Kobe vs. LeBron…or Dwight…Digital Immediacy Gives Brands Flexibility Like Never Before…

May 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It used to be that media plans, carefully crafted and built over time, could be gone in a heartbeat if an entertainer bombed or ran afowl of the law, or an athlete was injured or failed to live up to expectations. The classic story has always been the Dave vs. Dave decathlon battle leading to the Olympics that never materialized because of injuries and underperformance. Even three years ago, Amex’s “Andys Mojo” campaign built around Andy Roddick for the US Open, flamed out when Roddick when down too early in the tournament, and there are countless stories of teams pulling down billlboards after early season trades or problems. However today’s digitial opportunities gives media and brand at least more flexibility than before. Even the LA Dodgers “Mannywood” issues could have been much more costly in years gone by if the team did not have the ability to adjust on the fly. Was it somewhat costly? Yes. But not to the extent of other years, where billboards, ads, and other pieces could not be swapped out digitally. Even media guides, once a massive spend to store and print, are now being updated and adjusted more on CD and online, saving time and money. Latest case in point on this issue are the brands that have spent and built toward the NBA Finals and a potential Kobe vs. LeBron mega-final. Jeremy Mullman in Ad Age on Friday had a good piece pointing out potential pratfalls for brands building who have built NBA campaigns and are not part of the the matchup, especially adidas and Gatorade, while Darren Rovell had a good piece earlier in the week about Vitamin Water and their ability to adjust by also having an underused Dwight Howard in their stable of athletes. Both give great insight into the gamble of aligning with one particular athlete or entertainer vs. overall partnerships. However both also show savvy brands that can now adjust in a digital environ and deliver impactful messaging around an event like the NBA Finals by delivering right to the consumer online and with social media, and even some guerilla branding if needed. Just a few years ago, none of that would have been possible and the brand damage could have been massive. Now the ability to adjust on the fly is both creative and a time saver and provides flexibility in messaging that few could have predicted. Picking the right spokespeople is always important…being able to adjust in times of crisis is even more important, and the media environ now provides that opportunity.

The Ties That Bind…Father’s Day And Patriotism…Maybe.

June 15, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With Sunday being Father’s Day,there were a number of great pieces that show  the passion that links families…especially Father’s with their sons and daughters…together is sports.  With the shocking passing of Tim Russert, Jim McKay, and legendary announcer Charlie Jones this past week, the nostalgic looks back by some of America’s best writers have come fast and furious, and all give us a chance to take pause to be reminded as to why sports is important to us as a cultural touchstone.  Mike Lupica’s piece on Russert in the New York Daily News is a great example, as is Bill Dwyre’s column in the LA Times on the healing of a long fractured relationship between NBA star Mike Bibby and his dad, Henry, and Jackie McMullan’s column on ESPN.com on Celtics Coach Doc Rivers and the relationship with his late dad, Grady. The best summary piece is by Ian O’Connor in today’s Bergen Record, which links Tiger and Earl Woods, Grady and Doc Rivers, and so many others together to show how sports can cross generational lines, feuds, and geographic distance as a motivational tool for success .  However the theme is the same in all these examples.  Sports, for the big business that it is, remains the emotional link for generations of fathers with their children.  Great job capturing that emotion without the commercialism by all these great writers today. 

Fill Er Up…Net Results With A Gas Promotion

June 13, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For those teams who are not fortunate enough to be accessable by public transportation, the growing concern over the cost of gas is starting to factor strongly into promotion and ROI for fans and business partners.  We have cited numerous pieces about how NASCAR is dealing with their mobile army and concerns about attendence and spending patterns at games, and now we are seeing more and more teams, leagues and brands look to effective ways to help with the gas issue as a means to get added fan satisfaction. Some of the teams that have run effective promotions with gas cards to date include the Minnesota Twins,  the Atlanta Braves, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, while during the early rounds of the NBA playoffs a Philly gas station sold gallons at 76 cents in honor of the Sixers.  Also on the sports side, Callaway Golf tied in a free gas card with purchase as part of a store promotion to push sales, and a boxing promotion in Ohio offered up free gas for a year as part of a raffle for a local Polica Athletic League charity.  However all those pale in comparison to the New Jersey Nets latest push, which is offering potentially upwards of $250,000 in free gas cards to new season subscribers through late June.  Now will it hit that number?  If the sales guys hit their new sub quota it could, but even if it doesn’t, the spin of providing a large, sexy number and responding to the direct needs of the season subscriber is a great way to again have the Nets draw attention to their brand in a critical ticket selling time of year.  Great all around idea to again be bigger and make more noise in a crowded marketplace by the Nets.

Tennis Is A Beach…And The USTA Starts The Open Season.

