Remembering Our True Heros…

May 28, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

This past week ESPN.com’s Jeff Bradley had a very touching story about Colonel John McHugh, a lifelong friend united through sport who was killed recently in Afghanistan. As we head through Memorial Day weekend, it is important to remember not just those men and women in the Armed Services but those in civil service who are defending us each and every day.  Four years ago, we had the rare opportunity to take several of our MMA fighters, as well as NFL great Sean Landeta, out into the Atlantic and ride in with them over several days on the USS Wasp as part of Fleet Week.   It was amazing to see and be reminded how much sports connects these young people to home every day, and how much they appreciated being remembered and treated in a very special way.

Garden Growing New Partners, Ideas Again…

October 27, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It has been tough times in recent years for patrons of “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The lack of on court success, a slowing economy, an aging building and a weak public perception had caused a good deal of the shine to come off of Madison Square Garden and perhaps lower the perceived standard of excellence the building and the organizations housed in the building had long held. However, steadily it appears that perception, consumer confidence and new and innovative promotional partnerships may be returning the business of MSG back to where it had resided for so long, in the upper echelon of sports and entertainment marketing and branding in the world. The announcement of a long rumored renovation, the ever improving on-ice play of the New York Rangers, an enhanced outreach through digital media and an ever-growing unified community presence for all the Garden brands have led the uptick in interest and buzz as the NBA season approaches this week. On the business side, a just-announced landmark airline deal with Delta Airlines, complete with Garden icons Mark Messier and Willis Reed filling the captains outfits, new entertainment sponsorship plans, and brand extensions to other Garden-related properties are all contributing to an uptick in interest, new best practices for partners and a more entreprenurial overall atmosphere than has been seen in some time above Penn Station. Now can all go sour with bad teams on the court and on the ice? It certainly won’t be a positive. However what is being seen is the aggressive ability to effectively tell good business and branding stories to all constituents, much like the cross river rival Nets have been doing so well, and that sort of business buzz can help insulate partners if the athletic performance falters. Even with problems on the athletic side, all the moves are smart and solid and send great messages to partners that the Garden is more than willing and ready to solidify and create new business than ever before.

More Examples of The Value Of Being Green…NASCAR and Wilson…

July 31, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Two brands which most people don’t usually think of as being “green,” NASCAR and Wilson, recently continued the trend in being more enviro-conscious in their branding, production and presentation, once again proving that if you can be “green” and “first” in a category you can get your brand a nice pat on the back and some good exposure, as well as being environmentally friendly. First Wilson recently became the first brand to introduce to the North American sporting goods marketplace by bringing the first eco-certified basketball (it is black and green) to the marketplace. Do we need a “green” basketball? Will it make a bigger dent in the carbon footprint in terms of overall production? Maybe. But by branding it first and making a distinction in color, the sporting good company got some bang for the time it spent in development and marketing. Second was the interesting announcement by the always looking to be innovative folks at NASCAR to announce the largest solar energy project at a sports facility, for the track in Pocono, Pa. A sport that revolves around large amount of fossil fuels seems like a disconnect for being green, but the ability to be “first” “largest” and “effective” gets the message out, positions the sport correctly to a legion of fans that remain very brand loyal and again sets NASCAR up as a leader in a field that has suffered in the current economy and can use leaders for alternative energy sources. Will it make those folks driving RV’s a little more conservative when they fill up? Probably not. But it may make the facilities business see new options for sponsorship, community programs and ways to be more cost and enrgy conscious than they are today. Good timing and positioning on both by two brands who are not necessarily associated with always being green.

Competitive Eating Helps Nathan’s Build A Brand…

July 25, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe it is because many people like spectacle, but the old sideshow mentality, especially in a digital world, still draws the casual observer. The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, and all the other subsequent “competitve eating” events around the world, have spawned an interesting following that draws as many as 30,000 people for some events and has gotten some brands pretty solid exposure for their products. Although there have been few brands on the antacid side or the pharma industry who have used the contests to battle obesity yet, there is no doubt that some chains have used the eating “craze’ to grow their business in ways never really seen before, especially taking advantage of low cost digital marketing and branding. The one who has really shown how to do it is Nathan’s. CNNMoney recently listed their fastest-growing companies in the US, and the hot dog chain was among the leaders in an industry where midsized fast food chains are struggling. Now of course Nathan’s franchise business needs to be attached with in-arena or in-stadium brands building programs to really get outside of its core base. However with an online business, kiosks and now a signature event that casual sports fans can point to as a must see or must watch event, the Coney Island hot dog once connected only to New York or those in the New York area, has found a niche to grow with and can take that niche and really attach to other brands, teams and events around the world if needed, all tied back to their July 4 event. Smart calculated move by Nathan’s which took a small event and used it to really move product and build brand without a comparatively huge spend.

