Why The Yanks Win With Hope Week…

August 21, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Yes they are the defending World Champions and as so have a responsibilty to give back to their fans year-round.  And from expansive foundations run by Mariano rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Joe Girardi and many others, the New York Yankees do find ways to give back all year round, just like many teams on every level in every market. However what sets Hope Week apart for the Yankees is the expansive connections each and every member of the organization makes with so many different organizations during the busiest part of the season.  The plan, which ranges from visits to having various groups and organizations come to Yankee Stadium, takes every part of the organization and exposes the brand to a wide variety of stories that will have a cumulatiive ripple effect way beyond the initial meetings.  It is Community Relations and outreach to the max, and as a result garnered exposure not just locally but nationally, with a full-length feature on the Today Show on Friday.

Baseball Playing The Global Card, But Do Most Know?

August 12, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

There is perhaps no more global sport on the professional level than baseball. At some level of the professional game, over 35 countries on five continents are represented, and the number grows each year.  Major league Baseball International spends millions developing players around the globe, and the results can be seen in recent weeks, when Chinese Taipei edged Australia for the World Junior title, Cuba won the World University championship, and this week the Women’s World Cup is being played in Venezuela. The coming Little League World Series will also have its global look and later in the fall millions will tune in to watch the World Series.  Yet for all its domestic success, it is basketball (this week announcing regular season games in London between New Jersey and Toronto) and soccer (with Chinese investor Kenny Huang looking to add to his work in hoops) continues to grab headlines that baseball should also have.  Why is that?

Captain Morgan Takes It Up A Notch…

July 22, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

It used to be that big tobacco was the premier advertiser in sports, with lavish commercials, promotional campaigns and funding for both traditional sports and especially for sports like tennis and auto racing.  However with the scrutiny and regulation of the industry all that money disappeared in sponsorship in North America.  At the same time the spirits industry was hamstrung in finding ways to integrate into mainstream sports. Without the ability to advertise on TV, the large pockets of liquor were left to find guerilla campaigns to reach a demo that they knew would be active in thr pursuit of alcohol, just like the demo was following and consuming beer (who could promote to the audience in any way possible).

The Value Of Voices…

July 12, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 3 Comments 

Sunday sports lost one of its touchstones, as legendary public address announced Bob Sheppard passed away at age 99.  Sheppard, a gentleman, was the sound of the Yankees, the Giants, St. John’s, and was an instructor at St. John’s for many years. Like the passing of the great Ernie Harwell earloer this year and the Phillies Harry Kalas last year, another connection to the traditional brand of baseball has been silenced.  Now while many may belittle the value of a PR announcer or a broadcaster to a franchise in a google-happy and always screaming world, the value of these men when the team they worked for is viewed as a public trust as much as a brand, is indisputable.

Asking Forgiveness Not Permission: The Dallas Braden Tee’s

July 6, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

As baseball heads into the All-Star break, teams with distressed inventory continue to find innovative ways to rally fans and generate buzz, whether or not they are doing well on the field.  Case in point   is this week, where the Oakland A’s are looking to create some buzz and fan support around the visiting World Champion New York Yankees making their one trip to the Bay Area. Yes the Yanks are always a draw, but there remain distressed tickets to be had and a team to be supported after the Yanks leave town.  The solution?  Create and sell t-shirts for fans re-addressing pitcher Dallas Braden’s dust up with Alex Rodriguez earlier this season, when Rodriguez crossed the mound on his way back to the dugout at Yankee Stadium, and Braden took offense publicly at the move.

Owning The 4th…

July 4, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 3 Comments 

As one goes through the sports calendar it is always interesting to note what the opportunities are that can still be “owned” or created by brands or teams.  While the biggest days to still grab are those arounf the baseball all-star game next week, it is noteworthy that no one really hase grabbed the opportunity to activate around July 4.  Maybe becuase the day is such one of leasure and activity may be spread too thin, but the day is still one of the quietest news days of the year. at a time when activity is very high.  From NASCAR to the Wimbledon Finals to baseball, there are key goings-on in sport, and this year the spirit of World Cupo abounds as well.

Albert, Andy and Joe Appeal To Their Family Side

June 19, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The Dove brand of products has done a phenomenal job of rallying the everyday woman over the years and showing that self confidence can be more than appealing in a world where ultra cool, ultra hop and ultra thin are what people strive for, misguided or not. Whether using “regular” women from varied backgrounds or celebrity spokespeople, Dove was able to engage with the demo and show that highlighting inner beauty is as cool as outward beauty.  Recently the brand has moved on to their next stage of engagement, working with baseball to highlight the lives of key players with both diverse and interesting family backgrounds.  The campaign, called “Journey to Comfort,” follows Dove’s “Manthem” Super Bowl campaign and uses three highly visible and family focused personalities, Andy Petitte, Joe Girardi, and Albert Pujols, to tell their stories of family values and their lives away from the ballparks.

Taking A Gamble In Business…Literally

June 18, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Throughout the course of the history of sports there have been business deals fueled by the problems and pratfalls of gambling or paying off debt.  Lore has it the New York Giants were originally acquired by the Mara family in an effort to pay off gambling woes by a partner. The Philadelphia Eagles ran amok at one point becuase of the gambling debt accumulated by owner Leonard Toes…there is the legendary story of Red Sox owner Harry Frazee selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees in order to finance his play “No No Nanette” (although thats not necessarily true).  Although not realated to gambling, the USFL’s Arizona Wranglers and Los Angeles Express franchises literally swapped entire teams one year.

Playing With “Peanuts”

June 12, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Baseball can be a sometimes endless season, especially for franchises that get off to a poor start and never have the chance to recover.  However even with the worst of teams, the moment exists, either on the field or off, that a fan can be at that one game that can capture a moment that will live forever.  that is the beauty of sport at any level…seeing that one unexpected moment live, or being part of the shared experience or commemoration that happens just once in a lifetime.  Baseball also has the ability, because of its length of season, to find ways to honor so many aspects not just of the sport but of human and artistic achievement almost every day.  The ceremonies of baseball…from the first pitch to the seventh inning stretch to even a memento…present oppoertunities unlike any other sport, try as others may.

A “Saintly” Display Of Being A Public Trust…

June 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the toughest elements for a sports entity to maintain these days is the balance between being a multifaceted, revenue generating business and being a public trust, like other community institutions that evoke emotion, passion and support in addition to brining in dollars. The endless media presence, a never ending season, the transient nature of athletes have all contributed to the drive to having franchises be more big business and less part of the community as they were in earlier generations.  There is a need to find every way to engage partners and fans these days, and the balance between quality and quantity of brand positioning can sometimes get lost in the dollar search, especially when partners are under continuous pressure to justify their spends, and teams are under constant pressure to deliver more return for the dollars spent by fans. Now it is true that teams have realized this issue and have taken strides to restore community trust and interest, but the true integration into the community is still a very tough balance in these challenging times.

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