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What’s It All Worth?: Measuring Return on B2B Investment

An expert in conference management, Ian MacGillvray at OOMPH! Events brings out the best in every conference he’s helped organize. Today, Ian helped guide delegates through the process of measuring ROI on B2B investment and demonstrated how they can achieve a high ROI by streamlining and automating their operations to increase efficiency while simultaneously reducing costs and cycle time. Along some with some examples of B2B sponsorship in unlikely places, Ian provided delegates with tangible lessons that will help put the OOMPH! into their B2B investments.

1. Map the full network — and connect it! (Think partner orgs, parent orgs, media partners, suppliers, etc…)Sponsor Council

  • Advisrory board meetings
  • Speaking Opportunities/co-presenting
  • At pre-events, press conferences
  • Host at other events
  • Good old fashioned introductions

2. Facilitate Sales (Branding/Exposure is not good enough)

  • Provide delegate list
  • Direct 1-1 introductions at events
  • Ask sponsors “who are the top 5 companies you’d like to meet during the event?”
  • Business Development Match-Making (but establish criteria and ensure buyers don’t feel like fish among sharks!)

3. Network in Relevant B2B Circles

4. Exclusive Hosting/Sub-event Branding

  • B2B :branding is about professional positioning
  • Hosting exclusively sponsored keynotes, panels, receptions etc
  • Intro speaking opps are very important

5.  Mine the Data/Identify Key Connections

6. Align with a B2B Media Partner

  • While a thank-you ad in the newspaper is nice, B2B publications offer more value to B2B sponsors

7. Create Unique, Custom Hosting & Entertainment Experiences

  • Hosting & entertainment is BIG business in B2B compnies
  • Great opportunity for non-business properties
  • CSF this weekend is a GREAT example (Thanks, Ian!!)

8. Pay Attention to MULTIPLE Objectives of B2B Sponsors

9. Integrate Projects/Initiatives (in addition of one-off events)

10. Integrate Online Marketing


MH3 Blog

Fifth Annual Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study

A fixture of the Canadian Sponsorship Forum since 2007, the Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study (CSLS) provides the most comprehensive analysis of the Canadian sponsorship industry available. This year, the Study shines a light on hot-topic trends in the entertainment industry, while also examining how the 2010 Olympics affected the sponsorship landscape. Dr. Norm O’Reilly, professor at the  and senior adviser to TrojanOne, opened the day to discuss how this valuable data on industry size, spending by sector, activation trends, evaluation practices, strategic priorities and future outlook can be used to back up your sponsorship decisions.

I’ll start out with the good news Norm shared: Based on our sampling process and conservative assumptions, we estimate that $1.55 BILLION was the industry size in Canada in 2010. This represents an 8.5% increase from 2009 and nearly a 40% increase since 2006.

The not-so-good news? With over 400 responses, the Study found ROI from sponsorship improved in 2010, but there is considerable room for greater improvement. Fewer sponsors are very satisfied with ROI from sponsorship and more are dissatisfied. Given this and the theme of this year’s Forum, rev up you ROI, Norm cut the data of the three studies (sponsor, sponsee and agency) to provide delegates with suggestions to rev up their ROI*:

  1. It is time to forget about Vancouver 2010
  2. Go Digital
  3. Reconsider your targets for sponsorship
  4. Be creative and always on the lookout for new opportunities
  5. Have a year-round sponsorship strategy
  6. Develop a balanced strategic mix
  7. Do not overlook the role of value in-kind sponsorship
  8. Do not underestimate the not-for-profit sector
  9. Note that sponsors (and not just sponsees and agencies) have a positive outlook again
  10. Put yourself in the shoes of other stakeholders
  11. Activate!
  12. Remember the little guy!
  13. Evaluate!
  14. Focus on renewal from day one
  15. Sponsees and their agencies need to step up and service their sponsorships and sponsors need to hold them to it
  16. If you don’t have the capacity and expertise, get help
  17. Take advantage of a tool that works and is growing in absolute size and relative proportion of marketing budgets

*Each of Norm’s suggestions were supported by detailed key findings that will be made available to delegates after the conference. Make sure you’re a subscriber to our weekly newsletter (subscribe on http://10.100.10.28/sites/canadiansponsorshipforum.com/) to receive details on how you can download Norm’s presentation. And here’s the great news: All delegates of the 2011 Canadian Sponsorship Forum will automatically receive a digital copy of the Final Report that they can implement into their FY12 planning!