June 12, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With summer like weather in most of the Northeastern USA this week, we had to throw some attention to one of those niche sports that is gaining marketshare through some solid PR and grassroots work…Beach Tennis USA.  What started as an offbeat idea has gained solid groundswell support both on the branding and the participation side, grabbing coverage in publications like USA Today, The New York Times,  and  Entrepreneur Magazine and regional coverage of athletes and the sport in places like Tampa and other cities where events are held.  By creating a niche for the growing number of tennis players at low cost and combining with the fun atmosphere of the beach, Beach Tennis has found ways to gain sponsors, get media coverage and take a game that has struggled with a younger demo and make it more appealing.  Will it ever challenge traditional tennis or even well established beach sports like the AVP Crocs Tour?  No, but it doesen’t have to.  As a hybrid and a niche for the casual fan, it has all the elements, including cost containment, to make the branding story an effective one.

Managing Expectations And Handling Adversity…

June 8, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With Big Brown’s loss in the race for the Triple Crown on Saturday, publicists, madia and brand managers were left scrambling to find ways to fill voids, justify dollars spent, and re-jig lineups that were anticpated for the coronation and history that would have come for all involved with a Triple Crown winner.  The prep to take advantage is always important in business., but seizing the moment for sports is so much trickier becuase of the human element.  Therefore, being ready for both the sunny day and prepping for the rainy one are so key in finding ways to get exposure and ROI.  The expections, and the managing of those expectations, are really the key to being a good sports marketer or publicist.  Many of these points on managing expectations were handled really well in former MLB player Doug Glanville’s op-ed piece in the New York Times.  Glanville does a great job on how the assumption of winning and then living up to those expectations, is handled by media and athletes.  The spin of failure…how sponsors like UPS and Hooters, who rolled the dice with Big Brown, will handle the next phase, and what horse racing can do not to lose all that momentum, will be interesting to follow in the next few days.  Having the umbrella ready for the rainy day is more important than dealing correctly with the win, and making sure that all properly take pause to be messaged and that brands have gotten back what they invested prior to the unpredicatable results, are so important in the process, since marleters and publicists never have control over the ultimate result of a game, race or competition.  For example, Edelman PR did a great job in seizing the moment of a world record late at night in last week’s Reebok Track and Field Championships in New York, getting Usain Bolt to every media opportunity possible following his world record finish. Another great piece of spin was offered up by  legendary boxing promoter Don King, waxing positive on how boxing can benefit from the recent MMA success, in a piece in Sunday’s Daily News…both come from seasoned pros ready to take advantage of opportunites..the biggest challenge on the rainy day is finding ways to look through the adversity and create the unforseen chances.

Sports and Politics…Obama Throws Support While Athletes Support Him…

June 5, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

We have periodically looked into the opportunities Senator Barack Obama has seized upon by associating himself with a sports culture, largely the very fickle male demo which does not get into the political mix.  Whether it was playing hoops with SI’s Scott Price or on HBO Real Sports or giviving his Final Four predictions, the Senator has done a more than admirable job, even more than sportsman Senator John McCain, of trying to come across as a guy who guys could like and vote for.  In the last few days, we have seen the politics as sports issue swing both ways, both positive.  First, with the great news that Chicago stayed in the race for the 2016 Olympics, there was a great Chicago Tribune piece on how Obama’s White House run (being a Senator from Illinois) could help the 2016 bid process and become a potential positive factor in his campaign and potential presidency.   Then, the Philly Inquirer had some humerous and some thoughtful insights from African American athletes on Obama’s potential nomination.  Again, the issue of a run for the White House, let alone any political issues, are very rare to enter the sports section in a positive way.  Here are two varied examples of a positive interplay between the two areas, which gets more people thinking about their given right to vote and could make for more spirited debate and interest in the system amongst the sports fan.  No downside to either issue at all. 

Wrestling To Find New Fans? Give em a million reasons to watch.

June 3, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the added challenges presented by Mixed Martial Arts, the varied interests of first adopters, and the pull to so many forms of unscripted television, the WWE has constantly looked for ways to reinvigorate its brand, build stars and maintain interest in one of the world’s most successful entertainment brands liquid.  Now instead of spending millions in over the top marketing, empresario Vince McMahon has cut right to the chase, offering fans the chance to win some part of a million dollars for tuning in on upcoming Monday nights.  Now being a publicly traded company has issues for cash transactions, but the buzz created by McMahon’s announcement, and the viral way in which the information spread, got the brand exactly what it needed…mainstream talk, renewed interest in its core fans and the ability for anyone who turns in to get something for nothing.  Now how the “million” is given out and who the winners are, is a secondary issue.  But by using the “million” play, McMahon will help get eyeballs back to a Monday Night show which has seen slippage.  Eventhough it is not “sports,” the idea has clarity, consistency of message and will see an immediate ROI with a classic play.