Jets Take Some Unjustified Hard Knocks On Branding Decision…

March 26, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It has rarely seen this much debate or buzz, the announcement of which NFL team is selected for HBO’s annual all access show “Hard Knocks.”  Last year, the selection of the wobegone Cincinnnati Bengals was met with more interest than concern.  So Thursday’s announcement that the New York Jets were selected  as this year’s all access candidate by the cable network was a little surprising, but nowhere near as surprising  as the fervor in media coverage regarding the announcement. Now the Jets, despite the  onfield successs by Rex Ryan and Company last year, have always been the NFL stepchild (a lucrative one yes) in the New York media market.  Save for the legendary 1968 season and 1969 Super Bowl, the Giants have always been the more secure, more streamlined and more upscale brand in the area, even in their darkest days.  The Jets have always been the renter in someone’s house, be it Shea (where their full set of seats were never in place until after the Mets finished) or Giants Stadium (where they always played second fiddle despite their best branding efforts).  Their hope for a site of their own on the West Side of Manhattan was lost in a vicious battle with Madison Square Garden and others in Manhattan, and the compromise of a shared new home which will be all Jets on their days, all Giants on theirs (eventhough the Giants practice facility is within a long punt of the stadium and the Jets is in distant Florham Park) will still be just that, a compromise.  The Jets battle to obtain seat licenses in a challenged economy has also been a struggle, while the Giants, although with a waiting list now exhausted, will fill the new home to the brim once again.  The Jets, much more than the Giants, remain the team that has to do more to grow image and gain casual support, both locally and even nationally.

Beware Sponges Filled With Cash…And Other Lessons…

March 16, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Last year the brand of choice to fill displaced inventory on television and in stadia around the country was Spongetech. Their giant signs were splashed acroos all of MLB, their patches showed up on the NFL’s “Hard Knocks” show on Bengals jerseys, they appeared along the dasher boards at Madison Square Garden. Spongetech, and their pre-soaped sponges, appeared to be the cure-all for every team salesperson.  They helped balance budgets and create some buzz and all appeared grand.

Can Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR win New York?

November 26, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Jimmie Johnson was in one of the few races this week that he has yet to win. The race to make his brand, and in a larger part the brand of NASCAR, relevant to the casual sports fan and the discretionary spender in the world’s largest marketplace, the New York tri-state area.

An Athlete Gets A “Feel” For A Brand…

October 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

On Sunday, Jets kicker Jay Feely entered the record book for consecutive field goals made as a Jet, breaking a record held by Pat Leahy for over 20 years. Feely’s success on the field has been tremendous, yet his feel for using his stature in athletics in a major market to develop a long term vision for success may be even more impressive. As documented in several media outlets this past week, including Greg Bishop’s feature in the New York Times, the Jets kicker has been able to find ways using both social and traditional media to build his brand, and give both casual and diehard fans a little more insight into what he is all about. The result is an athlete who has a presence now in media where he feels well adjusted, well read and well thought out, in both the sports and the political world, and he has been able to use that exposure to build out a potential second career, not just when his athletic days end, but in the offseason when he has more time to focus on the long term. Although some will say it may be easier for an athlete who happens to be a kicker to have more free time to delve into other things (probably an unfair assumption as the special teams performers of the NFL may have the most tenuous place on a roster most times), the truth of the matter is that Feely’s work in looking into leadership roles, both in sports and in society and social media, and then parlaying that interest into a vibrant career is both rare and admirable. One must keep in mind that Feely does not have the flash and dash of Twitter success stories like Shaquille O’Neal or Chad Ochocinco, and his posts may be a little more cerebral and outward looking than most athletes. On the political side, he is not the lightning rod for controversy, but his thoughts have gotten him placement with Sean Hannity on a regular basis on FOX, and could lead to a larger role in the future. Will it lead to big time endorsements, even in the media capital of the world? No. However Feely’s work is a great example of an athlete understanding the limits of time in the limelight and using that time to effectively build his brand, whether that brand is in the media or in business. The fact that he has been able to embrace and understand the value of a social media platform as a communication device for thoughts makes it all the more impressive, and can give his career a kickstart for the longterm, even as he continues to kick for the green and white.

Hard Knocks A Smart Move By Bengals Brand…

August 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

They have been a lost franchise on the national scene for well…almost forever, even with a Super Bowl run, the Icky Shuffle and Ken Anderson, a great underrated QB. So giving the access to HBO’s Hard Knocks was a great move for the Cincinnati Bengals brand, and eventhough it is a risk for HBO and the NFL, it gives the show a different look than in previous years, especially coming off last season’s Dallas Cowboys run. Already the Bengals brand has gotten national exposure in what would norrmally be a quiet offseason for a small market team with a 4-12 record, and with a Spongetech practice jersey sponsorship on the table, the team has scored some much needed additional visibility. Let’s also not forget the national interest in Chad Ochocinco, and the way he will be able to use his tweets and branding skills to also drive interest to the show, along with the casual interest for football fans in hearing president Mike Brown and head coach Marvin Lewis, perhaps for the first time. HBO’s quality production with NFL Films could also stir interest in the team, at least for the first few weeks of the season, and give the franchise a much-needed boost. It is a bit of a departure for the series, but in terms of using the power of the NFL and the vision of HBO to try new things and give a franchise a lift, it could be a very smart move for the long term, especially if the team performs well and the story lines and drama effectively transfer to the show.