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.

On Heisman Weekend, “The Rudy Awards” Score Points…

December 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

“Rudy.” Great story, great movie. Yes the real Rudy is a bit over the top, bit that’s another story. It never detracts from the essence of the message the movie conveys. “Rudy” resonates with people on so many levels, and if the idea gives rise to ways for others to have their story told and be inspiring to those around them today, then its a very noble effort for the creators.

NBA Packages It’s Messages Home and Abroad…

November 29, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we move firmly into the winter season and toward the Olympics in Vancouver, NFL Post season, the BCS, and even pitchers and catchers in the distance, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the consistency of branding that is so important to deliver the correct message year round, and there is perhaps no brand that does that better than the NBA. Take a look at the last few weeks, as people start to think more and more about hoops. The NBA announces a larger push to grow the game of basketball globally by naming Heidi Uberroth the first President of NBA International, makes a splash with growing basketball in India, brings teams to London and international teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv to New York, ramps up its partnership with the NCAA to push playing hoops in the States and now rolls out a continued expansion into smaller markets with a revamped D-League (nice piece by Darren Rovell on the D-League this week). Across all those global platforms is the same message…basketball, no matter what level…is good business. It gets kids involved, it showcases products and brands, it is a great social event, it can bring large scale events to small markets and it is the same whether you are in Mumbai or Milwaukee. And there is one brand that is all things basketball…and that brand is the NBA. Are there issues in a challenged economy? Yes. The WNBA flagship Sacramento Monarchs folding this week is a problem. Attendance and sponsorship sales in some markets are a problem. However over all, the image that all partners are pulling in one direction to grow the sport and to use all the elements and power of the NBA to position that growth in so many places is very impressive and remains the model for all sports. That message is very clear…grow the game, and use teamwork to do it…and the brand grows with it.

Finding The Right Mix of Heisman Hype…

November 25, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Every year as the college season winds down, the debate begins…who are the Heisman Trophy hopefuls…should schools use monies to create multimedia campaigns…do such campaigns resonate with voters…is it all about winning…is winning not just about the award but about relevance to the school and to the athlete? It is a tough question to address as a one off, and a recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune weighed both the pluses and the minuses of Heisman hype and what it netted the schools. There is no doubt in looking at the last eight winners, all of whom played in the BCS Championship game, that winning is the key to exposure, and that statistics and the correct presentation play more into the award that the story and the popularity of a student-athlete. However what is missing in the debate for the winner is the value to a school of having an athlete in the hunt for the Heisman, and the ancillary benefits that presents. The analytics of the BCS have taken much of the mystery away from the national title hunt, n o matter how flawed the system is. With that removal of mystery is the loss of the “what if’s” of mystical matchups that could influence a Heisman voter. The 24/7 accessability of highlights also now gives every athlete a chance for exposure, but the opportunity for social media campaigns gives schools the ability to come up with creative and cost efficient campaigns as well. So what’s the answer? Balance. Collegiate communications programs must find creativity and tell the good stories that garber media coverage and exposure regardless of won/loss records. Onfield success and traditional exposure also play a big part in the campaign. However what is lost sometimes is the value of the campaign vs. the dollars spent. Perhaps x candidate does not win this year, but the University ran a smart, cost efficient campaign that garnered publicity and drew eyeballs to the school. is that to say that campaign had no value? Of course not. Those who view a campaign as a strict win/loss have lost sight of the value of publicity, and therefore should probably be teaching math or doing statistical analysis. The value is in the creativity and the long term brand exposure as well as the win. In the Heisman race every year, there can be one trophy winner, but many programs that can pick up wins in creativity and branding, it all comes with effective cross promotion and the understanding of the long term goal for the University and the program.

Lack of Heisman Hype A Missed Opportunity For Colleges and Brands…

December 20, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe it is the “economy,” maybe college football in its push to become more streamlined and protective has dulled creativity, and maybe there are just too many other ways to promote brands on college campuses these days, but it appears that the grassroots and creative ways that schools used to hype Heisman Trophy and All-American candidates are dead.  A look at the official Heisman site shows still pictures, a brown background and a total of three press releases in the past year…a search for the three finalists does not turn up one promotion close to last year’s student driven Booty’s For Booty campaign for the former USC star.  There were no large scale consumer promotions in New York or anywhere else promoting Heisman week like there have been in years past.  Lack of spending?  probably.  But that doesn’t mean that the stories that could be created by college promotion and sports communication offices couldn’t have brought attention to some athletes who maybe would have found their way onto blogs, newspapers and even TV and radio with creativity and forethought.  The Gordie Lockbaum, Joe Dudek, and Joey Harrington promotions where worthy athletes were pushed to great exposure appear to be a thing of the past.  Hopefully there are some enterprising young media relations and promotions people who see the opportunity in promotion and brand building going forward and find ways to make Heisman Hype fun and effective, both for exposure and cost, once again.  Lack of a large budget means challenges the creative spirit, and the creative spirit is what should drive innovative promotion, not the other way around.

MLB, Howard, Take Fans Behind The Scenes In The Video Game World

November 2, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The Phillies Ryan Howard is probably still celebrating the Phils World Series title from this past week, but the folks at mlb.com gave fans an even better look at the star this past week, working with Playstation to create a great viral video that takes fans behind the scenes of the making of the video game.  The piece scored points on a number of levels for MLB…first it showcased a star coming out of the Series at a time when his casual value to the sports fan may be at its highest…it gives fans an inside, off the field look at one of its biggest stars in an unusal environment, it gave gamers a cool “inside” looks into game creation, and it married it all together on a great digital platform, combining the story with the video on mlb.com at a time when traffic coming off the Series may drop a bit.  Great timing, great opportunity, well hit piece that keeps the baseball beat going into the offseason.    

Texas Tech Gets A Double Jump On Heisman Promos

October 2, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Last year we bemoned the fact that schools had lost the creative edge when finding ways to promote their Heisman Trophy candidates, campaigns which went to great lengths to gain recognition for athletes like Holy Cross’ Gordie Lockbaum and Plymouth State’s Joe Dudek in years gone by.  However this year Texas Tech is one of the first out of the gate with a very creative digital play that looks at the political scene and finds a way to promote two potential winners, QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree.  The site, Pass or Catch, gives fans great looks at both “candidates” with lots of political jargon thrown in.  Now will a dual promotion split votes in the process, hard to say.  However the promotion of both athletes will give media and fans a great deal of background and gets the team early publicity and buzz in what is usually a very stat-laden process.  Great first strike by the Red Raiders.

Politics Playing Sports…Will Barack’s Heisman Pose Resonate In Votes…

February 26, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Not that we think there is a direct corrolation, but Barack Obama’s rise at the start of primary season did coincide with the great piece Scott Price did in Sports Illustrated when he shot hoops with the senator.  Last week on a visit to Austin in advance of the Texas Primary, the Senator took a trip to visit with University of Texas athletes and pose with Earl Campbell’s Heisman trophy.  We wondered at the time when other candidates would look to the sports PR opportunity along the way, and thus far we have yet to see the shots.  The correlation between votes and the sports shot may not be overt, but it certainly can’t hurt, and it would not be surprising to see Senator Clinton or Senator McCain or Senator Obama finding his way into a NASCAR pit, or hovering around baseball opening day or maybe The Final Four in the coming months.  Maybe, just maybe, the political opposite of the SI cover jinx is appearing in a piece on the LAST page of SI.  Time will tell, but we do know that the demo the pols are trying to court loves their sports, and to be a “sports guy” in this hypercompetitive race is not a bad thing.