In the entertainment arena, one effective way to get value out of sponsorships is linking your brand to something that everybody in your target market wants – while creating unique experiences for some lucky customers.

At the end of August, Miller Genuine Draft celebrated the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson by running an international campaign designed to highlight their sponsorship of Harley’s official party in Milwaukee, Wis. The ‘100 years, 100 trips, $100,000’ promotion was created by Miller’s advertising and promotional AOR for the international market, The Hive (formerly Encore Encore Strategic Marketing) in Toronto. The contest saw 100 winners (plus 21 guests) from 15 countries attend the Harley-Davidson celebration. One lucky winner won a draw for $100,000 at the event.

Advertising included point-of-sale material, selling tools for in-bar promotions and grocery and retail materials.

The two brands have had a relationship for some time; headquarters for Harley and Miller are located right across the street from one another in Milwaukee. The relationship allows Miller to target what it calls RUBs, or rich, urban bikers. ‘A Harley is in the neighbourhood of US$13,000,’ explains Hive president Rick Shaver.

RUBs are a prime target market, but this particular contest, open to anyone of legal drinking age, was designed with a much wider audience in mind.

‘The target consumer is legal drinking age to 29. Aspirationally, in a lot of markets around the world that legal-drinking-age to 29-year-old really identifies with the hipness of the Harley trademark. I’ve been in focus groups in Russia where we present the ideas of the association and they just love it – you’ve got two American classics and they just fit together so well to an offshore audience. The Poles thought it was terrific.’

While contests inherently increase a sponsorship awareness, especially in an international effort, a key element of the campaign is follow-up. ‘We call it ‘backsell,” says Shaver. ‘When you have a promotion, and there actually is a person who wins the $100,000, it’s always nice to reassure the consumers that there was an actual winner. There will be some acknowledgement [in the country where the winner is from] in some form of tactical advertising, as well as on the Web site.’

Toronto-based Labatt Breweries recently held its own event designed to impress its target market, while rewarding a lucky few.

On both Aug. 23 and July 19, rock bands Our Lady Peace and Sum 41, respectively, played to 3,500 fans on Wasaga Beach, in Ontario. Contest winners from Ontario and Atlantic Canada went up on Friday night to be treated to a DJ party. Saturday, Labatt organized beach activities, including a bikini contest and tug-of-war.

Print and television advertising for the events started immediately after the May long weekend and continued right up until the end, creating wide interest in the process.

‘The reason we decide to have events is that we want to reach the young adult target, 19- to 24-year-olds,’ says Harvey Caroll, Toronto-based brand manager for Blue Light. ‘The best way to reach them is with a tangible thing as opposed to a conceptual idea. The Blue Light Motel represents the [mythical] brand, but it’s actually real. Young adults are very skeptical and very media savvy. If we can make an event and a real experience, we cut to the chase on delivering the brand message.’

Caroll says the events would have gone ahead without the high-profile bands, but notes that Our Lady Peace and Sum 41 were on the list from the get-go. ‘We were really fortunate to get the bands because they are so popular with the target group.’

‘Everybody has an emotional attachment to music,’ says John May, VP corporate development and client services for Toronto-based Clear Channel, which orchestrated the events. ‘Marketing through music is a great opportunity because it really deals with social experience and with the essence of people almost pyschographically. The premise of sports events is competitive; you’re cheering for a team. Music events are more of an experience. Everybody’s a winner. Concerts are about people having fun.

‘The event was unique. Labatt was in control of the architecture and design of the property, and was able to specifically align the nature of the event with its brand objectives. Ideally, that’s the way every corporation would like to have it. Obviously it’s sometimes cost prohibitive.’