Brand NFL Gets Stronger, Despite The Clouds On The Horizon…

August 1, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Granted there is a labor dispute in the distance and the Jets still have issues in the New York marketplace with PSL’s, but it is hard to argue that even in a challenged economy the brand of the NFL remains strong and gets stronger. It can be argued that the opening of training camp has come close to eclipsing the reporting of “Pitchers and Catchers” as the day that fans look forward to the most…the NFL Draft has easily become a media and brand spectacle like no other…fantasy football play is the dominant game of choice, almost four to one over baseball, because of its simplicity and appeal to the casual fan…and the one  game a week schedule gives the NFL a chance to build week on week like no other sport.  Even those who argued that parity diluted the game have fallen short of their argument, as witnessed by the record numbers who tuned in for last year’s Super Bowl, featuring two of the smallest markets (Indianapolis and New Orleans) in professional sports.

Finding The Happy Medium For Twitter…Howard yes, Johnson no…

November 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The twitter debate with regard to athletes and celebrities rages on as to what is acceptable and helpful and what is detrimental and contrived, and what at the end of the day is actually the best mix for use in the social networking space. Much like other media that have launched…sports radio, blogs, websites…the initial pushback is due more to the unknown as opposed to the medium itself. Sports remains a very traditional, very routine business, especially for those who are amongst its veterans in communications on the team side. The season has its patterns, and many times there is a reticence to differ from that pattern or try new things or embrace new technology, hence the pushback.

Football Hall Asks The Fans…

September 26, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

There is always a cloud of mystery and debate when any Hall of Fame announces its annual induction class especially since like any ballot that involves humans voting, there is always an amount of emotion vs. logic factored in. For the most part, the balloting is a closed system. Once you are asked to vote you usually stay on the list for life, regardless of whether you have a stake in the game or for that matter, follow that closely in some cases. Given the state of newspapers these days, the Baseball Writers of America have even voiced concern that there may not be a good enough cross section of voters in the coming years to adequately have a vote. Regardless of the Hall, the vote is almost always without inpout of those who visit and spend dollars every day following the sport…the fan. However this week, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in part of their aggressive plan to add branding partners and become more diverse, announced a partnership with Van Heusen and JC Penney to collect the fans say in the voting for the next class. Now the “fans choice” won’t count for this year, but it will be acknowledged and could make a nice addition to the debate for when the new class is announced. The promotion is also a great move for the Hall, which is finding ways to make its brand “live” beyond the walls of Canton, Ohio for the football enthusiast, both with a retail promotion and a massive media and digital buy throughout the season. By using some elite bloggers to weigh in throughout the course of the season, the promotion will also be kept fresh and can stir debate not just for popular choice players, but for those on the fringe or those who can be a quirky choice for the fan in local markets. And by being the first of the “Halls” to ask the fan, the Pro Football Hall can keep themselves relevant to the casual fan year round, and could start a trend that makes the voting a little more interesting to discuss and debate the selection process.

Tigers, Phils Team Up For Great Push That Landed A Star…

July 10, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the big problems with the team sports environment is the reluctance to work together on joint projects that could benefit multiple markets. Because the focus is so much in-market to grow ticket sales and relevance for brand partners, rarely will teams focus on projects that could be mutually beneficial to both without being an encumbrance on anything the team is doing in their area. It is viewed as a missed opportunity of focus, because in today’s marketplace fans exist everywhere, and to find ways to cultivate out of market fans, especially when your home market is a travel destination, is a mistake. However into that fray comes the All-Star vote competition for MLB, and although several teams did work together to push their stars (one NL, one AL) the most creative and effective campaign had to go to the Phils and the Tigers, who worked together to push stars Brandon Inge and Shane Victorino in a BranTorino campaign into the All-Star game. The play on words was tremendous, coming off Clint Eastwood’s Michigan based movie, Grand Torino, and again giving America a chance to give the Motor City a little push while it recovers from its financial hardships. It was also significant in that the winners in the record voting came not from major markets or from marquee stars, but from cities where the sport is supported by the blue collar, and the players selected reflected that. Bran-Torino is a great example of what teams can do if they work together and have an effect on their own in multiple markets, a project which can have huge benefits, economies of scale and potential regional sponsor ties if played right. Nice hot for the Tigers and the Phils and their well-deserving fans.

