Sports Marketing and Public Relations -- Sports Management Marketing -- Sports Event Marketing » Barry Janoff

Racing Back To The Top…

Joe Favorito — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:56:23 +0000

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.

On the NASCAR side, Danica Patrick’s move has helped create even more buzz for Daytona and the ancillary events around the start of the season, while as Barry Janoff posted in his blog this week, a new group of brands have been looking to replace departing ones for activation and fan engagement. On the IRL front, IZOD has already started rolling some big marketing dollars into their new title sponsorship, including IRL-custom tagged ads that continue to pop up in other major sporting events across the dial. The IRL has a long way to go to return to the glory days of the Indy 500 of the ’70’s and ’80’s, but with an engaged and interested title sponsor leading the way, it appears like the circuit, now reunified, could also be on an upswing. The early part of the sports year is already packed with large scale events, from the Olympics to the NBA All-Star game, and the world is awaiting Tiger Woods’ return to jumpstart golf, but racing appears to be just as engaged, if not more engaged, going into a season than the sport has been in years, and that push to not just re-engage their loyal fan base, but to find more reasons for the causal fan to tune in, could spell much better times ahead.

Some other good reads…on the NASCAR front, George Vecsey in the New York Times had a good look at Andrew Giangola’s book about the loyalty of the fan… Yahoo’s Mark Spears had a good q and a with NBA Commissioner David Stern… and Sherdog.com has a look at the race issues still hindering the growth of Mixed Martial Arts.

End of the Day, Live Events Make Sports, Brands, King…

Joe Favorito — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:43:21 +0000

The debate has gone on for several years as to what the value of the live event is with regard to sports. In this age of instantaneous, multimedia applications with hundreds of applications, why do we need to watch anything live or be there in person for it? After all we can google, youtube or TiVo any event and watch it when we want to watch it, right? Yes that is true, and the options do present those challenges to event marketers, teams and brands.

However Mark Cuban, in a recent BlogMaverick post, had some great points to the contrary, and at the heart of his post are a few facts which should always be remembered when looking for the reasons why people love sports and even live entertainment. We should never forget that the live event always plays to the emotion…the chance that we will both see and experience something for the first time in real time that we may never get to see live again as it happens. It’s the reason why CNN followed “balloon boy” a few weeks ago. Yes the tape will be replayed millions of times, but the fact that one could witness and experience something live, whether in person or on a big screen, is something that taped shows and movies can never have…that sharing of a communal experience that plays on the emotions.

The just completed World Series is another great example of why, even with all the choices available, the live event is still king. Despite all the choices, the live sporting event still ruled the evening and remains the topic of choice amongst even the most casual of fan the day after. Now is the audience more fragmented than in previous years? Yes, but that’s not because the event is less compelling, it is because there are just more choices for the few that would like them. Still even with all those choices the live experience remains number one in viewership and participation. We continue to see that in college football, the NFL, and hopefully in the NBA and college hoops this winter as well. So what does this mean to all those looking to sell or find the right way to reach the best audience for the biggest bang? Same as it has been for years. The plan…whether it is for effective communications, branding or sales…has to be integrated across all mediums. With all the buzz about social media, there is not one brand or team or event that can point to social media as the leader in how they make money and drive extended interest alone. Build buzz? Yes. Lead toward an event? Yes. But without the reach of the masses…and that mass audience leads to the live event which has to be in the plan, any program will fall short. For all the buzz that Shaquille O’Neal drove with Twitter, if he wasn’t playing live games on TV in front of millions of people, the interest in him would have been nil.

The great opportunity that now exists, as Cuban pints out, is that the internet has shown to be a great driver back to the live event and the live tune in. All the other pieces…streaming video, phone applications, taped shows, twitter, YouTube…have become key integration pieces to drive the masses to watch the live event, and no other entity has the ability to consistently deliver an emotional live event like sports. Reality shows? Maybe. Concerts? Maybe. However no platform, night in, night out, exists around the world that is as large, as powerful or as emotional as the live sporting event. It is what continues to drive a billion dollar industry and what hopefully will continue to help define how brands can grow exposure into the future.

Some other good reads…the site Celebrity Acquisition has a well time list of baseball marketing winners and losers... the Florida Sun Sentinel’s David Hyde had a solid business profile of Dolphins owner Steve Ross… and Barry Janoff’s NY SportsJournalism site has a worthwhile q and a with Dr. Bill Sutton on the state of the industry.

