Old School Branding:Mallards Give Everyone Something To Quack About…

October 20, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe its because baseball just lends itself more to creativity because of the summer communal atmosphere and the tradition of promotion that the minor leagues lends itself to, or maybe we just notice it more because baseball has a bigger platform of a season, but it always seemed like that entreprenurial spirit of creativity should apply just as much to minor league hockey as it does o baseball. After all there are less dates usually to fill, in most cases less seats and in many cases less competition for the discretionary dollar in the winter than baseball combats in the summer. Yet for some reason, minor league hockey in the U.S…maybe there is less affinity to the game, maybe there is less money and less time spent on brand development, maybe the fans don’t connect to the team like in baseball…has never made the promotional impact that baseball has. Well don’t tell that to the Quad City Mallards. The Mallards have taken the page, well probably the whole book, from promotional and brand partnership, and under new owner Chris Lencheski have sought to redfine how minor league hockey brands and markets itself in an area where minor league sports can be king. From lockerroom access for fans to a great new in-goal Hardees promotion (written about by Sarah Talalay in the Florida Sun Sentinel and sure to be copied by others) the Mallards are providing a steady flow of information to media, creating compelling new partnerships and promotions, and making the team a must see for fun if not for hockey. They have created media partnerships with a junior reporter program, and found every possible way to connect to the community to drive interest as the season opens. Is it tough to stay relevant in an area which does not have a huge professional or even college sports following? Maybe. But the Mallards are taking every step possible to give fans and business partners a reason to support their efforts on and off the ice. The result may not be great in-game success but it will be a better, stronger brand, a quality family experience and good exposure to the sport for all involved, not to mention programs that could become even more of a best practice for arenas and their teams as they are for their baseball colleagues and their fields in the summer. Rocket science? Not at all. Understanding the marketplace, what attracts brands and how to communicate that experience to the media and to the fans? Absolutely. Hockey at all levels is a great experiential game. Here’s hoping that the Mallards and the experience they are building leads to an explosion of interest and smart business practices in the sport, just like we have in baseball.

Getting Along and Working Together To Grow…South Florida Sets The Pace…

October 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The idea of teams in market working together has been a foreign idea for a long time. Most major market teams would rather act in a vacuum than share data, sponsors or branding opportunities, and often times attempts at shared events…especially on the community side…often ended up with arguments about top billing or conflicts of interest and ended creating more harm than good. However in recent years we have seen teams in market start to work together…the Blackhawks and the White Sox, the Indians and the Blue Jackets…to co-promote, co-market and co-brand. It is a smart thing to do…share expenses, approach brands as one, give added value to fans and partners and keep brand top of mind in the offseason. Now the South Florida sports community has taken that approach one step further, as Sarah Talalay reported in the Sun Sentinel this week. A number of teams and events are banding together to offer discounts, merchandise and special events to fans in the area, ranging from the Dolphins to golf and tennis events, a year-round, comprehensive offer for the fan. It helps move distressed inventory, creates a platform from which the teams and organizations can share data and gives each of the brands a little more shelf life when they are not in season. Could these lead to all the brands working together to find some common sponsors in categories and giving brands some added value? Could they tie in media and social networking platforms for off-season get-togethers? Could there be an outreach to travelers and other communities offering packages to multiple events for visitors to South Florida? How about even including arts programs and other areas where competition for the dollar is at a premium? Even better, maybe there could be education or community tie-ins across all the brands, or links out of market to other teams looking to run special promotions…maybe there is an Amtrak tie which connects teams in New York, Boston, Washington and Philly? It all makes great sense in these challenged times, and for even the most elite brands to worry about “damage by association” is just silly and shortsighted. Yes in good times maybe teams scale back offers, but by no means should partnerships be eliminated. This partnership and others around the country like it, is long overdue, and it is great to see the South Florida sports community leading the way with an idea that has applications in every level of sport where discretionary dollars are needed.

