Brand NFL Gets Stronger, Despite The Clouds On The Horizon…

August 1, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Granted there is a labor dispute in the distance and the Jets still have issues in the New York marketplace with PSL’s, but it is hard to argue that even in a challenged economy the brand of the NFL remains strong and gets stronger. It can be argued that the opening of training camp has come close to eclipsing the reporting of “Pitchers and Catchers” as the day that fans look forward to the most…the NFL Draft has easily become a media and brand spectacle like no other…fantasy football play is the dominant game of choice, almost four to one over baseball, because of its simplicity and appeal to the casual fan…and the one  game a week schedule gives the NFL a chance to build week on week like no other sport.  Even those who argued that parity diluted the game have fallen short of their argument, as witnessed by the record numbers who tuned in for last year’s Super Bowl, featuring two of the smallest markets (Indianapolis and New Orleans) in professional sports.

More Expensive Real Estate Up For Grabs For Brands? NFL and WNBA…

April 23, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The continued quest for landing valuable real estate in the sports space got another nice pop this week, when Microsoft’s Bing became the latest brand to make its way to a WNBA uniform, landing a partnership with the Seattle Storm.  The jersey signage, especially for MLS and the WNBA, has been a boon to sponsorship, and last year patches made it on to the front of NFL and NBA practice jerseys as well, bringing some brands additional incremental value and teams some added revenue. While the four major team sports still are backing off from jersey signage which is common elsewhere, it is starting to seem more like an inevitability that the integration occurs, the question is porobably where, when and at what price.  Would it start with minor league baseball and hockey, like it already has for the UFL and the D-League?  And who would be the first to test the licensing waters?  All to be seen, but certainly the backlash from the WNBA and MLS has been minimal (although it is true neither has invested the millions in brand development that the four major leagues have over an extended period of time).

NFL Drafts It’s Latest Prime Time Branding Play…

April 20, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Prime time. It remains the most coveted spot in media, that period from eight until 11 that makes careers and brands in entertainment, and now in sports.  The US Open women’s tennis finals now lives there, and the US Open golf will move partially into that space on the east coast this year.  It is where the NHL and the NBA launch their new faces with their draft every year, and now where the NFL will show its first round for the first time ever this coming Thursday, at least for one round.

Is The UFL A Brand Compliment For The NFL?

March 29, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

There were  some good things that happened in the UFL’s first season.  They proved they could deliver a credible product, gave some coaches and players a chance to showcase their skills and they survived a season full of empty stadiums, inopportune dates, shifting cities, small sponsor support and well produced but negligible eyeballs on TV.

Jets Take Some Unjustified Hard Knocks On Branding Decision…

March 26, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It has rarely seen this much debate or buzz, the announcement of which NFL team is selected for HBO’s annual all access show “Hard Knocks.”  Last year, the selection of the wobegone Cincinnnati Bengals was met with more interest than concern.  So Thursday’s announcement that the New York Jets were selected  as this year’s all access candidate by the cable network was a little surprising, but nowhere near as surprising  as the fervor in media coverage regarding the announcement. Now the Jets, despite the  onfield successs by Rex Ryan and Company last year, have always been the NFL stepchild (a lucrative one yes) in the New York media market.  Save for the legendary 1968 season and 1969 Super Bowl, the Giants have always been the more secure, more streamlined and more upscale brand in the area, even in their darkest days.  The Jets have always been the renter in someone’s house, be it Shea (where their full set of seats were never in place until after the Mets finished) or Giants Stadium (where they always played second fiddle despite their best branding efforts).  Their hope for a site of their own on the West Side of Manhattan was lost in a vicious battle with Madison Square Garden and others in Manhattan, and the compromise of a shared new home which will be all Jets on their days, all Giants on theirs (eventhough the Giants practice facility is within a long punt of the stadium and the Jets is in distant Florham Park) will still be just that, a compromise.  The Jets battle to obtain seat licenses in a challenged economy has also been a struggle, while the Giants, although with a waiting list now exhausted, will fill the new home to the brim once again.  The Jets, much more than the Giants, remain the team that has to do more to grow image and gain casual support, both locally and even nationally.

