Giving Blood, Getting Votes, Soccer Clubs’ Unique Searches For Kit Sposnors

July 11, 2012 by

The challenge to find unique, promotable, and sometimes profitable brand partners for second division soccer clubs can be daunting sometimes, especially when those above you grab some of the biggest lights, and with it the grandest brands. However here are two unique kit sponsorships…one that worked, one that didn’t that were definitely worth a spot for ingenuity.

F.C. New York plays its games in and around various venues in the New York area, playing in the National Premier Soccer League, a lower level developmental league that has few players of various stages of developing talent to MLS and other clubs around the world. Finding sponsors in the minors of hockey and baseball has its challenges for sure, minor league soccer sponsors in a crowded market for a team that seems to always be moving from place to place, so when a sponsor comes to a club with a unique promo and kit sponsor, the club should listen, right? When the sponsor is a national “brand,” they should listen even more…when that “brand” is running for the Oval Office, the sponsor has the chance to bring the club some national attention as well.

So it was with great excitement that F.C. NEW YORK announced that an anonymous donor had purchased the front of their kit for messaging from Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The donor was not revealed, but only said in a statement  “I love futbol, I love America, I am a proud Latino- American who believes Mitt Romney needs to be our next president.”

The club produced the jerseys with Governor Romney’s “Believe in America” slogan on the front, and were prepared to debut them in a match vs. Red Bull at Long Island’s at the Mitchel Field athletic Complex. It was a very unique platform to draw attention and with it some controversy. After all, teams rarely get involved in public political tussles, so could this be a new trend for donors, and new ground for the political field? Well…not really.

Unfortunately, the club was informed by FIFA that political statements were prohibited from kit sponsorships, so the uniforms were a no go.  However it didn’t diminish the creativity for a club struggling to get attention, and maybe the anonymous donor can find other ways to get his message out through a club looking to break through in the marketplace.

Then you have Vitória, a second-division Brazilian football club, who came up with a kit idea that could also be game changing, and life changing for some. The club,  which plays with red and black uniforms, announced they will start their new season in black jerseys with horizontal white stripes, a departure for sure for a club that calls themselves the “Red and Blacks.” However the club is not straying from their red color, they are building toward it. In order to promote blood donation in the region, the club will fill in their white stripes with red every match as the season progresses, which would be reflective of the amount of blood donated by club followers. With every goal reached, every stripe will go from white to red until all four stripes are filled.

Now this isn’t a sacrifice most clubs who sell their kits for millions will make, but it is an enterprising one off for some team sports throughout the season, especially teams who are focused on one-off jerseys for special events and promotions.  Could there be some sort of pink rise for breast cancer awareness, extra blue that goes up week to week for autism? The opportunities are interesting, especially if the stripe filling produces solid results.

Sometimes the best ideas, or at least the most creative, come from those away from the brightest lights.

Filed Under: FIFA, Fox Sports.com, Minor League Baseball, Minor League Hockey, MLS, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Soccer World Keeps Getting Smaller…And Bigger…In The U.S.

May 20, 2012 by

There used to be a time in the 1970′s and 1980′s when fans of professional soccer in the United States would find a time to tune in on PBS and hear the legendary announcer Mario Machado call highlights of games gone by in a one or two hour edited show to satisfy the thirst for video of the world’s most popular game. The North American Soccer league came and went, World Cup action was shown on some third tier UHF stations or on closed circuit. There was not much “there” there for fans of Man U. or Real Madrid or Lazio, especially when you left many urban areas where the game was still popular.

Fans today of anything soccer would find that very hard to believe. Today we have networks dedicated to the game in the States, the most healthy of grassroots sports, an ever-improving MLS prospect and more Americans contributing to the growth of soccer globally than ever before. However what is even more impressive is the way that elite clubs and the professional leagues from around the world, starting with the Barclays Premier League, have made such inroads into the American sports landscape. The last two weeks have seen record numbers of viewership for Manchester City’s title run and for Chelsea’s Championship League title, and this summer will see a record number of friendlies for elite clubs, from AS Roma, Chelsea and Tottenham to The French League Championship to Liverpool to Zaglebie Lubin and many other clubs. While it is not unusual for some friendlies to be played in the States before soccer kicks off around the world in August, the breath and depth of clubs and the stadia they will be playing in is rising, and that is reflective of the rising tide of interest in the sport in the States. It is not all about Americans and MLS. It is about seeing the best clubs from around the world, ones that have worked with American media companies like Fox and ESPN, to integrate matches year-round into broadcast and news coverage, so that young people in the States especially are just as big fans of Wayne Rooney as they are maybe of Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. The brands that support the elite soccer clubs around the world are also going to continue to get added ROI with the marketing and broadcast of elite soccer in the States, as companies like Emirates Airways now will have a growing affinity to an American marketplace through their non-American sports sponsorship.

