Scotiabank Kid Captain - 2011 SMA Entry - Media Sponsorship
A. Overview, Objectives & Sponsorship Selection
1. Provide a brief description of the corporate sponsor, sponsored organization and sponsorship property
Scotiabank - As Canada’s most international financial services company and one of the 5 major Banks, Scotiabank is a
demonstrated leader in corporate philanthropy and sponsorships.
The Sports Network (TSN) – Canada’s leading English language sports television channel. Since 2008, all CFL
games have been broadcast by TSN through their presentation of ‘CFL on TSN’.
Canadian Football League (CFL) - A professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of
competition in Canadian football, consisting of eight member teams. Of these eight, Scotiabank is a proud sponsor of
six of the teams: BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan
Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
2. Explain how the sponsorship program fits within the corporate marketing plan/strategy
Anchored by the “You’re Richer Than You Think” message, Scotiabank is committed to delivering on its brand
promise by supporting the communities in which we live and work, while enriching the lives of Canadians through
relevant sponsorship programs – in this case, the passion of Canadian football. The CFL and its member teams are
properties that are highly relevant to Canadian families nationwide and especially within the local communities where
Scotiabank operates. Through Scotiabank's sponsorship of the CFL as well as six of the eight member teams, the
Bank enriches the experiences of these families and fans each week in a broadcast delivered by TSN. The Scotiabank
Kid Captain initiative was a season long, media driven contest that offered kids 7 to 14 years old the opportunity to
have a once-in-a-lifetime, on-field experience with their favourite CFL team.
This program engages the youth/parent segment which is on strategy and consistent with the Bank’s other
sponsorship properties (Scotiabank Hockey Club, SCENE program). As such, Scotiabank chose a specific target
demographic within the CFL fan base – ‘Football engaged families.’ Within this target segment, there are
approximately 3.8 million CFL fans that have at least one child1 with approximately 37% of which are within the
program’s targeted age bracket (ages 7 to 14)2.
3. List the primary objectives each partner identified as integral to forming the partnership
 Increase awareness / visibility - Generate awareness for/and demonstrate Scotiabank’s commitment to Canadian
football, specifically, the Scotiabank Kid Captain program nationwide, by increasing visible presence in relevant
high traffic areas (i.e. broadcast, online, in stadium and in branch) to achieve at least 20 million online impressions
generating a minimum click through rate (CTR) of 0.30% as well as attract a minimum of 20,000 unique visitors to
www.scotiakidcaptain.com.
 Change / reinforce image - Leverage Scotiabank Kid Captain in public relations efforts by generating at least 20
media mentions with a total reach of 1 million within the local community of Scotiabank Kid Captains.
 Capture database /generate leads - Target of 5,000 contest entries within the target demographic
 Branch/Staff Integration - Engage program participants at a 1:1 ratio with Scotiabank staff.
4. Include the process and strategic insights that lead to the selection of the property
As a national financial services company with branches from coast-to-coast, Scotiabank sought a way to engage
Canadians in a relevant and meaningful link to one of Canada’s oldest pastimes – CFL football. With a passionate
and highly engaged audience with strong regional viewership, Scotiabank partnered with TSN, the CFL and CFL
teams based on a number of criteria:
 Scotiabank has a significant presence in each of the CFL's member team communities
 TSN exclusively delivers leading CFL content to Canadians from coast-to-coast and in communities where
Scotiabank has football engaged staff and customers
1
2
Data provided by the Canadian Football League
Estimated based on the following metrics: 50% of adult Canadians are CFL fans (as per CFL) x 2.8 million Canadians
between the ages of 7 to 14 (estimated from Stats Can Data – 50% of Canadians ages 5 to 9 + 100% Canadians ages 10 to
14) = 1.4 million Canadians - http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo10a-eng.htm
 Together TSN and the CFL provide national marketing rights and abilities to marquee events and assets that
deliver national visibility with the ability to activate locally - including at the Grey Cup and Scotiabank
Touchdown Atlantic (as the Bank of Nova Scotia, with roots in the East, this is a highly desirable asset)
 CFL is a strong, uniquely Canadian brand - like Scotiabank, that offers a family viewing activity via TSN and
aligns with Scotiabank's desire to build lasting connections with Canadian families
5. Identify the length of the sponsor partnership up to and including 2010
 Scotiabank has been a partner with the CFL and CFL sponsored teams since 2007
 Scotiabank’s media sponsorship of the Kid Captain program with TSN was new in 2010
6. Total sponsorship marketing program costs (both level of total budget and ratio of rights fee to activation costs)
Total sponsorship cost is between $1 million - $5 million, with a rights fee to activation ratio of approximately 3:1.
