Boxing, MLB, NASCAR, NBA teams, New York Times

Fill Er Up…Net Results With A Gas Promotion

For those teams who are not fortunate enough to be accessable by public transportation, the growing concern over the cost of gas is starting to factor strongly into promotion and ROI for fans and business partners.  We have cited numerous pieces about how NASCAR is dealing with their mobile army and concerns about attendence and spending patterns at games, and now we are seeing more and more teams, leagues and brands look to effective ways to help with the gas issue as a means to get added fan satisfaction. Some of the teams that have run effective promotions with gas cards to date include the Minnesota Twins,  the Atlanta Braves, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, while during the early rounds of the NBA playoffs a Philly gas station sold gallons at 76 cents in honor of the Sixers.  Also on the sports side, Callaway Golf tied in a free gas card with purchase as part of a store promotion to push sales, and a boxing promotion in Ohio offered up free gas for a year as part of a raffle for a local Polica Athletic League charity.  However all those pale in comparison to the New Jersey Nets latest push, which is offering potentially upwards of $250,000 in free gas cards to new season subscribers through late June.  Now will it hit that number?  If the sales guys hit their new sub quota it could, but even if it doesn’t, the spin of providing a large, sexy number and responding to the direct needs of the season subscriber is a great way to again have the Nets draw attention to their brand in a critical ticket selling time of year.  Great all around idea to again be bigger and make more noise in a crowded marketplace by the Nets.

Some other reads…great piece in today’s New York Times on the American Red Cross’ new partnership with NASCAR, and how the charity thinks it will work to grow awareness…the Miami Herald has an interesting piece on why athletes are advised to stay out of discussions on politics, and the benefits or issues that arise when athletes do speak their mind… Sportsbusiness.com has a good piece today on the value of Formula One as the most lucrative circuit in the world, and the metrics behind how the numbers were reached…and Tom Hoffrath in the LA Daily News has a good behind the scenes look at Lakers radio voice Spero Dedes, and how fellow Fordham alum Mike Breen has influenced his career.