OK, fellow sports marketers. We're brand savvy, right? We pay attention to product and brand messages, right? We keep an eye on how our clients, sponsors and competitors leverage brands, right?
Then take this little test. Name the product or brand associated with the following advertising slogans:
1. Rising.
2. Do More.
3. Enjoy the Ride.
4. Something Special in the Air.
5. It Just Tastes Better.
6. Solutions for a Small Planet.
7. Did Somebody Say ____?
8. If It's Gotta be Clean, It's Gotta be ____.
9. Like a Good Neighbor, ____ is There.
10. You're in Good Hands with ____.
How'd you do? If you're like me, you scored better on 7-10 than 1-6. The reason, according to New York advertising agency Partners & Shevack/Wolf, is that product and brand names are integral to the slogans in 7-10. But slogans 1-6 provide only reflected brand or product exposure. They require consumers to make extra associations to extract the brand name, and many are unwilling to do so.
Last winter, the agency asked 300 consumers to associate several products, brands and industries with ad slogans. The research showed that no matter how catchy or punchy an ad tag line, unless the brand name is in the slogan, it has difficulty cutting through consumers' clutter shields.
Brett Shevack, the agency's CEO, said the lesson from the survey is to incorporate the brand name into the slogan and pound away to make sure consumers learn the association.
"Consumers aren't as involved with our products and brands as many of us believe," he said. "The tag line should almost always be tied to the product or brand."
So how did you compare to Shevack's research sample group?
Here's the percentage of consumers who made the correct association on each slogan.
1. Rising. (United Airlines Inc.) 1 percent
2. Do More. (American Express Co.) 1 percent
3. Enjoy the Ride. (Nissan Motor Co.) 8 percent
4. Something Special in the Air. (American Airlines Inc.) 13 percent
5. It Just Tastes Better. (Burger King Corp.) 14 percent
6. Solutions for a Small Planet. (IBM Corp.) 15 percent
7. Did Somebody Say McDonald's? 34 percent
8. If It's Gotta be Clean, It's Gotta be Tide. 37 percent
9. Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There. 61 percent
10. You're in Good Hands with Allstate. 84 percent
This means that 92 out of the next 100 consumers to walk into a Nissan showroom won't be psychologically predisposed to "Enjoy the [Nissan] Ride." But the next 100 folks who purchase Nissan's fine products are going to need car insurance. And 84 of them already have knowledge of the sentiment that they're in "good hands" with Allstate, which automatically puts Allstate Corp. into the limited product-selection pool.
To be sure, 300 people (4 percent plus/minus margin of error) are not a definitive national test group. But the survey clearly points out that the "Enjoy the Ride" message would be more powerful if it included Nissan's name.
A similar philosophy should be applied in sports sponsorships. Brands and product names that are integral to the site or competition itself will benefit from greater consumer awareness, hopefully leading to consumer interest, trial and loyalty.
Making the product or brand relevant to the consumer is behind the explosion of sports venue naming-rights deals, product/brand identification replacing historical sports event names and the sponsorship gold rush to motor sports.
Sponsors of sports venues such as Ericsson Stadium, 3Com Park, Bank One Ballpark and others get a publicity bounce from every sports event, concert or revival meeting that takes place within their walls.
Higher brand value can be factored in for sports properties such as the Winston Cup Series, HealthSouth Inaugural and Outback Bowl because those are the legitimate names the news media must use when reporting on those events. As many sports marketers are painfully aware, when given a choice, the media will remove the sponsor's name. For instance, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl quickly becomes the Peach Bowl and the Motorola Western Open, the Western Open.
Motor sports properties have molded themselves to fit the needs of sponsors and have benefited from the sponsors' desires to link brands with properties. When McDonald's Corp. writes a check, it leases Bill Elliott's persona, fans and history as he pilots what is known exclusively as the "McDonald's" car around the NASCAR circuit. Although McDonald's is essentially paying only for the outer 1Ú32-inch of the car — the paint job — it is in every sense of the word a McDonald's property for marketing purposes. Fans reward McDonald's investment as such.
The Partners & Shevack/Wolf survey noted that ad agencies best serve their clients when the brand/product name is reinforced through the core slogan. Then it's up to the client to repeat the slogan with frequency and context to teach consumers the message.
Sponsorship marketers can learn something from the survey, too. Customers don't work in marketing or ad agencies. The right approach is direct and to the point. Make sure they understand how a brand enhances their recreational experience. Don't let creativity interfere with basic sponsorship marketing.
Mel Poole is president of SponsorLogic, a Charlotte-based sponsorship consulting, management and events agency. He can be reached at mpoole@sprynet.com.
