SI Launching Experiential Marketing Effort For Swimsuit Issue
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Sports Illustrated Marketing Initiative To
Fly Models Like Miller From N.Y. To Vegas |
The Sports Illustrated Group with the February 10 publication of its '09 Swimsuit Edition is "kicking off a business initiative focused on 'experiential marketing'" known as "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 24/7 New York to Vegas," according to Marissa Miley of AD AGE. Swimsuit 24/7 sponsor Southwest Airlines as part of the effort will fly 19 swimsuit models and VIP guests to Las Vegas on next Thursday in "one of its Boeing 737s, wrapped from nose to tail with large images of a swimsuit model." SI Group President Mark Ford "defines the new effort as alternative marketing or branded entertainment," and the concept is a "new revenue stream that the SI franchise will actively pursue going forward with all of its brands as well as the swimsuit franchise." Ford: "We had a business that was really magazine-centric. This is another big step for our brand to expand our footprint and develop an interest that we know is there." Swimsuit 24/7 sponsors include Southwest, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Nissan North America, MGM Mirage and PepsiCo's SoBe line. SI CMO Andrew Judelson said that each Swimsuit 24/7 sponsor "had a unique goal in mind." Ford: "Every marketer is looking for ways to measure return on investment. (Experiential marketing) is one of the top areas in the overall media mix that provides ROI beyond other media choices they might have." SI worked with Velocity to develop Swimsuit 24/7 (ADAGE.com, 2/3).
SWIMSUIT STRUGGLE: In N.Y., Keith Kelly reports copies of the SI Swimsuit Issue "won't go on sale in more than 3,000 Wal-Mart stores as a result of an ongoing battle between magazine publishers and wholesalers." Wal-Mart, along with grocers Kroger and Safeway, is getting "caught in the crossfire over two wholesalers' demand that publishers pay a 7[%] per copy surcharge for delivery of their magazines to retailers" (N.Y. POST, 2/6).
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