B. Maximizing the Sponsorship Marketing Investment
1. Provide an overview of the activation program that maximized the sponsorship marketing investment, including
how it was a part of an integrated MARCOM strategy
Scotiabank integrated its sponsorship of the CFL, six teams and the ‘CFL on TSN’ broadcast to activate the
Scotiabank Kid Captain program by leveraging broadcast and digital assets included in contracts. Through these
partnerships, Scotiabank created a cohesive media-driven, national activation program that could be
leveraged locally from coast-to-coast, including markets where there are no CFL teams i.e. the East Coast or teams
where Scotiabank is not a sponsor (Toronto and Montreal) but have high fan avidity. In this way, the Scotiabank Kid
Captain program leveraged assets from multiple touch points to create a 360º integrated activation delivering national
awareness and local engagement. To maximize this sponsorship, a Scotiabank Kid Captain brand was created and
used across all touch points.
The Scotiabank Kid Captain program is a promotional contest where kids between the ages of 7 to 14 can win the
chance to be their home team's honorary ‘captain’ at a regular season or CFL playoff game (one Scotiabank Kid
Captain per home game with all six teams). In addition, the program extended to offer this same experience to fans of
participating teams in Scotiabank Touchdown Atlantic (two Scotiabank Kid Captains) and the Grey Cup (two
Scotiabank Kid Captains).
Each Scotiabank Kid Captain received the following:
 Team jersey and prize pack with Scotiabank Kid Captain patch
 Four Premium game day tickets
 Participation in a pre-game on-field experience (on field during coin toss, hold team’s flag during National
Anthem and watch the pre-game warm-up from the sideline)
 Travel and accommodation, spending money and additional VIP event experiences (Scotiabank Touchdown
Atlantic, Playoffs and Grey Cup only).
Scotiabank Kid Captains were seen on ‘CFL on TSN’ broadcasts participating in the coin toss ceremony – including
Scotiabank Touchdown Atlantic and Grey Cup. In addition, the experiences of eight Scotiabank Kid Captains were
specially featured during in-game segments produced by TSN during select ‘CFL on TSN’ broadcasts (see attached
video).
Scotiabank offered young fans, and by extension ‘football engaged families’ (parents had to enter their children in the
contest and attend games with winners), the experience of a lifetime by providing them the opportunity to stand next
to their CFL heroes on field prior to game. The program was the centerpiece of Scotiabank’s CFL sponsorship,
providing an opportunity to reward and interact with football engaged families - leveraged/activated across
Scotiabank’s entire CFL portfolio.
2. Indicate the length of the public activation – from launch to completion of the program
The Scotiabank Kid Captain Activation and TSN broadcast flight ran for six months from June 1 to November 28,
2010
3. List the specific strategies and tactics used to achieve the sponsorship marketing objectives
To activate the Scotiabank Kid Captain program, the Bank launched an integrated campaign to drive awareness and
entries leveraging the following elements:
 Television
o TSN broadcast and integration of the Scotiabank Kid Captain initiative in :30 spots each game. These 240
spots reached a total audience of 20,871,000 (adults between the ages of 25-54) over the course of 65
games throughout the CFL season including playoffs. Combined with additional :15 in-game broadcast
features, the unique experiences of eight winners from local markets were on display.
 Digital
o Dedicated program micro-site (www.scotiakidcaptain.com)
o TSN.ca website assets (clickable banners, leaderboards & big box ads)
o CFL.ca website assets (branded skins, clickable header, video pre-roll, clickable banners, leaderboards &
big box ads), team website assets (clickable banners, leaderboards & big box ads on team websites)
o E-blasts from CFL and team fan subscribers
o Scotiabank.com sponsorship website
 In-Branch
o In-branch promotional materials: branch posters and take-ones
 In-Stadium
o :15 Scotiabank Kid Captain videoboard spots (cut-down of TSN produced :30 and customized to show
team specific Scotiabank Kid Captain content)
o In-game PA announcements, live in-game introduction of Scotiabank Kid Captain winners
4. Provide insight on the innovative approach employed to positively integrate your brand into the sponsored
property/activity, and how it created a memorable brand-consumer connection
The CFL is a family friendly league and its teams are an integrated part of the communities where they play.
Scotiabank integrated its brand and employees into the Scotiabank Kid Captain experience by having winning
families pick up their winners kit - including Scotiabank Kid Captain jersey, from a local Scotiabank representative,
making a direct connection between the local Branch Manager and each family. A local Scotiabank representative
was also present on game day to join the families and cheer on the winners – resulting in more than 65 Scotiabank
branch employees, winners and their families being engaged over the program’s duration.
