Integrated, relevant, scalable sponsorship announced by AEG at LA Live

Panasonic to be a sponsor at L.A. Live


This is a perfect fit for the venue and both partners.  It will showcase their products and provide consumer entertainment while providing a Times-square-like environment with 21st century technology on the west coast.

This is also scalable as AEG is partnering with the NBA to build basketball arenas in China. Keep your eye out for some more, bigger deals to come between these two parties as AEG is building an internal agency to provide sponsorship sales efficiencies for their partners on a global scale under, Todd Goldstein and Shervin Mirhashemi.


According to this moning's LA Times, Panasonic will be one of eight sponsors committing to multimillion-dollar contracts over several years. Others include Coca-Cola Co., American Express Co. and Wachovia Corp.

Under the terms of the partnership, Panasonic will install more than 1,000 TV monitors throughout L.A. Live, as well as an 8,000-square-foot screen that AEG says is the largest in North America.


The companies plan to use L.A. Live to unveil and showcase Panasonic products and solicit consumer feedback on them, said J.M. Allain, president of Panasonic System Solutions.

"We want this campus to not just equal Times Square but be ahead of Times Square in its technology," AEG President Timothy J. Lieweke said.

Advertising and sponsorship dollars are getting tougher to attract. IEG Sponsorship Report, a trade magazine, predicts North America growth in that industry of just 2.2% from 2008 to 2009, which would be the smallest increase in the forecast's history.

Entertainment sponsorship, which L.A. Live would fall under, is projected to rise just 1.9% overall.

Aspirational or Inspirational?

What do you want to be - Aspirational or Inspirational?  I worked for a real estate developer who provided "aspirational luxury" stores at his retail properties for consumers who "aspired" for a luxury lifestyle.

It worked in retail as consumers shop to feel better, using consumption as therapy.  We sold sponsorships leveraging access to the consumers and their diminished psychological wall against innundation of invasive brand messages.

I found an interesting organization that is offering partnerships by rewarding future behavior - and inspiring that behavior.

What is an X PRIZE?


An X PRIZE is a $10 million+ award given to the first team to achieve a specific goal, set by the X PRIZE Foundation, which has the potential to benefit humanity. Rather than awarding money to honor past achievements or directly funding research, an X PRIZE incites innovation by tapping into our competitive and entrepreneurial spirits.


 How enlightened.  Why be aspirational if you can be inspirational?