The broadcast and digital world has opened possibilities for elite soccer clubs in the States much in the way the NBA (of all U.S. based leagues) has expanded their growth globally outside of the borders of the U.S. Stars are now easier to follow, the passion of clubs and the beauty of the game is easier understood, and it is no longer a stretch to watch the best clubs in the world compete live on TV (with much being in the mornings in the States when there is little live sports competition) where it may have been in years past. The highlights are now brought in as they happen through sports-specific networks and dropped side by side with baseball, hockey and hoops scores. It no longer is unusual to see a great Real Madrid goal during the morning SportsCenter, where that would have seemed very strange just a few years back.

This rising tide is also a boon to MLS, which continues its steady path of growth. While some may say the friendlies are what “real” fans want to see in soccer in the States, those matches draw more attention to the game, which in many markets brings casual fans to MLS and gives the league a great chance at conversion on a consistent level. All things good about soccer means better opportunities for all in the business.

Now none of this is to say that soccer is reaching its highest point of engagement in the States any time soon. MLB, the NHL, the NFL, and the NBA still rule the roost consistently, and soccer even at the highest level still has to compete with those four as well as NASCAR and a passionate intercollegiate audience that only exists in the States. That won’t change overnight. However what is changing is the growing acceptance of elite soccer as a must watch and talk about event in the U.S., with the numbers of the last week showing that to be true. It hasn’t happened in a vacuum or that suddenly. It has been a steady and strategic build, but it is a build worth watching and admiring as most of the soccer around the world takes a brief respite before the heat turns up again in mid-summer, much of which will start in the States.

Filed Under: ESPN, ESPN/ABC, FIFA, Fox, MLS, NCAA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Sheet, They Are Building An Impressive Brand…

November 21, 2011 by

The serial entrepreneurs behind the Sheets Energy Strip brand are no strangers to star power or the value of viral marketing. Guys like Jesse Itzler and Warren Struhl have made big bucks growing viral brands in consumer and commercial marketing for years, and are people who always seem to be ahead of the curve with trends in consumer activation. Now they have turned their focus to the energy “drink” market, mixing in traditional consumer market with celebrity and viral activation to try and take hold of the space.

“Sheets” is certainly different from competitors like Five Hour Energy or any of the hundreds of liquid refreshers in the marketplace. It is a simple concept, one that breath refreshers like Listerine and pharma companies with headache remedies have grabbed with great success. It is fast, easy to use and very consumer friendly. But the space is crowded, and just because a product is unique in delivery doesn’t make it successful on its own. Even coveted shelf space in consumer locations may not be enough to catch the eye and change consumer habits for a product that could be high volume but not high cost. So what did “Sheets” do to break through?

They launched their campaign via viral video, using the Denver Nuggets Danilo Galinari in a mock lockerroom press conference where he discussed his secret for success on the court, “Taking a Sheet.” It was lighthearted and played on the phrase the product would use across all its platforms going forward, and was launched well in advance of the launch at the consumer level, creating some fun anticipation for the launch. The concept, more than the product was pushed first. Following launch, the founders then brought in a series of athletes, comedians, and other entertainers, some with equity, all with a strong social presence and solid street cred in their communities, to help grow awareness. The social and celebrity push accompanied traditional marketing to the consumer, as well as a growing shelf space presence in consumer package goods stores where energy drinks and products were sold, especially to a younger demo. The brand also took their combined message directly to the retail stores by doing media events in stores in conjunction with an expanded launch.

There has been no hard sell on the medicinal value of “Sheets,” as some other energy products have tried. There is no long message, and thus far no traditional TV or radio. The most recent move was sponsoring the first college hoops event at the still to be opened Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY in 2012, a cost efficient partnership which may not bear fruit until next year, but one that gets the brand a toe-hold in a new arena complex which is big on hype and promoting its partners in every way possible. Great bang for the “Sheets” buck, while speaking to a younger, urban audience.

