CRONS, Big South Makes Good Sense For Brands…

November 1, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many times we all get caught up in the hype…the necessity to make sure our athletes. schools and teams are associated with the big names to gives us “street cred.” However in these challenged times, the mainstream names and providers…from the drink category to media companies to apparel…are struggling to make ends meet even with the most mainstream of partners, so expecting the dollars and promotional pop for second tier partners is even more of a struggle than it has been before. More importantly, add-ons to gain marketshare that major brands interested in athletics needed in the past, second tier or mid-major conferences, niche sports, rising athletes, are not as viewed as important on ROI anymore because of the economy, because the time invested in building or capturing success just takes too long. So what can mid-major schools or niche sports do? Look to build business relationships with new brands looking for the same type of exposure, and finding creative ways to build economies of scale and creative programs that may not put dollars in the coffers up front, bit will generate interest and buzz and help reduce existing costs for the bottom line. One recent example of was highlighted in this week’s Sports Business Journal, a just announced partnership between the apparel brand CRONS and the Big South Conference. CRONS, which stand for “Come Ready or Never Start” is as much a lifestyle credo as it is an apparel brand, since the company does not yet have a retail presence. What it does have is the ability to address a conference like the Big South as a partner and work with those schools to supply product which they may have been buying for athletes and build out affiliate and community based marketing programs that can help the schools with fundraising, brand awareness and social responsibility, all important messages for today’s challenged times in athletics. Even more important, CRONS gets to treat the Big South as a test case for other potential mid-major partnerships, and the Bog South gets some great exposure with little downside in being a test case for a rising brand. Would it be better for a Mid-Major to have cash flow from a large apparel brand? Of course. However in today’s marketplace having brands that work as partners on many levels and can provide best in class service may be better than taking a small check for a big name and not seeing a longer term, across the board return. Interesting move by both and worth following going forward.

Leading By Example: David Stern

October 1, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

While the sports world takes a step back and looks at layoffs by the Charlotte Bobcats, newspapers decreasing the coverage of NHL games, arena naming rights deals in question etc etc…NBA Commissioner David Stern continues to speak as the leader in a crisis situation, finding ways not just to spin issues, but to find the right ways to answer difficult questions honestly and with the conviction of leadership.  Stern spoke at length with Marc Spears of the Boston Globe and covered a wealth of touchy topics, but showed the usual poise and balance, as well as tempered optimism, that business leaders today should always have but sometimes don’t.  The interview is a great case of how tricky subjects can be addressed and answered from a position of leadership.  Kudos also to the staff at the NBA who prepped the Comish for the interview.

Making A Little Idea Big…Action Sports America Finds It’s Niche…

September 22, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Often times, even at the highest level of sports and entertainment marketing, it is the behind the scenes vendor who often comes up with the piece that gets the brand or the team or the athlete the critical exposure point that vaults the entity more into the mainstream.  Whether it is the giant inflatable that draws traffic or the world’s largest golf ball, the bigger the vision the better, and with that largesse comes the ability to effectively draw and then communicate the message.  Today, CNBC’s Darren Rovell has a great blog piece on one of the guys over the years responsible for a good many of those “big” ideas, Action Sports America’s Doug Verb.  Verb, who has been involved in many of the great little projects in sports in America in the last 30 years, from the launch of Major Indoor Soccer League to Hoop It Up, has refined the craft of the giant jersey as a launch for big brands, and has now become the ”go to” guy for the NBA when teams unveil their new uniforms.  Minnesota, Oklahoma City and this week Orlando will use the giant jersey property to get the new product well placed exposure in market, and in the process will create literally big brand and sponsor exposure as well as a huge collectable and auction item for the team.  It seems like a niche, but in delivering the big picture event, Action Sports America creates literally the vehicle to make the brand larger than life.