It’s no secret that becoming a sponsor of a professional sport can get your client or business’ name in front of tens of thousands of fans.  But if you’re considering a simple in-stadium banner, think again.  No longer are companies content with passive forms of advertising that, in a cluttered stadium, often get overlooked. The most innovative brands are instead turning to on-site activations to connect and captivate their audience.

AdWeek reports that brands are spending $1-3 on activations for every dollar spent on sponsorships, treating the sponsorship as, “the price of entry—then the activation takes over to make the investment effective.”

So what makes an on-site experience successful?  Here are three smart tactics to generate the most impact:

1. Make A Statement: There are dozens of brands competing for attention around a stadium, negotiating prime position and standing out is key.  An alluring, colorful set with visible interactive pieces (photo walls, games, large flat screens, branded tents, large show pieces, etc.) will demand attention.  For Jack’s Munchie Mobile, the first mobile restaurant from Jack in the Box, we negotiate corner lots for more space and increased visibility, and use supersized branded flags, an LED digital menuboard to draw in crowds.

2. Make It Fun: Remember, fans are there to have fun with their friends and families above all else.  Chasing people with a clipboard is no one’s idea of a good time.  Instead, create an interactive game that is accessible by all to give your experience life.  Crowds will form to watch participants, and lines will draw attention from faraway fans. For Qdoba’s sponsorship of the 2011 World Series Championship-winning St. Louis Cardinals, we created the Pitch N’ Win Challenge, allowing participants to pitch a branded baseball into the Cardinal’s catcher’s mitt for a chance to win the ultimate game day experience including a player meet and greet.  They also instantly took home a Qdoba card loaded with free food just for playing.

3. Create a Memory: Participants are more likely to remember the experience they just had if their takeaway is personalized.  Instead of just distributing free swag, provide them with a customized fan photo that they can take home.  Even better, allow it to be easily sharable through their social networks.  For Qdoba, we snapped photos of fans and instantly framed them with a custom baseball frame and uploaded them to Facebook so fans could instantly view and share their photos on their smart phones during the game.