MH3 Blog

Research: The Key to Maximizing Your ROI

One of the Forum’s most popular return speakers, Don Mayo from IMI International, wrapped up the first day of CSF 2011 with a keynote presentation on using research to maximize ROI.

One of the first steps to engaging consumers is to research their passions and interests to understand what excites them. The fact is that 30% of the population isn’t passionate about anything – forget about them. Focus on the people who do care, and figure out what it is that they care about. Don’t rely on the media to inform you about what people think – according to media coverage, hockey is too violent and it’s in trouble, but the truth is that violent sport is not dead. In fact, it’s seeing tremendous growth. So don’t listen to the opinions of the media, coworkers, or bosses – take the time to conduct the research and arm yourself with facts.

Before the presentation, Don and the IMI International team explored Montreal’s Crescent St, which is a hub of Formula 1 activity, to see how sponsorships are being activated at this highly visible national event by a variety of companies, from Sirius Radio to Dr. Pepper, Smirnoff to Ford. Their observations revealed that Formula 1 has effectively incorporated sponsors into the event to entertain tourists and ultimately integrate assets and passions. The most effective of these activations entertained consumers, remained consistent with the company’s brand messaging and engaged the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.

Don wrapped up with a discussion of how the magic number for maximizing sponsorship ROI is three. No more than three objectives. Three properties and three seasons. Three measures, three-year contracts, and a maximum of three tactics.

Don’s real-time data analysis, backed up with his years of research experience with IMI International, were a great way to cap off a fantastic first day of CSF 2011.

MH3 Blog

Around the Bend: A Look at What’s Ahead in Digital Media

Sponsorship marketing has experienced a dramatic shift in the way that properties and brands can engage audiences online. Those on the leading edge of this change can see the potential on the road ahead, but are also keenly aware of the traps and speed bumps that can slow down their progress. Today, TrojanOne‘s Director of Digital Media, Mark Stewart shined a light on what’s ahead for sponsorship marketing within the digital landscape and gave delegates actionable strategies and tools that brands, properties or events can use to drive better relationships and measurable results.

Consumers are now in a “digital first” world. The days of cracking open the dusty encyclopedias are over; the days of Google searches are the norm. The big question Mark tackled today was not “What,” but “Why” this shift only continues to grow, and what you can do to really “hit the gas.” Below are some of Mark’s key lessons that will help inform and inspire you to be the innovators:

Apps vs. Mobile Web: Apps are quickly over-taking the mobile web in terms of usage, but are expected to peak in 2013. With pros and cons to each, the golden rule for mobile apps is simplicity, usability and accessibility. Arguably as important, there are all kinds of devices out there today that consumers are using and your apps need to be optimized across the board — there is no one size fits all. Have you checked out how your website performs on your BlackBerry, iPad, or iPhone? Ensure your website performs on these devices as the world moves deeper into the “digital first” world.

Localization: A.k.a. Location-based technology. “Checking in” on your mobile is a great way to build community and loyalty with your customers by offering discounts, coupons and engagement.  Tip: Combine “checking in” with a QR code — this is an innovative strategy that is slowly replacing your old rewards cards and building your digital wallet. State your claim. Give value. Reward participation. Be local. Be social. Be mobile. Combine real-world and digital engagement.

Social Commerce: The trend is really about decision making and finding the best value. “The key is harnessing the power of world of mouth,” said Mark. (Example: Levis has added “like” buttons across their whole website, allowing consumers to share their finds with their networks). Do Groupon, Living Social or Team Buy sound familiar? Yes, these daily deal providers are social commerce at its best. Take advantage.

Gamification: You are going to see a lot of gaming aspects brought into the newest technologies. Humans are pre-dispositioned to psychological variables — points, levels and challenges are all psychological motivators that keep people engaged. Mark recommends being mindful of visual clues, rapid feedback, multiple goals, status rewards, outreach (prompt to return and re-engage), adding uncertainty/mystery, and fostering collaboration and engagement with other game users.

Real Time: With the “digital first” nature of today’s society, real time is an obvious technology. Considering the following touch points will allow you to “hit the gas” and turn real time into brand enhancement and innovation: Find your targeted prospects now. Track industry trends. Seek instant feedback. Provide best-in-class customer service. Track, analyze and adjust.

Faster and Smarter: This is really about changing old business models and is a fundamental shift in the way consumers are operating. Think digital stores and tweeting your food order.

