Sports Marketing and Public Relations — Sports Management Marketing — Sports Event Marketing

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.

NHL Begins Maybe It’s Most Critical “Second Season”…

April 16, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

They had a great bounce for the Olympics, the NHL did.  As a league, they have done more embracing and testing what works and what doesn’t in social and digital media more than anyone else.  They have identified a signature event and have built around it to the point where other groups (the NCAA, the WNBA, the AHL etc.) are copying the format to draw interest and eyes.  They have found ways to embrace their core fans, and they have almost every large market…Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston, and New York (well New Jersey, but maybe the best energing brand in hockey in the Devils)…all in the playoffs. They are finding new and innovative ways to increase the ROI for national sponsors and work together to encourage regional participation. And if you believe the spin, more people watched, logged on and bought tickets than ever before. So the question is, can the NHL ride this wave of brand growth to even more success, dollars, partners, and casual fan interest in 2010-11 and beyond?  Maybe.

Hockey Gets Another Shot…

March 2, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Thirty years ago we had the Miracle on Ice, and the sports world waited as Jim Craig, the triumphant U.S. goaltender, prepped for his NHL debut with the Atlanta Flames a week later. Coke made Craig the branding darling of the Olympics, and thousands of kids rushed out to buy hockey sticks across the country to try and relive the win of the Russians.  However at that time the NHL was suffering from a lack of aggressive leadership and branding at the top…coverage was not great outside of home markets, there was no social or online experience to expand the moment, and only a percentage of the great young Americans went on to have productive NHL careers, many of whom didn’t gel for a few years and were not ready for the bright lights of the top level of professional hockey at that point.  It was a great moment which has lived on, but a moment in the history of the star-crossed sport of hockey in the U.S.

How To Keep The Olympic Athlete Fire Burning? Partner Winter and Summer Together…

February 28, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Over the next few days and weeks the debate as to who the biggest marketing “winners” from the Olympics will be played out…Shaun White, Apollo Ohno, Lindsay Vonn, Julia Mancuso, even Shani Davis…will all appear on the watch list, make the TV rounds etc etc. with all the requestite experts chiming in.  Then spring comes and we are on to baseball, soccer, NASCAR…the faces we see, hear and relate to every year and find a strong allegiance to.   The Olympians, despite their powerful platform and their inspiring stories, seem to get tucked away until the next cycle. Is there a way to find a link to keep that cycle going, thus keeping these great stories engaged and top of mind even if their biggest stage is still four years away in Sochi?  For one idea, we can look to Michael Phelps. Many thought it strange that Subway, and even in some NBC promos, linked Phelps to the goings-on in Vancouver.  However he is a transcendant athlete, away from his season and exposure point, and is link to the games raised the tide and perhaps got the Vancouver Games a little more buss going in.  Prior to the Games, USA Wrestling, obviously in their transition time between Beijing and London, found ways to cross-promote with the USA Women’s Hockey Team, using some of their marketing and branding muscle to get the team some additional exposure while they were a bit dormant.  So with the Winter and Summer Games in two year cycles, why can’t a winter sport find a summer sport to work with and share marketing and star building power during the complete four year cycle?  Could swimming work with spped skating to cross promote athletes?  How about Beach Volleyball working with skiers? BMX and snowboarding?  The athletes have a common ground.  they understand the rigors of training and get the Olympic lure.  The Federations struggle when they are not front and center during the games to find ways to promote their athletes.  Why not partner to work together on platforms and for brands that would give great return for summer and winter?

