Mixed Martial Arts

The UFC Looks To Reinvent…

September 2, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The smartest brands are always trying to reinvent themselves in the marketplace. In today’s economy staying fluid and satisfying your audience while looking to engage new partners or customers is key for success.  One brand which seems to constantly be looking for new is the UFC.

My friend Jay died Monday…

August 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 8 Comments 

On Monday coming home on the train I got an email from my colleague Rich Sandomir of the New York Times who asked me if I had heard Jay Larkin died.  It was so very sad news.  Jay was one of the few mentors that I had…I learned more from him in a little over a year about learning to manage people and grow  business at the now defunct International Fight League than I had in countless years at Madison Square Garden or other stops.  He was a legend in boxing, a gentleman and a Brooklyn native with a killer instinct and business savvy that as he put it, made Showtime a strong Avis to HBO’s  Hertz. More importantly, he was a devoted father and husband who knew when to have a good time and when to work.  He helped bring professionalism to the most brutal of sports, and he always spoke his mind.

A Kinder, Gentler UFC?

July 24, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

The UFC has been a textbook example of brand growth using both the digital and traditional space in the past five years, even getting profiled by Mashable on their social media platforms. They have followed a playbook first se (and then abandoned) by boxing and then by the WWE in using traditional TV and media as the driver for large gate pay-per-view events and following that with a very unique experience in-arena. It has been a solid run for the UFC and their fans, who are more fans of their brand probably trhan the overall sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  Still with all the success, the UFC model still has not brought in many new sponsors outside of brands like Bud Light and Harley Davidson, who came on several years ago and gain the great benefits of partnerships overall with Spike TV.  The UFC continues to go to new markets with one-off success, and always returns for the bigger name shows to Las Vegas for experiential weekends.  The company talks about more overseas expansion and continues to do well in the gaming and product sales area, so what’s next?  how does one gain more mainstream exposure, not in news coverage but in consistent larger viewership and gate, and does the UFC need another company to step up as a legitimate, consistent international competitor?  Is the market big enough?

New real estate in sports brands expands…

June 5, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

As the scramble to get the best value for sponsorship dollars, as well as added eyeballs for products and services, continues on in a challenged economy, two brands took a leap step forward in the New York sports marketing scene this week.

Remembering Our True Heros…

May 28, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

This past week ESPN.com’s Jeff Bradley had a very touching story about Colonel John McHugh, a lifelong friend united through sport who was killed recently in Afghanistan. As we head through Memorial Day weekend, it is important to remember not just those men and women in the Armed Services but those in civil service who are defending us each and every day.  Four years ago, we had the rare opportunity to take several of our MMA fighters, as well as NFL great Sean Landeta, out into the Atlantic and ride in with them over several days on the USS Wasp as part of Fleet Week.   It was amazing to see and be reminded how much sports connects these young people to home every day, and how much they appreciated being remembered and treated in a very special way.

Boxing Does What Boxing Does Best and Worst…Builds Buzz For The Big One…

May 4, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Saturday night in Las Vegas we again saw both the best and the worst of what brands find both intriguing and infuriating…an engaging fighter calling out his best possible opponent for his next fight with little to no assurance the “Fight of the Century” will ever happen.  Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has become the boxing marketing and branding machine that Oscar de la Hoya was in his prime (and which he turned into Golden Boy Productions with his partners), continues to grow in stature and flamboyance.  His opponent, Manny Pacquaio, continues to be the guy who can make the other half of perhaps boxing’s biggest pay day.  Still, the fits and starts, deals and postponments, hype and hoopla, that have surrounded the much-anticipated matchup have both confounded and intrigued not just the boxing fan, but the casual sports fan and many brands looking to reach that male demo. In years past, the deal for the fight, no matter how mercurial the opponents or how at odds promoters were, always seemed to get done.  The demand for th sport and for the dollar just became to great. However today we live in different times.  The consumer can easily be pulled in other directions until or if the fight becomes reality, the economic issues of boxing give those looking for elite events a large pool from which to choose from, and the fighters themselves are actually more distracted with issues outside the ring than ever before (Pacquaio is currently running for elected office in his home of the Philippines, which is also effecting the possible date for the fight).

Racing Back To The Top…

February 14, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

As one looks for continued signs of resurgence in sports marketing…record viewership for the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympic Opening ceremonies, more global sponsors building activation platforms, increased and more diverse ad spending dollars being but forth from ‘09…perhaps one should look to racing as a bell weather.  Yes it is true that “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500, will just beginning NASCAR’s season this weekend, and that the aggressive new launch of IRL is still a few weeks away, but there are continued positive signs which are showing that racing, one of the the industries hit hardest in the recession the last few years, may be returning to form in terms of viewership, attention and brand awareness. NASCAR has started awareness campaigns in theaters across the country, designed to promote the personalities of the sport, has enhanced their digital presence and begun a more intense program to get their faces out to the widest possible audience going into the season.

Can MMA Grow In The Garden? State, That Is.

January 7, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

There is still more than a little contention over how “hot” professional Mixed Martial Arts is as a sport.  One thing is for sure, the UFC as an experiential brand, is certainly very hot and very active for the men’s demo, and that experience was again in full force for their New Year’s weekend card, which again saw a sold out crowd in Las Vegas and put a cap on a record year for pay-per-view sales.

The Sports Branding World Continues To Shrink…

November 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With every passing week the global transparency of sports events continues to grow. Whether it is high school hoops stars looking to build their brand and their game going to Israel, Emirates Airways using the Breeder’s Cup in Los Angeles as a prime global marketing tool or more Chinese brands signing endorsements to promote brands never seen before in the United States, the sports and entertainment world continues to contract in distance and expand in potential opportunities.

Northern California Brands Take Leadership Positions That Mirror The Area’s Tech Innovators…

November 14, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

While most of the world views the Silicon Valley for its high tech innovation and nearby Sonoma for its wines, there is no doubt that a great deal of sports branding and innovation is continuing to flourish in the region as well. While it is true the Oakland A’s remain challenged for a new stadium (although GM Billy Beane’s Moneyball approach to the business of baseball was certainly innovative) and the Oakland Raiders remain a struggling piece for the NFL, the areas other franchises, both big and small, are certainly viewed as leaders in many areas.

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