My friend Jay died Monday…

August 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 8 Comments 

On Monday coming home on the train I got an email from my colleague Rich Sandomir of the New York Times who asked me if I had heard Jay Larkin died.  It was so very sad news.  Jay was one of the few mentors that I had…I learned more from him in a little over a year about learning to manage people and grow  business at the now defunct International Fight League than I had in countless years at Madison Square Garden or other stops.  He was a legend in boxing, a gentleman and a Brooklyn native with a killer instinct and business savvy that as he put it, made Showtime a strong Avis to HBO’s  Hertz. More importantly, he was a devoted father and husband who knew when to have a good time and when to work.  He helped bring professionalism to the most brutal of sports, and he always spoke his mind.

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.

Remembering On The Day…Sports As A Social Unifier…

September 11, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

I usually don’t make this personal, but today is a day that we all need to remember those we lost on that tragic day in 2001…and how sports helped us bounce back afterwards. First a quick second to remember those who we knew through sport who were gone that day, including all those in uniform who were such great fans, coaches and supporters of all we do in this business…not just those who died on this day but those in the military who we have lost since…that list includes many of my classmates and friends at Fordham University and Xaverian High School, including Carl Flickinger, who played Varsity B hoops at Xaverian and sat behind me in many classes for four years, Tim Finnerty, a great coach at Wagner and Fordham who went on to Wall Street but always kept coaching kids, Mike Armstrong, another Fordham guy whose lived with every move the Rams made on the field, and a childhood friend Gigi Calvi, who lived a few doors away and really loved soccer. That’s just a few of those we lost today and should be remembered. Ironically 9/11 came just two days after the end of my last US Open, and we had planned to take Lleyton Hewitt, the men’s winner, to Windows on the World for a photo op. on 9/10…but plans changed and we ended up doing the photo on the Brooklyn Bridge, while women’s winner Serena Williams did other events around Manhattan. Amazing how time flies. Still, coming out of 9/11 there were so many examples of how sports can unify us all, none better than the amazing HBO film Nine Innings from Ground Zero, which showed how the Yankees and their fans and the city united after the tragedy, and really helped heal wounds that continue to be re-opened even to this day. For all the dollars invested and time spent on the business of sport today, it remains a social unifier because unlike most other “social” activities, sport knows no social or language barriers, it gives us both aspirational and inspirational heros, it serves as a placeholder for some of the key events in our lives, it is multigenerational, and it can serve as a great relief, either through participation or through social involvement, from the daily stresses we have. Now are there all the issues with big money? yes. Are today’s professional athletes pulled and burdened with more than ever before? Yes. But end of the day, few people anywhere in the world, no matter what race, creed, sex, or color, can find some aspect of athletics or sport that they can cling to. That’s what makes the business of sport so interesting, and why on our darkest days it is a place we can turn to. God Bless all who were touched on that day…and now back to the game.

Majoring In The Minors: Sometimes It’s Just The Quest That’s The Fun Part…

August 24, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the keys to minor league promotion is buzz…buzz leads to ticket sales and family fun, which is key when you are limited on marketing stars, who on the minor league level, are very transient. With that in mind one of the keys in buzz is always “new” or “fresh” or “first” or “record breaking.” The last one, record breaking, is always the most interesting, since it will give fans a sense of history, not to mention giving the team the ability to move more collectables or mementos from the event. World’s largest pizza, world’s largest pillow fight etc etc…have all come down the pike this year. However, as our friend Ben Hill pointed out recently in his column on the Business of Minor League Baseball, getting the “record” is not always that easy, nor is it always important. Hill studied the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ quest for the world’s largest game of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” a fun effort to get fans interested in a between innings promotion, with maybe a little sponsor tie thrown in. Did it matter at the end of the day that there was a challenge issued by the real recordholders in Taiwan? No. Were people excited to be involved? Yes. Did it sell tickets, combined with other promotions? Maybe. Did it generate a little buzz, especially when there was a bit of “controversy” thrown in? Yes. Does it give the Blue Rocks a chance to re-promote and try the assault on the record again? Yes, especially since everyone loves a comeback. The key points here are that the Blue Rocks found a promotion that was affordable, simple, involved all their fans, generated buzz and was at least semi-attainable. Whether it is a real or contrived “record” is not really the point. The point is they created a quest for a record, and sometimes the involvement in that quest is what gets people juiced and contributes to the fun of the experience.