The Lance Brand Lives Strong…

Joe Favorito — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:13:21 +0000

There is perhaps no other athlete who can so dictate the rise and fall of his or her sport over the long term than Lance Armstrong. Yes TV ratings rise and fall with Tiger Woods on golf, but the weekly coverage of the sport, along with events and brand activation, do continue. Michael Phelps raised swimming to a new level in Beijing, but even with Phelps in a non-Olympic year the draw to the sport for casual fans is still limited. However with Armstrong, the sport of cycling exists for the casual fan. Without him it does not. Now are there other compelling stories to be told amongst professional cyclists, ones that casual fans and those who train and cycle recreationally would care about? Yes. Are there lots of brand dollars spent on cycling abroad? Absolutely. But for the eyeballs, and probably for many brands in North America, a race without Armstrong’s presence is almost irrelevant. So for an elite athlete to carry the sport on his shoulders is both a great responsibility and a great opportunity. Many will debate the exposure role David Beckham played with MLS in this country, and whether the brands that came in and the exposure was good or bad for MLS. Our feeling is it was good and probably could have been better if he played more and included more of his teammates in the broader scope of exposure. However with Lance Armstrong, the ancillary exposure for the sport, and the ability to drive interest and perhaps create other stars that feed off the Armstrong has great potential. Some recent examples of the power of Lance. First was Live Strong Day earlier this month, a viral and grassroots campaign which was a call to action for service and activation around Armstrong’s charity work. The results are hard to measure in the short term, but the global exposure and the ability to do positive philanthropic work through the influence of Lance Armstrong is massive. The second recent piece is Armstrong’s just announced deal with Anheuser Busch, a departure from traditional fitness brand partnerships, but one that speaks volumes as to the unusual drawing power of an elite athlete (Barry Janoff took a good look at the deal on his site). So what does it all say about cycling? Simple. If Lance continues to “Live Strong” as a viable brand that can draw eyes and dollars there remains the chance that brands and fans can be drawn in and then captured by the competitive nature of the sport. After all, who can’t relate to bike riding? However the sport itself, and the teams and athletes involved, must make a concerted effort now to make that play to a larger audience and feed off the Lance wave. Like in so many sports, the assumption that a positive wave will live on the competitive nature of the sport to a mass audience is a mistake. The NFL has seen other football leagues come and go, and even in a niche sport like MMA, the UFC brand is what carries, not the sport itself. So spending the time to cultivate, nurture and convert those fans for cycling must happen now, before the Armstrong window closes. However if that doesn’t happen, there is one fact that will remain… The impact of one man to move the needle up and down from a brand perspective may never have been stronger than with Lance Armstrong and cycling, whether it is a dollar, television, brand or even philanthropic perspective.

Some other good reads…Octagon’s First Call blog has a look at the upside of some athletes for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio…Jason Peck’s blog did an interesting q and a with the founder of a new compilation site called Fan Feeder…and the Sports Doing Good blog took a look at some athletes, including NBA player Adonal Foyle, who were selected to the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Can The NHL Postseason Grow On The Casual Fan?

Joe Favorito — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:59:39 +0000

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.

Some other good reads…Reuters had a solid piece on baseball’s brand growth despite the recession…CNBC’s Darren Rovell had an interesting piece on the job UConn’s Donald Brown is doing to promote his persona for the upcoming NFL Draft…Barry Janoff has a good q and a with FSV head Chris Russo…and Yahoo’s Kevin Iole takes a look at all the marketing muscle invested in the upcoming Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao fight.

From The Snip to the Sips…March Madness Activation Gets Going…

Joe Favorito — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:49:36 +0000

Whether you are looking for a vasectomy or recreating a classic moment with the help of a popular energy drink, there will be no shortage of activation campaigns on all levels as Selection Sunday comes into view. Darren Rovell reports that last year’s promotion by an Oregon urologist for vasectomies has gained steam this year and may even be copycatted across the country, while Barry Janoff in his blog goes into great detail on Vitamin Water’s promo where fans can send in videos recreating great NCAA moments, as well as the programs by longtime partners like AT and T and Coke. Even partners like Sheraton hotels are offering up March Madness discounts at regional sites, with all trying to cash in on the male demo and the mania that starts when the ball goes up next Thursday at noon. The biggest challenge during the NCAA’s is to find ways to activate with the core fan of the successful university that moves on, while finding ways at retail and online to have all casual fans participate in brand building which leads to the Final Four. Sometimes the smaller brands which pick to activate around regional sites may be able to catch lightning in a bottle, while the longtime NCAA partners have the chance ti build on product affiliations and annual programs that gain strength over time. Either way, for the marketer looking for that elusive male demo, March Madness is here and the activation game is in swing.

Some other good reads…Jeff Passan on Yahoo Sports has a good look inside the national pride, and the pain, that surrounds Dominican baseball, especially after their shocker with the Netherlands on Saturday…and Media Post had two good pieces on Monday, first Edelman’s Steve Rubel took a look at the digital trends and how to capitalize on them, and then Mark Nathanson had a look at six steps to small business success.

