Are The Colts The Model NFL Brand?

January 23, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Jon Wertheim’s great piece on Colts owner Jim Irsay this past week in Sports Illustrated has stirred a bit of a debate as to whether the Indianapolis Colts could now be the model franchise for the NFL.   Without the flash and dash, and the oversized suites and prices, of the Dallas Cowboys, or the tradition and big market cache of the New York Giants, or even the celebrity buzz of the Miami Dolphins, the Colts have hit on a number of areas…community, tradition, consistency, even social media growth, that has somehow landed them near the best in show of the NFL. Now do they have a national footprint overall in terms of licensing and branding or even PR?  No. What they have done is an amazing job of one of the first rules (and one of the most forgotten rules) of solid brand growth: take care of your core.  They have steadily made themselves the NFL team of choice of the Midwest, through grssroots outreach, consistent branding and a proven commitment to company success.  Then they have the second piece:  The breakthrough star that transcends the sport.  Maybe when you have Peyton Manning you don’t have to seek out Good Morning America or Dancing With The Stars, his marketing team does that for you. But from Oreos to direct TV, manning is as marketable a face and personality as there is in sports today. They have consistency of brand. If you live in Indiana, you know who the owner is, the president is, and who the coach is.  If someone leaves they are replaced by a person who fits the system, and the system works.  That is a rarity in today’s system of immediate gratification.  The colors and the logo remain the same. No third uniform or color helmets.  the Colts, through Baltimore and Indy, have remained the same. They are consistent with the media. No flash, no games, no innovation.  The Colts provide what they need to, service the media and stay consistent with their policies. They speak with one voice. Whether its Irsay the owner or president Bill Polian, everyone pulls from the same script.  less drama, more progress that way. Lastly, even by being traditional, they found ways to embrace social media, connect with fans outside the stadium, and drive interest and revenue through a solid, and consistent web 2.0 campaign.  “My Colts” is not a flashy program, but it provides information, access, and special features that many teams should follow.  Not huge bells and whistles, but it is a program that gives fans what they want and in return they draw a following.

Rotohog.com finds ways to help winners fulfill the American Dream

October 17, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Usually we think of rotisserie play as a small cash payoff for the winners but lots of fun for all involved…that is the appeal of fantasy gaming, to put you in the drivers seat with as many options as possible, and make you the person in charge of your own sports team, competing against friends and in the case of online gaming, thousands of others.  Rotohog.com is an emerging player in the space, and even gave a husband/wif combination of winners in their fantasy baseball game this summer a chance to use that success to purchase a good chunk of the American Dream…namely a new home.  Darren Rovell had a good piece today on the winners and how they combined their earnings, even in this down economy, to move from apartment to brand new house.   Good example of how even in this economy, fantasy sports can bring a solid distraction with the hope of better opportunities for those who play well.  Nice piece, well played out function.