Boxing

Eastern Michigan Combines The Business of Sport, Creative Marketing To Bring Attention and Promotion…

December 5, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It’s not a new idea, but it is another twist on a smart, cost efficient and creative practice. Eastern Michigan University announced this week they are working between the athletic department and their business school to have students create and compete against each other, American Idol style, to come up with an effective marketing and ticket selling campaign for their men’s and women’s hoops programs. now in past years schools like Slippery Rock University has taken over the marketing of a minor league baseball team for a season, and major brands have invested in competition amongst grad schools to develop and then implement branding campaigns, but EMU is giving it a little more glitz and a better reward (cash and other opportunities). Even without the prizes, the idea is a very smart one for a mid-major school in a state that is short on cash and is full of folks looking for a chance to be positive in these tough times. EMU can use the creative minds of the students…the first adopters, the passionate entrepreneurs looking to shape a brand…and put those ideas to work in a fun and creative marketing and branding exercise. The idol-like atmosphere will generate some buzz, as will the prizes. At the end of the day maybe none of the ideas will be earth-shattering, and the fact that the finals will be tested at halftime of a hoops game with fans giving their choice for best idea may make it a bit of a crapshoot. Perhaps the best idea will be a combination of several of the presentations or perhaps there will be a whole season full of worthwhile idea. Perhaps there will be none. The most important thing is that EMU is working with the resources they have, recognizing a need both in the community and in the athletic department to rally, and finding a creative solution that involves all parties. Whether it works to sell tickets or not is not the most important thing. What should be watched and copied is the creative spirit of the students involved and the staff that had the ability to implement the contest.

Tough Choices But Clear Messages For Northeastern, Hofstra football programs…

December 4, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The late fall has brought yet more cold reality to mid-level college football in the Northeast with two longtime programs, both in the same league but both private schools in very crowded markets lacking a huge rush of on-campus support. Those programs, Northeastern and Hofstra, were both wiped from the slate of the Colonial Athletic Association in the past three weeks. It is another reflection of tough economic times for sports that need to show ROI for colleges…Northeastern cited more of a lack of additional funding as opposed to support, while Hofstra went more of the road of lack of funding, interest and return for the Long Island school. End of the day the fact remained for both…and could be true for several other schools in the Northeast…football at the former 1-AA level does not increase revenue and in many cases with exposure is limited does not effect enrollment so in tough times the focus can now go elsewhere. While disappointing for supporters and more importantly for athletes and support staff, both schools took similar and somewhat effective tactics in breaking the news. They waited until the season was over, thereby avoiding the potential for sentimental groundswell and negative media coverage. They both provided ample amounts of data on cost benefit for the program, along with a longtime study on feasibility and where those dollars could go. They spoke as one voice…president and athletic director…and both spoke with remorse and understanding for the student-athletes. They did not hide in a statement, but faced the media and anyone who had questions when the decision was made. They also worked to pick the right time and date so as to minimize the news cycle and get the University focused on the business at hand. Now did the cloak and dagger plan by both Universities cause “shock” amongst athletes and coaches and alumni not involved in the day to day? Yes as expected. Was there the understandable emotional heat leveled at the decisionmakers and did they take such heat well? Yes they did. Were their answers well thought out and conveyed effectively? Yes they were. ironically, the loss of mid level football in the Northeast is not the tragedy it would be in markets where college football is king. ironically in many of those markets…especially in the south…Universities are adding football program to move to 1-A and find new revenue sources. However in the Northeast, college football is very much an afterthought in a crowded marketplace at a time when most private schools have solid enrollments…enrollment numbers which in other years may have been boosted by the value of an additional 100 male students coming to play football. End of the day, both schools made a tough choice but spoke effectively with one voice, minimized the newscycle and set the stage to move on as positive as possible. At a difficult juncture, both Universities should earn points for their effective communication of a tough message.

