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.

Racing To Find Answers To Economic Issues…

May 25, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As gas prices soar, business looks for ways to use economies of scale and look for even bigger bank for a more limited dollar, brands, teams and athletes have to be more conscious than ever to look ahead for the clouds on the horizon and address the very real concerns of their fans and partners BEFORE they become a major issue.  Now more than ever, being creative and proactive can be most important.  With two mega races this weekend, NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte and the IRL’s Indianapolis 500, there were a few pieces that showed that proactivty and perhaps some answers to the real concerns of fans and brands that are worth a read.  On the NASCAR front, there have been several pieces in recent days on how the gas crunch is beginning to effect fans attendance and spending patterns, and some of the measures that tracks are taking to help ease that burden, while on the Open wheel side, there was a great piece in the New York Times on Indy driver Sarah Fisher and her real issues when sponsors depart and how her team can compensate.  These pieces show both sides of the economic equation…how the athlete can be effected by the economy and what he/she has to do to address it, and what the league or brand has to do when the fan is being so adversely effected.  Both show insight, give solutions and have the opportunity to spin so that all see the brands are thinking proactively in a looming crisis situation.  Good lessons for all.  Also on the ROI front, the data company Joyce Julius released a solid piece of info this week on which sponsors are getting the most return from spending on drivers with TV exposure, with Dale Jr. leading the way.  Good read for all those who often wonder how to correctly monitize brand exposure through TV.