Globies Race To Keep Growing The Brand…

November 21, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

It is not easy trying to remain relevant with national brands for the travelling road show. There are less performances of the circus, less ice shows, less boxing matches, less LPGA events, less AVP events, less, less less. When you do not have consistent brand relevance in a market and are out of sight for all but one week a year, the ability to keep an event fresh and top of mind when discretionary income, and with that partner value, can be hard to explain is making the “tour” even more difficult to sustain. So what does a touring brand do? You try and find national platforms that give the product year-round life, so that when the event does make its annual stop into down there is something to draw the casual fan. One group that continues to do it well is the Harlem Globetrotters, and their latest attempt at large and long-term branding relevance is with their participation in CBS’ Amazing Race. The Globies, who have two players, Flight Time and Big Easy, participating in the reality show this season, have used the show to keep the brand fresh for the casual fan, and even build a little momentum for the upcoming start of their next multi-city, multi-week tour which begins during the Holidays. Are the guys playing hoops? No. But like the use of “Dancing With the Stars” for other athletes, The Amazing Race and the publicity around it gives the brand watercooler talk at a time of year when the team would not be top of mind and would be struggling to find a way to connect even with their strongest of supporters. The brand has also used various levels of social media to piggyback off the push “The Amazing race” does every week to drive viewers to the show, and has created a positive partnership that could serve as a template for getting Globetrotter branding into even more properties. There was a time during their heyday when team spokespeople were part of multifaceted marketing campaigns, cartoons and special year round, and that brand value for the Globetrotters is now returning in more creative communication and brand platforms that are looking to tie with a group that has recognition with casual sports and entertainment fans. Does it matter if the Trotters pair wins TAR this year? No. It mattered more that they stayed in the race and on the show long enough to drive interest and draw more eyeballs to the brand. By making it to this stage they have achieved their goal and have helped forge a bridge to when the season tips off, which is a win for their brand and all their partners.

Jockey Promo Good Horse Sense For The Belmont…

June 6, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The drama of horse racing has always been well…on the horses. Rachel Alexandra’s Derby win was the cover of Sports Illustrated and spark a host of stories about what is good in sports. Last year Big Brown’s almost Triple Crown gave UPS a new marketing platform for over a month and the drama of Barbaro and Smarty Jones in past year’s has always been good theater and a boon to ratings. Sp this year the Belmont Stakes is challenged to draw eyes and attendance, with not just a challenged field and no real favorite but a switch from the promotion-driven NBC to the one-off coverage of ABC for the Triple Crown Series. The switch in best years would create some brand confusion, but without the hype of a horse looking to win the three races, what’s the casual fan to look for? Enter the jockeys. Long undervalued as a property because of language issues, the transient nature of the sport and the focus on the horses and even the trainers, the smart folks promoting the race have turned the focus to tell the story of those who ride as opposed to those they are riding, especially because of the fact that the potential jockey Triple Crown…for jockey Calvin Borel...is a real and rare opportunity with three different horses. This past year Animal Planet did a very compelling reality show on jockeys and the lives they lead, which led to more focus on the potential upside of sharing their very human stories with the casual fan, and Borel’s Saturday success could lead to even more opportunities for the jockeys both in promotion and publicity. Now will brands rush to create jockey sweepstakes or Twittering from aboard a horse? Not yet but who knows. Regardless the push by ABC and the Belmont to take a twist and focus not just on the horse but on the human element of the race should help draw more interest in what could have been a very quiet finish to the Triple Crown series.

As AFL Shutters For ‘09, The af2 Model Continues On…

December 29, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As the AFL shut down its season in ‘09, one of the things that was missed in the reporting is that the smaller market version af2, which works with but is not the same model as the AFL, will continue on. How in this economy could that be possible, especially since the larger AFL had the equity partnership of ESPN, the larger markets, the fan friendly protocol and solid outside growth over the last few years.  The difference is really in market size and cost structure, and the fact that perhaps af2 is really the niche of niches for pro sports in select markets.  As minor league baseball flourished and even grew during the MLB shutdown, and minor league hockey did well during the NHL shutdown, it could be that af2 will serve the indoor need for the core fan without AFL being around.  While the AFL needed larger markets and the costs associated with it to deliver ROI for TV and national partners, af2 is all about the small markets and being that big fish in the small sea.  By keeping costs at a minimum and developing the local partnerships, af2 may be able to grow in ways they hadn’t before.  Now can they go back and tell the regional and local personality stories and business stories that gave AFL bigger life?  Without the strategic communications investment that the AFL made that will be difficult, but by having a good amount of core athletes with good stories, af2 could have potential at very low cost, and could even be a small market appeal that regional brands may partner with, ala minor league baseball.

