IMG Sports Marketing Symposium: Case Study On T-Mobile/NBA Pact

Belcher (l) And Tatum (r) Present A Case Study On T-Mobile's Five-Year Relationship With NBA

T-Mobile VP/Marketing Mike Belcher and NBA Exec VP/Global Marketing Partnerships Mark Tatum yesterday at the SBJ/SBD IMG Sports Marketing Symposium teamed up for a case study on their marketing partnership titled, “T-Mobile and the NBA: A Fan 360.” Belcher stressed the importance of a streamlined approach to sports marketing during the discussion about his company’s five-year relationship with the NBA. “We are simply outspent by our competitors, so it’s critical that our alignment with the NBA allows us to deliver a disproportionate share of voice,” Belcher said. “To be successful you have to embed your brand in the property and become part of the storyline.” T-Mobile first targeted the NBA’s rookie campaign, becoming the presenting sponsor of the Rookie of the Month and Year awards. It also partnered with the NBA Draft and NBA All-Star Game, where it turned the annual Rookie Challenge game into a youth outreach program for local children in Dallas. T-Mobile also bought marquee platforms, such as the NBA Playoffs and All-Star Weekend to sponsor halftime reports, humorous TV spots starring Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Charles Barkley, retail locations at arenas and team branded shells for T-Mobile phones. According to Belcher, awareness of the company’s premier phone -- the myTouch Android -- has doubled in the marketplace.