As all Fridays go we will now give recognition to a proud supporter of the 2008 Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly. Without support from partners such as the USTA Midwest Section we would not be able to put on a world class mens professional tennis event in Indy every summer. So thank you USTA Midwest and we look forward to the exciting partnership in years to come.

Impressions...Today I want to take a quick look at how impressions impact sponsorships. Impression can be defined as the exposure one receives to a sponsorship or media vehicle that communicates a specific brand message; anytime a consumer is affected by a targeted corporate message. Naturally if one were to look at the stadium court of the Indy pro tennis tournament you would see  a number of sponsor logos: Lilly, US Open Series, National City Private Client Group, American Airlines and many more. These logos combined with various on-site activation methods provide the sponsor with those highly coveted impressions. All of these brands have chosen to align with the top tennis tournament in the Midwest: Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly.
If we link this directly to sponsorship we can really begin to think of ways to capitalize on a corporate sponsorship spend or find compelling reasons to make that sponsorship spend. What is your organization doing to make a lasting impression on your target consumer?

Up next: Experiential Marketing.

If you were to google digital cameras right now, how many results do you think you would pull up? If you guessed 83,500,000 then you were exactly right. I am sure you are curious as to why this has anything to do with a world class mens professional tennis tournament and I plan to explain that one to you.

Lets start with Olympus first of all, Olympus has started their first year as the title sponsor of the US Open Series and they have kicked this partnership off with a bang! Touring the US with a mobile marketing campaign and a 60' bus that folds out into an interactive tennis court and photo opportunity to demostrate their product. This is how you activate a sponsorship.

My question is this: What are you doing to keep your brand in front of your consumers, even when the economy is on a downturn? You must stay in front of your consumers year round. The opportunity to physically put your product in the hands of your consumers and create an intimate experience is a highly valuable goal of many companies.

Many organizations are often confused during tight economical times and begin to pull the reigns back, this is precisely the opposite of what they should be doing when things get turbulent. When everyone else is pulling back their spend, why not keep yours the same or step it up 5-10%? Your impact and reach are that much greater due to the lack of products and promotions in the marketplace. Align with a world class product: i.e. mens professional tennis? the USTA? the Olympus US Open Series? or heck why not event the Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presetned by Lilly?

Ok, so your demographic isn't exactly that of a pro tennis tournament in the midwest, that is fine, we understand that we cannot be all things to all people but I would argue that you can find an event, property, team or athlete that will help you stay relavent and most importantly, provide you with memorable experiences and lasting impressions on your consumers!

Impacting one fan at a time...

14 days and counting...

We are only 14 days away from the 2008 Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly. We are very excited to get this event underway and showcase the brand new on-site look and feel. All tennis fans old and new will be engaged in the tournament site.

Our sponsors are activating this year like never before and you will all be a witness to new and improved tournament grounds.

Unfortunately the majority of our 2008 player field has finished their run at Wimbledon with the exception of Andy Murray who continues to roll on grass! We are very excited to have Andy competing for the title here in Indy and are confident he is going to be coming in to town playing excellent tennis.

If you do not have your tickets for the 2008 event you need to contact the tournament office and get your tickets for the tennis event in the Midwest!

Also if you see the Olympus US Open Series Bus around town they will be promoting the Indianapolis tennis event and our role in kicking off the summer hard court tennis season.

14 days and counting...