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.

From the Mayors to the Players…MLB incorporates giving back and service into every message…

October 30, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Its the time old tradition…the Mayors of a city betting the obligatory food items and jersey exchanges for the big game. You see it everywhere every year and its cute, it gets coverage and its part of tradition. However not in baseball this year. The Mayors of Philadelphia and New York…Michael Nutter and Mike Bloomberg…changed a the wager from the traditional to the productive, and instead of exchanging cheese steaks and cheesecake only they will exchange working on a community service project in the other city. The idea fits perfectly in line with MLB’s continuous ties to giving back that have played out across the playoffs and the World Series in every city games have been played, from assisting with veterans to improving the lives of the impoverished. Even the on field awards ceremonies have highlighted community service, as evidenced by Derek Jeter winning the Clemente Award for his work Thursday night and the Detroit Tigers Curtis Granderson being honored with the Marvin Miller Award for his community work on Friday. Since the All-Star game, MLB has gone above and beyond to tie all their major projects at major events to bigger causes, whether that’s player programs or a partner like Bank of America rebuilding houses in St. Louis, and then using all their media…print, TV, digital, to promote the good works. In these challenged times it is a very smart play for the league to take not just a leadership approach, but a leadership approach that is properly messaged so that everyone watching is getting the positive story on all fronts (Terry Lefton’s SBJ piece this week had great insight into the ideas). Looking for negativity will take a great amount of work this time of year for baseball, as all efforts have been effectively pushed toward a positive outlook on the field and the good works off it. A very well constructed and clearly delivered and consistent message for a sport that appears to again be putting many of its larger issues behind itself and is making a strong play for its game, its partners and for its fans, to tell positive stories and merchandise those good ideas effectively.

On Responsibility By Athletes And Media…

June 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As everyone gets in a tizzy about which athletes and entertainers are on twitter, facebooking and breaking news on their own websites it is important to remember that the interraction between the media and those they are covering and reporting about…whether that reporting is on CNN or CNBC or the New York Times or blogtalk radio…is still pretty important. No matter how much people can crow about the use of social media, it remains just a part, and still a small part, of effective brand management and communication for fans and the companies associated with teams, entertainment properties and organizations. People pay to go and watch games, and brands pay to be associated with the events that those people play, they still don’t pay to do much online in comparison. two cases in point about the ongoing yin and yang between media and athletes arose this past week, both involving the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The first was a report by very well respected writer Jeff Pearlman about a pretty disappointing and disrespectful encounter between a reporter and the Phils Jayson Werth. The second was the escalating incident regarding the Phils Raul Ibanez, which was explained in great detail by Joe Posnanski on si.com. So here we have an athlete being disrespectful in the workplace (Werth, who wouldn’t talk to a writer for unknown reasons) and we have an athlete having to chase the shadows of an unsubstantiated blog report about steroids, both in the same clubhouse in the same week. What comes to play in both these situations is a lack of understanding on both sides about exactly what the others job is. The athletes have to constantly be reminded by staff that the media are there to do a job, whether they like it or not, and being civil and respectful in the workplace, is part of the deal, just as it would be for any other person in the limelight. No it is not the same for people who have “regular jobs”…teachers, lawyers, businessmen. Part of their job is not being under scrutiny 24/7 by the media, but that is the unfortunate price of being an elite athlete. The second side is the responsibility of the media in this 24/7 world. “The internet” and “bloggers” are used with such disdain by mainstream media that those phrases almost become their own villianous entity, yet the media have a responsibility to chase or not chase unsubstantiated rumors as much as the athlete has a responsibility to answer questions during an access period. The media also have a responsibility to act civil and give athletes, or anyone respect as well, and sometimes that lack of distance or respect is not afforded because of the crazed deadlines put forth. So who is right in this responsibility battle? Well, no one is really right or wrong. What is right is that both sides still need each other, no matter how much one thinks they can isolate themselves. Athletes get paid because the media give them exposure to fans and brands, and the media need the athletes because without them, there would be even less jobs and events and dollars being spent on those things then there are now. Responsibility goes both ways.

