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© 2016 IEG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1

IEG SPONSORSHIP REPORT

SPONSOR PROFILE

SEE MORE, BE MORE: HOW INFOSYS IS HELPING THE SPORT OF TENNIS Information technology company uses ATP to show how it can help customers embark on a “transformative digital journey.”

Sponsorship activity in the business technology category shows no signs of slowing down.

Following in the footsteps of IBM Corp, SAP and other companies, Infosys is using technology to bring sports fans closer to their favorite passions. The India-based business consulting and technology company in 2015 signed a three-year partnership with the ATP World Tour that affords status as global technology services partner and platinum sponsor of the ATP World Tour and season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

The goal of the sponsorship: use technology (mobile, cloud, analytics, etc.) to reimagine the game of tennis by accessing, managing and interpreting massive amounts of data (both historical and current) to offer insights and predictions for fans, players, coaches, sponsors, tournaments and other stakeholders.

Infosys shares the insights via “Beyond the Numbers” and other platforms on ATP.com. “Beyond the Numbers” offers information on which players bounce back best after having their serve broken, how the best players play more points on return than on their serve and other insights culled from 25 years of ATP data.

Looking to provide even more insights, Infosys last week rolled out real-time analysis around the 2016 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Infosys uses the partnership as a case study for clients and prospects across retail, telecommunications, energy and other vertical market segments. “We look for data that’s not so obvious, and we serve it up to stakeholders in ways they never imagined. It’s a big story we’re telling, and so far we’re seeing tremendous success,” said Mohamed Anis, Infosys head of energy & services, Europe.

In a recent blog titled “What the ATP Taught Me About Business-A Journey of Leveraging Technology for Tennis,” Anis shares a four-step approach to digital transformation not only for the game of tennis, but any enterprise customer looking to embark on a digital transformation.

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IEG SPONSORSHIP REPORTTHE LATEST ON SPORTS, ARTS, CAUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING

NOVEMBER 21, 2016



Source Infosys Ltd., Tel: 91/802-852-20-261

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY: THE BIGGEST SPENDERS

Source: IEG



SIDEBAR

INFOSYS USES VIRTUAL REALITY TO ACTIVATE ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS Looking to give tennis fans a new way to experience the sport, Infosys leveraged last week’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a virtual reality experience. As a result of a partnership with the ATP, ATP Media and Sony Professional Solutions Europe, visitors at London’s 02 Arena can immerse themselves in a tennis match by stepping into interactive pods outfitted with PlayStationVR technology. The VR experience featured a combination of real court images, TV match coverage and virtual environments. Data insights and visualizations from Infosys and Hawk-Eye provided match context during the experience. “PlayStationVR is an incredible product and we knew it would help us to achieve this goal thanks to its simple to use and intuitive operation. We wanted to replicate the feeling of being there and create an augmented experience that lets fans engage and interact with the finals on a screen in a way they never could before,” said Shane Warden, ATP Media director of technology and broadcast, in a statement announcing the activation program. Sony launched PlayStationVR for PlayStation4 in October.

Sources Infosys Ltd., Tel: 91/802-852-20-261 ATP London, Tel: 44/0/20-7381-7890

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NOVEMBER 21, 2016



NEW SPONSOR

REALTOR.COM GIVES SPONSORSHIP A POSITIVE APPRAISAL Real estate portal uses strategic partnerships to bring its brand to life.

Realtor.com is using sponsorship to engage home buyers and sellers as the housing market continues to heat up.

The real estate portal supported the summer release of Universal Pictures’ The Secret Life of Pets and last month wrapped a partnership with the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival presented by Funny or Die.

In addition, Realtor.com is in the early stages of launching a multiyear partnership with the NBA Golden State Warriors as the team plans its move to San Francisco in 2019.

“We are constantly looking for new ways to introduce our brand to relevant audiences at moments where they can actually engage, and take the time to connect with our message,” said Andrew Strickman, Realtor.com senior vice president of brand and creative.

To no surprise, digital content plays a key role in Realtor.com’s activation strategy. The web site activated The Secret Life of Pets with a promotion that encouraged people to send clips of their pets re-enacting scenes from the movie, while it leveraged the Oddball Comedy Festival with short-form digital content created with actress/comedian Elizabeth Banks during intermission.

“For a number of years, humor has been our brand differentiator from the sea of sameness that is most real estate advertising. Our recent campaigns with Elizabeth Banks solidified that connection, and we thought Oddball offered us a tight connection to that approach.”

Realtor.com looks for partnerships in which properties take a vested interest in helping the web site accomplish its marketing goals, he said.

