Can Vancouver The Brand Be The Biggest Olympic Winner?

February 7, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

There has been much talk about Lindsey Vonn’s suggestive Sports Illustrated cover, Stephen Colbert’s great sponsor play, “The Flying Tomato” worrying about snow, Heather Mitts being a klutz and the Jamaican Bobsledders missing the cut, but can Vancouver the city and the region be the biggest winner in this year’s Winter Olympics? The coming events have not had the hype or hysteria that others Olympics have had, probably because of the lack of big name American stars and less promotional dollars, as well as the fact that this will be the first Olympics since the crash of the financial markets. The Winter Olympics are also never the huge casual fan draw that the Summer Games are, but they are still the first Games in North America since Salt Lake City, and may be the last ones for some time to come.  So can a city known for its beauty and with a well established resort as a host (Whistler) find a way to push itself into the consciousness of the American sports fan, the global sports fan, and with that the branding and event world with a successful games? Could the region be a great example as to how established areas, in addition to emerging ones like Sochi for 2014, use the Games to grow and thus justify all the cost spent competing to host a global competition?

MLK Day A Missed Branding Oppt. For Sports?

January 18, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Monday is a National Holiday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It would seem a perfect time…NFL in full postseason, NBA and NHL gearing up for All-Star, college sports pushing ahead, the Olympics on the horizon, the holidays in the distance…for a brand or an organization to take ownership of the weekend, especially in the area of community service and philanthropy. Yes, the NBA does do a good job of playing during the day and looking at projects that serve the spirit of Dr. King well.  Yes, some NFL teams like the 48ers are doing community service events Monday.  However, as brands look to be more community oriented and find opportunities to partner on community programs that give back, there remains no national push.  Maybe it should not be the professional teams or leagues, who would find it hard to muster full support on a Monday in January.  Maybe it should be the NCAA or High Schools that should find a brand to turn the day into one where young athletes and coaches each give back in their community. Maybe it should be the announcement of a mentoring program by each or any of the leagues, with some kind of tie to Dr. King’s spirit. Maybe it should be MLS, coming off their draft and meetings last week, or the PBR, who just started, or tennis or golf, both looking for more diversity. It just seems like with the issues of elite athletes today, and the obvious need for brands to connect to the community, that this mid-January weekend would be a prime spot to reflect, connect and reenergize the spirit and influence that athletes can have, especially young people looking for role models on any level.

An Athlete Gets A “Feel” For A Brand…

October 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

On Sunday, Jets kicker Jay Feely entered the record book for consecutive field goals made as a Jet, breaking a record held by Pat Leahy for over 20 years. Feely’s success on the field has been tremendous, yet his feel for using his stature in athletics in a major market to develop a long term vision for success may be even more impressive. As documented in several media outlets this past week, including Greg Bishop’s feature in the New York Times, the Jets kicker has been able to find ways using both social and traditional media to build his brand, and give both casual and diehard fans a little more insight into what he is all about. The result is an athlete who has a presence now in media where he feels well adjusted, well read and well thought out, in both the sports and the political world, and he has been able to use that exposure to build out a potential second career, not just when his athletic days end, but in the offseason when he has more time to focus on the long term. Although some will say it may be easier for an athlete who happens to be a kicker to have more free time to delve into other things (probably an unfair assumption as the special teams performers of the NFL may have the most tenuous place on a roster most times), the truth of the matter is that Feely’s work in looking into leadership roles, both in sports and in society and social media, and then parlaying that interest into a vibrant career is both rare and admirable. One must keep in mind that Feely does not have the flash and dash of Twitter success stories like Shaquille O’Neal or Chad Ochocinco, and his posts may be a little more cerebral and outward looking than most athletes. On the political side, he is not the lightning rod for controversy, but his thoughts have gotten him placement with Sean Hannity on a regular basis on FOX, and could lead to a larger role in the future. Will it lead to big time endorsements, even in the media capital of the world? No. However Feely’s work is a great example of an athlete understanding the limits of time in the limelight and using that time to effectively build his brand, whether that brand is in the media or in business. The fact that he has been able to embrace and understand the value of a social media platform as a communication device for thoughts makes it all the more impressive, and can give his career a kickstart for the longterm, even as he continues to kick for the green and white.