Fair and Balanced: This is about brands taking a journalistic approach and creating stories.  Identify, organize and share these stories. Check out The RED BULLETIN, Canadian Tire Hockey School or the Hot Wheels Live website for some great examples.

Mark left his audience with five things to do today:

  1. Test your mobile site
  2. Claim your location (check in!)
  3. Focus on the goals not the tools you’re using
  4. RSS @mechastewfeed
  5. Play, explore, laugh

And after you do those… Follow Mark on Twitter @mechastewart for his daily insights on “What’s Around the Bend in Digital Media” in 140 characters or less!

MH3 Blog

Stop Thinking With Half a Brain: Rediscover Your Creative Side

Delegates arriving at the presentation from Chuck Phillips and Kyle Romaniuk of Cocoon Branding were greeted with a single yellow slide reading: “Before we begin, write down as many uses for a paper clip as you can.” What followed was an interactive workshop with delegates getting hands-on tips on how to be creative and generate new ideas, which inspired creativity, allowed delegates to go home to foster a more creative working environment, and contributed to the development of a more creative world.

In addition to the paper clip brainstorm, delegates participated in a number of exercises to get the creativity flowing and their brains working. They formed into pairs and created one-minute portraits of their partner, which demonstrated how we’ve all been taught to be embarrassed about our creativity. At the end of the presentation, delegates got into groups to revisit the idea of the different uses of the paper clip, demonstrating that openness to new ideas and collaboration can lead to incredible creativity. These interactive exercises created a fun environment with lots of interaction between delegates.

Each of the delegates were given laser pointers, which Chuck and Kyle used to engage the audience and get  feedback throughout the presentation. For example, most of the delegates rated themselves on the higher end of a creative scale from 0-10, but many believe that their organizations are not performing at their creative peak, while ratings of creativity in the work environment were all across the scale.

The presentation was divided into four sections to guide delegates through discovering their creativity.

Why does creativity matter? Creativity pushes innovation and pushes companies to the next level. It can widen the competition gap much better than other techniques, like price drops, which can be easily matched. Creativity taps into emotions, and leads the decision-making process – 95% of decisions are actually made by the emotional brain. Ultimately, creativity can help protect or overtake the leadership position, create a higher impact, and improve your ROI.

Why is creativity such a challenge? People think of creativity as only belonging to artists or musicians, as something that we feel pressured to be as opposed to something that we should enjoy and all be natural at. They believe that everyone is born creative, but over time, we develop filters and barriers that limit our creativity. Why did this happen? We’ve become too entrenched in the way things are and have always been. “The new status quo should be challenging the status quo,” said Kyle Romaniuk.

How do we kill creativity? The devil’s advocate rule is one of the biggest killers of creativity, as it stifles the positive energy of creativity. Fear is the greatest barrier to creativity, especially the fear of appearing dumb or having your idea get rejected. “A lot of great stupid ideas… can lead to great ideas,” encouraged Chuck. Finally, placing too much weight on pre-conceived notions and the way things have always been done stifles creativity.

How do we inspire creativity? Divergent thinking allows you to see different routes to ideas and other ways to interpret the questions. Forget about your pre-conceived notions – free your mind and change the way you look at things. Design thinking takes everything from the current state and redesigns it to a better state – from manufacturing to accounting, every department can benefit from continuous improvement. Awareness of the outside world can help you go beyond your usual thinking, while collaborating and allowing team members to put on different “thinking hats” can inspire new ideas. Chuck and Kyle also recommend always limiting brainstorming sessions to under an hour, as the best ideas come out of short creative bursts.

Overall, this excellent workshop could be summed up with one quote from the presentation: “If you want to play in the game, then do what everyone else is doing. If you want to win, then you will have to change the game.”


Follow Chuck Phillips (@chuckcocoon), Kyle Romaniuk (@KyleRomaniuk) and Cocoon Branding (@CocoonBranding) on Twitter.

MH3 Blog

From Start to Finish: Strategic Approaches to Sponsorship ROI

David Corelli from TrojanOne is truly passionate about sponsorship and how it is an important business tool that can solve problems throughout an organization. In one of the first sessions of the day, he spoke to a full room about the five business priorities that can be advanced using strategic sponsorships: consumer perception, employee engagement, earned media, new business relationships and community engagement.