NHL Determines Whether Olympics Is Worth The Effort…

December 2, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt and the “Redeem Team” continue to bask in Olympic glory and dollars, and sports from golf and rugby to baseball and softball try and fight their way back onto the Olympic sked for 2016, hockey…well the NHL…appears to be undergoing their own version of brand soul searching, trying to determine if the value in Olympic association is worth the schedule disruption, brand exposure and ancillary dollars after Vancouver 2010.  Dave Goetzel in Media Post had a good look at the issue,  which could bring the NHL more ancillary income with its own World Cup but could rankle those at its TV partner, NBC, for 2014.  Still the uncertainty of planning such events so far in advance…the Olympics may not be with NBC at that point, nor for that matter, could the NHL be, and no one knows what the current NHL CBA will have to do with player participation or if major NHL sponsors who are not Olympic sponsors could lose out on valuable exposure…sometimes may be worth the risk in a broad branding play.  And unlike the NBA, who gets to grow their offseason value in the summer Olympics, the schedule and momentum disruption the NHL must endure may make the “Olympic experience” not worth the Herculean effort.  Interesting story to be played out, especially as the major leagues look to get every bit of ROI and dollar coming back to the brand in a challenged economy.

The New York City Marathon’s Sprint To The Big Time…

October 28, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is  the largest single day sporting event in the world, the ING New York City Marathon.  However over the last ten years the event has become a multi-level, well branded, fully extended marketing vehicle not just for the race but for its partners, the runners and for the healthy lifestyle the sport can promote.  As we head towards Sunday’s race, the coverage, from the business to the lifestyle press, will grow not just locally but nationally, as brands look to gain a foothold in a crowded marketplace that has the NBA season beginning, the World Series ending, college sports and the always-present NFL season.  Some examples of brand extension recently include a feature on runner Pam Rickard in the Roanoke (Va.) Times, a feature on cook Joe Bestianich in the New York Times, and multiple lead-up branding and activation opportunities for partners in warm up races in the weeks before the race.  The celebrity side, with runners like Howard Stern’s other half Beth Ostrosky and others, gets the Marathon in bold face names as well.  For a one day event, the timing, planning and branding is like no other, and shows why the property is of such great value to all those connected with it.   

Browns Raise Interesting Questions With Regard To Political Activism

October 11, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With Sara Palin set for Saturday’s puck drop in Philly, and NBA players like LeBron James, Greg Oden and Alonzo Mourning all speaking publicly in support of Senator Barack Obama this past week, it was interesting and noteworthy see the way the Cleveland Browns addressed the issue and opportunity of athletes in a football-crazed and swing state stepping up to support some candidates.  This week Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas took the big step to address the crowd in support of Senators McCain and Palin at an Ohio rally, and the opportunity that was seized could become a national play when the Browns and Giants meet this Monday night.  Even more interesting was the look inside the lockerroom that Brown coach Romeo Crennel and kicker Lin Dawson offered up in this week’s Akron Beacon Journal.   While Crennel in no way criticized his players, he did warn the team about letting political debates in the lockerroom being a distraction, and Dawson chimed in about this election being “quiter” than the past two in the lockerroom.  With such a close election it is more and more apparant that those who can move the casual voter…athletes, entertainers…may become more and more of a factor.  As we have said before, athletes should be supported for using their position of leadership to influence social change so long as they act responsible and are informed on their decisions by those who they trust.  It is not for everyone, as it is not for everyone in sociaty, to take a leadership stand.  However those who choose to do so should be supported for thier interest…it makes the athletes more interesting and more understood which will help build fan interest and can find ways to build brand and keep brand relevant.  The worry about political debate in the lockerroom also raises another question, as those who are in and around the athletic world see contstant debates over clothes, music, movies etc., all elements of intetest to the general public, yet those debates are rarely cautioned by those in authority.  It is interesting to see debate of the political or social nature singled out as being distracting in the lockerroom, as those kind of debates are probably the healthiest and probably the least volatile.  Kudos to the Browns players for stepping up responsibility and to the organization for addressing the issue publicly. 

