
Industry Insights
As the industry leader in evaluating and measuring marketing investments, Navigate has a wealth of knowledge in the sponsorship and marketing space. This blog shares our knowledge and insights on current events in the sports business, marketing and sponsorship worlds.
NFL Military Appreciation Day...For a Price

How Strong is the NFL's Love for Tom Brady?
4 Super Bowl Rings, a supermodel wife, a pristine image, and enough money to go to the Kentucky Derby and the #FightoftheCentury in the same day...sounds like the perfect life to me, right? It likely was for Tom Brady until he recently went under scrutiny for his involvement in the New England Patriots' "DeflateGate" investigation. If you missed the verdict, it can be summed up with the phrase "More probable than not." These words were used to describe Brady's "probable" awareness of the deflated footballs. Is that enough to harshly punish the NFL's "Golden Boy?" The answer to this question is not so simple.
Any avid football fan cannot deny the work ethic, leadership skills, and raw talent of Tom Brady. Both on and off the field, Brady has kept a rather clean image. Sure, he had a child out of wedlock, but most people can look past that. He's now a father of 3 (2 with current supermodel wife Giselle Bunchden) and happily married. While his peers still see him as the Tom Brady they've always known, the revealing of the verdict has caused the media to heavily scrutinize the integrity of Brady. Obliged to react, the NFL is now faced with yet another punishment case in which they must handle extremely carefully while keeping the most important fact in mind...the NFL is a business. Do they really want to suspend the 4-time Super Bowl champion that all general football fans tune in to watch? On the flip side, do they want to potentially risk losing fans, sponsors, and league supporters with too soft of a soft punishment?

Chicago Hosts the NFL's First Draft Town
Sponsorship Activation Monday 3.23.15
Each Monday, we will share some great activation practices throughout the sports and entertainment landscape. This blog will serve as a space to highlight innovative ideas and campaigns. Want to have your idea or campaign featured? Send us a note on Twitter at @Navigate_Res.
With the multiple ways fans are now interacting with their favorite sports teams, it is no surprise sponsors are turning to digital activations. According to a study by GMR Marketing, 83% of fans are on social media sites. Due to this high activity, both brand sponsors and sports properties are beginning to utilize the digital space through digital lounges, stadium apps, and integrating RFID.
A recent story by Rachel Kirkpatrick at Event Marketer shares these trends and highlights examples (summarized below).