Sponsorship can be used to improve consumer perception, whether you’re launching a new product (like Gatorade did when they established G Series as a performance enhancing product) or trying to establish a new positioning (like RONA’s partnership with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, which established them as a company that cares about Canadians). Employee engagement is also a key problem that sponsorship can help solve, as examples from CIBC and AON demonstrate. These two organizations were both able to use sponsorship to transcend cultural and geographic boundaries and unite their employees. Earned media impacts a company’s bottom line more than advertising ever could, and can also provide one of the fastest returns, as Red Bull and Speed Skating Canada have proven with their sponsorship programs. New business relationships can also be formed through partnerships, as GE learned when they entered China for the Beijing Olympics. Finally, grassroots community engagement is one of the most important ways to maximize ROI – companies can make themselves locally relevant by becoming a part of the important moments in their community. Macy’s localization initiative, My Macy’s, is a great example of engaging communities.

During the question period, David discussed ROI measurement and how to prove the value of your sponsorship investment.

MH3 Blog

Listen, Measure & Engage in Social Media

Social media is an important tool that companies and properties alike can use to connect with their audience, but engagement is about much more than simply being present. Dave Thomas from Radian6 took the stage today to discuss the importance of listening, measuring and participating in a social media program.

If Dave could leave delegates with only one thing to take away from his presentation today, he’d hope it would be to focus on the fundamentals. Lucky for me, I took away a little more and would love to share it with you.

“Only you understand your business,” says Dave. Everyone has an opinion about social media and it is important to figure out what works for you and your business. Social media has forever changed the way people and companies communicate. Speaking through press releases is no longer enough; people expect to communicate with human beings and as human beings.

Below are the top key learnings that resonated with me from David’s presentation and will help you “rev up” your social media ROI:

Number one: Listen. You need to know how to make it about “them,” not you.

Plan. Social media is only effective with it ties into your business objectives.

Engage. Talk to people the way they like to be talked to. Share information that they will find useful and give people something they want. Dave uses the analogy: how many people “liked” a business Facebook page because they love to read their press release? (No surprise, no hands!) Whether it’s a business blog, Facebook page, or Twitter feed, the reality is people engage because the like their content. Key learning: Tag it, excerpt it… infuse it with the “Google juice!” Think about how you can best optimize drive to your conversation

Analyze. Are your social media activities providing any value? Do you have what people want?

Integrate your findings into your strategic planning process.

Understand the value of your time. Analyze how much you spent compared to how much you sold.

Start with campaigns vs. understanding the ROI of your entire marketing department. That’s a realistic number that you can attain and plan for in a reasonable amount of time.

Make your campaigns trackable.

Be realistic.

Follow Dave on Twitter @DavidBThoms for more insights! You can also find his presentation on slide share.

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Start Your Engines: Rev Up Your ROI

The 2011 Canadian Sponsorship Forum has officially begun! Justin Orfus kicked off the opening ceremonies with an introduction of five of the TrojanOne team members, and then encouraged the audience to introduce themselves to those around them. Next, Mark Harrison of TrojanOne took to the stage to introduce the weekend and give an overview of how to rev up your ROI. Mark covered many of the topics that other speakers will delve into over the weekend, including social media and word of mouth, the power of turning participants into promoters, and how to get more by giving more. He discussed going beyond sponsorship to make genuine connections. His presentation included a lot of examples, from Hellmann’s to Coca-Cola, from Kraft’s involvement with Hockeyville to the Purolator Tackle Hunger program. He spoke about the lessons we can all learn from Richard Branson expanding, Oprah quitting, and even Michael Jackson dying.

A clip from Charlie Sheen wrapped up the opening keynote before delegates moved out into nearby rooms for the breakout presentation. Stay tuned for more from the Canadian Sponsorship Forum!

Keep up to date with Mark Harrison on Twitter – @MarkHarrison3.

MH3 Blog

Welcome to CSF 2011!

It’s finally here! Yesterday, I hauled myself out of bed at 3:30 a.m., took two separate flights, and spent the evening greeting arrivals to the Montreal airport for one thing – the 2011 Canadian Sponsorship Forum!

The Forum has played a large role in my life for the last few months. I’ve written a lot of the session summaries, which got me excited for the many amazing and varied presentations that will be taking place this weekend. I’ve gathered information for speaker bios, and was wowed by the high calibre of presenters that will be gracing the stage this year. In weekly Forum meetings, I watched as the dedicated and hard-working team put all the pieces together and made sure that no detail went unnoticed.

