Sharp Launches MLB Portal

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 6/10/2009

Mahwah, N.J. — Sharp said Wednesday it is teaming up again with Major League Baseball on the launch of the Sharp MLB online portal powered by MLB.com.

Sharp, which is the official TV sponsor of major league baseball, said it is extending its relationship with MLB Advanced Media with the portal project.

The site will grant fans behind-the-scenes access to Sharp’s lineup of MLB athletes, a schedule of player appearances and retail promotions, information on Sharp’s high-definition Aquos LCD TVs, and chances to win both Sharp Aquos TVs and MLB prizes through ongoing sweepstakes and trivia.

The site also offers baseball fans a variety of opportunities ranging from voting on player awards, to following the personal blogs of Sharp’s MLB athletes, to learning about the features of Sharp Aquos LCD TVs .

The Web portal was created by Continuity — the digital arm of Sharp’s advertising agency, McGarry-Bowen — and MLB Advanced Media, and will serve as a central component in a multi-tier marketing program by disseminating information on Sharp Aquos promotions activated during the 2009 season.

Sharp said information currently on the portal is the first phase of the marketing program. The second phase, anchored by a national promotion, will be launched during baseball’s 2009 All-Star Game.

“Our relationship with MLB and MLB Advanced Media allows us to provide fans with opportunities and information that they can’t find anywhere else, from meeting their favorite player at retail appearances to giving them the chance to throw out the first pitch,” stated Judah Zeigler, Sharp retail and consumer marketing associate VP. “Now, with the launch of SharpMLB.com, consumers can engage with our brand and find this inside information at a one-stop digital location.”

The portal will be frequently updated with new information, contests and trivia, and will include the following key elements:

· the 2009 Sharp MLB Team, an all-star roster of MLB athletes who will promote Aquos LCD TVs and enhance Sharp’s MLB sponsorship through retail, consumer promotions and events throughout the 2009 baseball season; this will feature player blogs, bios, trivia and photos;

· Sharp & MLB Near You, a section of the portal listing upcoming player appearances, retail promotions and other Sharp-hosted MLB events across the country;

· Sharp Presents the Player of the Month Award, a section of the site listing the MLB player of the month as select by a panel of sportswriters from across the country; award winners receive a plaque and 52-inch screen size TV. Selected fans who guess correctly will receive a special gift from Sharp.

· Win a Sharp TV, a section of the site offering giveaways of several prizes, from a Sharp-branded cap to a large-screen Aquos LCD TV, to a trip to the 2009 World Series. Sharp & MLB Alliance; and

· The Sharp and MLB section of the site offers fans a history of the relationship between Sharp and MLB.