Marketplace Roundup

Kia Motors has signed a three-year deal to be an official sponsor of the SEC. Financial terms were not announced, but the Kia Sorento will serve as the conference’s official vehicle for all championship events and FanFare fan events. The deal was negotiated by SEC Sports Marketing, a property of IMG College, along with Atlanta-based MELT and Initiative Media. Kia Motors will receive category exclusivity on conference logos, marketing rights, SEC TV and online site, event signage and merchandise (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).

Player names on the back of UNC's jerseys will be replaced by "U.S.A." for the game

CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? The Univ. of North Carolina yesterday unveiled special men's basketball camouflage jerseys that will wear in the Nov. 11 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic against Michigan State Univ. on the USS Carl Vinson. The UNC uniforms are a variation of the team's redesigned jerseys that were unveiled earlier this month. No player names will appear on the back of the jerseys and will be replaced by "U.S.A." Michigan State will also wear camouflaged green and white uniforms (UNC). RIVALS.com's Jeff Eisenberg wrote even though “tweaking the jerseys of two of college basketball's traditional powers is rarely popular, this is one instance that should be an exception.” The camouflage jerseys “certainly were introduced as a way of selling extra merchandise, but they're also a fun temporary change of pace and a fitting tribute to the troops” (RIVALS.YAHOO.com, 10/26).

THE FAST & THE CURIOUS: In London, Kevin Eason writes companies from “telecommunications to carmakers and finance houses” have “lined up to get their piece of the action” with F1 competing in India this weekend. Bharti Airtel, one of Asia’s “biggest telecommunications businesses, rapidly identified Formula One as attracting the audience it wanted and reportedly dropped a sponsorship deal with Champions League Twenty20 cricket to sign a [US$8M], three-year deal with the grand prix instead” (LONDON TIMES, 10/27).

SPIN FORWARD: Experiential marketing agency MKTG INC has launched a community service arm called MKTGINC4GOOD, designed to give back and provide free marketing and event services. The department’s first partnership is with TopSpin, a ping-pong tournament and party for the professional sports industry that began two years ago in N.Y. and is now expanding to Chicago, L.A. and S.F. (MKTG INC).