History Channel Pawns Off A Great Promo For Upcoming Fight Night…

November 10, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

The linking of pawn shops and boxers may not have always been a positive experience, but this week, as part of the promotional campaign for the title bout between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao, “Pawn Stars” and boxing will share equal billing. That is because The History Channel, working with Top Rank and the Leverage Agency, came up with a very unique cross promotion for the History Channel’s new Vegas reality show which featured the lives of a family of Pawn Brokers and debuts at the end of the month. The “Pawn Stars” logo, series stars and even a sweepstakes will be interwoven into the HBO pay per view broadcast this Saturday night, giving the show a platform in a demo that fits and giving the fight a unique promotional platform in and around Vegas. Media Post’s David Goetzel had an indepth look at the cross promotion, which will also be woven into all of Top ranks advance media buys for the night. In addition to being an interesting media play for both properties, the move fills canvas space and distressed inventory and will also lure casual fans…those who may enjoy reality TV and may not watch a professional fight…into the promotion or the pay per view market. The replay of the fight on HBO at a later date can also benefit from promotion on “Pawn Stars” when it airs later in the month, another way in which a somewhat unconventional but very practical and cost efficient cross branding exercise can work. Now could some see it as a step down for the canvas signage that usually or used to appear at top fights? perhaps. But in a day where everyone is looking for bang for the buck, the championship fight and its reality TV cousin could be the first in a long line of similar ties ins with the reality show and key athletic events in their demo.

Getting An Added Fix Of Fall Football…The UFL Or…The Lingerie League?

May 30, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the AFL gone and the AAFL never started, the quest for NFL alternatives to fill the void continues on. While most agree that the talent level for the secondary football gap between college and the NFL is there…and the CFL has done a good job of trying to assume that role…the model that is financially and socially viable remains a mystery that even the NFL with NFL Europe could not solve. . So now we move to the fall and the launch of the once-delayed, several times evolving four team United Football League, while the once tried, well pitched and curiously positioned Lingerie Football League has also garnered its own position. the question is…can the UFL find an audience, and would anyone really care…brands or fans…about the LFL? While many have snickered, the UFL has pushed ahead and has done a good job of stealing enough headlines, signing media deals and positioning itself as a serious alternative or addition to the college and NFL audience. The coverage it has received, from AP to the Sports Business Journal to the markets where teams will be, certainly creates the air of legitimacy, and all the executives have done a great job of looking forward and staying on message. Now whether fans will show up…the price point is right…sponsors will sign on and media will cover remains the literally million dollar question. Many “good ideas” have come and gone in the recent economy, and even mainstream well established brands have taken a hit. However one thing is for sure, the people behind the UFL are pressing on and showing the confidence in an idea that helps in an uncertain climate, and look like they will create a platform that brands and fans may lean on as a cost effective alternative once the ball goes in the air. On the other side is the Lingerie Football league, which has done a great job of marketing itself and gaining mainstream business and some sports press by pandering to male dominated media. Media outlets from si.com to cnbc have given the league concept some play, and although the numbers of 8,000 guys showing up, TV partners signing on and “celebrity owners” have yet to materialize, the credit has to go to whomever built the PR plan and catered right to the male demo with which the league is looking to go to. Whether the concept gets off the ground and actually gets brands to sign on seems like the longest of longshots, but the buzz generated is certainly worthy of any startup brand. In the end which will last longer? For those looking to grow the sports marketing space the answer is probably both, although the UFL will certainly open more doors for the long term.

Cash For Gold Nights A Winner For All?

May 11, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Recently a friend hosted a “Cash For Gold” party with another friend who was a jewler. The party is the new level of what used to be tupperware, jewelry buying, lingerie buying, makeup or AMWAY parties…the host does the legwork, invites friends for some drinks and snacks and the salesperson, usually a her, pitches her wares and makes some nice sales. So in today’s economy, with jewelers hurting and looking for new opportunities, why now have in-home parties where people get rid of their unwanted stuff. Ed McMahon hawked Cash4Gold during the Super Bowl for those who didn’t remember? With that type of in-house promotion in mind, why wouldn’t teams looking for new promotions that can even assist fans, and their local jeweler, start Cash For Gold nights? Jewelers have always specialized in local sports promotions, Valentine’s Day, hidden diamonds, cash machines, wedding proposals etc., so this event would create visibility, real cash, potential foot traffic into a store, and give a team, especially a minor league team, some new revenue and exposure. For those with larger audiences, maybe even a consortium of jewlers, and use a voucher in lieu of cash on the spot? Maybe even get player involved with moving some bling, with a portion going to charity? The Lakewood Blue Claws are apparently gonna give it a try with a local partner, but for a continuing promotion that can actually give cash back, a Cash For Gold night could be a traffic getter and a money maker for distressed inventory in a down economy.