March Madness of A Different Kind: Baseball Maximizes WBC Opportunities…

Joe Favorito — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:37:55 +0000

Any sports fan in North America looks excitedly to the NCAA Tournament in March, as there are few, if any, annual events which gives us more of a true sense of endless possibilities that can occur than March Madness. Partners, even in a slow economy, looking to capture that key demo will line up for collegiate activation programs and work through CBS to get their brands exposed to the mass audience, even if they “underdog” lasts only the 48 hours from first to second round. But we all love our brackets. In light of that, Major League Baseball, and now baseball on a more global scale, has sought to create its own version of March Madness with the World Baseball Classic. Now as cynical sports fans and media, it is very easy to shoot holes in the WBC…not all the stars, is it meaningful etc etc…however as John Rowe wrote in Sunday’s Bergen Record, the Classic is becoming a celebration of global baseball, with some powerful dollars and now even more regional branding and activation than in the first go-round. Terry Lefton in the Sports Business Journal summed up all the regional activity, which gives brands who like the baseball mix…consistent gameday experiences, a worldwide base of over 30 million fans, access to the Latin and Asian markets plus a strong North American presence…a headstart and even more ROI on their local, regional and national buys. Now is baseball effected by the economy? Of course. But the WBC as a global platform every four years presents itself as a unique brand opportunity, and even in its first few days with some major upsets, has provided lots to build on from both the practical and the emotional side with brands. Another version of March Madness, and a good compliment to hoops.

Some other good reads…Folio Mag has a look at the logic former Brandweek editor Barry Janoff has in launching his new sports marketing site, which is already breaking news...PR Week had a very good piece on mom bloggers, worthwhile to read as to how maybe how they can be useful for promoting sports activity…and the Washington Post had a good feature on baseball lifer Phil Rizzo…

The Next Version of Virtual Signage…It’s All In (Or On) The Head…

Joe Favorito — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:42:25 +0000

Wednesday’s New York Times had a very intriguing piece about the latest space to have edgy brands look for marketshare and buzz…on people’s shaven heads. The opportunities actually exist in sports for some type of guerilla opportunity that could also be fun and more than a little intriguing for the right brands. For several years, smart marketers have looked to golf and tennis to pick off players with patches and a temporary tattoo for select tournaments, getting some solid impressions for upsets or for playing top players. Boxing had its run with Golden Palace on the back of a boxer or too, only to see the fad fade (literally) in messy sweat. But what about using fans, or looking to a brand like the AVP, where skin is in….or swimming…do convey a strategic message, and why not look to brand, literally not just a one off but an entire tournament or a draw? And maybe its not words that could smear…maybe its a logo or a distinct color, or even a product such as a sunscreen that could be worn or even tanned or airbrushed on to the skin? We have seen the creativity with lamp black for football and baseball, so maybe a whole side of an infield? Now of course it gets tacky, can spin out of control and hurts some value of mainstream and long-standing brands who build over time. But maybe this compliments a long term brand or helps intro a new product, and is part of an entire digital campaign over time for creativity? Could bring another level of branding to branding so to speak. Just something to think about as brands do look for unique ways to upsell, get buzz, garner PR and make events their own with fans and athletes alike.

Some other good reads…Richard Lapchick had a great piece on the late John Isaacs and the Harlem Rens on ESPN.com…great slice of hoops history…the LA Times’ Bill Dwyre has a good piece on the PGA’s Parker McLaughlin and his encounter on the courts with President Obama…and Barry Janoff has a good q and a with AVP head Leonard Armato.

The UFC Experience Picks Its Spots To Build Brand

Joe Favorito — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:32:51 +0000

Even with the down economy, Super Bowl weekend continues to be the biggest weekend in Las Vegas. More fans flock to the desert to bet and enjoy the atmosphere than go to the site of the game, and the group that has capitalized on that Super Bowl weekend experience more than anyone is the UFC. Say what you want about MMA, the experience remains akin in brand to what the WWE is to their fans and to what Daytona is to NASCAR, and as much as the mainstream media try to downplay it, the core audience remains strong while the casual fan will still watch. The latest convert was the LA Times Kurt Streeter, who attended not even a UFC fight, but the recent Affliction event in Anaheim, and was blown away by the crowd and the power of Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianko . Even if the Affliction/Fedor fight was not UFC, it was still good brand awareness for the sport, and as George Willis pointed out in the New York Post Friday, the UFC event in Vegas between George St. Pierre and BJ Penn was perfectly timed, well orchastrated and fed into the weekend in Vegas seemlessly. Will MMA ever replace a great boxing match or move further into the mainstream worldwide? My guess is no. But second tier sports can learn a great lesson from the UFC. They have cultivated their core audience very well and speak directly to it wherever they go. That keeps the mainstays sated and gives the casual fan enough interest to attend and drive numbers to a very solid place. The fly in the UFC’s ointment? A Bloomberg report last week that Station Casinos is near default. If true, then the UFC might have to spend less to push the fringes of its brand and not expand as quickly to questionable markets without a large cash flow. Still the times when Zuffa needed the Station money to stay afloat are past. At the end of the day it is still the UFC experience which is the only durable brand in the sport that consistently delivers a demo and revenue, and by conquering Super Bowl weekend in Vegas, the UFC brand will stay solid with their core in tough times.