Why Second Tier Leagues Struggle…

August 5, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The announcement this week that the Arena Football League, other than minor league baseball seemingly the strongest and most successful of any second tier leagues, is finally going out of business, raises the question why…in this economy, with people looking for affordable events at affordable prices, can’t second tier sports succeed. Even with solid branding plans, decent attendance in second tier markets, and understanding of grassroots marketing and good stories to tell to a fan base, leagues in soccer, football, tennis events, gold events, Mixed Martial Arts promotions, lacrosse, all seem to be falling by the wayside. The real answer is twofold really…the cost of event production is very high, and the support of the largest ticket buyer, the corporate support, is waning. Factor in the reality that television production for these events, although reduced through technology, still remains the true barometer of success, and rights fees are a thing of the past, and the ability to produce becomes a huge barrier to entry. Even minor league hockey, with a similar model as baseball, struggles now in many places. So why does minor league baseball succeed? First of all baseball is a social event more than a game. It is cost controlled by MLB in most places and the operators and marketers are a little more established in their markets than most other second tier sports. The length of season also gives so many more built in nights to sell and with the right revenue stream can become very lucrative. The teams are also year-round solid members of the businesses in those communities, an aspect that many second tier properties lack. Sometimes as the case now with the AFL and some others, the success of the league and the growth that is accompanying it creates failure itself…you simply become to big. Now can cost-contained arena football or indoor soccer exist and succeed? Yes. It actually did in some pockets last year, with af2 and other leagues. The question is can it be a sustainable national property which will draw media, TV and sponsors outside of the local market, or at least in regional partnerships. That remains to be seen. Lastly, does the consumer really need these events with the plethora of entertainment options available today…is it better to invest in participation sports and not worry about professional or elite events in some of these areas? The hope is that these events bring enough to the local economy and to the industry that they again become self-sustaining. However with the lack of public outcry…people these days seem to be content with moving on to another entertainment option…the real “need” for the AFL, the XSL, the IFL and so many others…may not be seen for some time by fans, brands or cities.

NBA Brings More Brands Across The Pond…

March 27, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The footprint and hours spent by the NBA growing their brand in China over the last ten years is perhaps the best example of global sports brand expansion to date. Now that that process is in place, the league, which has already established a relationship to brand and grow basketball as a sport through its relationship with the NCAA in North America, will now look to refocus on bringing the impressive lineup of multinational partners to Europe. With FIBA’s success in growing hoops in Europe and its partnership with the NBA continuing to gain steam, there is perhaps no better time to introduce those brands which the NBA has cultivated and activated with in North America to the European continent. Media Post had a good look at the new brand activations for the league, and all the data behind the accentuated push into Europe come this fall. The steady growth of the NBA brand through all its platforms abroad set a great stage, and now with a very strong grassroots presence in key countries, the affinity to effectively activate extended programs for emerging brands will have the solid base that earlier efforts may have fallen short with. Often times sports or entertainment brands rush into a new culture and try to homogenize a partnership without establishing or understanding an existing culture, and that rush can provide disappointing results. By building and then introducing brands, the NBA has set the floor for a more successful plan than ever before, and one other sports that want to invest and grow globally can follow.

Nets Make An All-Star Push To Remain Relevant…

January 31, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

How does a brand which is not necessarily always top of mind find ways to remain relevant in a very crowded marketplace? Ask the New Jersey Nets.  In a season that has been somewhat less than expected in terms of on-court performance, and has seen questions raised about the team’s long-anticipated move to Brooklyn, the Nets continue to squeeze every possible opportunity to remain brand relevent.  This week the team put out a CEO Challenge, with companies literally competing  against each other in five on five basketball with a chance to gain a free partnership with the Nets next season.  It is the latest in a series of ways which the team has tried to connect with the casual fan and business partner who might not have a daily reason to be exposed to the value of Nets basketball.  Also on the brand relevance side was the teams’ push to assist  guard Devin Harris as  an all-star.  The task to garner All-Star selection amongst the media is not easy, especially for an underachieving team that does not gain great national TV exposure.  However by creating and then pushing a fun viral campaign and working both through the media, with fan votes and behind the scenes, Harris will be part of the East team in Phoenix in a few weeks. Now does Devin Harris as an all-star help the team in brand relevance in the marketplace?  Hard to say for sure but there is certainly no downside in the effort, and it gives the Nets, having a young, new All-Star, something else to talk about with their partners and fans.  Juxtapose the position of the Knicks, which had coach Mike D’Antoni downplaying the potential of David Lee as an All-Star across the river, and you can see how much the Nets seem to be more interested in selling the sizzle and the current brand relevance in the marketplace.  With little to no push, Lee, despite having All-Star numbers, did not make the team.  The Nets push with Harris is reflective of all they try to do to make the brand fresh, and in down times that effort becomes even more important.  Both the CEO Challenge and Harris’  selection were All-Star moves for the franchise on the brand side.

