As many car brands look to reduce spending and streamline work in sports marketing, one of the more efficient brands in tough times, Volkswagen, continues to make a bigger strategic play in its headquarter maket of Washington, DC.becoming the jersey sponsor and primary activation partner for the DC United.the Verizon Center and the Washington Wizards this week. Although the clean jersey is still the rule in the NBA, the entry of VW into a Wizards partnership, while KIA does a massive activation in other markets with the NBA, is a smart one and signals that the tests that VW did with the United went well and can lead to bigger, more inclusive branding in the Capitol District, a city where green initiatives and international brands carry great weight, given the multi-cultural aspects of th.city. VW's recent education initiatives also could tie nicely into sports marketing programs as well, so it will be interesting to see how/when VW increases their incremental involvement, especially in the Nation's Capitol.
Some other good reads…Ad Age has a good look inside what the remaking of the Pepsi logo costs and how it works…the Financial Times has a good historical look at how politicians have handled and managed their sports opportunities in years past…along the same lines, the Sports Business Journal this week has a look at the politics and sports issues, and breaks down the two candidates and where they stand on some sports-related issues…and with the NYC Marathon this weekend, Darren Rovell has a look at the marathon fantasy game an.how fans can get engaged with the race in the digital space.