Finding The Positives…

May 8, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Even with Selena Roberts’ A-Rod book grabbing headline and now trumped by Thursday’s Manny Ramirez disaster, the NHL complaining about lack of coverage on Versus and the controversy of the Coyotes going Chapter 11 , and a point shaving scandal brewing at the University of Toledo, there remains the positive news and the feel good stories that those who work on the communications and marketing side still have to find ways to push to the forefront. The two most recent ones were the triumphs of two great underdogs over the weekend, Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby and Manny Pacquaio’s stunning upset of Ricky Hatton. For two downtrodden sports, horse racing and boxing, the two events within six hours of each other showed that the interest of the North American fan in the story of the underdog remains high, and how with a mass audience on a large stage, those sports can be swept back to the top of the sports world in a second. Now just as quickly they can be lost again without the proper messaging, planning and marketing spend, but with the two week buildup to The Preakness and the tremendous money and marketing dollars HBO puts into its elite boxing events, the possibility for continued growth, new brands and mainstream exposure remains high. Eventhough it is greatly diminished, horse racing, like baseball, remains the handful of sports found somewhere in most newspapers every day. On that same note, the lure of elite boxing still carries a star power unlike any other sport, especially for the casual sports fan who can still remember elite heavyweight fights and the intense loyal group that follows the sport. So rather than dwell and pile on the negative of the last three days, we look forward to seeing how boxing and horse racing can show the rest of the sports world that comebacks are important and even necessary to grow audience and create excitement, even in the darkest of days.

Can The NHL Postseason Grow On The Casual Fan?

April 16, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The NHL postseason begins in earnest this week, falling at a good time after the Masters, just ahead of the NBA playoffs, before the NFL Draft and following the hype of opening day for baseball. It also helps to have many of the major markets where hockey has a strong brand presence…New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Detroit and Philly especially…all playing with intriguing matchups. The new digital platforms the NHL has pushed so hard to create and offer to fans (as reported in Sports Business Journal this week) also draw more brand attention, so the opportunity to capture the casual fan, especially in major markets seems to all be in place. However one of the more fun promotions, taken to a new level with a charity component, was also rolled out this week in nine NHL markets, the beard-a-thon (Terry Lyons not only profiles the project but joins in with a call to action from Boston in his blog). The Beard-A-Thon, supported online, in print, in arena and on TV will create some fun video as teams advance, and most importantly will both support the charities in local markets AND potentially give rival teams a chance to promote together, something which is a disconnect in many league-driven campaigns across all sports. While all the St. Baldricks promotions that teams have done over the years are worthy efforts, this one literally has the chance to grow on the fan base and the media over the six weeks of playoffs, and will hopefully raise funds and awareness as well as casual fan interest for those who normally miss the day in, day out routine of the NHL season. Nice job by Cenergy on concept and deliverable, with some interesting potential brand ties over time for the promotion.

Hispanic Marketing Crossover Starts To Go Both Ways…

April 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Prior to the drop in the economy, major brands were making smart spends across all platforms to find ways to activate and grow marketshare with the growing Hispanic audience in North America. Like the female decisionmakes, the Hispanic audience has become more powerful and more brand loyal in the past five years than ever before, and the rise of powerful entities like ESPN Deportes and Telemundo and Univision support that growth. However with the cutback in spending, a good deal of that activation in the Hispanic community was curtailed, with the thought that many brands had to spend where they knew they would get immediate results as opposed to where they could build from. However recently, a growing number of brands who have had success in the Hispanic marketplace have started to expand into mainstream sports and entertainment, with the reason being if their brands have reached solid marketshare in a Hispanic audience, then it is time to access the larger Anglo fan base with a solid product. The latest example is Cerveza Tecate, which is now stretching its market from beyond the ESPN Deportes spend it has had success on to a larger ESPN audience. The move makes sense for brand slooking to capitalize on a downmarketplace to grow, as efficient and creative opportunities now abound. So for brands to look to stretch their borders, especially when they have staked a claim in a tough market and communicated effectively, the opportunity is now. Will it work for every brand? Perhaps not. But for those brands that have natural crossover appeal, going from an “ethnic” spend to mainstream may just be easier than for mainstream brands looking to grow “ethnic.”

