Sports Marketing and Public Relations — Sports Management Marketing — Sports Event Marketing

Merrill Has A Senior Moment…

It used to be that the Senior Bowl was one of the few showcases that every college football senior would make mandatory. There were few pro days at colleges, individual workouts or mega-systems where teams could do their own analysis prior to the NFL Draft. It was a right of honor to be selected and play in the game, which usually fell at a time and on a major network that would give those participants... [Read more about this property...]

Squash, Twitter Trouble and The Growth Of Andrew Shaw…

Once again it seems like ideas good, bad and indifferent are flowing in groups the last few days, so here’s a look at some other best practices and some issues. Squashing A Brand: The sport of squash is fast, ultra-athletic and pretty much refined to clubs and select colleges and high schools in the United States. It has never been “mainstream.” The International Squash Federation,... [Read more about this property...]

One Giant Consistent Brand….

It was late November and the storm clouds wee again surfacing. The Giants had lost to the Washington Redskins, and the call for the end of the Tom Coughlin era was on again. Coordinators weren’t prepared, the team was a wreck changes needed to be made. What did you hear from Giants players and organization leaders? Silence. Positive comments. Consistent messages of hope. There was no Pollyanna... [Read more about this property...]

Giving Popcorn It’s Due

Thursday was National Popcorn Day across America, with many of the major brands in comfort snacks staging promotions, from education programs in the media for the health of the snack to giveaways by brands like Popcorn, Indiana on the streets of new York and Los Angeles. Movie chains ran online couponing for discounts for those attending films tonight and during the weekend, all to support the corn... [Read more about this property...]

Another Five Good Ideas Worth Some Thoughts…

Seems like in addition to more jobs opening up the new ideas that make good business sense are also flowing pretty smoothly. Like last week, and it would be great to grab five at least once a week, here are five other smart ideas on the table. Martin Luther King Day As A Bigger Platform: The NBA does the best job of any sport in using the values that Dr. Martin Luther King espoused and taking the Monday... [Read more about this property...]

Next For Tebow…

The hoopla and hype over Tim Tebow mania came to an end for the short term on Saturday night with the expected loss to the New England Patriots. More importantly, the game itself showed the gap between the steak (Tom Brady and the Patriots) and the sizzle (Tebow and the Broncos) in the very unforgiving team sport of professional football. That being said, the Tebow mystique and his rise over the last... [Read more about this property...]

Five Little Items That Are Big In Their Own Way…

As we hit the middle of January, a look at some good ideas, little things, smart moves that have popped up and are noteworthy. Individually they may not seem to be huge deals but in a business that is very large in stature but small in community, it’s the little touches that go a long way. Giants Take An Ad To Show Their Twitter: The New York Giants put together one of their most satisfying performances... [Read more about this property...]

The Political Game…

Four years ago this month, Sports Illustrated ran a back of the book story by Scott Price, who had the chance to play then-candidate Barack Obama in a game of basketball. The story showed casual sports fans, who many times are also politics averse, a side of the candidate that they did not know about. That story of course was the first of many where sports and now-President Obama crossed paths on his... [Read more about this property...]

Brand Carano The Next Big Women’s Crossover?

Anyone who has turned on a sporting event in the last two weeks has seen the preview of the new Steven Soderbergh movie “Haywire,” which stars among others Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Ewan MacGregor. However one of the biggest crossover stars in the film may just be Gina Carano. The daughter of former Cowboys QB Glenn Carano, the Texas native has been the poster girl for the female... [Read more about this property...]

Lancing A New Niche Sport

This coming weekend the Professional Bull Riders will kick off their new season with their annual stop at Madison square Garden. One of the more innovative sports brands in fan engagement and experience, the PBR has survived the economic woes of some of its biggest partners to again become a property worth following for new ways to test the digital marketplace (especially in the mobile space) to keep... [Read more about this property...]

A Garden State of Hockey Branding To Start 2012

If you are in the Philadelphia/New York corridor and are a lover of hockey this week was your week. With the Division leading Rangers and Flyers battling it out not once, but twice, the Devils hosting a series of “A” list opponents and all roads leading to the Bridgestone Winter Classic at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark, the time couldn’t be better. The business of hockey is as strong... [Read more about this property...]

No Predictions, Just Some Thoughts For 2012

First of all for all those who read or follow the blog, bought my book, or even signup for the newsletter every week, thank you. I have probably gotten more positive feedback and comments in 2011 than ever before, and it is greatly appreciated. The goal is pretty simple…as my grandfather told me, you have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice more than you speak and always keep learning. While... [Read more about this property...]

The Year In Sports Films…

It wasn’t a blockbuster year for sports-themed films, and perhaps the best work again was the ESPN 30 For 30 series put together by Bill Simmons, which brought us inside the lives of everyone from Steve Bartman to Marcus Dupree and beyond. Now sports product placement in film again thrived, and in a year when traditional advertising in categories like automotive is still rebounding, cross promotions... [Read more about this property...]

A Chance For The Nets To Pay Some “Bills”

Christmas Day marked the beginning of the season for many of the NBA’s “A list” teams for the 2011-12 66 game sprint to the title. The day after marks the beginning for the rest of the league, including the transitioning still New Jersey Nets, in their final season at the Prudential Center in Newark. While the team tries to come together without its injured young star Brook Lopez... [Read more about this property...]

