Colleges To Take A Shot At Message Control? Be Careful What You Ask For…

January 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Several years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs took what was then considered a very bold step by breaking a coaching hiring first on ther website, which at the time was unheard of.  Since then, the Washington Redskins have used their Daniel Snyder-owned sites, and radio stations to break and try and control news, a host of athletes, including Tiger Woods and Roger Clemens, have broken news with their own sites and have directed reporters there and only there for information, and many teams and  brands have gone about the business of hiring small but dedicated in-house staffs tp help tell the tale of their news from time to time.  It’s all about message control. Some teams…the Cincinnati Bengals,  Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers to name a few of the first, went to the road of hiring former beat writers and columnists looking for new challenges or work to cover the team, and did not ask them to hold back during controversial times, with the thought being that it would add to the credibility and traffic for the site.  It has made for an interesting and compelling balance, with those looking to control and own media messaging (the haves) and those looking to drive interest across all media (the have nots).  Then you have colleges and even high schools.  In places where coverage and access is in great demand…major universities with large programs and large, professional-like followings…there may be value in message control, while at the Mid-Major and below, the need to drive coverage and find ways to get the information out is becoming more challenging.  Even at large Universities, the struggle to get stories told away from big time football and basketball can be tough in many instances.  So what is the solution?

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.

If It Worked Once, Try It Again…Monster.com and NFL Fandemonium…

October 2, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

One of the more unique cross promotions of last season began its comeback today, a great partnership between the job site Monster.com and the NFL to again find the ultimate NFL fan. The Monster NFL.com fandemonium site launched October 1, which gives fans a chance again this year to submit videos and show why the honor of ultimate NFL fan, and the mega-prizes and experiences that go with it, is a worthwhile way to spend one’s time. The contest drew amazing coverage not just for the winners last year, but also for the outakes and the local stories spawned, all of which again leads into a several month long buildup with ancillary support for the partner, Monster.com. However more than celebrating the fan, the contest and its microsite really shows how brands can be creative by reaching the core audience they want to reach and not just slapping a logo on the side of a tried and true promotion. In these challenged times the services Monster.com can provide to the job seeker are invaluable. However, the sources one can now go to find positions has grown exponentially, to the point where even job search engines like Monster have to find ways to make themselves more compelling and stay top of mind when the job seeker starts his search. Can the investment be made it providing ancillary core services like resume writing and outplacement ideas? Absolutely. Monster took a chance to have some fun with the promotion and associate themselves with a positive experience in a field where many times those coming to them are not having the most positive experiences of their lives. So by blending fun, creating a viral reason for fans…both job seekers and those gainfully employed…to both visit the site (and maybe check out Monster’s offerings) multiple times and even take part in the contests put Monster.com a step ahead of many competitors in the field that provide similar services but don’t venture into the creative to capture visitors. Does Fandemonium stray a bit from Monster’s core pitch? Perhaps. Does it resonate with the football fan and stir passion? Absolutely. And by taking that step and having some fun in what is a very serious business, the job hunt, Monster can score some unusual points with their clientle, both current and future.

Tigers The Best Brand Story In Baseball?

September 19, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many skeptics looked to the baseball season this year as a sort of sponsorship and ticketing armageddon…a sure sign that sports was losing its branding and dollars mojo. Yet as we look down the stretch and even back across the season, we see lots of good news for the sport in terms of community involvement, solid ticket sales in a tough economy, good stories and fan interest, along with different types of brand activation. Were there hiccups? Of course, with perhaps the biggest ones being the continued steroid issue (from the past less than the present) and the Yankees pricing and suite issues, although even there the team has been responsive to adjusting and making progress. Still, the ability for baseball teams…both minor and major…to adapt, be more innovative and present a fair and fun social product is still a huge plus, and maybe a good sign of times going forward. One of those brands that has tried to do all the right things, both on the field and off, in a very challenged economy is the Detroit Tigers. From community events, to job fairs to tickets for unemployed workers to forgoing sponsorship dollars on their centerpiece fountain and keeping the General Motors brand attached to it, to honoring announcer Ernie Harwell in a very dignified manner, the Tigers have done everything they can to make sure they are a part of all going on in a city hit hardest by the recession. Plus…they are winning…and winning with athletes who have great stories and are reflective of the community they play in. Now why haven’t more brands attached themselves to the team and the players? Maybe they are not sexy enough and are in a market that obviously is short on consumer spending. However for brands looking to make the consumer feel good and find a way to reach millions as they ride into the playoffs…probably against the Yankees at some point with all that New York and national exposure…the Tigers just might be the smartest, and best buy for a brand this season. Great story with the best still to come.