Social Networking For A Profit? Blue Claws Show How…

June 2, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

They have already done a Cash For Gold Night that gave local jewelers a chance to earn some money and drive traffic, they give away food for kids on Monday nights, and now the Lakewood, New Jersey Blue Claws have effectively used their Facebook and Twitter feeds to give their fans a special pop and move distressed inventory. The Phillies South Atlantic League farm team took their party deck on a recent weekend night, and went directly to those who subscribed to their Twitter and Facebook pages with an immediate call to action…an online response within a requested period would net those followers access to the party deck and all its free food and drink for the cost of a regular ticket. It also gave those subs a chance to do something oh so rare…meet face to face with others who used the medium and had a common interest…following the Blue Claws. The result was a 100% response rate that filled the deck and rewarded the social networking followers for their diligence. The promo was done without warning or reason for a signup, and the plan is to replicate the move again for future games when inventory is available. The potential result? Word of mouth drives new signups, which can now be captured for traditional e-blasts and other data mining. Those who subscribe and didn’t check now will have a much more frequent reason to check the pages and tweets for info and offers. More interestingly is it opens up potential sponsorship, not on the Facebook or Twitter posts, but to the Party Deck nights to brands that are looking to target first adopters and social networking fans who are also avid sports fans. It is a great example of how teams can use the platform to instantly drive revenue, create buzz and fill distressed inventory while sending people back to the social networking sites and looking for deals. Next potential idea? Twitter only or Twitter free zones at the games? Or speed twitter replacing fan trivia as a promotion.

Hispanic Marketing Crossover Starts To Go Both Ways…

April 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Prior to the drop in the economy, major brands were making smart spends across all platforms to find ways to activate and grow marketshare with the growing Hispanic audience in North America. Like the female decisionmakes, the Hispanic audience has become more powerful and more brand loyal in the past five years than ever before, and the rise of powerful entities like ESPN Deportes and Telemundo and Univision support that growth. However with the cutback in spending, a good deal of that activation in the Hispanic community was curtailed, with the thought that many brands had to spend where they knew they would get immediate results as opposed to where they could build from. However recently, a growing number of brands who have had success in the Hispanic marketplace have started to expand into mainstream sports and entertainment, with the reason being if their brands have reached solid marketshare in a Hispanic audience, then it is time to access the larger Anglo fan base with a solid product. The latest example is Cerveza Tecate, which is now stretching its market from beyond the ESPN Deportes spend it has had success on to a larger ESPN audience. The move makes sense for brand slooking to capitalize on a downmarketplace to grow, as efficient and creative opportunities now abound. So for brands to look to stretch their borders, especially when they have staked a claim in a tough market and communicated effectively, the opportunity is now. Will it work for every brand? Perhaps not. But for those brands that have natural crossover appeal, going from an “ethnic” spend to mainstream may just be easier than for mainstream brands looking to grow “ethnic.”

Deciding When The Envelope Has Been Pushed Too Far

April 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

A few recent instances have come up which show when sports or entertainment brands can test the waters to see what is acceptable for their fans and more importantly, their business partners. First was the UFC. CEO Dana White has done a phenomonal job of building that property to as close to mainstream as MMA may ever get, especially in a down economy where discretionary dollars will still go to the main four team sports, as well as NASCAR and soccer, in North America. Still, the UFC, with their great TV partner in Spike, have carved a niche with sponsors like Bud Light and Harley Davidson among others. Not huge spends, but very smart ones to access the demo and the UFC experience. Then last week, White went off on a video rant, aimed at a journalist, with profanity and anti-gay comments. It was premeditated, well thought out and then posted on the UFC website. Totally unprofessional and uncalled for and damaging to the brand for casual fans. Now White did recant some of his comments the next day after they received strong criticism, but there was no outcry from most MMA fans or from their brand partners, at least publicly, so perhaps the shock value outweighed the brand damage and the UFC got some edgy headlines with an edgy leader that they enjoy and can benefit from. Still it was way over the edge for a sport looking to be mainstream and poor leadership. Next comes a very interesting Yardbarker blog by the WNBA’s Chantelle Anderson on what the public perceives as sexy and what is not. It is a very well thought out post by a young female athlete and really oputs into perespective what can be edgy and damaging to a brand for women and what can be more acceptable, garner attention and be mainstream. Then Media Post today has an interesting piece on the letter writing campaigns around a too sexy Burger King commercial, aired during many sporting events, which is promoting a kids meal. Again, it is suggestive but not risque, but it caught the eye of a special interest and advocacy group during a sporting event which may make other groups sit up and take notice, and in these challenged times could create a problem for Burger King with the discretionary dollar of conservative families. So here we have a CEO dropping F Bombs and living to fight another day, we have a subtle mix of cartoon characters with a national popular brand being called on the carpet, and we have a top athlete wondering where the middle is. If you are a property, you hope you are smart to make sure partners stay in line but still speak to your clientel, and have leaders who are savvy enough to tow the line and still give your fan base what they want. End of the day, if the ticket buyers and the advertisers remain happy and engaged, then the envelope remains in a good spot. It is when the push becomes a distraction that the crisis management begins.