Phils Take Goin Green To A New Level…While Vitamin Water Stands By Their Mav

May 1, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

We have been diligent in trying to stay on top of all the teams with green initiatives (although the Nets were the first in) but the Phillies seem to be taking things to a new level in South Philly, getting accolades from the city, state and even the EPA for a series of long term steps with the team and Citizens Bank Ballpark to help change the environment. Amazingly unlike other teams, the initial push does not appear to be pegged to a sponsor, although the extensive path the team has blazed in such a short time will gain solid community support and can lead to some additonal return with to-be-determined energy conscious sponsors down the line.

Phils Get “A’s” For Media Service And Solid Ideas…

March 11, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

PR Move of the Day: The Philadelphia market has always been a tough sell if you are not the Eagles, or this time of year usually the Flyers or March Madness (although Philly, like New York, may be without a representative in the Big Dance this year), but the Phillies have made great strides to look at ways to get the media message back to Philly from spring training.  The team, with efforts coordinated by longtime Philly-area media vet Scott Palmer, sends a newsfeed back to the Philly area for media to download and use for evening sports filler and for added digital content.  This is a great enhancement for the local media who are challenged to spend the six weeks in Florida, and gives the Phils a chance to tell the stories of many of their players before they come north with great content on slow news days.  The Phillies also came up with a great hook to capture the female audience by announcing a series of softball clinics in the area over the summer.  Both are examples of the organization going the extra mile to service the media and identify with a fan base which may not always be thinking baseball, especially at this time of year, and both will pay divedends as the summer unfolds, regardless of team success (which the pr and marketing groups, as we know, cannot control).  Many teams may not be able to absorb the cost of a five-times-a week feed, but the potential for sponsorship, as well as the use of the digital platform, should make the “feed” concept more reasonable for colleges (even for Olympic sports), minor league teams on the road and even major league teams who lack for broad-based coverage in preseason.

The Yin And Yang of Global Expansion…The Premier League Idea…

February 17, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As NBA Commissioner David Stern talks about the vision of a European Division, the NHL looks toward European Expansion, even the UFC continues to take their successful North American Mixed Martial Arts business and tries to grow in Europe, we note a tale of caution coming the other way…The Premier League’s plans to add another round of matchups from the top clubs and play those matches globally, especially with an eye toward North America. The London Telegraph has several extensive stories on the plan, explaining the positive and the negative of the idea, hatched by Sir Rod Eddington, and Foxsports.com’s solid soccer guy Jamie Trecker has the silver lining in the plan for American fans in his piece. While the idea of friendly exhibitions has been around forever, the 24/7 world of sports today, along with the added incentive of business partners to attract more return on their investment globally, seems to be leading the biggest sports brands to figure out how to make games count on a global scale, and give local fans the feeling that they are seeing an event of value to the teams involved. American sport has tried to export games worldwide for years, sometimes with success as in basketball, sometimes with little success as in American football. The problem comes when the sports brands try to overshadow local customs, traditions and plans and almost force local business partners and fans to accept a game, or the outsiders version of a game, because it is the way it is marketed and presented abroad. The pushback and the longterm effects can be very harmful. Will cheerleaders and thundersticks work in Old Trafford? Probably not, but they are not needed to have sponsors, broadcasters and fans understand the value of staging a world class event in the venue. Would it be great to have people experience the best the Premier League has to offer around the globe? Yes. But not at the expense of adding short term “value” by sacrificing long term “health.” Given Newscorp’s interest in the idea (and the belief that MLS is going to continue to grow in the States), here’s looking forward to a great mix of dash and flash with respect for tradition when, not if, the plan goes through. For more balance on the piece, also check out mls.com, a solid q and a in the Houston Chronicle with MLS Commish Don Garber, and Formula One head Bernie Ecclestone’s own ideas on the subject.