Brand positioning - entertainment marketing - marketing orientation - event sponsor - consumer marketing consulting - Erlick Group

• Chicago The Musical
• Foxwoods Food & Wine Festival
• Mambo Kings
• Red, White and Blue - 2005 Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati)
• Red, White and Blue - 2006 Doug Flutie (Boston)
• Maui Film Festival
• 100 years of Duke Basketball
• Beyonce Knowles Friends and Family Concert
• Sunset Boulevard
• "Ladies of Note"
• Tony Awards Marketing Committee
• Sex and the City
• Movin' Out
• HBO Summer Film Festival
• Mamma Mia!
• Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
• 24 Hour Plays
• Un-Scene

"The Erlick Group was instrumental in creating the link between the arts and Corporate America helping us work seamlessly together to reach our goals and expectations. In this case, we were looking to reinvigorate the "Chicago the Musical" brand to a similar consumer and this helped us accomplish that in conjunction with our valued partners, Duane Reade and Coca-Cola."

“The evening was fantastic! Someone mentioned to me that it was a truly "magical night." Thank you for bringing this concept to Amex. One of our major goals of "Cincinnati Jumpstart" was to increase Amex' market presence. We certainly accomplished that goal through the RW&B concert, honoree and award as the platform in which to provide a Cardmember event, engage merchants and support an important cause. I was very pleased with the media surrounding the moving parts, too. Thank you again for your strong support, direction and guidance.”

“Jim was an outstanding, tireless and resourceful member of our "Mambo Kings" team. He delivered on all his promises, including meaningful partnerships on the marketing front with Visa and "Latina" magazine and on the cost-containment side with Magic Limousine and the St Francis Hotel in San Francisco. In addition to securing the deals we wanted, Jim was a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to our next collaboration.”

“I have known Jim professionally for 15+ years, since he launched The Erlick Group, and we have worked together in multiple capacities while I was on both the agency and client side. I have always found him to be exceptionally creative in both problem solving as well as proactively coming up with unexpected yet always strategically grounded partnership suggestions. His Rolodex is outstanding as is his work ethic, sense of urgency and personal integrity.”

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jim for the past 4+ years on both our "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus," "Disney On Ice," and "Disney High School Musical:The Ice Tour" properties. He is a superb and extremely creative relationship "facilitator" with amazing senior level contacts.
People quickly respond to his suggestions due to his great instincts, track record and demonstrated personal integrity. He has an uncanny ability to conceive/broker unique mass and niche partnerships while also assuring that all parties are completely satisfied throughout the process. We look forward to many more years of collaborating.”

“Jim Erlick is a consummate professional whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. Since his corporate contacts are always at the highest levels, he gets results quickly and efficiently, for the benefit of all parties. Jim has great instincts when it comes to anticipating client needs, and is known throughout the industry as a person of integrity. In addition to being a seasoned business executive, he is also a highly creative person who enjoys guiding projects from concept through to completion. These are just a few of the reasons we always recommend The Erlick Group to people who value results.”

“Jim is one of the few people that manages to blend the creative and commercial view on sponsorship for theatre. Because of inherent difficulties of selling to the corporate world an unproven theatrical product that may play for nine days or nine years, the mechanics of gaining successful theatre sponsorship still remains a closely guarded secret. Jim has proven successful in unlocking that secret. Jim has proved that by seeking, then finding, an effective sponsor/client partnership you can create a win/win situation.”

“Jim Erlick is a true professional who always delivers what he promises and is very good at focusing on the essentials that make deals come together and stay together. In a world where everyone talks about what they can do for you, Jim actually makes things happens and his results are always timely. Based on our 10 years working together in various capacities, when it comes to sponsorship/relationship marketing, I consider Jim one of the best.”

“Jim Erlick is the go-to guy when it comes to intelligent, creative event marketing strategies. I’ve known and respected Jim for over fifteen years, from his days as a senior executive at American Express to his current status as one of America’s foremost sponsorship marketers. His integrity, expertise and no nonsense approach to work combine to make him an ideal business partner. Jim Erlick always delivers.”

"I contacted Jim since I had heard about his excellent reputation in the entertainment sponsorship arena for some time. True to form, he was able to deliver a fantastic national sponsorship for our Moscow Ballet with Saturn on an accelerated basis. Though our distinctive property had been successfully touring the country for many years, we had never been able to secure a partnership of the calibre or size of Saturn until The Erlick Group was brought on board.

His newsletter is thoughtfully laid out and obviously well read by many key decision makers. In addition, he regularly approaches me with other interesting partnership opportunities that are always strategically grounded."

"Working Playground is a fabulous not-for-profit that provides arts education for deserving, inner city NYC children. Several people suggested we contact Jim for assistance with securing sponsorships for our critical, annual theatre fundraiser where renowned actors and directors get together to literally write and produce 6 plays within 24 hours.

From our first meeting, we were impressed with his track record, enthusiasm, candor and humility. Despite extremely little leadtime, Jim was able to deliver fabulous partnerships with American Express and Gran Centenario Tequila in addition to securing important barter relationships that helped defray out-of-pocket costs. We are thrilled with our partnership with The Erlick Group and expect to work together for many years, including growing our unique event to other domestic/international markets."

