Horse Racing

NASCAR to the New York area…why not?

August 8, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

The sport of racing, be it horse or auto, has always been very friendly to the Garden State. From legendary Raceway Park and Wall Stadium to the Meadowlands and Monmouth, local fans looking to get their fix of fast cars and horses have never really had to go far.

Brand Agassi Has Tremendous Value For A Different Generation

November 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

He came of age with the “Image Is Everything Campaign” eventhough his best tennis was years ahead. He came back from the bottom to be a successful professional, and even without a formal education made education is legacy in his hometown. Yes now that Andre Agassi writes an honest accounting of his life and career, a life which not many people on the inside would dispute as being controversial, many tennis lifers have seen to push his accounts to the side and shame him. Shame Agassi? Shame on them. In reality, Andre Agassi’s brand should be stronger today that at almost any point in his Hall of Fame tennis career. He is a role model for the serial athlete and has emerged as being sincere and creating life changing experiences for a new generation of children, not serial athletes. What the Agassi brand stands for today is what most successful people should aspire to…admitting ones flaws and looking to make the lives of those around you better with the success you have had. Agassi admitted drug use. Given the culture of athletics in the ’80’s…a time pre WADA and all glamour? Would that be surprising, especially for a rock and roll lifestyle that individual sports like golf or tennis lead professionals to? Not at all. As a matter of fact, most who followed Agassi’s career at that stage would probably not have been surprised at that time about the usage. What the Agassi brand should be remembered for and what it could be going forward is for resilience. A resilience and rededication to a career and a spirit to sincerely give back that is not just rare in athletes, it is rare in most high net worth individuals. Now one can be assured that Andre Agassi does not need more endorsement dollars, nor would he probably court the spotlight. However if there are brands looking for a role model for where America is today…a country on the rebound and dedicated to growing a generation, one may not look farther that Andre Agassi. He reinvented a career and a life and has come out as a man that not just had a Hall of Fame athletic career, but may be in a philanthropic Hall of fame at some point as well. Not a bad role model for today’s challenged times.

Jockey Promo Good Horse Sense For The Belmont…

June 6, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The drama of horse racing has always been well…on the horses. Rachel Alexandra’s Derby win was the cover of Sports Illustrated and spark a host of stories about what is good in sports. Last year Big Brown’s almost Triple Crown gave UPS a new marketing platform for over a month and the drama of Barbaro and Smarty Jones in past year’s has always been good theater and a boon to ratings. Sp this year the Belmont Stakes is challenged to draw eyes and attendance, with not just a challenged field and no real favorite but a switch from the promotion-driven NBC to the one-off coverage of ABC for the Triple Crown Series. The switch in best years would create some brand confusion, but without the hype of a horse looking to win the three races, what’s the casual fan to look for? Enter the jockeys. Long undervalued as a property because of language issues, the transient nature of the sport and the focus on the horses and even the trainers, the smart folks promoting the race have turned the focus to tell the story of those who ride as opposed to those they are riding, especially because of the fact that the potential jockey Triple Crown…for jockey Calvin Borel...is a real and rare opportunity with three different horses. This past year Animal Planet did a very compelling reality show on jockeys and the lives they lead, which led to more focus on the potential upside of sharing their very human stories with the casual fan, and Borel’s Saturday success could lead to even more opportunities for the jockeys both in promotion and publicity. Now will brands rush to create jockey sweepstakes or Twittering from aboard a horse? Not yet but who knows. Regardless the push by ABC and the Belmont to take a twist and focus not just on the horse but on the human element of the race should help draw more interest in what could have been a very quiet finish to the Triple Crown series.

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.

