Billboard magazine says in a story today that North American companies will spend $1.1 billion this year to sponsor music tours, music venues and music festivals. Entertainment sponsorships have, according to Ray Waddell, moved well beyond the days of slapping a “So-and-so presents …” on concert signage and ticket stubs. The current “Blackberry Loves U2″ campaign is a great example of taking sponsorship to a whole new level.
The same article reports that the public relations budgets in the music industry are growing as businesses recognize the value of aligning with artists that touch their customer base. As a marketing guy, I get it. But as a music lover, I’m not so crazy about buying tickets to the General Motors Concert Series with Black Eyed Peas sponsored by Del Monte and Fergie sponsored by Verizon at the Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. How long before U2 releases “How to Dismantle a Blackberry Curve 8520″?