Global Brands Continuing To Look Toward American Sports Leadership…

July 15, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The announcement in this week’s Sports Business Journal that Tom Fox will join Arsenal to run their startegic marketing is the latest in a series of moves by elite clubs and sports around the world to try and not only capture ways to engage their own fans, but to try and begin carving niches to make their brands interesting and meaningful to fans in North America, whether those fans are expats now living in the States, new fans or sport like cricket and rugby, and more importantly, brands that may be looking to activate more on a global level. As the digital world blurs traditional boundries and is able to unite fans of a sport or a sports brand more and more in real time, sports like Indian cricket have looked to the west to adapt their game to a more global and less traditional audience. Even rugby has looked to changes, using Rugby 7’s as opposed to the full sided game to get into the Olympics and draw fans who are more interested in a fast-paced game. Now does this mean that we will be seeing Thundersticks and cheerleaders in the Premier League? No. It means that there are many smart brands who realize there are global opportunities to expand and draw more fans, bodies and brands to them and that the economy today has created a need to bring in savvy folks to show clubs and sports how to be successful and use their connections to build brand like they have with American sport. We have seen traditional American brands like the NBA and MLB continue to make strides in establishing their global footprint for several years, so it now makes sense that the established hierarchy of sport outside the States now also take advantage of that know-how by bringing those who have been successful building brands with fans into their offices to show them how they too can be more cost-effective and forward-looking.

NASCAR Plays The Education Card To Build More Bandwidth…

April 5, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

We have often talked about the new ways NASCAR has derived in a down economy to reach the consumer and work with their partners. This week brought another series of innovations, the biggest of which is a new education module tied into science to reach students who love invention and innovation, but may never have gotten near a track, a driver or any of the brands around the sport. The Science of Speed , an online teaching component available free to all teachers, marries NASCAR’s racing and engineering experience with simple experiments and programs for science teachers to apply in their curriculum to students. The programs are multi-level, adaptable and really give the casual follower another reason to watch and identify with the brand. Combine that with NASCAR’s rollout of a Prilosec campaign based around barbeque (another smart marriage of food and a heartburn medication) and an announcement that Libby’s signed Kim Burton…the wife of driver Jeff Burton…for a series of promotions onsite, and you have a week where the brand has hit emerging fans (children and teachers), die hard fans (the barbeque eatin, brand buying) and the female audience (the casual and the diehard) in one fell swoop. Most importantly, all these activation programs take NASACAR TO the constituent in a time where constituents may not be looking for them. Great outreach with not just short term, but long term brandbuilding components.

The Brand Spend: How To Justify And Invest Or Not…

March 2, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

At the end of this current economic climate, the sports brand that may be hit the hardest on the sponsorship side may be golf. Long viewed as the ultimate entertaining event, the events are not just being hit hard by companies losing sponsor dollars, but by the lack of long-term star development (the post Tiger era), the cost of play, and now by the hard core scrutiny being placed on those still looking to entertain by the media. John Paul Newport’s weekend piece in the Wall Street Journal was a good summary of the latest issue, which surrounded the lavish spend by Northern Trust at a golf event and the subsequent call by Rep. Barney Frank to have all those who received stimulus money to almost eliminate all sports and entertainment expenditures. Newport’s piece looked not just at the issue of what was spent, but brought to light how monies were spent and the even larger issue of who will actually be hurt by the cutbacks. Like in other industries, the collateral damage…the corner store and the Little League that lose business because the local car dealer goes down because GM is in trouble is really the biggest concern for the long term. As with past issues, sports marketers need to get creative again in finding ways to justify any spend, and there are ways to get return, entertain those who need to be entertained and still stay involved in sports and entertainment so you can reach the consumer and grow business back. Sports Philanthropy projects, viral campaigns, local activation, economies of scale are all smart ways to go for money already invested and for monies going forward. Taking the easy way out at the suggestion of those not in an industry…cutting all sponsorships, which in effect squanders not just jobs and effort but any forward growth of business…is short sighted grandstanding and will hurt the little guy. Darren Rovell had a great piece with Bank of America on Friday justifying their spend for future growth, and showing how it is not frivolous but investing in its local properties where its consumers do business. Is there excess in spending that needs to go? Yes. Did Northern Trust need Sheryl Crowe in this environment? Probably not. But if properly explained in the long run as the need for business to do business, the brand spend can be effective, economical and be seen as a way to get all back on track as opposed to throwing money toward elite wine and cheese. Inaction and stagnation at this point in any brand can be a killer, as much a killer as wasteful spending, and those brands who have made investments for the long term need to find effective ways, with smart spending and communications, to keep things going for the long term. Like other sports heavy on hospitality…tennis, NASCAR…golf needs to look inward to partners to sustain and then outward to the public and those at the grassroots to grow and then get the right way to re-channel funds to make sure that the why for the buy is communicated…whether it is with current partners or ones who will look to enter the sport.