Fantasy Is The Reality Of Good Brand Activation…

September 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The question often asked with social media these days is a simple one…how does it make money? With all the work being done to give fans more insight and access to athletes and properties, very few if any can prove that the efforts on their own can translate into hard sponsorship dollars. Increased visibility? Yes. Buzz factor? Absolutely. ROI for the spend. Still very questionable, especially for big brands and mainstream properties. It is good to see the NFL setting their social media policy this week, and it remains frustrating that colleges and other properties still fail to see social media as part of a bigger picture media strategy in many cases…just like sports radio was in its infancy…but the answer to how it all justifies time spent and dollars allocated remains a mystery that is slow to unravel.

NASCAR Bucks The Economy, Brings Drivers, Brands and Messages to the Apple…

December 5, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the talk of inflation, recession and the economy, even on a day when the Big Three are pleading their case to Congress for help, NASCAR continues on as the leader in the brand activation space.  As they have for several years, the motor sports industry leaders bring drivers, cars and media to New York for their season ending announcements, sponsor meetings and awards, and find every way to again have their biggest assets…their drivers…tell their stories to both ardent followers and casual fans through the media and in person at a series of wide ranging, high energy activities.  Whether it is Jimmie Johnson mugging for the cameras in Central Park or meeting the fans at the Hard Rock Cafe, or Dale Jr. featured again on Yahoo.com, there is never an absence of activity when NASCAR comes to the Apple.  Even with all the media coverage, the brand remains very mindful of the economy and the state of spending and need for more ROI for its partners.  Gone is the traditional lap around Manhattan with the drivers, replaced by more spread out fan-friendly activities…talks about the future spending of the sport and candid assessments for solutions by industry leaders temper enthusiasm, but also show great leadership.  In the current economy, NASCAR was able to use the week to show the media, its fans in the area, and most importantly both Madison Avenue and Wall Street that all invested in Nascar on any level have a group that is looking for answers, but still knows how to activate against the dollars already spent and those currently in play for the future.   The week remained a well messaged, highly active party, while showing fiscal responsibility and temperment needed.

Open Season Begins Even As The Olympics Roll On…

August 21, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Although the distraction and attention is still largely on the Olympics, the US Open, which begins Monday and remains the world’s largest sporting event, still has found ways to grow brand, pitch high level placements with partners and continue to build more buzz in new areas that the event did not touch on in previous years.  Examples from today of the groundswell taking place for Open recognition include Marketing Daily’s piece detailing partner American Express’ ad campaign, as well as an extensive must-read series of piece in New York Magazine on how the USTA is cultivating new levels of stars, which will grow the sport of tennis in the US.  The USTA got out in front with a series of announcements about the event and its partnerships well in advance of the Olympic window, which actally grew attention for the event well in advance of when it is normally top of mind, captured some Olympic attention with the play of Venus and Serena Williams and a big James Blake upset, and will now be able to grab a steady flow of positive sports and entertainment news as it pushes the international coverage for its two week run.  Although there may not be the huge amount of sponsor pieces the week before becuase of the Olympic focus, the media coverage should be more than made up for during the event, as there are no better sports event marketers than those who run the USTA.