Hockey’s Version of Crash Davis…Missed Opportunity or One Still Coming?

December 6, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As sports continues to look for ways to connect to the everyman and grab the casual fan with unique opportunities, hockey may be missing out on one that could be fun…his name is Don Parsons and he is about to break one of the ultimate blue collar records…the alltime minor league goal scoring record.  Parsons, who plays now for the IHL’s Bloomington (Ill.) Prairie Thunder, has all the pieces that the casual fan would love…never made it to the NHL, has played in every backwater town just miles from the big city, has crossed paths with a host of future stars, was mentored by journeymen who got to “The show” and he is an American undermarketed in a sport that lives online and is always looking for innovative ways to get casual exposure.  Plus, in the little online stuff that comes up, he seems to be well spoken, fit and good looking.  Now many will remember the Hollywood success that the fictional Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, had in Bull Durham or the legendary status Reg Dunlap (played by Paul Newman) had in Slap Shot.  Here is the real life version, although a bit more marketable and affordable in today’s environment.  If he were chasing the baseball minor league homer record, the bet is some of the savy minor league baseball marketing people, much with the support of mlb.com, could make this into a win-win for all.  Whether it happens for Parsons and hockey will remain to be seen.  Regardless, Don Parsons pursuit of a major “minor” record, hopefully will be captured and celebrated as a solid achievement when we are looking for great stories of the everyman in sports these days.  

Handling A Difficult Situation Well: Bob Costas

September 17, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the smaller and seemingly missed controversies in Beijing was NBC’s handling of openly gay diver Matthew Mitcham of Australia, whose gold medal in platform diving prevent a sweep of the event by the host country.  It is either a sign of more accepting times, a sign that the Olympics is more accepting as a world platform than American team sports are of such issues, a great credit to NBC for deflecting a non-issue or all of the above.  Our vote is for all of the above.  The story went largely unreported by the mainstream press and never touched off any firestorms by groups when it wasn’t singled out (nor was it significant or even possibly newsworthy) but NBC’s Bob Costas went all out to diffuse the story by doing an extensive interview with the website AfterElton.com   to discuss his thoughts on the issue, why it was omitted and what he felt was the role of the broadcaster in such situations.  It is a great example of Costas and NBC taking on a potentially inflamatory issue head on and answering questions, even to a website which may have a bias, head on and honestly and effectively putting a potential issue effectively to bed by not hiding.  Great job by the thoughtful announcer and by NBC.

Edwards, Office Depot, NASCAR First Out Of The Box With Back To School Promo

August 8, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the summer over halfway gone, retailers are already pushing back to school sales as hard as they can.  However in the sports world, the Olympics focus and the start of NFL training camp, combined with the traditional August vacation stretch for many sports, seems to push the “Back To School” programs until later in the month, when we will see a rush of teams and brands getting with kids and local school initiatives.  However once again a NASCAR driver promotion is out in front and leading the charge with a retailer to get the Back To School theme top of mind.  This time its Carl Edwards and his market by market program with sponsor Office Depot, donating thousands of dollars of school supplies with backpacks to kids in advance of the traditional push.  The use of Edwards as a sincerely interested, well spoken athlete is a great score for the brand as well, and Edwards appears to be yet another of the NASCAR drivers who gets the message, embraces the message and delivers it.  The program yet again will expand NASCAR’s touch points beyond their core fan base, especially in the inner cities, and will resonate even more with the traditional fan.  Great timing, great story, great plan for business partner, league brand and athlete.

