A Season Of Renewal: Isiah Thomas and FIU

April 17, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Often times colleges in mid or low mid major positions will look to take risk in order to shock the system into a new level. The hiring of coaches, the jump to a new division or a new league, an aggressive marketing campaign all usually revolve around the elusive grab for both attention and the sponsor dollar, and with that the even more important alumni dollar. Into that mix usually goes some strange bedfellows…New Jersey Institute of Technology and their foray into a western conference, Army to Conference USA, Bob Hill going to Fordham as hoops coach are just some examples of bold and sometimes unsuccessful moves made by Universities that come to mind. The latest came this week, with Florida International University, a big commuter school in Miami with a big football stadium and a big athletic budget and nothing to show for it, hiring Isiah Thomas. Good move? Bad move? Only time will tell. Here are the first facts. FIU put itself, at least temporarily, on the sports map. It got some great local coverage, even positive columns in the major dailies (here is one about redemption from Michelle Kaufman). It probably bought itself some revenue in the form of ticket sales from the casual fan and buzz on campus. It probably upgraded its recruting stance and gave the school most had never heard of more street credibility. For Thomas? It put him in a place where there is no downside, either on location or opportunity. It is a school near a spotlight but not in it, perfect for image rebuilding and career resurrection. It gives him a chance to refine a coaching craft, rebuild his own brand and take resources probably underutilized and make them shine. He also made a great gesture in day one by donating his salary back to the University, a token gesture but a smart one. So will the University be adequately prepared for the inevitable protests by women’s groups and questions of moral backsliding? Will they also be able to prep their students for the onrush of media at seasons start? Will those be too much of a glare, and when will the news cycle rest once the season starts. All chances, but if FIU is ready they can all be spun correctly and positively. Best of luck…brands love the comeback story.

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.