Can WPS Succeed In A Challenged Marketplace?

March 30, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For those who were excited about the WUSA on its best days and all it could do to raise awareness, build brand and launch a legitimate stand-alone women’s professional sports entity comes Women’s Professional Soccer, which launched this past weekend. The good news is from a brand standpoint WPS has taken the best practices from WUSA and all the lessons learned, mixed in some WNBA smarts and a salesforce that has kept MLS growing and combined them into a neat package under Tonya Antonucci’s vision. The bad news is they are launching a national niche product in the worst economy on very limited funds, sponsor support and name recognition to the casual fan, who they intend to go after as much as the millions of young soccer playing kids across the country. Will it work? From a business standpoint for sports in general needs it work, as the more positive movement even a niche sport like women’s soccer has will help shake the tree for bigger established brands. From a casual fan standpoint? Tough to say. WPS is doing some very smart things…they have picked small venues to fill and grow, are marketing multinational players to a diverse audience, and are working with a single entity format which can combine expenses and push the brightest faces and smartest stories forward. They are attempting to use new media to push the product, although without a major brand spend and a big media partner that will be a challenge, and they are also looking to pair with the best and brightest stars from outside of women’s soccer to also push the brand off the sports page (and given the limited dollars for sports coverage these days their exposure would be small regardless). Will brand and media partners and the casual fan come? In this economy it will be wait and see for sure, and not wait and see for success, more wait and see for survival. If they can push the personalities of the players to diverse markets and tell those stories to the right media (some nice hits for the launch this past week) they have a chance. MLS continued growth will not hurt WPS success either. The question will be what deems success over time? If the answer is more young women being heathier, new role models and an exciting diverse product, then the chance is strong. If it is to make a windfall of cash, lure big brands and gain national broadcast TV exposure for the sport, then there will be some challenges, big ones. Regardless, the message that the league has sent to all by getting games started and looking globally for talent is a smart one, and one that, if there are brands ready to spend in the women’s soccer marketplace, or the women’s sports marketplace, they can take advantage of. Hopefully WPS catches a perfect storm to ride to success with some amazing play, activation and personality. The business could use more success stories.

Activation and Access…Some Good Examples Of March Madness

March 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Once the shine wears off of the brackets for March Madness, brand partners and media have to begin the search to find out what are the best and what are the most effective ways of telling the fun stories away from the games. Two examples showed up this weekend. First on the access side, Multichannel News’ Mike Reynolds gives the casual fan an inside look at CBS on Day one of the tournament. Traditionally, media come into CBS headquarters to watch the first day of games and get the insiders view on all the elements the network has in store for the event, and those stories are usually told by various media throughout the first weekend and into week two. However CBS gave Reynolds the chance to write about the experience of being around inside for day one, an event which gives the fans and those in the industry on the brand side a good feel for what the network can out together, from broadcasting to messaging, for the complete broadcast of the field of 64. Good all access piece. Then on the fun activation side, Sarah Talalay in the Sun Sentinel goes into detail about the local Dunkin Donuts promotion, which has its own Sweet 16 of 64 different flavored dounuts which will play down by fan vote and sales into an eventual final four. It is a good way for the local sales corps to tie into March Madness and create some fun for its customers, and even do a little field testing of popular flavors. Again nothing too over the top, but a fun, low cost and effective way to grab the casual consumer and tie it to the brand around a major sporting event. Two good moves by two groups looking to keep the flow going with different ideas for media access and promotion.

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