Promotion: one of the four key aspects of the marketing mix. Promotion involves disseminating information about a product, product line, brand, or company.

Promotion has 2 general parts:

• Above the line promotion: Promotion in the media (e.g. TV, radio, newspapers, Internet) Advertisers pay an advertising agency to place the ad
• Below the line promotion: All other promotions. Intended to be subtle enough that the consumer is unaware that promotion is taking place. E.g. sponsorship, product placement, endorsements, sales promotion, merchandising, direct mail, personal selling, public relations, trade shows

Examples of promotional use at sports facilities:

Miller Lite...Beer that's Made to be Great, Makes Game-Day Better And, what better way to celebrate Cowboys Game-Day than in a Miller Lite Party Suite at Texas Stadium with 15 of your friends. That's right, you can have a game-day experience like no other! Sign up now!

   Coca-Cola Rangers Family Packs 

    Rangers Family Packs include four tickets, four Hebrew National jumbo hot dogs, and four 24-ounce Cokes for one low price.

Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven!After every Mavericks home game, look for the orange 7-Eleven tents located outside of American Airlines Center. Mavericks fans can pickup coupons for free items courtesy of 7-Eleven. Oh, Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven!

http://www.mix1029.com/main.html

This radio station hires intern promotions assistants to pass out MIX102.9's swag (i.e. pencils, pens, bumper stickers, finger nail files, lip balm, pins, and calendars. MIX 102.9 80's 90's and today!

Promotions Objectives Include:

sales increases

new product acceptance

creation of brand equity

positioning

competitive retaliations

creation of a corporate image.

[Wikipedia.org]

Related Links:

http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/schedule/promotions.jsp?c_id=pit

Gives you a sample of a promtional schedule

http://www.arenasports.net

A company out of Seattle that helps other companies with advertising and sponsorship opportunities in arena sports

http://www.topendsports.com/marketing/articles.htm

Article on why so many compaines are leaning towards sports marketing for promotional use 

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_%28marketing%29

http://www.dallascowboys.com/

http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/ticketing/specials.jsp

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/sponsorship/sponsor_promotions_pg.html