Subway Make Fresh Pitch With Little League…

March 29, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The Subway chain has done a great job in recent years of finding ways to attack the demo they are trying to reach, whether that is through their team of athlete endorsers, NASCAR or even through their weight loss king, Jared. By going after those groups, Subway spoke right to the adult who chased fast food, and their affordable meals and “Eat Fresh” campaign resulted in some great brand building and awareness, not to mention sales growth. Now Subway will look to step up their pitch to a younger and family audience by expanding their partnership with Little League, this past week kicking off a promo tied to Little League Opening Day and continuing through the summer. The promotion will use some greats of the game, Bucky Dent, Fred Lynn and others, in key markets as part of a tour with celebrity signed and designed baseballs that will be auctioned off for Little League charities. The promotion will coincide with Little League’s 70th birthday, and comes at a time when local youth sports are growing in interest (and Little League is expanding internationally) but sponsorship for programs is struggling. By taking the message to the highly visible and well traffic’ed stops, the Subway brand and the connection to local youth is expanded, with a dash of celebrity thrown in. The promo then accomplishes a host of ideals, both raising funds, awareness and buzz for Little League, while giving Subway franchisees a little extra in a challenged economy for customers to choose their brand over the myriad of affordable chains available. Nice pitch for exposure and branding in a summer long program with a charity tie…a good win for all.

NASCAR Keeps Finding Ways To Keep Brand Relevant And Active In A Down Economy…

March 22, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the economy continuing to be in flux, those sports which are really beholden to the corporate entertainment dollar…golf, tennis, NASCAR...continue to try and find ways to court fans and brands to keep themselves moving forward and justifying the high spend that accompanies their mega-events. As Liz Clarke pointed out in Saturday’s Washington Post, NASCAR is probably making the biggest strides to adjust, connect with their fans at all levels and do everything they can to achieve high ROI for every level of dollar spent at events. The concierge service at select tracks is the latest move for the brand, which has already looked to incorporate as many fan activities as possible into race weekend and make sure that those who are coming are getting the experience they expect and beyond. Brands are going to great lengths to come up with unique activation programs, with the hope that when the choice for discretionary spend applies, those brands who have delivered for the fan, both practically and experientally, will get the value and loyalty back. Now practicality will lend itself to the fact that for many people the dollars just aren’t there right now, but the hope is when the economy bounces back, or when the casual fan is looking for a diversion, a NASCAR weekend or event will provide the best in class service to make the choice an easy one. It is good planning and execution, and for one of the brands that has really helped grow the sports and entertainment business in recent years, will hopefully pay off in loyalty, attendance and new partnerships as reward for their outreach.

Ironmen Make An Extreme Effort In A Tough Environment…

March 5, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Newark isn’t nicknamed “Brick City” because of its soft and cuddly reputation. However it is hard by one of the most fertile areas for youth and high school soccer in North America, and its Prudential Center is one of the Northeast’s best kept secrets in terms of arenas. So into the fold comes the New Jersey Ironment, who with a limited budget made a go of it for the last year of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The team never went to the extreme to capture buzz in the marketplace, and there were not many who thought that when the MISL disbanded that indoor soccer was dead. However two groups emerged and one the Xtreme Soccer League, pulled together some decent markets, including New Jersey, to make a go of it. The problem of course is confusion in a limited niche marketplace, and with precious few dates for the season, the Ironmen have struggled at the gate and to build mainstream brand in the crowded marketplace. However they are trying to do all the right things to identify with the core and casual soccer fan in the area, and if they can build any financial and strategic marketing base, the team may be able to compliment in the winter what the Red Bulls and MLS may be able to do in the outdoor season. Big Apple Soccer had a look at the Ironmen and their community outreach , which along with tieing to former Cosmos legends, theme nights, a growing offseason camp business, and an affordable ticket price all give the team hope to build brand. Using this minor league success approach, along with some nice digital work to give fans a destination in lieu of any television exposure this season, is all a good first step. Next comes the hard part…establishing stars, finding excitement amongst mainstream media and getting on TV and radio somewhere, which is really the only way to get partners ROI they will need for a marketing spend. However in the NY marketplace, the Ironmen are trying on a very limited budget, and in a time when niche sports are quickly falling by the wayside, they may be able to find some ways to stay alive, grow their base at the grassroots, and be an affordable alternative the way minor league baseball is in the summer.

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