Kobe vs. LeBron…or Dwight…Digital Immediacy Gives Brands Flexibility Like Never Before…

May 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It used to be that media plans, carefully crafted and built over time, could be gone in a heartbeat if an entertainer bombed or ran afowl of the law, or an athlete was injured or failed to live up to expectations. The classic story has always been the Dave vs. Dave decathlon battle leading to the Olympics that never materialized because of injuries and underperformance. Even three years ago, Amex’s “Andys Mojo” campaign built around Andy Roddick for the US Open, flamed out when Roddick when down too early in the tournament, and there are countless stories of teams pulling down billlboards after early season trades or problems. However today’s digitial opportunities gives media and brand at least more flexibility than before. Even the LA Dodgers “Mannywood” issues could have been much more costly in years gone by if the team did not have the ability to adjust on the fly. Was it somewhat costly? Yes. But not to the extent of other years, where billboards, ads, and other pieces could not be swapped out digitally. Even media guides, once a massive spend to store and print, are now being updated and adjusted more on CD and online, saving time and money. Latest case in point on this issue are the brands that have spent and built toward the NBA Finals and a potential Kobe vs. LeBron mega-final. Jeremy Mullman in Ad Age on Friday had a good piece pointing out potential pratfalls for brands building who have built NBA campaigns and are not part of the the matchup, especially adidas and Gatorade, while Darren Rovell had a good piece earlier in the week about Vitamin Water and their ability to adjust by also having an underused Dwight Howard in their stable of athletes. Both give great insight into the gamble of aligning with one particular athlete or entertainer vs. overall partnerships. However both also show savvy brands that can now adjust in a digital environ and deliver impactful messaging around an event like the NBA Finals by delivering right to the consumer online and with social media, and even some guerilla branding if needed. Just a few years ago, none of that would have been possible and the brand damage could have been massive. Now the ability to adjust on the fly is both creative and a time saver and provides flexibility in messaging that few could have predicted. Picking the right spokespeople is always important…being able to adjust in times of crisis is even more important, and the media environ now provides that opportunity.

Hitting The Minor Homers…

November 26, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., the minor league drum beating for great activation in baseball continues, as Ben Hill’s Minor League baseball blog singles out the best promotions of the past season, and rewards the Ogden (Utah) Raptors as the team with the best minor league promotions of the year.  In a struggling global economy, sports and entertainment brands of all sizes can continue to look to American baseball’s minor leagues as a source of inspiration and innovation not just for the offbeat, but for the ability to engage the consumer and produce quality and affordable entertainment on a nightly basis.  The baseball minors also do a great job of year round activation and engagement with their fans and business partners, squeezing every opportunity to keep the casual fan interested with the brand even when the games are not going on.  In many ways that is the secret of their local success…since most times teams do not have year-round marketable players to build a brand behind they need to sell the experiential.  It is a great lesson that those in higher ranks are continuing to adapt to, and Hill’s columns give great insight into the sports best practices.

Rays Use Business Smarts To Start Off Field Transformation…

October 7, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe the most moribund franchise in North American sports, the Tampa Rays underwent one of the best turnarounds on the field in recent memory.  As the accolades for the front office staff and players pour in as the playoffs move ahead, the downside of losing and lack of brandbuilding was still evident as the season wore on.  However, the changes that have begun to take place, and will hopefully build for the future regardless of result on the field success, are now taking hold, as pointed out by Jeremy Mullman in Ad Age.  By bringing on a former P and G brand manager, the club has applied all the touch points of a successful package goods brand, and added in the emotion of sports.  It was a smart hire and applies logic and good sense for the Rays makeover, and coupled with the onfield success can spell a business upswing for the team for the future.  Now would all the good branding in the world have worked if the team remained in last?  Maybe not.  But by setting the business climate correctly, the franchise was much better positioned to reap positive results.