Sports As The Unifier…Again.

March 6, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Maybe in another life, 40 years ago, a political pundit like James Carville and a Super Bowl winning coach like Brian Billick would not have a lot in common.  However these days, through the world of satellite radio, digital TV and social media, they now only can share ideas but can share the same stage. Carville, who engineered many a political campaign both in the U.S. and abroad, including President Clinton’s White House run of course,  and Billick, who now is doing his work behind a microphone after an uber successful NFL and college coaching career, shared some quality time and thoughts this week in Orlando, Florida as guest speakers at the Global Options Executive Forum, a two day summit for the leaders of the risk management field. And although some may have scratched their heads in seeing how these two and others could relate their experiences to those from industries ranging from the transportation to the insurances industries, there was common thread…the love of what athletics can do as a unifier for people in good times and bad.  Carville talked glowingly of what the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints meant for the downtrodden and oft-beaten people of his current home, and how the team has become the true shining symbol for what can be accomplished and overcome with hard work and attention to detail.  Billick talked endlessly and fluidly about the leadership principals and the amount of risk involved in the coaching world, and how that work can apply to top level business management. Carville equated the way political races are won and lost to the way recruiting takes place in both the business and sports world, showing time and time again how successful leadership has its clear threads that run from top to bottom regardless of the industry, and how the value of team always has to come through.  is much of it rhetoric and is it overblown a bit, these sports analogies?  Perhaps.  Howver one thing again came clear.  The ability for the brand and business of sports to unify a people, be a rallying point for a coproration, or help different and competing peoples to find a common bond is still very clear and extremely relevant, especially in the most challenging of times. It is a language that people can speak together whether that language of sport is soccer or football, baseball or curling.  It can unify and rally, inspire and heal, enrage and fuel debate.  Sport gives the common ground and marks a starting point for conversations and speeches, even in some of what may be seen as the most rudimentary or complex of industries, and that showed true again this week.   That common ground, especially played out across the vast real time media platforms that we have today, is why brands use sports as the way to help tell th story, and why billions continue to watch, play and enjoy the games from the grassroots to the professional. Was that true 100 years ago?  Maybe.  But today as the world shrinks and we all have the ability to “know” one another a little more, it is truer more than ever.

For All The Segmenting and Shrinking, Broadcast TV is Still King For Big Events…

February 9, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe it was the bad weather that blanketed much of the Middle Eastern states, or the rain that hit the Western United States.  Maybe it was the allure of a quarterback who has been able to flourish as a marketing maven for brands like Oreo and Direct TV despite being in a small market.  Maybe it was because America wanted to see a team from a devastated region rise higher than the flood waters did that tragic August day.  Maybe it was because we wanted to see Betty White and Chevy Chase again.  Maybe it’s because football is really America’s game. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter.  The record crowd that tuned in…made even more amazing in this 30 second, HULU infused, Twitter possessed world…showed once again why we love sports as a release, and why the industry and the medium used to show it…broadcast TV…remains king to brands.

Sarah Palin, NHL Combine To Grab The Casual Fan…

October 10, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The NHL has come out firing and grabbed the attention of the casual sports fan and the business partner through a successful “NHL Rocks” campaign, well attended and competitive games in Europe, a sensational centennial campaign by the Canadiens and a rebirth of the Blackhawks brand in Chicago, all of which is overshadowing problems in small markets like Nashville.  The league will take another step to grab the casual viewer again Saturday night in Philly, when Governor Sarah Palin attends the Rangers-Flyers game and drops the first puck as part of a promotion to find the “Ultimate Hockey Mom.”  The move is a solid one for both sides…the Flyers get tremendous added exposure, as does the league and regardless of the reception the Governor gets, will now be tied to a potential Vice President for future endeavors.  The Republican ticket then gets to play the card that Senator Obama has played so well early on in the campaign, that of showing a solid connection to the average sports fan, so often a skeptical and reticent voter.  Should Governor Palin come off well Saturday it could score points and votes as well as buzz.  Who knows, with a Flyers win and a successful season (for her and the Flyers) she could become the good luck charm Philly has lacked since the late Kate Smith used to come in to sing “God Bless America” at the Spectrum in the ’70’s.  Well timed and solid play by both sides….smart for the NHL to pitch, smart for Palin to connect.

Maxing Value For Fans…State College Spikes Hit The Century Mark For Promotions

July 30, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Ben Hill’s blog of the business of minor league baseball is always a great place to find some best, and sometimes interesting promotions that can even apply to larger brands and more broader activation.  While the minor league flavor now seems to be Mustache Nights (following the Yankees promotion with Jason Giambi leading into all-star) Ben delivered a jewel from State College, Pa., where the State College Spikes had a night of 100 promotions, all crammed into a nine inning game.  The site listed the giveaways and went into detail on the rapid-fire way the Spikes hit the century number.  In a time where fans and brands may still be looking for quantity over quality, the night had lots of fun, garnered some outside interest, and probably sent more than a few fans home happy.  Nice job, with a Gusiness record for “Most Promotions In a Nine Inning Game,” maybe on tap for another team looking to grab a few headlines. 

Yale Scores Points With Athlete Social Networking…

February 12, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

I was lucky enough to attend the University of Florida Law School Sports Symposium last Friday, and in addition to being able to hear some great words from people like author Mark Isenberg, agent Glenn Schwartzman, AAFL Florida President Wayne McDaniel, UFL President Mike Huyghue and former New Orleans Saints Exec and current city council president Arnie Fielkow, I was so impressed with the way current and former Gator athletes like Jai Lucas, Darren O’Day and Cole Figueroa handled themselves and spoke so eloquently on the role and responsibility of student athletes.  I mentioned to Associate A.D. Mike Hill (who was also great on a panel) about what huge assets these student-athletes were as spokespeople for the Gators, and what bright futures they had ahead of them in business when their careers were over.  Wouldn’t it be great for them to have a peer to peer alumni network set up online at this point for them to see what’s ahead?  Then today I received an email from U of O grad student Ryan McReynolds who found exactly that set up by Yale University.  A peer to peer social network for current and former Yale athletes, the link to which is here.   The site, which not many schools have yet established, makes sense on so many levels…it provides the University with a vehicle to communicate directly with athletes current and former…it can serve as a repository for best practices for former athletes looking to assist current athletes in everything from internships to training routines to the everyday issues that student athletes face and dont have a place to turn sometimes etc.  Most importantly, it shows good practical responsibility by universities looking to find new ways to establish a digital program that will help the student-athlete reach graduation.  Nice job by the Eli’s.  By the way, great job by Darren Heitner and Scott Ehrlich to get Friday’s Symposium up and running.