen wird am kommenden Samstag, beim Top-Spiel gegen den FC Bayern München, erstmals in der ESPRIT arena werben.

Breuninger ist ein Traditionsunternehmen mit derzeit zehn Häusern in ganz Deutschland. Parallel zur Partnerschaft mit Fortuna Düsseldorf wird im Oktober 2013 ein neuer Departmentstore im Düsseldorfer Kö-Bogen von Stararchitekt Daniel Libeskind (New York) eröffnet. Vertreter von Verein und Unternehmen enthüllten heute ein 15 x 10 Meter großes Plakat am künftigen Standort. Mit dem Schriftzug “Ein neuer Fan ist in der Stadt” bringt Breuninger die neue Partnerschaft mit Fortuna Düsseldorf (deutlich sichtbar) zum Ausdruck.

Als fortunaPARTNER engagiert sich das Unternehmen auf der dritten Sponsorenebene bei den Rot-Weißen. Das Paket beinhaltet Präsenz auf den Werbebanden bei allen Heimspielen – ab der Saison 2013/14 auch im TV-relevanten Bereich. Hinzu kommen Anzeigen und Werbespots in den Vereinsmedien, weitere Promotionsmöglichkeiten rund um den Verein sowie ein umfangreiches Hospitality-Kontingent.

Willy Oergel, Vorsitzender der Breuninger Unternehmensleitung, ist sich sicher, dass für eine Zusammenarbeit mit der Fortuna eine gute, gemeinsame Basis besteht: “Wir wollen Breuninger tief in der Stadt verwurzeln. Dabei ist es für uns selbstverständlich, dass wir mit den verschiedenen kulturellen Einrichtungen der Stadt partnerschaftlich zusammenarbeiten. Nachdem wir uns mit der Rankin-Ausstellung im NRW-Forum auf kultureller Ebene präsentiert haben, folgt im nächsten Schritt eine Kooperation im Bereich Sport. Dass der Partner Fortuna Düsseldorf heißt, ist natürlich besonders schön. Denn die Fortuna steht für Zusammenhalt, Leidenschaft und pure Emotionen und passt mit diesen Eigenschaften ideal zu uns.”

Peter Frymuth, Vorstandsvorsitzender von Fortuna Düsseldorf, ergänzte: “Ich freue mich sehr, dass das Fashion- und Lifestyle-Unternehmen Breuninger Fortuna Düsseldorf als geeigneten Partner ausgewählt hat und mit dem Verein viele positive Eigenschaften verbindet, um gleichzeitig als Partner aufzutreten. Dass das Unternehmen an einem so bedeutsamen Ort wie dem Kö-Bogen mit uns gemeinsam die Partnerschaft dokumentiert, ist für uns besonders bemerkenswert.”

Ralf Koslowski, Geschäftsführer Infront Germany: “Fortuna Düsseldorf bietet Breuninger in doppelter Weise ein ideales Umfeld für seine Markenkommunikation: Durch das Engagement als fortunaPARTNER erreicht das Unternehmen einerseits künftige Kunden in der Region und profitiert andererseits von der nationalen Reichweite der Bundesliga-Partien. Die Sympathie, die dem Verein in ganz Deutschland entgegen gebracht wird, verstärkt diesen Effekt zusätzlich. Wir freuen uns, für Fortuna Düsseldorf einen starken Partner gefunden zu haben, dessen effektive Präsenz in der Region auch nur noch wenige Monate auf sich warten lässt.”

 

Telekom startet Deutschlands größten virtuellen Charity-Lauf zugunsten “Ein Herz für Kinder”

Heute fiel der Startschuss zum Millionen-Lauf der Deutschen Telekom: Jeder, der sich vom 20. Oktober bis 15. Dezember 2012 die Laufschuhe schnürt, hat die Chance nicht nur etwas Gutes für sich zu tun, sondern auch für benachteiligte Kinder. Denn für jeden gelaufenen Kilometer spendet das Bonner Unternehmen einen Euro zugunsten “Ein Herz für Kinder”. Eine Million Euro für eine Million Kilometer – das ist das Ziel des größten Charity-Laufs in Deutschland. Prominente Unterstützung erhält die Telekom-Aktion von der Bundesliga-Stiftung, die vom 8. bis 16. Bundesliga-Spieltag ebenfalls Kilometer für den guten Zweck sammelt.

René Obermann, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Deutschen Telekom, lief die ersten Kilometer: “Auch in diesem Jahr engagieren wir uns zugunsten “Ein Herz für Kinder”. Der Millionen-Lauf gibt jedem die Möglichkeit, sich nicht nur fit zu halten, sondern auch benachteiligte Kinder zu unterstützen. Eine Million Kilometer sind eine Herausforderung, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass wir diese Marke schaffen werden.”