As I mentioned, I spent most of yesterday (well, the part of it that I wasn’t sitting on a plane) at the Montreal airport greeting the Forum delegates that arrived early. It was great to be the first face greeting many of these people as they landed. I spoke with groups and individuals from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and probably a few other cities that I didn’t catch. Others arrived on the TrojanOne Express train from Toronto, and even more will be making their way to the Delta Centre-Ville tomorrow.

Last night, I got my first introduction to the Forum and Montreal during Formula 1. How crazy! Friendly, smiling people everywhere. Streets filled with energy and excitement. I’m looking forward to things ramping up even more as the city roars towards the big event on Sunday: the Formula 1 race.

Tomorrow, I’ll be greeting delegates again and making sure they’re in the right place. Then, I’ll be watching the opening ceremonies and keynote presentation from our own Mark Harrison before volunteering at a couple of different sessions. So stay tuned tomorrow for updates – and don’t forget to tune in to the conversation on Twitter by following our hashtag #CSF2011.

MH3 Blog

I’m A Fan

As I get set to open the 2011 Canadian Sponsorship Forum today, it is only fitting that a young man named Robert Wickens has become the first Canadian driver to land a job with an F1 team since Jacques Villeneuve. While he will only be on the track Sunday, due to an injury or other emergency, Wickens will test with the Red Bull team and be fully immersed in all of the weekend’s activities. Regardless, for the 22-year-old who is currently second in the FR 3.5 development series, it’s a great opportunity.

2011 marks the second year that the Grand Prix has been back in Canada and judging by the lack of hotel rooms and restaurant tables available, the excitement of race fans can only possibly be exceeded by Montreal tourism officials.
Wickens’ ascent and the F1 race top off a wild few days for the Canadian sports marketing and sponsorship scene.

Last week the Grey Cup 2012 festival was launched, in anticipation of the 100th Grey Cup. Typically, festivals don’t launch before the current year’s Grey Cup. But considering the magnitude of the 100th,
the league (and I assume the BC Lions), deemed it too important to hold off. I am sure lead partners Molson & Scotiabank are thrilled to get an extraordinary 17-month run-up to the 100th!

Speaking of the CFL, Steve Mazurak’s presentation at this week’s Marketing Magazine Sport Marketing Conference blew me away. The Riders are an incredible marketing success and Mazurak told the audience they sell more licensed merchandise than 50 per cent of the teams in the NFL. Rider Pride!

Speaking of Scotiabank, I love the ads they’re running during the Stanley Cup finals. A brilliant approach by a league sponsor to leverage the excitement of an individual team’s success (the Canucks), without official rights. Take a peak if you haven’t seen them yet. Scotia proved, during last year’s Olympics, that they have become masters at this. Some would call it an ambush, I consider it more of a gentle lawn mow than a full bushwhack!

There will soon be one more Canadian team for Scotiabank to get behind.
The return of the Winnipeg franchise is just one more sign of the incredible roll Canada has been on in the past couple of years.

It’s fashionable to give all the credit to the Olympics. They were certainly a seminal “marketing” moment for our national ego, but I think this surge is much more than sizzle. The meat of the matter has much more to do with the stability of our economy, when all around us is a mess. In the movie Too Big to Fail, now showing on The Movie Network, there is a great line where the British government tells the US government they won’t allow Barclay’s Bank to buy Lehman brothers because, “we don’t want your cancer.” Thankfully Canada avoided the financial ills that befell our U.S. neighbours. This is making Canada a pretty attractive place right now. Whether you are the NHL, Target, or FIFA.

Thanks to FIFA and the CSA, 2015 is looming large as one of the greatest years in Canadian sport. On top of the previously awarded Pan Am Games, Canada’s winning bid of the Women’s World Cup event will have far reaching benefits for our sport. Stadium construction could result. Personally I am hopeful that Halifax’s Atlantic Schooners will re-surface and give the CFL the coast-to-coast presence I would love to see.
Throw a Quebec City team in the mix and a wonderfully Canadian, imbalanced, eleven-team league, with six in the East and five in the West, would really drive the sport of football in this country.

Speaking of Quebec City, I think they’re next in line for an NHL franchise; certainly ahead of Hamilton or Waterloo, and Toronto as well. I was on the Andrew Krystal Show last week talking about this very topic. There is no question that the “416” could support another NHL team (or in some people’s opinions a real NHL team!); I just don’t see how that is going to happen. Too bad. Because to me, Toronto is on par with every other North American megaopolis that has the luxury of a Cubs-White Sox, Mets-Yankees, or Lakers-Clippers setup.

Okay, I have to head off to the track. Time to Rev Up My ROI!