Thompson joins an esteemed list of marketers, media, agencies, television and athletic department leaders on a list that includes The Coca-Cola Company, CBS Sports, Turner Sports, ESPN, Walt Disney Company, Fox Sports, Mercedes-Benz, The Southeastern Conference and more. The list is comprised of 63 individuals from 50 organizations that the Sports Business Journal described as “an entire ecosystem of executives who work mostly or entirely in the college space, creating revenue-producing tailgates, running championship events and building brands through college sponsorships. They are high-achieving entrepreneurs, media executives and deputy athletic directors poised to be the next generation of college athletic directors.”
MELT, founded by Thompson in 2000 has represented The Coca-Cola Company for 19 years including the activation of 17 straight Final Fours, six seasons of ESPN College GameDay and more. MELT also represents many Fortune 500 companies such as AFLAC, Core Power, KIA, IHG, Wingstop and many more. MELT University, founded by Thompson based on his experiences as a student assistant in The Auburn Sports Information Department, recently graduated its class of 2019 which included 37 students from 21 universities. In the past two years, MELT has captured 17 industry awards. Thompson is also a frequent guest on The Paul Finebaum Show.
“I’m so proud to accept this honor on behalf of the entire MELT team, family and clients,” said Thompson. “It’s a tribute to our great team and the great work that our clients allow us to do on their behalf.”
About MELT
Founded by CEO Vince Thompson in 2000, MELT, LLC, is an Atlanta based fully-integrated sports, esports, entertainment culinary and lifestyle marketing agency offering clients advertising, original content development, digital, social media, event and experiential marketing, retail and consumer promotions, brand strategy and sports property evaluation and activation. MELT has won or has been nominated for the following industry awards since 2017:
- 2019 Bronze Stevie Award (American Business Awards) – Company of the Year: Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations
- 2019 Drum Marketing Awards USA Finalist- Best Event/Experiential Strategy: MELT & IHG’s Avid Hotels Pop-Up Tour
- 2019 Interactive Marketing Awards – Shortlist
- Best Social Media Campaign: MELT & Coca-Cola College Gameday Snapchat
- Best Influencer/ Outreach Campaign: MELT & Coca-Cola Company Valser Influencer Strategy
- 2019 Atlanta Magazine – Top 500 Business Leaders: Vince Thompson
- 2018 BizBash500 List – Top 500 People in Events: Vince Thompson
- 2018 Event Marketer Top 100 “It List”- Top 100 Agencies
- 2018 Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO: Vince Thompson
- 2018 Silver Stevie Award- Brand Experience of the Year- Consumer: Taste of the Tournament for Kroger, Hershey’s, Mondelez & The Coca-Cola Company
- 2018 PR News and Social Media Award- Best Use of Filter (Snapchat): Coca-Cola ESPN College Gameday
- 2018 Social Good Influencers- Honorable Mention: MELT University
- 2018 Cynopsis Sports Media Award – Honorable Mention for Use of Snapchat: Coca-Cola ESPN College Gameday
- 2018 Shopper Marketing Effie Award – Multi-Brand/Manufacturer Shopper Solution: Taste of the Tournament for Kroger, Hershey’s, Mondelez, & The Coca-Cola Company
- 2017 Experience Design and Technology Awards- Best Permanent or Pop-Up Retail Experience: The Coca-Cola Kitchen
- 2017 Stevie (American Business Awards) – Marketing/Advertising Agency of the Year