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.

New real estate in sports brands expands…

June 5, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

As the scramble to get the best value for sponsorship dollars, as well as added eyeballs for products and services, continues on in a challenged economy, two brands took a leap step forward in the New York sports marketing scene this week.

AVP Tips Off Season Marrying Pro and Lifestyle Experiences

April 15, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Every professional sport today is on a never-ending quest to engage the fan and make their game more experiential.  However the bottom line is that at the highest level most professional sports are to be watched and enjoyed than played by those who follow it.  MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA are all more aspirational and inspirational, and that’s a great thing.  They provide a relief and a break from the every day, especially now that the worlds of sports and entertainment are so closely intertwined.  So are there professional sports that are more experiential, more of a lifestyle, but still hold the cache of elite athletics?  One is probably pro beach volleyball, and the AVP, which opens their 2010 season in Fort Lauderdale this weekend, has done one of the best jobs in melding the pro game and the experiential for their fans and brands.

Beach Volleyball Gets A Collegiate Push Toward Building It’s Brand…

January 16, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Beach volleyball is unquestionably the darling sport of the Olympic Games. Every four years the men’s, and especially the women’s competition, draws one of the largest windows for NBC and has helped make pop culture stars of athletes like Misty May Treanor, Holly McPeak, Karch Kiraly, Kerri Walsh, and many others.  More importantly, the AVP has used the Olympic platform to effectively build a North American tour that even in a slow economy has one of the best examples of sponsor activation and integration of any sport, from Barefoot wines and former title sponsor Crocs to Paul Mitchell hair products and KFC . One could spend a full day at any AVP event and literally move from sponsor to sponsor and never run out of activity until sundown.  Still, even with that platform every four years and a lifestyle sport that thrives in warm weather, the Tour, like any sport,  goes through cycles of high and low activity, and is currently looking to develop the next wave of crossover stars to keep sponsors happy, ticketsellers coing, and TV partners interested.  Also like most sports, the AVP needs a healthy developmental program to fuel that growth and interest, and last year got a much-needed boost when the NCAA approved sand volleyball as a sport starting in 2011.

The Stunt Makes A Comeback…

November 17, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

As we move towards the end of what has been a challenged year for many in the brand activation side, we are seeing more and more unique ambush plays and creative sponsorship partnerships designed to extract every dollar, or generate dollars and interest, with every passing day. The moves are probably coming more out of creative minds letting loose and brands being willing to try a little more edgy a push for ROI, but in each case the opportunities have created buzz and made for an entrepreneurial sense of “one upsmanship” that is both refreshing and challenging for all involved in sports and entertainment. The recent examples included: Hebrew National pulling a unique ambush and challenge for those players caught eating hot dogs on an NFL sideline (after the Jets Mark Sanchez was caught on camera eating during a game), the Captain Morgan pose and subsequent followup this week by Diageo during last week’s Eagles NFL game, Boise State and the Big West Conference looking to raise their profile by hiring a PR firm and selling “shares” in their athletic program (as reported by Darren Rovell) with each holder getting a voice in marketing plans, and the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” sponsoring last Saturday’s championship fight between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquaio.

History Channel Pawns Off A Great Promo For Upcoming Fight Night…

November 10, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

The linking of pawn shops and boxers may not have always been a positive experience, but this week, as part of the promotional campaign for the title bout between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao, “Pawn Stars” and boxing will share equal billing. That is because The History Channel, working with Top Rank and the Leverage Agency, came up with a very unique cross promotion for the History Channel’s new Vegas reality show which featured the lives of a family of Pawn Brokers and debuts at the end of the month. The “Pawn Stars” logo, series stars and even a sweepstakes will be interwoven into the HBO pay per view broadcast this Saturday night, giving the show a platform in a demo that fits and giving the fight a unique promotional platform in and around Vegas. Media Post’s David Goetzel had an indepth look at the cross promotion, which will also be woven into all of Top ranks advance media buys for the night. In addition to being an interesting media play for both properties, the move fills canvas space and distressed inventory and will also lure casual fans…those who may enjoy reality TV and may not watch a professional fight…into the promotion or the pay per view market. The replay of the fight on HBO at a later date can also benefit from promotion on “Pawn Stars” when it airs later in the month, another way in which a somewhat unconventional but very practical and cost efficient cross branding exercise can work. Now could some see it as a step down for the canvas signage that usually or used to appear at top fights? perhaps. But in a day where everyone is looking for bang for the buck, the championship fight and its reality TV cousin could be the first in a long line of similar ties ins with the reality show and key athletic events in their demo.