Mitmachen kann jeder, der ein Smartphone besitzt und sich bei der kostenlosen App “runtastic” als Läufer registriert. Jeder Kilometer, der bis zum 15.12.2012 gelaufen wird, wird von der Telekom mit einem Euro belohnt. Alle Teilnehmer können sich auf der Website www.telekom.com/millionenlauf oder www.runtastic.com/millionenlauf täglich über den aktuellen Kilometerstand informieren, und so zusätzlich motivieren. “Wir zählen auf die deutschen Läufer und hoffen, dass die Millionen-Marke erreicht wird”, sagte Michael Mronz von “Ein Herz für Kinder”, der auch unter den ersten Läufern war. “Wir garantieren dafür, dass jeder erlaufene Euro direkt den benachteiligten Kindern zu Gute kommt!”

Nike Sign New Supply Deal with IOC

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new supply agreement that will see Nike supply uniforms and products to organisation’s committee members and staff.

The agreement will begin in January 2013 and runs until the end of 2016. Uniform and products will be provided to the IOC for the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, Rio in 2016, the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014 and Lillehammer in 2016, as well as for IOC Sessions, Evaluation Commissions and other events as required.

Timo Lumme, Managing Director, IOC Television and Marketing, said “We are delighted that we have reached this agreement with Nike, the world’s leading sports and fitness company, and we feel that this relationship will be a great fit for the IOC.”

“We’re honoured to be working with the IOC and we look forward to this being the start of a long and successful relationship”, commented Nike Brand President Charlie Denson.

Nike supplied competition apparel to more than 100 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) at the London 2012 Olympic Games, along with footwear to thousands of individual athletes. The company is also the official NOC sponsor for the USA, Brazil, Kenya and Estonia. The Nike Swoosh also adorned the competition and ceremony clothing and footwear for the four Independent Olympic Athletes who competed under the IOC flag in London.

Nike Severs Ties with Lance Armstrong

Cyclist Lance Armstrong has been hit with double disappointment after Nike ended their ties with the American who also stepped down as chairman from his cancer charity Livestrong.

Nike said they were ending their association with the Texan “due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade.”

Their statement continued: “It is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him. Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner

“Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, prostate inspire and empower people affected by cancer.”

Armstrong is set to lose his record seven Tour de France titles after the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) published a 1, ailment 000 page report that said the retired American took part in and organised doping on his way to his unrivalled success on the Tour.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation, commonly known as Livestrong, was founded in 1997 and has raised roughly $500m (£309 million) for cancer based charities.

Armstrong recovered from testicular cancer in the early stages of his record breaking career and continues to deny he ever used performance enhancing drugs.

He said that he planned to stay involved with the Livestrong organisation.

“This organisation, its mission and its supporters are incredibly dear to my heart,” Armstrong said in a statement

“Today therefore, to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career, I will conclude my chairmanship.

“As my cancer treatment was drawing to an end, I created a foundation to serve people affected by cancer. It has been a great privilege to help grow it from a dream into an organisation that today has served 2.5 million people and helped spur a cultural shift in how the world views cancer survivors.

“My family and I have devoted our lives to the work of the foundation and that will not change. We plan to continue our service to the foundation and the cancer community. We will remain active advocates for cancer survivors and engaged supporters of the fight against cancer.”

To join the discussion about Lance Armstrong, click here.

Tissot Sponsors Danica Patrick’s Chevrolet

Swiss watch manufacturer, Tissot will be the primary sponsor on Danica Patrick’s No. 7 Tissot / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

Patrick, who is in her first full season in the Nationwide Series, is coming off an 11th-place finish in Charlotte. Entering the Kansas Lottery 300, she is ranked 10th in the driver point standings with four races remaining in the 2012 season.

Saturday’s race will mark the third time in as many years that Patrick will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports with Tissot as the primary sponsor. Her other outings in a Tissot-sponsored car were 2010 in Fontana, Calif. and 2011 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

“I have had an outstanding relationship with Tissot over the years and it’s always an exciting time — both on and off the track — when Tissot is the primary sponsor on our JR Motorsports car,” said Patrick, who has been a Tissot ambassador since 2005 and has her own signature Tissot-designed timepiece – the Danica Patrick Limited Edition T-Race, available at retailers nationwide.

“Danica’s electric fan appeal brings an enormous amount of enthusiasm and energy to Tissot,” said Sharon Buntain, Brand President Tissot, U.S. “She is a terrific partner who champions our values of cutting edge technology, precision and innovation. We are proud to have her on our team.”

Saturday’s race will mark the second appearance for Patrick at the Kansas 1.5-mile oval. In her other appearance – October 2011 – she started 15th and finished 15th.

“The Kansas track has undergone a repaving since the last time I competed there, and what we learned at Kansas last year will most likely not apply to this year’s race,” noted the 30-year-old driver. “I look forward to the new challenge in Kansas and am optimistic about closing out the 2012 Nationwide season with successful performances.”

Patrick was a part-time racer in the Nationwide Series the past two years while competing full time in the IndyCar Series. She is the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race (2008 in Japan) and her fourth-place finish in the Las Vegas Nationwide race in 2011 was the highest finish for a woman in NASCAR history. 

Patrick will perform double duty at Kansas Speedway October 20 and 21 as she will also compete in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race for Stewart-Haas Racing.