"I have known Jim for many years. He has always been an innovative and strategic marketer. In our latest collaboration, he introduced me to the unique 24 Hour Plays initiative. Despite a very short leadtime, Gran Centenario Tequila was intelligently and prominently integrated into the one nite fundraiser.

The brand was cleverly written into several scripts and also enjoyed significant media coverage touting our sponsorship in high profile communications like ew.com, people.com, Daily News, and broadway.com. I look forward to Jim's next recommendation as I know it will be brand-appropriate, impeccably executed, and that his involvement and commitment will be unmatched."

"We originally found The Erlick Group online. After meeting on a business trip to NYC, it was clear that Jim Erlick is a seasoned professional and refreshingly candid as well. Though our program is clearly smaller in scope than his traditional assignment (which we discussed upfront), he was extremely proactive, always accessible and ultimately very successful in identifying/negotiating our first presenting sponsor. I look forward to renewing our partnership so that he can help develop additional customized partnerships for 2009."

“I have had the real pleasure of working closely with Jim over the past year on multiple partnerships he has successfully brought to our "Menopause the Musical" tour. His rolodex is amazing as is his innate creativity and collegial ability to help facilitate real "win/win" partnerships. Clients instantly trust his seasoned instincts and candor which is invaluable in initially developing customized programs as well as renewals.”

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• Strategic partnerships

“Jim Erlick is super-personable, trustworthy, and listens to the key issues that enable two parties to come together where each feels the partnership is a winwin. Further, Jim adds innovative thinking every step of each project and works very hard to manage everyone's expectations to ensure that all parties are pleased with the end result.”

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• Carnegie Hall
• Warner Theater (D.C.)
• B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
• Zenith
• Naya

“ We retained Jim shortly after opening our new music club in Times Square in Summer 2000. His creativity, contacts and perseverance have been invaluable in conceiving/implementing programs with credit card, airline, shopping mall and hotel partners. He has also been instrumental in referring important groups, like the Promotion Marketing Association, to hold events at our club to create additional awareness/buzz.”

“The Empire State Building has been promoting its Valentine's Day Wedding Event for 19 years. This year we retained The Erlick Group to elevate the program, raise its profile and secure select partners to make the event even more special for our 14 couples.

Despite very tight leadtimes, Jim Erlick was able to secure an expansive array of appropriate partners including Brides.com, Gran Centenario Tequila, BB King Club, Magic Limousine and Sofitel Hotel. His imagination, energy and sense of urgency in addition to his natural ability to balance the interests of all involved parties were vital to this event's expansion. We look forward to working together again for next year's event with a more appropriate leadtime.”

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• People
• The New Yorker (75th Anniversary Festival)
• The New Yorker (New Orleans Jazz Festival Advertorial)

“We want to express our sincere appreciation for your key role in partnering The New Yorker with Festival Productions. It was a pleasure working with a savvy pro such as yourself. You were the ointment that got the first revolutions of those wheels in motion.”

“Staging large arts Festivals, and getting sponsors for them, was an untested concept here at The New Yorker in 1999. Jim's expertise was invaluable in helping us package and present our first New Yorker Literary & Arts Festival. Acting as our consultant, he educated us on the market, and how to develop a distinctive presentation that clearly dimensionalized the program's assets.”

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• Moviefone/Moviefone.com
• Visa

“With his vast experience and knowledge of the Broadway industry, Jim has been a very valuable resource and advisor to VISA, particularly since we are a new corporate player in the realm of Broadway entertainment. Jim's specific knowledge of the payment card industry has also positioned him to provide a unique and informed perspective for VISA's purposes, which we have found to be extremely helpful.”

“Jim Erlick has been instrumental in helping First USA Partners uncover unique partnership opportunities across a number of categories including entertainment, affinity programs, and consumer value-added propositions. His experience and industry contacts are fantastic.”

“Jim has a unique skill set in working with clients. He has a clear understanding of how big brands can use the awareness building and loyalty marketing that a co-branded financial payment vehicle can deliver. He negotiates fair deals for his clients and creates compelling value propositions for consumers.”

“I have worked with Jim Erlick for over 6 years. Jim is a terrific consultant who gets results. He always looks out for his clients to try to exceed expectations and increase financial returns. Jim really adds value to all projects he undertakes. He has done a fine job helping develop and bring new credit card products to market.”

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jim Erlick for the past four years. He has been a very credible, effective and trustworthy source to establish Affinity credit card relationships, especially in the entertainment category. Jim’s professionalism and seasoned experience are two reasons why he has been such a valued partner to our organization.”

“I have known Jim for over 20 years. As a consultant, he was instrumental in conceiving and brokering co-brand credit card programs for both Golf Digest and MTV. His professionalism, candor, creativity, persistence and longstanding personal relationships were invaluable. I can't recommend him strongly enough!”

“Jim Erlick has been a pleasure to work with in brokering co-brand and affinity deals between the entertainment and financial industries and MasterCard. He is personable and professional and possesses up to date knowledge of the industries with which he is involved. He is focused on win-win solutions and effectively balances the interests and needs of all parties.”