An Athlete Gets A “Feel” For A Brand…

October 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

On Sunday, Jets kicker Jay Feely entered the record book for consecutive field goals made as a Jet, breaking a record held by Pat Leahy for over 20 years. Feely’s success on the field has been tremendous, yet his feel for using his stature in athletics in a major market to develop a long term vision for success may be even more impressive. As documented in several media outlets this past week, including Greg Bishop’s feature in the New York Times, the Jets kicker has been able to find ways using both social and traditional media to build his brand, and give both casual and diehard fans a little more insight into what he is all about. The result is an athlete who has a presence now in media where he feels well adjusted, well read and well thought out, in both the sports and the political world, and he has been able to use that exposure to build out a potential second career, not just when his athletic days end, but in the offseason when he has more time to focus on the long term. Although some will say it may be easier for an athlete who happens to be a kicker to have more free time to delve into other things (probably an unfair assumption as the special teams performers of the NFL may have the most tenuous place on a roster most times), the truth of the matter is that Feely’s work in looking into leadership roles, both in sports and in society and social media, and then parlaying that interest into a vibrant career is both rare and admirable. One must keep in mind that Feely does not have the flash and dash of Twitter success stories like Shaquille O’Neal or Chad Ochocinco, and his posts may be a little more cerebral and outward looking than most athletes. On the political side, he is not the lightning rod for controversy, but his thoughts have gotten him placement with Sean Hannity on a regular basis on FOX, and could lead to a larger role in the future. Will it lead to big time endorsements, even in the media capital of the world? No. However Feely’s work is a great example of an athlete understanding the limits of time in the limelight and using that time to effectively build his brand, whether that brand is in the media or in business. The fact that he has been able to embrace and understand the value of a social media platform as a communication device for thoughts makes it all the more impressive, and can give his career a kickstart for the longterm, even as he continues to kick for the green and white.

Does The World Love This Game? If You Are The NBA, The Answer Again is Yes…

October 7, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

This month three of the four major sports leagues in North America…NHL, NBA and NFL…will make their annual pilgrimage across the pond to court fans, build brand and extend what is hoped to be a more global reach in the coming years, when the economy improves and the time becomes right for leagues to play on both sides of the Atlantic. Two, NHL and NFL, have taken the regular season route for games, while the NBA continues its preseason schedule of games, this year in London. All three have their basic effectiveness and have slightly different goals…the NHL looks to markets that have a built in understanding of the sport and a strong professional base…this year Finland and Stockholm…while the NFL uses the game as a one week showcase for American football for expats and those who watch on TV.

The Adaptability of The Shield…

September 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is one of the most closely guarded logos in the world…the NFL shield. Even with some of its tweaks over the years, the brands that stand with the NFL and its shield, and the programs they represent, have often been best in class, just as the league presents itself as one of the premier, if not the premier, sporting brand in the world. As we enter the NFL regular season, the first full one since the downward shift in the economy last fall and winter, it is interesting to note the continued support of brands and the diversity of decisions the NFL, its broadcasters and its teams are making to cope with the times we are in.

Hitting The Minor Homers…

November 26, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., the minor league drum beating for great activation in baseball continues, as Ben Hill’s Minor League baseball blog singles out the best promotions of the past season, and rewards the Ogden (Utah) Raptors as the team with the best minor league promotions of the year.  In a struggling global economy, sports and entertainment brands of all sizes can continue to look to American baseball’s minor leagues as a source of inspiration and innovation not just for the offbeat, but for the ability to engage the consumer and produce quality and affordable entertainment on a nightly basis.  The baseball minors also do a great job of year round activation and engagement with their fans and business partners, squeezing every opportunity to keep the casual fan interested with the brand even when the games are not going on.  In many ways that is the secret of their local success…since most times teams do not have year-round marketable players to build a brand behind they need to sell the experiential.  It is a great lesson that those in higher ranks are continuing to adapt to, and Hill’s columns give great insight into the sports best practices.