Rangers’ Dad Trip Great Access and InSite Into The Team…

January 19, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is a program that is growing in the NHL, and if it continues to go well may be copied by other leagues more often…the New York Rangers, like a few other NHL teams, picked a road trip and had the players’ fathers accompany them for a little bonding and giveback.  Now many teams will disappear into a “team building” opportunity during the long season…an unscheduled trip to Disney, bowling, a movie…but few times are the media and the fans given insight into such private moments.  However the Rangers, took a more public step in explaining the reasons and benefits of inviting the fathers along on a recent road trip, and by doing so gave the fans a look into the private lives of many of the players, especially those who are younger and don’t get much everyday exposure in a crowded media market.  Now each sport does create those special bonds between father and son over the long period and long hours on the road through the development time of young pro players, but hockey has a pretty unique isolation…with baseball probably the only sport similar in the U.S…where young players leave home at a very early age and much of that bonding time can be lost.  This special trip is a smart one to help the players have that special time at a great point in their careers,  and by letting the media and the public in for some glimpses, builds added human interest into a very long season.  Nice access, great story lines, great break from the everyday for the NHL.

Leveraging Sports When The Primary Business Suffers…

January 4, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Matt Futterman in Friday’s Wall Street Journal had an interesting look at what happens when the ownership groups of franchises have their primary business suffer large losses, and how it can effect their secondary business…which in many cases can be a franchise.  The crazy situation with the San Diego Padres sell off due to a divorce settlement, is one of the more extreme problems that can arise when owners financial issues off the field effect performance and brand of the franchise.  The bottom line is that franchises and those who run and sell them, should always look to how the brand can best fit the assets of the owner, whether that is creating more ROI for the local car business that owns the minor league baseball or hockey team, or finding ways that Quicken Loans can best benefit from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Arena ownership.  Ironically, one of the brands that has best integrated its franchises into its daily business work is Cablevision.  For all the heat that the Dolan Family takes for the Knicks, Rangers and MSG, their brands…from community events to discounts for tickets and merch for cable subscribers…are working hand in glove with most Cablevision properties.  As a result, the teams have temendous added value to the overall business of the company, even away from the obvious arena and television benefits.  The teams have also looked to find aggressive revenue areas using the Cablevision assets and draw casual fans even the the slowest of times, which makes the brands very important to the business success of Cablevision when times can get tough and cuts have to come.  So the question remains…how does a sports brand find ways to not be “the play thing” of ownership that is concetrating on more mainstream businesses?  By understanding the needs of the core business of ownership…in the community, among its employees…and then developing ways to show strong value through the assets of the team…community relations programs, digital partnerships, in-arena announcements, employee programs…can help make the sports brand even more valuable and more relevant to those in the main business who are not enamored with the high cost and public issues which come with the sports brand.   Sometimes the internal ROI and cross brand communication to the decision makers at the core business is even more important than the external.

The Million Dollar Arms Pays Off…

November 7, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

We started this blog almost a year ago, and one of the more unique promotions that came up was The Million Dollar Arm, a promotion to find baseball players in India and grow the game there, with a chance for some young player who could learn baseball to get a chance to make his way to the pros.  Whether ot not there would be a payoff would be the great unknown, but as profiled in USA Today this week, the competition found not one, but at least two young pitchers who are developing with a chance to play professionally.  The contest may have hit the international scene at the right time…baseball had a good run in Beijing and is now fighting for inclusion in 2016, MLB has never been hotter both in North America and in the rest of the world, and India as a sports property, and as a country with active brands loking to activate in the sports marketing world, is growing at a very rapid pace.  Eventhough it is not yet finished, The Million Dollar Arm may be one of those unique properties that has the legs to prove that it can work, and could even adapt to other countires and other sports with the right payoff. 

Billy Ball A Good Yanks Move…and Athletes On International Branding And Social Change…

March 16, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

PR Move of The Day:  Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News “got it” Friday in his column on the Yankees letting Billy Crystal bat in a game for his 60th birthday. The move got the sport some great exposure that it still needs, created buzz, and did nothing to hurt the integrity of the game. Will there be knockoffs around the minors and maybe in other sports going forward? Maybe. But it didn’t hurt the purity of the game and was a good March story for a few days.