#deals

GE and the NFL today announced the Head Health Initiative, a four-year, $60 million collaboration to speed diagnosis and improve treatment for mild traumatic brain injury. The goal of the research and innovation program, guided by healthcare experts, is to improve the safety of athletes, members of the military and society overall.

The initiative includes a four-year, $40 million research and development program to evaluate and develop next generation imaging technologies to improve diagnosis that would allow for targeting treatment therapy for patients with mild traumatic brain injury. In addition the NFL, GE and Under Armour launched a two-year open innovation challenge to invest up to $20 million in research and technology to better understand, diagnose and protect against mild tr...

#strategy

The Washington Post last week introduced “BrandConnect,” which allows marketers to offer content to Washington Post users and feature it on The Post’s homepage and throughout the site. CTIA-The Wireless Association is the first partner on board with this article. Though not always popular, the move is an increasingly common one for publishers looking to cash in on sponsored content.

“With BrandConnect, marketers become the content creators and get premium placement throughout our site. We are excited to create a way for marketers to create enhanced visibility, while maintaining our position as a trusted source for content of all kinds,” said Steve Hills, President and General Manager of The Washington Post.

“We believe BrandConnect will help us better connect with relevant and i...

#selling

This past weekend, Scott Speed's 95 Ford Fusion featured an interesting paint scheme in Las Vegas. Across the back of the race car were the words: “Surrender the Sponsor" accompanied by a full black skull and cross bones. The paint scheme, intended to help the team generate interest from sponsors, has already worked with the team closing a couple of deals for future races, according to USA Today.

"Hopefully, a potential sponsor will see this and want to be teamed up with us," drive Speed said. “There is no way I could have pulled off this paint scheme with any other team, which is why it was so appropriate for LFR – they are up for anything.”

The 95 Ford Fusion is no stranger to publicity this season. In February, Speed's last sponsor, DISH, used the LFR sponsorship at Dayton...

#activation

American Airlines recently found a novel relatively free way to tap into the genius down at SXSW in Austin. Partnering with start-up community, Wakefield, the airline created the American Airlines Paper Napkin Pitch Contest, which runs until March 12th and asks passengers to drop a napkin with their most creative ideas for AA into boxes located at the #newAmerican lounge at SXSW. In addition to getting their idea seen by a panel of experts, the winner will get 4,000 American Airlines Business ExtrAA points that can be used for domestic travel.

H/t: PSFK.com

#activationstag

#music #strategy

Over the past few weeks, Live Nation CEO MIchael Rapino has been on the spring conference circuit talking up the company's sponsorship prospects. And there's a good reason for that. Despite reporting a $163 million loss in 2012, the sponsorship business reported impressive growth recording $164 million in profit on $248 million in revenue.

In two of his most recent conference presentations, Rapino has pointed to a couple of key strategies in particular that he hopes will ultimately help the world's largest concert promoter double its current sponsorship profit to $300 million in the next few years.

To understand the company's current growth strategy, it helps to first understand its beginnings. Rapino says that when Live Nation was created execs took a page out of the professiona...

#strategy

There will soon be a new game in town when it comes to sports programming. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is remaking motorsports network, SPEED, into Fox Sports 1, a 24-hour sports network aimed at challenging the Bristol, CT-based "worldwide leader."

"On Tuesday, Fox will announce its intention to start Fox Sports 1, an all-sports network, in August," writes the New York Times. "The channel will carry Nascar races, Major League Baseball games, college basketball and football, soccer and U.F.C. fights. It will also broadcast studio shows, including one that is to be hosted by Regis Philbin, a celebrated Notre Dame fan."

“We view Fox as a formidable competitor,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s president. “They’ve got the resources of News Corp., and the willingness that Fox has shown...

#agencies

You've heard of a pop-up shop, but how about a pop-up agency? Global ad agency, JWT, yesterday announced that it will launch Walter, a five-day pop-up agency at this year’s SXSW interactive in Austin. Walter will work with start-ups at SXSW from March 8th-12th "to develop a customized brand campaign for one or two chosen start-ups." The Walter team includes a collective of creative and strategic talent from across the JWT network.

Beginning today, start-ups attending SXSW can register on CallUsWalter.com for a chance to pitch their ideas. WALTER will select one or two ideas for a partnership and then work throughout the week to develop a go-to-market strategy for the start-ups. The selected start-up/s will leave Austin with strategic plans, media strategies, and creative samples, w...

#activation

This is what happens when a new weather app has too much time on its hands. The sprinkler enabled bus stop below, created by Iris, was recently used to promote the Weather Channel's brand new android app, which claims to push more precise weather updates to your phone. Hat tip, PSFK.com.

#activationstag

#activation