The Ability To Tell A Story To The Right Audience: UConn’s Donald Brown

April 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we move into the weekend extravaganza that has become the NFL Draft, it is interesting to see the continued activation, both print and digital, of the NFL machine as fans look to where the future stars will come from. No other off-season “event” has the power for two days that the NFL Draft does. And into the draft cauldron goes some pretty interesting stories, some of which received little attention on the national stage before now. Case in point is the NCAA’s leading rusher, Connecticut’s Donald Brown. While Brown was a key member of the Huskies building a solid Big East football power, the team was hidden in the spotlight of two mega-power college hoops teams and a market trapped between New York and Boston. Never really able to break through, his exploits were rarely showcased even on a regional stage. However following a great combine, Brown began to use the draft week as a way to tell not only his athletic story but his personal one as well…a personal one which includes a mentoring program for future college student-athletes like himself. The story this week became the feel-good predraft piece, and saw Brown featured in places ranging from the New York Times and Men’s Fitness to Bloomberg.com (Scott Soshnick had a great profile) and CNBC among many other local, national and regional outlets. Brown’s exposure goes to prove one thing…even in the most crowded market, there is room for a good story with the media, if you can find the right place and all the right angles to tell it.

Racing To Find Answers To Economic Issues…

May 25, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As gas prices soar, business looks for ways to use economies of scale and look for even bigger bank for a more limited dollar, brands, teams and athletes have to be more conscious than ever to look ahead for the clouds on the horizon and address the very real concerns of their fans and partners BEFORE they become a major issue.  Now more than ever, being creative and proactive can be most important.  With two mega races this weekend, NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte and the IRL’s Indianapolis 500, there were a few pieces that showed that proactivty and perhaps some answers to the real concerns of fans and brands that are worth a read.  On the NASCAR front, there have been several pieces in recent days on how the gas crunch is beginning to effect fans attendance and spending patterns, and some of the measures that tracks are taking to help ease that burden, while on the Open wheel side, there was a great piece in the New York Times on Indy driver Sarah Fisher and her real issues when sponsors depart and how her team can compensate.  These pieces show both sides of the economic equation…how the athlete can be effected by the economy and what he/she has to do to address it, and what the league or brand has to do when the fan is being so adversely effected.  Both show insight, give solutions and have the opportunity to spin so that all see the brands are thinking proactively in a looming crisis situation.  Good lessons for all.  Also on the ROI front, the data company Joyce Julius released a solid piece of info this week on which sponsors are getting the most return from spending on drivers with TV exposure, with Dale Jr. leading the way.  Good read for all those who often wonder how to correctly monitize brand exposure through TV.