Yes Virginia

A few days ago I heard a reporter say, “What would Francis Church have said to Virginia O’Hanlon in today’s Twitter Facebook world. The answer is the same…believe. For those who never read it or have not in a while, below is the story from the New York Sun. It is a great reminder. THE BEST COLUMN EVER WRITTEN. MERRY CHRISTMAS Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a... [Read more about this property...]

Sport Loves A Comeback Story…So Does The BP Brand

It has been a slow and steady climb back for the BP brand since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Little by little the company leadership has been working to find ways to look forward and positively to what the company has done as the images of the tragedy in the Gulf fade slowly and the brand rebounds. Of course one of the greatest areas where comebacks are adored is in sport, and BP, recognizing that... [Read more about this property...]

Some Worth A Read From 2011

This is not a countdown, it’s only my opinion. It is also a list of books that I myself read (I read over 40 by the way and skimmed about 40 more) and enjoyed that I had no professional or personal interest in (thereby Tom Penders’ Dead Coach Walking isn’t here but could be if you are a hoops fan). I also admit there are four books that I did not yet read and they include George... [Read more about this property...]

Science, Strategy Bridge The Gap Between Sports Of Mind And Body

Last Saturday the gym at Mt. Olive High School in Flanders, New jersey was filled to capacity. Mascots roamed the floor, music blared, cheerleaders encouraged little children and parents alike to rise to their feet and cheer, and schools from across the state waged battle against each other for an elusive state title. It wasn’t hoops or football or wrestling, it was robotics, and judging by the... [Read more about this property...]

Pac 12 To China? The Value Is In The Brands, Not The Games

Monday there was a huge article in the New York Times with Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott making an “unprecedented” trip to China to look at opportunities for the league there. While Scott has done a yeoman’s job raising the level of respect and interest in his run as commish, the thought of “unprecedented” was great buzz for the conference at a time when coverage was... [Read more about this property...]

Brand Barea A Great Get For Someone…

He has a toughness and is of a height the casual fan can understand…he played for a mid-major program and battled his way to the NBA…he has a championship ring…he has a multinational appeal since he was not born in the U.S…he hangs with supermodels who can add to his brand value…he is already a mega-star in his home country. And he’s not Steve Nash or Tony Parker.... [Read more about this property...]

Tebowing Lifts Horse Racing Too?

Branch Rickey had a Hall of Fame career as an innovator in the sport of baseball, but will probably known best for his work bringing Jackie Robinson to the Major Leagues and forever changing the racial makeup of the game. A voracious reader and deep thinker, Rickey also left the business world of sport with a wide ranging blueprint for success, not just on the field and in the boardroom, but in life... [Read more about this property...]

Free Engagement? Manchester City Takes Another Step To Grow…

The cultural and business differences in how digital sports is offered in Europe and North America is in many ways as wide a divide as well, the ocean that separates the two continents. The early growth of mobile and digital platforms by the sports consumer outside of the United States, as well as the passion and tradition of club followings, gave elite brands like those in the Premier League a decided... [Read more about this property...]

College Football Takes New York…For A Week.

It is the rarest of rare events for a sport that is cult-like across the country but forgotten in Gotham. The first full week of December every year, college football takes center stage in New York. No, it is not because of a big game…Rutgers is Pinstripe Bowl bound, Army is prepping for their Navy battle this week but has had a disappointing year, and the City’s two college teams, moribund... [Read more about this property...]

Packer Brand Power: Lining Up For A $250 Piece Of Paper…

In recent years a number of minor league baseball teams and second division soccer teams have tried to make themselves “owned by the people.” The thought is simple…sell fans stock, make them owners and then let them participate in management decisions as part of a “people’s team.” A few venture sin the United States were stopped by the Securities and Exchange Commission.... [Read more about this property...]

Pac 12′s Hashtag Battle Brings Life To A Lackluster Football End…

In the time since Larry Scott took over as Pac 12 Commissioner, the league has emerged as a leader and an innovator in virtually every area of the business of college athletics. League expansion, marketing to a larger fan base in the central and eastern United States, mew media deals, a strong push to have member schools do a better job of telling their success stories nationally, proactive sponsorship... [Read more about this property...]

Stewart-Haas Helps Lift The NASCAR Ship

It wasn’t long ago that critics were playing the death knell for NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson’s string of titles took away the competitive edge for the title, too many rules, too much TV, no diversity in drivers…same old same old every week. Well along came 2011, a little uptick in the recession, a more comprehensive and aggressive social media and casual fan outreach than recently, and... [Read more about this property...]

“Brand Kobe” Finds Its Place…No Not That Kobe…

So the Thanksgiving business lull comes and goes, and with it comes, hopefully the end of the NBA lockout, which means the players and teams can get back to the business of basketball. One of those key to NBA success is Kobe…as in the Lakers Kobe Bryant, and in many ways how his season goes can help determine the business success of many. Lots of questions to be answered in LA this winter with... [Read more about this property...]

Sports Marketing and Public Relations — Sports Management Marketing — Sports Event Marketing