Book Publicity: Selling The Sizzle Not The Steak…Or Say It Ain’t So Joe…

January 28, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Doubleday Publishing pulled a perfect storm of sorts with book publicity this week…they hit a quiet week (Super Bowl bye) with no  New York team in the Super Bowl to launch a baseball book about a former manager in the  hottest of hot stove time…Joe Torre and Tom Verducci’s work about Torre’s Yankees years.  And as the case with any mass media work, from print to big screen, the publicists pick the juciest pieces to feed the tabloids, which will drive the advance of the book through the  roof.  Now the question is, in a co-authored book, what is real and what is hype?  Richard Sandomir in the New York Times does a great job of breaking down the book battle and its layout and reasons, and how Doubleday played the media and the fans for some great advance success.  In this challenged economy, moving hardcover books is a huge mountain to climb, and in publishing the saying for sports books is the smaller the ball the bigger the sale.  However Doubleday picked their spot, lopped in all the buzzwords needed to spice a cold New York sports winter devoid of many compelling stories, and launched a campaign that will help drive interest in the book, baseball the Yankees, the Dodgers and all the casual interest the sport will need.  Will it help the Yanks move suites in the new stadium or will it get the Dodgers some added ink in LA?  Certainly can’t hurt.  One thing is for sure, by picking the right strategic time to release and orchastrating the quotes with the topic, Doubleday has created enough drama to get the writers to justify the advance and get the Yanks top of mind in a quiet  January.

MLB, NHL Both Use New Year’s Day As Strategic Launch For Things Ahead…

December 31, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the start of the New Year here, two of the biggest sports brands in the world…Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, will look to use the day as a launching point for new brand success, new partnerships and a bigger share of the casual sports landscape.  The NHL will use its second Winter Classic to see if the outdoor New Year’s Day game will continue to have the legs it has last year, and can cement itself as the must watch and particpate event for January 1 that the Bowl games used to be.  Richard Sandomir in the New York Times has a good look at the events around the game, which include new sponsors and activation, greater retail and the major market buzz of Chicago (fueled by a rebranded Blackhawks organization).  On the baseball side, the launch of the MLB Network, the largest launch in cable sports history, will look to give baseball and its core and causal fans and partners a 24/7 home.   The launch in the middle of “Hot Stove” season will show that the network and its ancillary programming can be a driver at a time when live games in the U.S. are not being played, while leading towards live play with the World Baseball Classic and weekly games in March and beyond.   It is a big committment for the sport to regain a bigger piece of the sports pie from NASCAR, the NFL, the NBA and those sports that pull a younger demo, but with the volume of library and available games worldwide, it seems like a risk that is much safer than the ones the NBA, NFL and the NHL took in launching their networks.  The first reviews of what will be seen on air at the start have been outstanding. So if all goes as planned, January 1, 2009 may just be the day that both hockey and baseball will point back to as a push forward for both legacy brands.

A Look At The Favre Saga To Date…

August 9, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As has been pointed out at the trade deadline, the firing of Willie Randolph by the Mets and countless other high profile moves that are scrutinized 24/7 by the media and the fans, the real long term impact of what Brett Favre means to New York, the Jets, the Packers, retailers, business partners and anyone else involved with the business of football won’t be known until all is played out on the field.  However the immediate impact for buzz, sales, long-term purchase of seat licenses and ratings has already been felt by the Jets, and was clearly laid out by Richard Sandomir in the Times and Darren Rovell in his blog on msnbc.con. The Jets found great ways to spin and have Favre positioned well in the first go-round, from getting news and jersey sales up immediately on their website to taking a slow Friday news day and getting an opportunity with Favre and Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall.  They also did a very good job of making sure GM Mike Tannenbaum stayed on message and that Favre stuck to the positive script with the same questions…there were no scenes of him being surly or running away from cameras, ala Randy Johnson in his first go-round in New York.  Conversely, the Packers did a good job of staying on message and moving on in Green Bay as well, and the Wisconsin State News did a good job of talking to many members and looking for holes…and finding very few…in the Packer family.  Even former Jet Chad Pennington, who moved on to the Dolphins, handled himself very well.  Now obviously this was a win-win for most people involved, and even the Packers now have a distraction put behind them. All the perceived silliness and airing of dirty laundry publicly has ended with the news cycle.  However what it does show is the well thought-out scenarios that NFL teams can orchastrate, especially when something is able to be played out for a period of days.  Now if this was midseason and the performance would be judged on field could the fallout been more controversial?  Yes.  But with the luxury of a preseason, the distraction of the Olympics, and the fact that the real impact of Brett Favre in NY on the field won’t be felt for some time, all the bells and whistles rang (as did the cash register) and the NFL and the Jets scored big points in buzz and partner growth.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also had a good summary of what other markets said about the trade.  Mark Kriegel also has his take on the move on Foxsports.com thats always a good read.

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