“For the last several months, Jim Erlick has been working to consummate a co-brand deal between mtvU (Viacom) and a major credit card company. I have worked with Jim very closely this last year and seen him in action. What he brought to the table was the following: 1) voice of reason; 2) relevant third parties; and 3) relentless focus on getting the best deal done for the customers and the two parties.

Even though Jim was hired by Viacom, I always felt that I could trust him explicitly to be fair and honorable towards all parties. His role included being mediator, out-of-the-box thinker, and catalyst. His involvement did not stop with signing the contract - he continued his efforts to get the best partners lined up in order to provide optimal user experience for our customers. Net net, this program would not have happened without Jim's involvement and participation from start to finish. This was a very complex deal, and Jim never wavered in his commitment over many months of tumultuous negotiations and constantly changing partner needs. ”

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• HBO
• Bn.com (Barnes & Noble)
• Moviefone/Moviefone.com
• "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"

“The past 8 years Jim has successfully conceived/brokered four innovative marketing partnerships for HBO including Snapple and our Bryant Park Film Festival, Sam Goody/Musicland with our original movie, "The Late Shift," 800 Flowers with our national subscriber drtv/direct mail acquisition program and Cointreau and Sex and the City. He is always resourceful, efficient, strategic in his approach and, most importantly, completely honorable in managing both parties' expectations throughout the process.”

“From concept to detail to talking with the principals including Buick, Conde Nast, Roberta Flack and Judy Collins, Jim handled a national concert tour with a major charity tie-in and left no stone unturned.”

“I worked closely with Jim for several years at Moviefone (777-FILM). He was extremely effective in securing several large non-studio promotions with Samsung as well as our exclusive national sponsorship with American Express. The latter deal materialized in large part because of his strong personal relationships in combination with his creative and collaborative negotiating style.”

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• A&P/Food Emporium
• Kings Markets

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• Trojan
• Ice Sport

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• Condé Nast
• Reader's Digest Condensed Books
• Financial Times

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"Jim Erlick and I have worked together on several projects over the past 15 years. He is the "go-to" guy for sponsorship. If you have the need, look no further because Jim is a consummate pro who makes things happen on time, on budget and with integrity."

"Jim Erlick has been a valued business partner the past 5 years. After joining an internet research company called Intelliseek (formerly PlanetFeedback) at the start of the dot com decline, I retained Jim's services to assist with forging new relationships across key industries. Selling an unproven product in an emerging area was a formidable task. Jim was instrumental in opening doors at various levels (C-Level, Marketing, Research, Online, Customer Service) with Fortune 500 co's.

As a direct result of Jim's creativity, tenacity and solid rolodex, multi-year partnerships have been developed with Bank of America, H-P, BMW, Masterfoods, VH-1, American Express and others. We truly consider Jim a unique extension our sales team and highly recommend any company to engage Jim in trying to grow their business."

"I recently had the pleasure of working again with Jim on my exciting out-of-home start-up, OOH Vision Networks. We had worked together many years ago when I was at Moviefone (777-FILM), and Jim was instrumental in securing large partnerships with American Express and Samsung, among other non-studio clients.

He proved to me again with OOH Vision Networks that he is a no nonsense, creative matchmaker. In addition, Jim's credibility and longstanding relationships with senior management/decision makers in an expansive array of industries has been extremely valuable to us. Accordingly, he is able to conceive and close deals within extremely aggressive timelines. In addition, he is a pleasure to work with due to his personality and integrity."

“In the 18 years I've been associated with world renowned artist Peter Max, no single individual has more clearly understood the value of the Max brand and brought more great opportunities to our table.

Jim Erlick is a "force majeure". With extraordinary creative skills Jim is a volcano of ideas. The combination of his skill and integrity, matched with years of experience and the respect of countless professionals, gives Jim what it takes to move mountains in search of great opportunities. Jim Erlick is in a class by himself.”

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• AARP
• Newport
• Reader's Digest Condensed Books
• Idine (Transmedia)
• Woman's Day

I have worked closely with Jim for 7+ years. He has been an invaluable resource on a cross-section of promotional assignments for multiple key clients whose accounts I oversee at our advertising agency, including Lorillard Tobacco and Health Mart Pharmacy. Jim is always incredibly responsive and able to quickly deliver highly creative, strategically grounded partnerships with well known brands that are perfectly targeted for the relevant customer demographic.

In addition to being very effective and credible in presentations, clients immediately respect his professionalism and enjoy his collegial style. I am confident we will continue to collaborate going forward for many years to come.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Jim on several strategic initiatives over the years as we periodically look to expand the Idine (aka Transmedia) membership utility beyond the restaurant category. His conceptual abilities are very strong. In addition, he has terrific relationships with senior management across an expansive array of categories (ie entertainment, car rental and hotels) which allows customized partnerships to quickly materialize.”

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• Mickey Mantle's Restaurant/Yankee Game
• Disney On Ice/Peter Max Studio
• Derek Jeter/Joey Fatone Clinic
• Rock n' Roll Fantasy Camp
• Big Apple Circus
• Private Michael Feinstein Concert

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