Sports As A Social Unifier…And Disappointment When Politics Enter The Field…

February 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the great lessons sports teaches is that many times political and social boundries can be overcome through play on the athletic field. baseball gave us Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier, and last year in an Olympic tuneup, four nations who have few political ties as a group…Chinese Taipei, China, Japan and Korea…met in baseball and opened the door for future positive relations. So it was very disappointing to see events unfold this week at a women’s tennis tournament in Dubai, when Israel’s Shahar Peer was denied a visa to compete in the event. Harvey Araton’s column in the New York Times went into great detail about the incident and the long-range ramifiactions the political move could have on sports in the region, especially for tennis and golf. Even more evidence of the damage was the withdrawl of the Wall Street Journal as a sponsor of the event, and it will be interesting to see if any players of note take a further stand in support as the week unfolds. Tennis players have been usually apolitical and the Tour has followed the dollar into some interesting regions of the world in recent years, so while a stand by players would be surprising, it could have the effect of unifying a sport which is sometimes viewed as fractured. In addressing the issue, Tour CEO Larry Scott took a strong and cautious approach, which was the prudent thing to do. A knee-jerk move to cancel the event outright could have turned the promoters into winners in a politically charged region, and could have cost players travel and prize money, as well as putting some sponsor deals in jeopardy. By playing through, the sport has taken a high road position and can let those behind the scenes see what the prudent road will be going forward. The biggest brand damage in the long run may not be to the one tournament, but could be in drawing high quality events…from rugby to golf to basketball…into the Emirates going forward. The other interesting area to follow will be on Emirates companies looking to grow their brand abroad, and whether a backlash against those events that may partner with such companies (such as horse racing) will face a public outcry. In a time when most of the world is hoping for social change, the denial of an athlete to ply her trade because of nationality is disappointing, and shows that there are still ways to go to have true unity in sports across the board. Kudos to the WTA for their stance thus far, with the hope that they follow through on the issue an deliver a penalty for the event that is worthwhile and sends the right message for all sports.

Effectively Playing The Future…YouNew Gets A Super Story For Their Brand

February 1, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the talk of the problems and lack of spending around the Super Bowl, news of NBC’s still solid advertising numbers and the cautious optimism of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell continue to show that in the gloom and doom of the economy, sports remains an industry which will eventually grow even with a current correction. And as one looks to the future, the continued entreprenurial spin of the digital space will continue to make its way forward. One of the more interesting areas, in addition to fantasy gaming and video (and blogs of course) remains the futures market, especially in the ticket space. One of the smarter and more innovative groups that we have noticed is YooNew, where fans can hedge their bets in a stock market-like futures game both buy and sell the opportunity to see their favorite teams and athletes compete somewhere in the future. The YooNew market took a great turn for the positive this weekend, as a Texas Tech professor took a chance with a minimum futures buy in December and scored himself a ticket for the Super Bowl by playing the odds on the chances of a Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl. The story was chronicled in Lubbock online today and should expand the positive YooNew experience going forward. By capitalizing on the “Super” play of one of their participants…an everyman who just wanted to take a chance at $29.00…to see his favorite team play in what was then a longshot, the “lottery dreams” of thousands have the potential to be realized and leveraged by YooNew going forward and with increased traffic and visibility could come new partners looking to tap into that “once in a lifetime fan experience.” Great best case scenario for a technology and a system that seems to be coming into its own in the secondary ticketing marketplace.

Using Horse Sense To Drive Holiday Cheer…and Votes…

December 28, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

We have recently touched on the lack of innovative Heisman and Bowl promotions from this past year, mostly blamed on “the economy”.  However one of the world’s richest men, in the Sport of Kings, found time around the holidays to push his prized posession with a very unique, relatively inexpensive, package that combined holiday cheer with a good old fashioned awareness campaign.  The man is Jess Jackson, and the candidate is Curlin.  The package, written about in Sunday’s “Rumble” section of the New York Post, went to the voting members of the Turf Writers Association, who will vote on Horse of the Year in January.  It included a holiday note, and a bottle of Jackson’s wine (he of the Kendall Jackson winery) with Curlin’s picture on the label.  It was smart, subtle, well timed and used resources that Jackson’s team had at their disposal.  The package was well received for a well deserved candidate, and got the brands some additional exposure.  Did Jackson need to do this to push Curlin for Horse of the Year?  No.  Was it smart to thank the media with a package in a year when most extra items have disappeared (especially in a sport which continues to suffer losses in coverage).  Absolutely.  A good old fashioned promotional campaign which garnered band exposure at the right time of the year.  We need more of these pushes in the business today.  