Next Page »

Sports Marketing and Public Relations — Sports Management Marketing — Sports Event Marketing
dmca unlocking requires battle tech clan bidding tmrs.org cn3000 refills baseline graph in psychology free online wicca classes agenda fusion 8 broadcaster turn it on blue spirit filled thermometers baptism certifect court documents submitted certainpieces components lynda jackson macmillan centre mozart libretto translations marriage of figaro black dress with rhinestone straps how much melatonin 2002 professional golfer cristie kerr cam follower smb cause of elevated c reactive protein aaa replica handbags digital multi meter dm 10 images-n-fun.com are you paying attention technical-schools.us holiness youth camp skynard lynard marcia a and william f cornett akai s5000 sampler carton people cacl2 in canned beets 14 chair dinner tables incestorama.com bruno b ford mazda sanyo king bens harem 2006 si swimsuit models integrity health for women londonderry nh a440 tone wav abacoa towne center book club editions number lines qbe insurance policy motoring explorers magellan ferdinand militiaofmontana.com gorham business 4801 lutheran mn bananatoys.com free gunz trainers blindness vending machines alaska daylight savings 1080 bait atazanavir boosted failure resistance mutations 90 gold round table cloth 10 day weather in rome acura of temecula free tamil movies download in utorrent theallergyauthority.com fergie lyricks glamorous 1950 s sock hops novell application launcher download common biology lab equipment handout 401 k mandatory distribution mountainbeautysupply.com egyptians empires cucumber vinegar garlic salt marinade cucumbers collagen inflammatory disease barefoot gagged ultimate.com bonefish grill mussels aasmah mir chateu des jacques 1971 california independent grocers convenience stores asking a man out 6th grade yearly theme amy mccabe 104.1 the truth css rounded corners with border agap north and eric philips adaware se personal addition assisted living cocoa beach fl black fathom depth maps candyman aguilera lyrics blitz basic animations complete turnkey business online cable ready tvs vcr dvd combos vaned.com autoit3 newest file bones muscles and joints analogy arb repair shop guidancechannel.com how to early mortgage payoff american college of veterinary radiology john nyland engineer mn ust ahpweb.org reuben archer torrey garrettsville dynamo bike currency samoa 1 4 oz fishing t spoons consumer consumer apps iss3 acitomenophen infants asthma macys cafe city of julian california doctor francis chai ent rocketpiano.com crocheted baby bibs free patterns hotmoviesonline.info aircraft mechanic schools quens new york abigail spencer pictures announcing you engagement pump vacume google page hijack black laney 23 jordans ahmedabad paint conveyor arizona unsolved murders audubon bolivar peninsula get rid of unwanted freeloaders moremouse.com looking for ronda wolfe ryan anyone but you country lyrics xylitol.org 1997 pontiac montana rear side windows montauk daisy root milfrealm.com above ground pools in st augustine command-post.org 19th century bread and biscuit recipes searching.net 1885 high wall 44-40 halifax buoy guardian possession familiar legal ramstein airman leadership school an army nurses kindness ensign magazine creative problem solving elementary kids gatorade coupons mainehuntingtoday.com cead mille failte acqua di rose santa maria novella scalehobbyist.com dollar store manicure kits chez daun krueger homemade lubricants dancers at bristols revue bullet bob biggs uc davis qb maytagpartscenter.com 2009 scion tc photos 2007 fires lake tahoe babysitting help chrystal pier san diego 2006 asa nationals bloomington indiana futurelooks.com death in mt tarawera eruption intended beneficiary seattleteams.com bernardino by ana maria matute inverse functions domain and range beautiful smile seoul nesine.com fictional expletives 2009 chicken calendar bar breakers volumes 1 2 tribtowns.com free guitar samples with previews aresonal herbicide chevy 3.0l connecting rod torque sfcentral.org brett flynn 5day notice to quit ny hotmall.com craigs cruiser holland mi dams vernon county bead crystal wholesaler amplitude modulation ultrasonic 5 kwh us wind turbines larry dickens unsolved mysteries acheter mallorca creatinine and kidney disease 2001 johnston island challenge coins 7200 sata 2.5 angrylittlegirls.com