The Dog and Pony (or Dog and Dog) Show…A Great Example of “If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It”

February 11, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the ARod hype in New York this week, it would take a mega-news piece to break through the clutter. However, the event that garnered the most news…again…is the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Why? It is an annual (one time) event that is unique and well timed, has its set traditions, appeals to its core audience and the casual “fan”, has some unique story lines and never tries to be what its not. While other shows using show animals have come and gone, and sports using animals (the PBR, horse racing etc.) have moderate success and have to try and re-invent and re-pitch every year, the Dog Show comes in, uses its great stand-alone stories and goes after the audience for the unusual like no other. A sampling as the show wraps up included a great LA Times piece on ugly dogs, a Times Herald Record piece on “Tiger Woods” , and a funny wsj.com feature on “Best In Show.” Does the show have NASCAR-like activation for sponsors? Yes. Does the PR team hired for the show go out and actively solicit unique stories and pair them to media? Absolutely. But in the current economy to find an event that combines sports a bit and entertainment and the offbeat a lot that can deliver such mass appeal remains very unique. Could the show go on the road and be successful? Or have multiple mega-events in New York? Probably not (there are many regional shows but none like Westminster). However like the US Open in tennis, the Dog Show hits the same week on the event calendar each year and never really tries to be celebrity driven, internet splashed, chasing the male demo spectacle that most events try to be after finding initial success. It sticks to its core message and brand, finds the unique stories, and delivers big time.