Two Circles acquires Let It Fly Media

My favorite March Madness road trip was to the Tar Heel State for the 1979 NCAAs. The Round of 32 became known locally as “Black Sunday,” as Penn defeated No. 1 seed North Carolina and St. John’s eliminated No. 2 seed Duke on the same afternoon. En route to a Final Four berth under the Mason-Dixon line, Ivy League champion Penn was so unknown that arena interests mistakenly stocked Penn State’s merchandise. The Quakers defeated St. John’s in the Eastern final, but demand was so low in the pre-internet era that additional tickets could not be distributed. They were left on top of a vending machine outside the Greensboro Coliseum. I hope someone uses it.

Words of Wisdom of the Week, courtesy of the late Pete Maravich: “There are no shortcuts to success. You have to pay your dues and earn it.”

Sports marketing agency Two Circles has acquired video production and content shop Let It Fly Media.

Founded in 2017, Let It Fly has created digital content, social campaigns, and archival work for rights holders such as the College Football Playoff, PGA of America, Rose Bowl, F1 Miami Grand Prix, and NWSL’s Kansas City Current. Ta. We also work for brands such as Adidas, Under Armour, and Whoop, as well as agencies such as Opendorse and Learfield.

Let It Fly has offices in Kansas City and Miami and employs approximately 30 people (Two Circles has 600 employees). With this acquisition, Two Circles will have approximately 75 employees in North America. The Let It Fly name will be removed and agency principals Andrew Carter and Ben Walnick will report to his Two Circles Managing Director/North America Adam Davis.

This is the first significant move for Two Circles since British private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners acquired a majority stake with an 80% interest from Bruin Capital earlier this year. becomes. As such, the acquisition of Let It Fly can be seen as an early roadmap for Two Circles.

“Live content production is something that we really needed to add and provide to our clients,” Davis said, adding that the deal began nine months ago when Two Circles started doing some of the work for clients. He added that he was considering outsourcing the production to a shop with live production capabilities. “Add data strategy and reporting capabilities to view the results of your content campaigns and allow you to pivot on the fly if something isn’t working as planned.”

Davis also said that while brand consulting will be “a big part of our future,” in the short term, the deal will “root us deeper into the university world.”

Carter, co-founder of Let It Fly, added: “We weren’t looking to sell, but there was such a strong cultural and professional fit that it just seemed like a ‘parent trap.’ We were twins separated at birth. There are really good data agencies and really good production companies. It’s truly unique to offer both. ”

Two Circles advises the NFL, EA Sports, IOC, LA28, International Cricket Council, Formula 1, Premier League, Wimbledon, UEFA, FIFA and more.

Two Circles hopes Let It Fly’s acquisition, including CFP, will help it penetrate universities.

May I suggest debt cancellation to someone on the real estate sales side who is looking for a new category of sponsorship (which is pretty much everyone)? Or at least the goodwill associated with it as a way to activate and strengthen other sponsorships?

That’s the concept behind ForgiveCo.

The Fort Collins, Colo.-based company used its unique cause marketing format to make deals with both Bills QB Josh Allen and the Commanders last year. Simply put, ForgiveCo buys personal debt for a few cents on the dollar, forgives it, and allows brands to buy the appreciation that comes with it, allowing them to earn the cancellation and benefit associated with their cause. Masu.

This is a technique that has been used to target groups like PureTalk Wireless, which forgave more than $10 million in veterans’ debts on cell phone contracts while offering debt relief in their marketing campaigns. Similarly, Allen wiped out $10 million in personal debt with personal debt from his hometown farm in California’s Central Valley and additional relief from Wyoming, where he played college.

ForgiveCo CEO Craig Antico calls his company, which is nearly three years old and has helped forgive more than $50 million in debt, a platform for goodwill. He cited brand awareness, loyalty and earned media as his key benefits. “This is a unique service for any property and is much more meaningful than just a presentation of a check in the field,” he said.

The idea of ​​combining debt relief with other real estate comes up with an IdeaQuest from Eric Bechtel, currently president of ForgiveCo. Mr. Bechtel was so intrigued by the proposal that after a cold call he hired ForgiveCo. “Debt is at an all-time high,” Bechtel said. “Most partnerships come with a cause-related program, which is an easy way to make these funds go further while providing a reliable marketing platform. There’s also great content from people who have been there. And all marketers are looking for content right now.”

Jeff Ehrenkranz, former Octagon president of Marketing International, is the founder of Hirsch, a 70-employee marketing and experience agency in Cornelius, North Carolina, whose clients include Anheuser-Busch InBev, Monster Energy, NASCAR and Unilever. He resurfaced as president of Felt Marketing Solutions.

This is a new position for the 20-year-old shop, led by founder and owner Todd Hirschfeld, whose competencies include strategy, sponsorship consulting and hospitality.

After more than 25 years in the Octagon, Ehrenkranz served as COO of Allied Sports from 2021 to 2023. He was the winner of the SBJ Forty Under 40 in 2011.

• This week’s Players Championship has three major sponsors: Morgan Stanley, Comcast Business, and Optum, says my colleague Josh Carpenter. Morgan Stanley focuses on the 50th anniversary of the PGA Tour event with an augmented reality journey around TPC Sawgrass that fans both on the course and at home can access and activate the QR code on their mobile phones. , at which point the company’s ambassador, Justin Rose, will walk. It takes them through special moments in the tournament’s history.

• Cognizant has signed a multi-year deal to become the first title sponsor of Major League Cricket, a six-team league that begins its second U.S. season on July 4, SBJ’s David Broughton reported.

• As part of a multi-year deal, the Twins have named Winnebago Industries the official sponsor of Outdoor Adventures, SBJ’s Eric Bacharach reports. Winnebago, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., will have a unique RV product display and luxury boat-inspired seating inside Gate 34 at Target Field.

• Inter Miami have signed a sponsorship renewal with former front-of-kit sponsor XBTO, sources said, according to SBJ’s Alex Silverman, the deal is for two years and is based in Miami-based crypto finance company It is said that they will make a seven-figure annual commitment to continue with the project. Team sponsor during Lionel Messi’s contract with the club.

• Progressive maintained its position as the top advertiser for men’s nationally televised college basketball games during the 2023-24 regular season, according to iSpot.tv data analyzed by SBJ’s Austin Karp. However, the insurance company spent just $2.9 million this season, down 21% from last season’s $3.7 million. Capital One (again No. 2 on the list) also spent more than $3 million last season, but their spending has dropped to $2.8 million (down about 6.7%).