Some other good reads…nysportsjournalism.com had a good q and a with IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller...the Wall Street Journal had their extensive piece on the Mets/CitiField issue…the Chicago Tribune has a great piece on Blackhawks President John McDonough…and The Atlantic has a great insiders look into the CBS controlroom on an NFL Sunday…huge feature piece for the CBS Sports brand worth reading for all looking to join the business.

Nets Make An All-Star Push To Remain Relevant…

Joe Favorito — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:55:28 +0000

How does a brand which is not necessarily always top of mind find ways to remain relevant in a very crowded marketplace? Ask the New Jersey Nets. In a season that has been somewhat less than expected in terms of on-court performance, and has seen questions raised about the team’s long-anticipated move to Brooklyn, the Nets continue to squeeze every possible opportunity to remain brand relevent. This week the team put out a CEO Challenge, with companies literally competing against each other in five on five basketball with a chance to gain a free partnership with the Nets next season. It is the latest in a series of ways which the team has tried to connect with the casual fan and business partner who might not have a daily reason to be exposed to the value of Nets basketball. Also on the brand relevance side was the teams’ push to assist guard Devin Harris as an all-star. The task to garner All-Star selection amongst the media is not easy, especially for an underachieving team that does not gain great national TV exposure. However by creating and then pushing a fun viral campaign and working both through the media, with fan votes and behind the scenes, Harris will be part of the East team in Phoenix in a few weeks. Now does Devin Harris as an all-star help the team in brand relevance in the marketplace? Hard to say for sure but there is certainly no downside in the effort, and it gives the Nets, having a young, new All-Star, something else to talk about with their partners and fans. Juxtapose the position of the Knicks, which had coach Mike D’Antoni downplaying the potential of David Lee as an All-Star across the river, and you can see how much the Nets seem to be more interested in selling the sizzle and the current brand relevance in the marketplace. With little to no push, Lee, despite having All-Star numbers, did not make the team. The Nets push with Harris is reflective of all they try to do to make the brand fresh, and in down times that effort becomes even more important. Both the CEO Challenge and Harris’ selection were All-Star moves for the franchise on the brand side.

Some other good reads…Michael Wilbon in the Washingon Post has some thoughts on the relevance of the Super Bowl as it relates to past extravaganzas….Yahoo Sports has a piece on the demise of the Birds’ Nest in Beijing…Richard Sandomir in the New York Times has a good piece on how athletes have leveraged Super Bowl exposure…Barry Janoff has a good q and a with Bridgestone’s John Baratta on how they continue to use big events to keep brand relevence…and the New York Post has a good piece on the College of Charleston’s Bobby Cremins and his resurrection with the Cougars…

Globies Continue To Find Ways To Refresh Their Brand…

Joe Favorito — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:15:02 +0000

Like the circus, or really any “touring” sports brand from tennis to golf to the PBR…or even an annual “show” like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the Harlem Globetrotters must find new and innovative ways to engage fans, find new audiences and keep their brand top of mind when one of their teams makes their annual city by city stops. Part of that is smart advertising, part smart marketing, but a big part is innovation and doing the “little” things that set them apart and get them noticed in advance of city stops or off the sports page and into the mainstream where the casual sports fan or the family member will see and remember them. There were two good instances this week of the Globetrotters doing a little extra to grab that recognition. First, as reported in Media Post on Friday, was the announcement that the entire team will wear 44 jerseys on Tuesday as a tribute to President-elect Obama being the 44th President. The second, as reported in NY Sports Journalism.com, is their partnership with IHOP which will give them great promotional exposure and provide added value for all attendees. Do either of these come across as game changers for the brand? Well as stand-alone events, no. However they continue to give people reasons to identify with the Globies when they are not in market, while showing business partners and all in the sports and entertainment world that even in a slow economy, they are finding ways to be progressive and keep looking forward. In a marketplace where today many feel that cutbacks and inertia are a sign of progress, the Globetrotters are spinning forward, and thats a good thing.

Some other good reads…on the blog side, David Schwab has a great piece on the value of “Dancing with the Stars” on his First Call blog…one that is always fun to read by a GOOD WRITER is the KC Star/Si.com’s Joe Posnanski…if you are looking for a blog that focuses on the lighter side of sports and mixes in some personal thoughts, its worth checking out…also my longtime friend Lisa Wilentz always has some good minor league baseball features on her got MILB? blog…the New York Times has a good feature on former West Virginia star Kevin Pittsnogle and where life has taken him after a standout collegiate career…