The message is clear for “Sheets.” It is different, faster, and more fun than many of the energy products out there, and their ties with celebs from all walks of life make it a brand that appeals to everyone. Its promotions have given it brand recognition in the marketplace against heavily marketed mainstays, much in the way Vitamin Water’s irreverent viral campaigns helped given them a toehold at launch. Will “Sheets” succeed on the commercial level? Remains to be seen, as the consumer they are going after has a short memory and a tendency to fly to the next hot trend. However from a launch standpoint, “Sheets” has hit all the right chords…fun, viral, easy to understand, and well placed in the consumer landscape.

You may not care for energy products, but you should care, or give a “sheet” for the way the product is being brought to market in such a crowded and fickle landscape. Smart play by smart businesspeople.

Filed Under: Ambush Marketing, College Basketball, NBA Teams, NCAA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Curious Case Of “Red Bulletin” And Why…

May 11, 2011 by

So there it was with my copy of the Sports Business Journal this week, Red Bull’s new lifestyle magazine, Red Bulletin.. Lots of glossy photos (not one page without a Red Bull logo somewhere) and features of Red Bull sponsored events and athletes from around the globe. A great example in one publication of the breath of Red Bull sponsorship and brand value…arts, traditional sports, music, dancing, extreme sports…all in living color and without ads. Not just given away to those in the industry, but also sold on newsstands and soon to be partnered with a long list of daily newspapers and dropped at one’s doorstep every month. But a hard magazine in an age when print publications are vanishing? For a brand that caters to an active lifestyle and whose consumers probably rarely pick up a newspaper or a magazine, and engage mostly online? Does it make sense?

Here are a few thoughts. First, the magazine, at least the first issue, really goes to great lengths to explain to the consumer who knows of Red Bull what the red Bull brand really encompasses. There is no sport, no lifestyle, no event, that the brand does not permeate. The artwork, and even the text, mirrors the style of what the brand wants to portray to the consumer, and certainly has something for anyone with even a casual interest in sports and entertainment. It is content rich for sure. Second, it is much more editorial than advertorial. Red Bull whispers but does not scream off every page, making the publication soft and subtle but effective on the sell. The mass distribution will also give the brand a larger shelf life amongst those who are not familiar with the brand, and over time may even convert and hopefully educate some consumers who were on the fence. It gives the casual fan another reason to think about engaging with the brand. But why a print publication, one that obviously was created and planned at great cost? While it is probably true that the average Red Bull consumer is less apt to read a magazine (at least an American consumer) than use a site full of content, the target may not exactly be the red Bull consumer. Maybe it is more the mainstream person whose son or daughter likes the product they have never tried themselves? Maybe it is reaching a beer drinking demo who is not aware of Red Bulls brand values, or even an active lifestyle person who has little awareness of the consistent sponsorship platforms Red Bull takes on. Maybe it is more affinity to assist Red Bull sponsored teams and athletes in growing their own awareness, helping the performer or athlete get more mainstream as much as the brand. Maybe it is not viewed as much as editorial and more as a hard carve out of a marketing budget which could have been spent in the traditional. All of those questions will be answered over time with the magazine and how it effects sales and brand awareness

There is no doubt Red Bulletin makes a loud statement to the sports world and to the publishing world. It is counter to what many are doing, migrating to online publications and away from newsstands. It also speaks more to a European or Far Eastern method of engaging sports fans, where a culture still consumes its sports news in print form than online. It also remains to be seen if the content of Red Bull-specific athletes and lifestyle partners can be compelling enough to keep consumers reading every month. There is also the brand partnership possibility…will other companion brands sign up for promotions and activation programs, looking to work with Red Bull to speak to the core audience. Will it work? If it does could we see a surge in new glossy print publications specifically created to mix advertorial and editorial? It certainly wouldn’t hurt the job market, and depending on the continued quality of the publication, could help raise the level of quality in the print world. It is a bold experiment by a bold brand which usually does its homework and then exploits to the max to grow its brand. Watching the results will be interesting. Could Starbucks World be next?

Filed Under: MLB, MLS, NASCAR, NBA Teams, Olympics, PGA Tour, Tennis Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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