The Business of Baseball Never Sleeps…

December 16, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Maybe it’s because the World Baseball Classic pushed the World Series into November. Maybe its because the winter meetings came at a time this year when the rest of the sports world was Tiger-crazy and not much else was going on. Maybe its because baseball is doing as good a job of strategically stretching out its news over a longer period this year. Whatever the reason, the amount of information that is ongoing for the business of baseball seems endless, and for those involved in the branding of America’s pastime, its probably a good thing. Whether you are following the business of minor league baseball and the great things that so many teams do to stay relevant with offseason promotions, or are part of all the hot stove action going on, or are taking interest in the potential Hall of Fame candidates announced, or even getting ready to purchase tickets for the Sunday Night opener on ESPN, there is no shortage of daily information, news and notes for the baseball fan, ardent or casual. While virtually every other sport on the planet takes an offseason, baseball finds ways to stay relevant. Even on the competition front, as baseball finishes in North America games are starting in the Caribbean, and in 2010, in Australia with a new pro league. Is it overkill? Does it lose relevance? Strangely not. More importantly if you are involved in the branding business of baseball, the sport finds ways to stay top of mind, giving the brands that are involved on some level incentive to stay fresh and informed. While some may decide the actual season is too long, the fact remains that as a business and as an entertainment property, there may be no sport that feeds the sould of its core fan more than baseball, and in these challenged times, that’s a good thing for ROI.

The “Owner As Brand” Fades Into The Twilight…

November 27, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The passing this week of the beloved Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin was the latest in a series of instances recently that seem to show us that one of the great storylines of American team sports, the iconic “owner” that we loved or hated and sometimes followed with as much or more passion than the players themselves, is fading into the distance of corporate America. Yes, we still have Jerry Jones with the Cowboys and a community and business leader like Mike Ilitch with the Tigers and Red Wings, but these days a single owner as the personality of his or her franchise seems to be more a hindrance than a help when teams’ cost of doing business or connecting to a community is in play. In addition to Pollin’s passing (his legacy is well detailed in many pieces this week in the Washington Post, including Thomas Boswell’s great read), we have the fading health of the Yankees George Steinbrenner, the recently disclosed illness of the Seahawks and Tralblazers owner Paul Allen, Lakers owner Jerry Buss taking a back seat in running his franchise, and the disfunctional issues with the Raiders and owner Al Davis. Then pile on the public divorce cases of the Padres John Moores and the Dodgers Frank McCourt, both effecting those franchises bottom lines, and there is a very good case that the individual leader has gone the way of the dinosaur. Now in today’s all access media market the argument can probably be made that there is less of a need to have the owner as the organization front man or woman. Fans want access more to the players who they are spending the money on, and probably are less interested in the billionaire owners footing the bills for the talent. Still the owner as the brand and the face of a franchise, more as promoter and pillar of the community than as rich playboy, was what drew many to sport in the first place. The Maras and the Rooney’s of the NFL, a man like Sonny Werblin with the Knicks and the Rangers, Lamar Hunt taking his oil money to help start the AFL, the Yawkeys of Boston…all became touchpoints as sport became big business and their faces and reputations rose and fell in the community with the fortunes of their team or teams. Now these men certainly did not act alone, and the most successful always assembled the right business teams to run said franchises on the day to day. However the team brands and their individual personal “brands” were one in the same. Steinbrenner’s Yankees took on the personality of their owner, both good and bad. Maybe today’s high demand world of everchanging loyalties and interests may not lend itself to such individuals as much as in the past, especially as the battle for the discretionary dollar, but the personality of the owner was part of the mystique of the team brand and was part of the passion that drove the business of sport. Yes its easier to be lukewarm about corporate ownership and maybe it puts more focus on the athletes. However knowing the owner always made it more fun and a little more intriguing, and that personality involved with the imprint of the franchise got sport to be the business it is today. It is probably an era lost, but one which should be reflected on positively as another icon passed this week.

Nets Give A Glimpse Into The Global Future Of North American Sports…

September 24, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

While some view the announced potential sale of the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday to be more vanity for billionaire Mikhail D. Prokhorov and buyout for developer and owner Bruce Ratner, the window of opportunities for others could be much bigger, both on the team side and on the investor side into the future and if the deal goes through.

More Examples of The Value Of Being Green…NASCAR and Wilson…

July 31, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Two brands which most people don’t usually think of as being “green,” NASCAR and Wilson, recently continued the trend in being more enviro-conscious in their branding, production and presentation, once again proving that if you can be “green” and “first” in a category you can get your brand a nice pat on the back and some good exposure, as well as being environmentally friendly. First Wilson recently became the first brand to introduce to the North American sporting goods marketplace by bringing the first eco-certified basketball (it is black and green) to the marketplace. Do we need a “green” basketball? Will it make a bigger dent in the carbon footprint in terms of overall production? Maybe. But by branding it first and making a distinction in color, the sporting good company got some bang for the time it spent in development and marketing. Second was the interesting announcement by the always looking to be innovative folks at NASCAR to announce the largest solar energy project at a sports facility, for the track in Pocono, Pa. A sport that revolves around large amount of fossil fuels seems like a disconnect for being green, but the ability to be “first” “largest” and “effective” gets the message out, positions the sport correctly to a legion of fans that remain very brand loyal and again sets NASCAR up as a leader in a field that has suffered in the current economy and can use leaders for alternative energy sources. Will it make those folks driving RV’s a little more conservative when they fill up? Probably not. But it may make the facilities business see new options for sponsorship, community programs and ways to be more cost and enrgy conscious than they are today. Good timing and positioning on both by two brands who are not necessarily associated with always being green.

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.

The Hamburger Chain Uses A Skating Hot Dog To Grab The Young Demo…

March 1, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Some of the biggest and best activations in sports, locally, regionally and nationally, come from fast food chains. Whether it is McDonald’s Olympic Partnerships, Free Chili for when the Dallas Mavs hit 100 points or Burger King activating in the high school market, the reach to consumer through sports by the burger and taco joints has always been successful and effective. Now chain Carl’s Jr. has taken the relationship a step further, partnering with skateboarder and TV personality Rob Dyrdek for a series of viral video’s an in-store commemorative cup and even extending into a sponsored safe skateboarding campaign in Southern California. Media Post had a good look at the overall campaign, which connects the chain solidly with a star not known amongst many casual sports fans, but one who is sure to resonate with young males who love skateboarding. Now can this deal move product and drive awareness for the chain and even raise Dyrdek’s position well above those whose only knowledge of skateboarding is the well marketed Tony Hawk? To be seen. One thing is for sure, Carl’s Jr. took a low risk to brand with a potential rising star in a cost efficient way that will have his demo thinking more about the chain when choosing which burger to grab in SoCal, and if successful it could open the door for cost-efficient and innovative multimedia campaigns for those athletes in the space, as opposed to a higher priced mainstream athlete. The social responsibility of the safety campaign is also a smart addition to the messaging, which can make skateboarding easier to swallow for those who worry of the edgy side. Smart roll of the wheel for Carls Jr.