5. Elaborate on the use of the sponsorship marketing program to develop and/or improve relations with key
stakeholders such as retail network(s), trade partners, government and employees
Leveraging public relations, each Scotiabank Kid Captain winner announcement was followed up with pitches to
local media outlets resulting in interviews with both Scotiabank Kid Captain winning families and local Scotiabank
Branch Managers. Additional public relations opportunities were secured post-event, following games the
Scotiabank Kid Captain experience could be shared with media including photographs of the winner on field at the
coin-toss and with players. In addition to being a proof point to support the authenticity of Scotiabank’s position as
supporting ‘football engaged families’, public relations also served as a conversation starter for branch staff when
discussing their local support of teams and winners.
C. Results
1. Identify the results as measured against the objectives of the overall sponsorship marketing program
The Scotiabank Kid Captain program engaged eight partners: TSN, CFL League, six CFL teams as well as
Scotiabank branches across the country in an integrated media-driven campaign to create interest and demonstrate
support for Canadian football in local communities. Scotiabank has enhanced these relationships at the corporate
level and within each community, as the branch representatives and teams, supported by TSN executed together on a
weekly basis. The accomplishments from this year have enhanced each of these relationships, providing a solid
foundation that can be built upon and enhanced in years to come.
2. Provide both quantitative and qualitative results that illustrate the achievement of your objectives based on
established benchmarks and set timeframes
 Increase awareness / visibility
Well surpassing Scotiabank’s goal of 20 million online impressions, the Scotiabank Kid Captain program
exceeded goals for awareness and visibility achieving a final CTR of 0.36% and 22,526 unique visitors to
scotiakidcaptain.com with entries from all ten provinces and two territories. Each planned element was executed
and the program achieved national visibility through integrated TSN broadcast features and media stories
generated within the winner’s local communities. Through extensive broadcast presence (advertising and
features), Scotiabank instantly attached its brand to the ‘CFL on TSN’ broadcast experience which reached an
average-minute-audience of 807,000.
 Change / reinforce image
Scotiabank was successfully able to reinforce their positioning as a premier sponsor of the CFL League and
teams through the execution of Scotiabank Kid Captain experiences at both the team and League level. This
messaging was further communicated through multiple outlets (online, in stadium, in branch etc.) and in addition,
the program was profiled through eight integrated features on TSN which ran during their CFL game day
broadcasts. Public relations efforts executed nationally via grassroots outreach raised awareness of the
Scotiabank Kid Captain program, reaching more than 1.5 million people. Media coverage reinforced the message
of Scotiabank as a major supporter of Canadian football and youth/families in local communities.
 Capture database / generate leads
The Scotiabank Kid Captain program generated more than 8,000 contest entries exceeding the set goals.
 Other – Engage program participants at a 1:1 ratio with Scotiabank employees
Scotiabank employees were part of each Scotiabank Kid Captain experience. Scotiabank employees were present
and interacted with the winner and their family at each one of 68 occasions. Through this process, Scotiabank
created personal relationships with these 68 winning football engaged families.
Objective
Target
Result Achieved
Generate 20 media
stories with a reach
of more than 1.5
million
23 media stories with a total reach
of 1.5 million
Website Unique
Visitors
20,000
22,526 (Source: Carlson
Marketing)
113%
Online Impressions
20,000,000
24,176,301 (Source: Partner
Reported Metrics)
121%
Click Through Rate
0.30%
0.36% (Source: Partner Reported
Metrics)
120%
Entries from across
Canada
Garner entries from
all provinces and
territories
Ten Provinces, Two Territories
(Source: Carlson Marketing)
NA
Capture database /
generate leads
Contest Entries
5,000
8,484 (Source: Carlson Marketing)
113%
Engage program
participants at a
1:1 ratio with
Scotiabank
Employees
Number of
Scotiabank
Employees Engaged
68
68
100%
Qualitative –
Feedback from
participants
Generate positive feedback from
participants and their families specific to
Scotiabank employee involvement during
the Scotiabank Kid Captain experience
Increase
awareness /
visibility
Metric
Media Impressions
generated
%
115%
100%
8 media outlets ran Scotiabank Kid
Captain stories during Grey Cup
week (Source: Scotiabank Media
Communications)
"Thanks from all of us for an almost perfect day. The
Scotiabank rep. Pearl was very nice. The final score
was a real heartbreak for all of us being huge TigerCats fans but the fun and memories we had were
priceless not to mention the incredible seats and
food, wow! Thank you so very, very much,"
- Rev. Gord, Marcia, Hannah and Gordie Clark