Lowe’s, IMG College Sign Unprecedented Strategic Agreement to Reach College Sports Fans via Official Social Media Channels
Home Improvement Retailer Brings ‘Never Stop Improving’ Approach
to Interactive Game-day Experiences
MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) and IMG College today announced an
unprecedented national marketing agreement that helps the home
improvement retailer reach college sports fans where dialogue is a game
changer: official social media platforms.
“Reaching fans through their schools’ official social media channels,
from apps to Facebook and Twitter, helps us join passionate
conversations that are all about fun and memorable experiences,” said
Tom Lamb, Lowe’s chief marketing officer. “This unprecedented agreement
puts Lowe’s in a position to be top of mind for college sports fans.”
Lowe’s agreement with the collegiate multimedia, marketing and
licensing/brand management firm marks the first time a company has
secured a presenting sponsorship to a nationwide collection of
universities’ mobile apps, which often serve as fans’ primary game-day
interactive experience and a source of news and connectivity throughout
the week.
Under terms of the sponsorship agreement, Lowe’s has secured the
official designation and category exclusivity for the home improvement
retail category at schools nationwide, from Alabama to Oregon. Lowe’s
will have full use of schools’ marks from which to market, advertise and
host special events. In addition, Lowe’s will be title sponsor to
Homecoming games at numerous IMG schools this fall.
“Digital apps and social media are becoming very popular for enriching
the fan experience, and Lowe’s is the first sponsor to take a leadership
position with the official apps of a broad collection of schools across
the country,” said Ben Sutton, president of IMG College. “Working in
conjunction with IMG College, Lowe’s will be able to deliver a rich,
interactive experience branded to game day, while also creating
marketing programs and events to build relationships with alumni.”
With sports fans consuming three times more digital content than
non-fans, visibility on social media platforms (e.g., Facebook and
Twitter), official school websites and school-driven apps are designed
to maximize fans’ thirst for information and interaction.
About Lowe’s
With fiscal year 2011 sales of $50.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is
a FORTUNE 100 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a
week at more than 1,745 home improvement stores in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C.,
Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For
more information, visit Lowes.com.
About IMG College
IMG College is the nation’s leading collegiate multimedia, marketing and
licensing/brand management company, representing more than 200 of the
nation’s top collegiate properties, including the NCAA and its 89
championships, NCAA Football, leading conferences, and many of the most
prestigious colleges and universities in the country. Headquartered in
Winston Salem, N.C., IMG College employs more than 700 people in nearly
100 offices throughout the U.S., capturing consumer devotion to college
sports through partnership opportunities in multimedia rights,
licensing, events and hospitality, marketing, stadium and arena
development, stadium seating solutions, ticketing, sales, and
consulting. IMG College produces nearly 30,000 hours of radio
programming on the largest independent sports network in the country,
manages nearly 5,000 hours of local television programming, and is the
leading publisher of college sports publications and the largest manager
of university athletic websites. IMG College is a division of IMG
Worldwide, a global sports, fashion and media business. For more
information, please visit www.imgcollege.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50391976&lang=en
IMG College
Andrew Giangola, 646-871-2402
[email protected]
or
Lowe’s
Companies, Inc.
Maureen Wallace, 704-758-2298
[email protected]
Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.