Racing’s Biggest Day Tries To Breed A Brand

October 26, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is the largest purse in sports, but most casual sports fans when asked about horse racing know only the Triple Crown, and then only in a year when horses like Big Brown take the sportlight in the spring.  So into that issue steps the Breeder’s Cup, which for 25 years has had the opportunity to try and distinguish itself in a crowded fall sports calendar and without a home.  The matchup between Big Brown and Curlin would have brought more eyeballs and attention, but Big Brown’s injury a few weeks ago ended that drama, and Curlin’s upset loss Saturday put even more of a damper on the drama,  yet by finding new partners and ways to extend the brand outside of the two day event, the Breeder’s Cup did make considerable strides in growing its presence this year and looking to the future.  By building out more promotable events, strategically looking for “dark” periods to make announcements about drug testing, future venues, and the depth of field, and educating the public on the value and spectacle of the event over a period of month’s not weeks, the marketers have been able to extend the interest window internationally, regradless of the on track performances.  Now do you need buzz with the bets horses running?  Of course that helps.  But in planning and mapping and finding news, The Breeder’s Cup this year made some great strides, and has really positioned itself better for its next 25 years as a brand.  

Becks Back To Europe…Good Or Bad For Soccer In The US

October 23, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As David Beckham’s management team ponders a temporary or permant shift back to Europe…this time for AC Milan…the LA Times has a piece on the value that he has brought to the Galaxy and whether or not its time for the legendary star to go back overseas.  The piece raises lots of questions about what Beckham actually brought to the sport in this country and did the lack of success hinder progress for the franchise or MLS.  There is no doubt that Beckham made a splash for soccer for the short term in this country that got MLS water cooler talk they would never have gotten last year otherwise.  It brought people to stadiums, moved the league off the sports pages and hopefully continued the gradual awareness or conversion for the sport in this country.  The problem is in this 24/7 world people look for the quick fix, and the staff at MLS and Soccer United Marketing have spent years slowly building and nuturing a brand to avoid the quick splash and flameout that has followed so many spectacles in sports and entertainment (read the MMA piece below).  Was the Beckham situation…an aging star with lots of masters to serve…the best for MLS?  No.  It would be much better to get…aka pay for…a young star to grow, and those things are slowly happening.  But to deny that Beckham’s presence moved MLS up the latter, broiught in much needed funds and media exposure would be silly, and hopefully there were thouands of kids exposed to him and the MLS brand that may not have gone to a match before who now have a better affinity to the pro game…almost as much as they have to playing soccer in local towns nationwide.

Breeders Cup Takes The Lead In Racing Proactivity…

August 3, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For the second Friday in a row the sports world had substantial off-field news thrust out…last week it was the unexpected resignation of AFL Commissioner David Baker and this week came the late Friday announcement that the Breeders Cup has banned steroids from all its races, again taking a stronger leadership role in horse racing.  While the timing for both announcements was dictated by the fear of rumors getting out following board meetings, the tone of both announcements was extremely well placed and has legs beyond the 24 hour news cycle.  The move by the Breeders Cup differs in that the word is extremely positive for a sport that has had its clouds over drugs in the past.  It takes a dirty word in any sport…steroids…and immediately states the clear position of the organization as to the consequences for anyone tainting the two richest days in sports with cheating.  The fines are clear and not shrouded in loopholes, and the results should be positive (no pun intended) for the event to lure partners who may have been on the fence, media who still look towards horse racing with a skewed vision and fans who always wonder about the legitimacy of a sport where gambling is prevelant.  Given the extensive race card and coverage that Saratoga gets this time of year, the coverage of the Friday announce was not as sparse as it could have been in other times of the year, and the ability to retell the announcement by officials going forward at the Haskell (where Big Brown will run) and through the Breeders Cup’s ESPN partnership should extend the window and get the word out clearly before the 25th running of the event at Santa Anita in the fall.  Well worded, well positioned announcement  by a group that is taking a much stronger public leadership position in a sport that is holding its own with potential to grow.

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