June 14, 2007: Growing popularity of mobile marketing programs helps fuel 15 percent increase in year-over-year spending
For More Information Contact:
William Chipps, IEG, LLC, Tel: 312/944-1727
william.chipps@sponsorship.com
www.sponsorship.com
Chicago, Ill. — As temperatures climb and the festival season begins in earnest, IEG Sponsorship Report expects sponsorship spending by North American companies on festivals, fairs and community events to total $578 million in 2007, up 15 percent from ’06.
That increase exceeds IEG SR’s 11.7 percent forecast for the overall sponsorship industry, reflecting corporate America’s growing interest in community events as a platform to build their brands, demonstrate their wares and showcase their local and regional involvement.
Case in point: Frito-Lay North America is partnering with a number of balloon festivals and other events to promote its new Flat Earth line of snack foods.
The growing popularity of mobile marketing programs also is playing a major role in the increased spend. While companies were once content to rent real estate from event producers to park their mobile marketing rigs, they are increasingly looking for official sponsorship status to strengthen their involvement with attendees and cut through the clutter.
“Many companies are no longer content with a parking spot—they’re looking for opportunities to make a deeper connection with consumers,” said William Chipps, IEG Sponsorship Report’s senior editor.
The growing competition between cable and telecommunication companies also is fueling more sponsorship spending as companies in those two categories look for opportunities to promote their bundled service packages.
Other active categories in the fair and festival space include financial services, automobile, beverage, airline and media companies.
About IEG, LLC
IEG is the world’s leading provider of independent research, consulting, training and analysis on sponsorship. Founded in 1981, IEG provides corporations and properties with the strategies and tools to harness the sales and marketing power of sports, arts, entertainment and cause marketing.
IEG offers services that include sponsorship consulting, competitive intelligence and valuation. IEG also publishes IEG Sponsorship Report, the international biweekly newsletter on sponsorship; the IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook, the definitive guide to sponsors, properties and agencies; and other industry publications and sources.
IEG also is the leader in sponsorship training. Its internationally renowned Sponsorship Conference, now in its 25th year, attracts a capacity crowd of delegates each year. Through its conferences, seminars and webinars, IEG has trained more than 45,000 sponsorship executives worldwide.
For more information about IEG and the sponsorship industry, please visit www.sponsorship.com or call 800/834-4850 (outside the U.S. and Canada, 312/944-1727).