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.

Squeezing Til The Sponge Is Dry…

October 14, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

In the 1970’s and into the 1980’s big tobacco fueled some of the most successful sports branding opportunities in history. Whether it was Phillip Morris’ support of Virginia Slims tennis or NASCAR’s Marlboro Cup, the cigarette brands created some of the most large scale and effective activation platforms in sports history. Then came all the legislation against smoking and the tobacco brands, and for the better in terms of health and social consciousness, all the spending stopped from those brands. So sports moved on, using the lessons learned in many of those activation platforms to bring in new brands who would spend, maybe not at the large numbers of tobacco, but who would continue to grow business and fill the gap. Banks and financial institutions, insurance, and technology, filled gaps with new money and new ways to reach the consumer.

Liverpool Again Shows Value Of Premium Real Estate….

September 17, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is perhaps the last clean piece of real estate on the sports landscape…the jerseys of the four professional teams in North America. A practice which is well accepted globally, brand advertising on the front of jerseys, still is off limits in the States with the NHL, NFL, MLB and the NBA as well as in the college ranks. Even minor league baseball and hockey have stayed away from jersey branding to date. Yet with Liverpool’s record announcement of jersey branding this week, following Manchester United’s deal with AON earlier this year, can the pro leagues here hold off much longer? The test marketing has been there now…MLS has integrated jersey sponsorship into their branding campaigns effectively, the WNBA has taken on the issue with success, the upcoming UFL season will have helmet sponsorship, and now the NFL with practice jersey signage (the value Spongetech received for being on the front of the Bengals jersey for the HBO series “Hard Knocks” in the preseason was a good testament to tasteful and effective) and the NBA (with the Nets being first in the signage pool) has followed suit. With so many teams now effectively using alternative jerseys, throwback jerseys, commemorative patches, and other new licensed product, can jersey signage be far away in the States? One thing the leagues have done, even in these challenged times, is still build a demand for that space by not letting be sold to the first bidder. The leagues are also best at protecting marks and doing the long term planning for their on-field and on-court look, so any decision will be carefully placed and effectively marketed and messaged to the consumer. Perhaps the first move will come as part of a media package when the next major TV and digital rights deal is negotiated by one of the four leagues. Perhaps it will be a mega brand which will try a buy-in all at once for an entire league, hence keeping the uniformity (no pun intended). Maybe it will be the start of a patch program which has been done effectively in tennis and golf for years. One thing is for certain, when teams look at the amount of money Liverpool pulled in for their sponsorship, the discussion has had to have been rekindled again. As brands cut back in hospitality, they need to find creative ways to support their programs through effective exposure, and at some point the virgin jersey space will become the next big option.

The Adaptability of The Shield…

September 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is one of the most closely guarded logos in the world…the NFL shield. Even with some of its tweaks over the years, the brands that stand with the NFL and its shield, and the programs they represent, have often been best in class, just as the league presents itself as one of the premier, if not the premier, sporting brand in the world. As we enter the NFL regular season, the first full one since the downward shift in the economy last fall and winter, it is interesting to note the continued support of brands and the diversity of decisions the NFL, its broadcasters and its teams are making to cope with the times we are in.

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.

Canadiens Centennial Celebration Stretch Plays Well On All Levels…

September 26, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the opening of the NHL season almost here, it is great to see Canada’s other hallmark franchise, the Montreal Canadiens, taking great strides and planning in stretching out their centennial celebration.  The plans, which were revealed this week, will give the fans both in Montreal and across the region a chance to participate in various activities over the course of two seasons, ranging from interactive exhibits and meet and greets to special nights that will honor various eras of the team’s  storied history.  There will also be non-hockey related events tied to lifestyle and culture and grassroots events.  Many times these programs are rushed and dictated by sponsor needs, but the Canadiens  have grasped the fact that teams are a public trust first and a commodity second and by playing the events out over the full life of the anniversary good will will be built, memories created, equity aquired and as always, sponsor and business partners will gain.  Great planning, great example of how to do things right. 

Capitalizing on a Bet and the Possibilities That Go With It…Michael Phelps vs. Braylon Edwards

September 8, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Yahoo Sports has led their section on Monday with an offseason, pre-Olympic friendly wager between the Cleveland Browns Braylon Edwards and Olympic hero Michael Phelps…with Edwards placing a bet with Phelps’ pre-Beijing that he would catch more TD’s than Phelps would win gold.  Such a bet, if real or contrived, has great opportunties for Edwards and the downtrodden Browns as the season progresses, and could be a local media partners dream (it is already getting nice play on Yahoo obviously) and has some solid PR oppts. for the Browns, especially given the bad blood between the Browns and Ravens fans from the franchise shifts and the fact that the teams will meet twice in the regular season (with Phelps obviously being a Baltimorean).  Now could an enterprising brand find a way to use both the athletes in a campaign?  Perhaps, but given the high dollar amount attached with both the NFL and Phelps these days, maybe it can be left to a local brand to adopt Edwards and push him towards a fun challenge with Phelps across the fall.  Could have some nice guerilla potential as well, especially when Baltimore and Cleveland meet.  Smart publicity by Edwards and the Browns, interesting next steps.