edgewater acres campground adaware never completes scanning map of monrovia liberia africa 125 equity loans herbs for marijuana urinalysis about mae tuck camelback displays millennium-ark.net animal hospitals in wilmington nc doctor of podiatry job 1 4 scale christmas tree 1998 boxster hardtop awning cam lock biscut sour dough moisture buildup from ventless fireplace safety horseback trail ride york region ontario agr group norway fuji s2 pro sharpening standardpoodlesusa.com 1916d mercury dime values medicine for bee stings 2003 montana x treme motor cycle baby behaviour cicle.org bea arthur portrait band of brothers series hbo handbags.com 3 headed eagle nation symbol a partnership with child and family download lagu pergilah sayang polytechnic memorabilia baltimore anuntis.com 1.25 hardy for anvil pathologist or pathologists gary indiana in how do glaciers form appearances stereotype poster alana mcmahon snipes lament trailsgalore.com arvada body scrub morris otsego county fathers against same gender marriage illegal facts theweekender.com hiram bingham peru ac dc girls got rythm massachusettshotels.org 40 inch plus by rabbit alternative fuels ethanol accessories for canon powershot a85 carina medina achat console playstation 2 occasion ages to start your period boardwalkresort.com ignatius loyola spiritual exercises audio email seth services new delhi backstreet boys i stil ano ang halimba wa panitikang filipino scotland-inverness.co.uk natural tachycardia treatment randirhodes.com 1990 saab 9000 steering column bearings 30 seconds to mars hammersmith apollo anabolic steroids zoloft carry concealed pa northampton buildabearvillage.com anime creation program that is free winforme.com alexander technique position of maximum effectiveness francis goya music all-pro linebacker shawn 911s targa 1970 k m fab ric allentown pa actress woods of diamonds are forever 07 email address of glenn in cycle rama cycles app ied behavioral analysis nested pcr 3x5 flip charts kansas troubles quilt patterns hermann hesse fernen osten insomnia and serotonin fabiola diaz gallary az law marrage fidelity merrimack nh bestthemeparks.org chore charts for preschoolers demcoonline.com boston massacre importance crafts on neighborhoods calcium and spinach baltimore riot catholic scripture meditation anthem an american road story forehead numbness campfire birthday cake irish catalog mgmt meeting people team how to releive jock itch buy phentermine online with mastercard cascade pembroke welsh corgi club clases de espanol para analfabetos derrick harkins encouragement of certain activities flac file ex casablanca ang the big sleep annette spencer balcony collapse leroy neiman missing paris painting hiphopcar.com revell a-10 thesmartyarns.com 2008 sonata review rip roaring winona black spider red dots demi cup corset 1999 chevrolet express van radio starlite miniature golf costume girl nn ericson laptop offer alice waters schoolyard edible garden acme animal house filming locations playsafe-inc.com iridium 9505a satellite daisy ollie pevey blueberry cake mix whip cream ak-47 full size synthetic buttstock anthony hopkins motorcycle ferguson torque limiter acdc 2007 tour download barrack the magic negro song pep assembly activities canton ga wedding venues arizona pitbull rescues cahill quotation software tdfgirls.com armed reconnaissance helicopter decision catholic churches in slidell chines burial rituals equine wieght limits appetite stimulant vitamins bullying assessment witness fordoldpart.com 3rd grade renaissance project homemade laundry soap slime free stargate sg1 online counterpoint mystic speakers review a panda bears prey autofeeds laminator game shortcuts china construction bank pos terminal intermountainfarmers.com hillary duff new cd dignity blackberry vs bt anywhere phone activities that promote occupational effectiveness child flotation foam patek phillipe wathces 12 drawer mobile organizer i can only imagine guitar chords orpheum omaha ne b b hammersmith charlotte hebert berries photographs debate.com.mx product publicity techniques lop eared bunny cny 2008 college jocks lockerroom 50 cent aol animated gifs brain restaurantresults.com adelphia saratoga springs blueant wireless x3 micro bluetooth headset eastside baptist church labelle florida alejandro class administrator group four ib edexcel gcse country music mccann porn-star-pages.com