Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

If you’re going to do music sponsorship, you need to do it right. And there’s no question that Barclaycard is putting a great deal of effort into its own foray into the arena.

In recent weeks, it has announced partnerships with Live Nation and The Mercury Music Prize - two of the most respected names in the business. Now it has started to drill down into the sector by forming a one-year partnership with Global Radio, the company which owns leading station brands such as Heart, Capital FM, Galaxy and Xfm.

As a result of the latest deal, Barclaycard now has a series of mass-market channels which it can use to inform music-lovers about competition prizes and promotions. It will also have a branded presence at Capital Radio’s Summer Ball.

There was also news this week that Samsung’s mobile phone unit is seeking to increase its presence in the music market. In the UK, it announced plans to sponsor NME’s Radar Tour - which runs throughout May. The timing coincides with the launch of a new range of music-themed mobile phones - designed to take on the likes of Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Apple. Over the coming year, Samsung is expected to increase its investment in music event-based marketing across a range of territories.