Football vs. Football…Parity Not Always Needed To Grow The Brand

August 29, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

With the Premier League now going in the UK and the NFL just a few weeks from kicking off in the United States, it is interesting to look at the two monster branding organizations and see how they run in parallel tracks in some ways and are apart in others still. Both have global aspirations, with soccer’s foothold as the world’s largest and most popular sport helping buoy the marketing, digital  and branding rights for the top EPL clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea for years.  Tours to North America for clubs like Tottenham and Manchester City this past summer also help raise awareness amongst casual fans looking for a bigger soccer jines than MLS can sometimes provide, especially in major markets, and the trical following for most EPL clubs keeps awareness attendance and local and regional value going.  The aggressive push for additional outside ownership for clubs like Liverpool has been an issue as the global economy shrunk, but overall the global awareness of the Premier League, what it stands for and for many of its clubs has never been higher.

The Open Scores Again…

August 25, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

It remains the only major sporting event that brands can point to every year, at the same time, in the same location in New York. And when it starts the main draw next Monday (free qualifying goes on this week for those who can’t afford or locate a ticket) the US Open will again begin the brand activation bonanza that takes place in and around New York every year as summer moves towards fall.

The Latest Niche Sport Goes Down…RIP AVP

August 15, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Late Friday afternoon, after most of the business world was done for the August week, came the release that the AVP had closed its doors.  Despite the success of the Olympics, the marketability of its mature stars, the work of former head Leonard Armato and current head Jason Hodell to build interest and following as a lifestyle sport, the end came in mid-season.  It was not for a lack of committment by those running the business, or by its players or its fans.  The AVP had even scored a big victory in January by keeping beach volleyball as an NCAA sport, and a flood of new sponsors…KFC, Nivea…had come on in recent months.  So why did the AVP join the ranks of the AFL, the IFL, the MISL, the USL,  the AAFL and so many other niche leagues?  It is more a reflection of the continued issues in the economic climate which still has yet to recover.  If major sports that have massive audiences, long term media partners, and major brands behind them are struggling to find ROI, then the smaller guys are still the first and the easiest to go.  For all the spending that is done at the highest levels of sport…World Cup, NASCAR, the four major sports in the North America, and even now in MLS…the decision makers can still point to millions, not thousands, who will see the product and the brands that are associated with them. While it is true that there are smaller brands looking to activate against a core audience, you still need major exposure to generate the kind of revenue needed to support and sustain an organization for the long run.  The AVP was also burdened with the problem of facility…each week a new stadium had to be built and configured in a new site to make the sport run well.  It would be like moving a golf course or tennis courts from one place to the next each week.  very, very expensive and very cost prohibitive.

On The Record…Sort Of…

August 5, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

This past week has seen two prominent sports names…LeBron James and Brett Favre…dragged into the middle of controversy by being invlved in stories that were sort of on the record sort of not, but both show the continued issues media have with ethics, the battle to get out unique content and the growing rift between those who want coverage and those who have all coverage thrust upon them.  The first involved ESPN reporter Arash Markazi and his trailing of James and crew in Las Vegas. The murkiness over whether James’ team knew who Markazi was and what he was doing in a public place trailing the soon to be Miami Heat star is one issue, the fact that the reporter really didn’t find much and reported as such is another.  It is clear that Markazi never clearly stated or showed that he was a member of the media when he started asking questions to the group, but whether some people knew or didn’t know is the issue.  He did go to Las Vegas to see what he could find, and the resulting story, which ESPN did remove when it caused some controversy, was the product of his trip.  Should he have clearly said why he was there and asked for access, should James’ crew have known why he was there, should ESPN have removed a pretty benign story or should they have posted it in the first place is all the source of the debate.

On Giving Back…

August 4, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many people may not know what UNICO is http://www.unico.org/, but millions have been touched by their support.  The largest national Italian-American service organization with a large presence in New Jersey, the group spends countless hours fundraising thousands of dollars community by community for charities ranging from help for the elderly to cancer and life threatening disease research.

Captain Morgan Takes It Up A Notch…

July 22, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

It used to be that big tobacco was the premier advertiser in sports, with lavish commercials, promotional campaigns and funding for both traditional sports and especially for sports like tennis and auto racing.  However with the scrutiny and regulation of the industry all that money disappeared in sponsorship in North America.  At the same time the spirits industry was hamstrung in finding ways to integrate into mainstream sports. Without the ability to advertise on TV, the large pockets of liquor were left to find guerilla campaigns to reach a demo that they knew would be active in thr pursuit of alcohol, just like the demo was following and consuming beer (who could promote to the audience in any way possible).

So We Now Move On…

July 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Stephen King was once asked who his audience is for his novels, and his answer was that he writes for everyone who slows down to look at accidents. It is the sense of spectacle that makes events, no matter how bizarre or contrived they sometimes seem, that draws everyone to them.  Case in point was the past week, or month, or year, and all the information, misinformation, rumors and talk about LeBron James and free agency, all of which came to a head with a huge audience on ESPN Thursday night.  So now that the world knows and is debating winners and losers, what is it that we really know today that we didn’t know yesterday about James’ move to South Beach?  Some thoughts…

A Channel To Cheer For…

May 17, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It may sound silly to some casual sports fans, but anyone who has been around a youth sports events, or even a high school or college event, can understand the pervasive presence of cheerleaders.  The young girls man the sidelines at Pop Warner or CYO games, the dance teams are becoming an even larger presence at higher levels, and even internationally  what many people scoffed at as a vanity play for preppy girls years ago has become its own cottage industry.  From cutesy cheers to sexy and seductive dances and everywhere in between, cheerleading and dance, and all the camps, costumes and hours of practice that go along with it even in a challenged economy, is growing to the tune of $4 billion dollars a year.

West Virginia Gets Out Front In Heisman Campaign

May 14, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

It seems like there is no offseason for major sports, even on the collegiate level.  In football, even without a 1-A playoff system, the Bowl Season is followed by the combine and workouts days followed by  spring football  followed by the draft followed by…maybe there is a bit of a lull as student-athletes take exams and coaches clean their offices.  Then this week comes the first Heisman salvo for 2010...a video campaign launched by the University of West Virginia RB Noel Devine.

NFL Drafts It’s Latest Prime Time Branding Play…

April 20, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Prime time. It remains the most coveted spot in media, that period from eight until 11 that makes careers and brands in entertainment, and now in sports.  The US Open women’s tennis finals now lives there, and the US Open golf will move partially into that space on the east coast this year.  It is where the NHL and the NBA launch their new faces with their draft every year, and now where the NFL will show its first round for the first time ever this coming Thursday, at least for one round.

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