Using The Freebie KFC Gets The Word Out…

May 7, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For as long as we have had promotions in sports, teams have worked with franchises for “special prizes” when teams hit milestones in games. Free fries for a 100 points, double chili for six goals etc. etc. have always been a get something for nothing mantra that drives foot traffic as the added bonus for a team partnership for many retailers and franchisees. In February Quiznos took in one step further by using many of its sports platforms to promote its one million free sub giveaway, which generated a countless amount of foot traffic and publicity even with some of its snafus with demand outreaching supply. Then Wednesday, another brand which spends a huge amount of time in sports activation (most recently signing on with the AVP), YUM brands KFC, went to the ultimate tastemaker, Oprah Winfrey, to unveil its free coupons on a new branded website to kick off its new grilled chicken. The combination of an Oprah endorsement, a great viral platform and word of mouth spread the offer to record exposure for the brand, and even spark internet rumors of riots at some New York locations (good buzz but unfounded). Now was it a radical move for a traditional brand to break out of its stereotype and get foot traffic in the door for those who may never try KFC? Yes. The success in repeat customers and internet buzz will carry on for days through the coupon redemption, but the combo of an Oprah endorsement, an internet fury, online brand activation with couponing created a midweek event where there was not one before and probably gave KFC a nice launch platform to now activate even more heavily through its sports sponsorships. Well paced, well timed, and although demand may have overexceeded supply in some areas, so far well done (the plan not the chicken). Now its on to the next fast food move to top the KFC play, which could be McDonald’s elevation of its coffee marketing this week in a take at Starbucks...another brand which will use its sports platform to exploit a new product launch, but not with free coffee yet.

Whats In a Brand Name? Bears Build Theirs, China’s Stadiums Look For Others…

August 15, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The notion of a sports brand…or any other brand…building to enhance image and planning for that rainy day should never be lost.  A look in Chicago, where the Blackhawks lost their marketshare and are now being rebuilt under John McDonough, or to Starbucks, which has to start back to identify with the customers who gave them the marketshare they enjoyed (as well as the stock price), are examples of lack of rainy day planning.  So it is great to see another Chicago team, the Bears, going out and taking the aggresive branding step to tell fans, both ardent and casual, who they are, what their history is, and what value the team has today and going forward.  Do NFL teams, many with few tickets to move, need to do such a branding campaign?  Many will argue no, that the investment made in branding is lost becuase of the small margin to be made with available tickets.  However there is a difference when the franchise has a tie to grow with the community not just as a team or a brand but as a public trust.  The teams that use their brand to grow community programs, draw new fans and find ways to incorporate their team values into the community have a much better chance of sustaining in lean years, and having fans stick with them, buy product and identify with what a team stands for in a time when many athletes time in a market is transient. It is a bold move by the Bears, and a smart one that should be a best practice for all.

Saints Get The Skinny On Naming Rights…While A Sharp Move Gets Exposure In Big And Small Markets

August 12, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the Leverage Agency out there trying to sell the naming rights for China’s two most prominent venues after the Olympics are done, we look to the minor leagues for yet another innovative way to sell…or rent…stadium naming rights for a short period.  Credit the Goldklang Group…with innovator Mike Veeck leading the way…for selling the rights to the St. Paul Saints’ Midway Stadium to Skinny Nutritional Corp, but only for a week.  The deal could be a trendsetter for selling any section of stadia, or even a part of the field, for short periods of time to garner ancillary exposure and incremental dollars with no real cost.  Now the real exposure comes from being first out of the box with the idea, which led to the Times Stuart Elliott doing a piece today.  Can there be a value to specific local sponsors outside of the first play?  All depends on the angle the partner takes and the willingness to be creative.  Can u use it for product endorsement and sampling by doing a “world’s largest” something?  Perhaps.  Regardless the idea is fun and innovative and the one article got the partner and the team exposure that was big league all the way.