B-to-C Events

Bravo TV has launched Top Chef: The Tour a grassroots mobile experience that has many of the contestants from the reality show out on cooking demos and meet-and-greets with fans around the country. The tour launched in late June with stops will draw to a close in New York City in early October.

To create buzz for its Sync technology offered in Ford Lincoln and Mercury vehicles Ford is connecting with consumers in 28 cities at state fairs festivals and other family events through next month. The tour is broken up into several challenges to target consumers of all ages and teach them about the product. The Sync challenges include Sync That Tune the Sync Tech Challenge and Sync Count Challenge.

To connect with Minnesota Vikings fans Qwest Communications on Sept. 21 set up the Qwest High Speed Challenge in an area outside the Metrodome where the Vikings have an interactive experience open to the public before each game. The tie in: Qwest linked its fiber-optic fast Internet service to the local sports hero’s speed to connect with a core market. Fans were challenged with topping all-pro running back Adrian Peterson’s 4.4-second 40-yard dash record time.

UPS has signed a multiyear deal to sponsor NASCAR driver David Ragan. Ragan will race the No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion next year in the Sprint Cup Series.

Both Ragan and Roush Fenway Racing (the team Ragan drives for) will be supported by UPS with a variety of new marketing advertising and hospitality programs.

For most cubicle dwellers it’s merely a question of Apple or PC. But for IT decision-makers database administrators cios and those tasked with keeping their companies’ multi-million dollar information systems running as efficiently as their laptops the answer is often Oracle.