“Sponsorship isn’t that interesting to us. Partnership is where we find there is more actual value to be found. Generally, I won’t invest budget that could be used more directly unless I feel that our partner in that effort understands our goals and works with us to create unique, memorable ways to bring a brand to life.”

That approach resulted in a multichannel activation strategy around the Oddball Comedy Festival. In addition to digital content, Realtor.com leveraged the tie with a sweepstakes that dangled “Prime Real Estate Seats” in the first

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NOVEMBER 21, 2016



20 rows of each venue, co-branded Snapchat Geofilters and backstage interviews on Facebook Live. “This was our first time on the tour and we definitely created a lot of goodwill and worked to get our message to consumers in unique ways. With any partnership like this there are learnings you take back and work through to create greater success in future efforts.”

Realtor.com—operated by News Corp. subsidiary Move, Inc. —also has a strategic partnership with Scripps Networks, parent of the HGTV and DIY cable networks. The partnership “brings us great value above and beyond our media spend,” said Strickman.

Source News Corp., Tel: 212/416-3400



SPONSOR PROFILE

TOSHIBA AND AEG EXPAND PARTNERSHIP ACROSS THE U.S. AND EUROPE Toshiba uses AEG partnership to promote digital display and point-of-sale technology.

Toshiba and AEG will today announce a multiyear, multimillion-dollar partnership that will extend Toshiba’s brand-building initiatives globally across AEG assets and venues in North America and Europe.

The agreement—brokered by AEG Global Partnerships—includes The 02 in London; L.A. Live in Los Angeles; Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin and the new Mercedes Platz entertainment district adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Building on a partnership with the Staples Center in Los Angeles and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the expanded agreement includes a $5 million renovation to the LED digital screens at L.A. Live, adding to its already vibrant atmosphere at Los Angeles’ downtown sports and entertainment district.

Similar to its interactive fan experiences at Staples Center and T-Mobile Arena, Toshiba will introduce fans at the Mercedes-Benz Arena to a state-of-the-art interactive zone. The space, still under development, will feature video walls, touch displays and other interactive technology. Fans will be able to use the technology to access social media updates, video highlights, augmented reality features and game scores, among other content.

“Partnering with the leading sports and entertainment company in the world to deliver state-of-the-art products and services to enhance the fan experience at Staples Center and T-Mobile Arena has been exciting for our entire team,” said Bill Melo, chief marketing executive of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions and Toshiba America Business Solutions. “We are delighted to expand our alliance with AEG with new technology in new geographies, and we look forward to elevating the fan experience at every event in these venues.”

“Toshiba is a world-class brand and partner, and we are looking forward to expanding our relationship with them by extending our success into the European market,” said Jon Werbeck, AEG Global Partnerships vice president. “Toshiba’s leading edge point-of-sale and digital signage technology enhances our ability to develop creative, interactive experiences that let us tailor a customized fan-first approach for live events.”

Toshiba will serve as the official digital display and POS technology provider across Mercedes-Benz Arena, Mercedes Platz, The 02 and L.A. Live. The company’s solution-based technology will streamline concession and merchandise sales across the participating venues.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2016



In the coming months, Toshiba will outfit Mercedes-Benz Arena with nearly 315 screens and more than 130 POS systems that will add to the venue’s in-arena TV system, concessions and merchandising areas. Once completed, Mercedes Platz will feature more than 650 square meters of outside digital signage spread across 20 screens throughout the property.

Sources Toshiba Corp., Tel: 81/334-574-511



ABOUT IEG AND ESP PROPERTIES

IEG has shaped and defined sponsorship over three decades. It is the globally recognized source for industry insights, trends, training and events via sponsorship.com, its annual conference, online publications, trend reports, surveys and webinars.

IEG is part of ESP Properties, a WPP company. As a commercial and creative advisor for rightsholders, ESP Properties helps organizations unlock greater value from their audiences and brand partnerships.

Our consulting team assesses and advises how to grow the value of rightsholders’ commercial programs. We do this through a full range of services across data, digital and content development to better understand audiences and create more relevant ways to engage with them. This provides brand partners with new ways to connect with communities of fans and followers, growing the potential value of commercial partnerships.

Our sales team provides partnership strategy and sales representation to the world’s most active sponsors, within and beyond the WPP network of brand clients. Through WPP we have extensive contacts and deep insights into what it takes to create successful partnerships.

For more information about IEG and the sponsorship industry, please visit www.sponsorship.com, www.espglobal.com, or call +1 312 944 1727.

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INSIGHTSEVALUATION GUIDANCEIEG LEADS THE WAY IN SPONSORSHIP ANALYSIS, INSIGHT, VALUATION & MEASUREMENT

ieg sponsorship report › ieg › files › 04 › 04294dfe-bc6a-4c...forward to elevating the fan...

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