Sharing Content…Why It Works, Why It May Not…

August 26, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Recently there has been more and more talk amongst media outlets of sharing content, especially for sports. Media Post laid out an extensive plan with many of the top newspapers looking to share editorial over the next few months , which will certainly give outlets that have already cut back on travel the advantage of having some fresh, albeit less local, content. It fills pages, and probably exposes some writers and columnists to a larger audience than before, and may actually create some double duty for beat writers who may have to file one story for the local team and one with additional quotes for the road team. From the aspect of saving additional jobs and keeping content fresh for those papers, it works. Where it doesn’t work will again be in the loss of point of view or quality writing, or additional access for writers who may get to know an athlete, a coach or a team just that much more when he or she is with those athletes every day. Although in this time many professional teams have a skeleton crew traveling with them for long trips anyway it may not make that much of a difference, but for times when there is extra access needed…or blog notes or a breaking story…the lack of a road presence may not play well with a shared content idea. Still it is a calculated risk papers will take. However into that void comes opportunity. Locally, any number of sites are popping up to fill the gap in local coverage. In the Hudson Valley Region of New York, writer Rich Thomaselli has launched the Hudson Valley Sports Report to give more coverage to local sports now not being covered by newspapers that had cut back. Enterprising publicists will also be able to track which stories and which writers are getting more play on a regional level, and can increase the breath and scope of their clients’ coverage by pitching a columnist who can potentially have a piece syndicated to many markets as opposed to just one. The gap will also create opportunities for enterprising bloggers who get access to expand their following as well. Now will any of this make money or drive traffic? Unknown. It will cut costs and use economies of scale for newspapers who continue to go through lean times as they adapt to a new business model, but whether the shared sites, or even these low cost alternatives can become a profit center remains to be seen. The fact is that media coverge of the past is fading into memory and the current day coverage remains in flux in an economy that remains sketchy. Figuring out which media outlets will grow, and then merchandising that coverage, will be the biggest challenge.

Ravens Military Partnerships Build Strong Support Ties…

August 22, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The ability to have to aggressively build brand amongst major professional teams is needed the least by the teams of the National Football League. Revenue sharing, national television, superior ticket sales on a season basis and a tremendous in-game atmosphere give most teams a base to be discriminative in their brand building exposure, as opposed to being aggressive in outbound programs. However even the best of teams in this challenged economy are looking to new revenue and brand building streams to generate interest and eventually dollars, with even some of the most storied franchises like the New York Giants facing a limited number of ticket holders at top dollar. One of the teams that has always found ways, even in the best days, to attach themselves to their community and build fan base is the Baltimore Ravens. Like the Colts before they moved to Indianapolis, the Ravens and their blue collar style have been emotionally tied to the city they call home. In short, the Ravens “get” their audience. The latest example of that sense of devotion to community was chronicled in this week’s Baltimore Sun, with the Ravens hosting a special session for enlisted men and women, a project that drew 50 last year and 500 this year. The Capitol District, from Washington through Baltimore, has always had a military base, and the teams in the area have been able over time to partner with that core group for support. Ironically, as the team just to the south, the Redskins, constantly fight for message control, the Ravens always seem to find ways to expand their reach to the grassroots. Now will that style bring in more dollars? Unsure. Will courting the military help in selling luxury suites? Probably not. But in moving merchandise, building goodwill in the community and driving brand support it is a very smart move. It is true that the Ravens, like any other NFL team, still abide by the strict limits of access imposed by the league. However finding ways to go above and beyond to drive goodwill and find new story lines when they don’t necessarily have to, is the sign of solid leadership and partnership, both keys to success regardless of on the field success.

New Ownership Looks To Keep The Fins Fizzing…

June 29, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Because the NFL is so much the American spectacle and a weekly destination watch for much of American, we often forget that several franchises still need to work in case of those rainy days to build brand value year-round, keep fans and business partners interested and engaged, and find new ways to generate revenue despite lofty ticket prices, PSL’s and TV money. For every sold out stadium there are a few still figuring ways to make sure market value grows. Perhaps the best example of that this offseason is the Miami Dolphins, under new owner Steve Ross. The fins have seemingly made a move every week, whether it is in fan access programs, new seating plans, altered colors, different naming rights deals and most recently, celebrity owners. Even with a much improved playoff team last year, the Dolphins ownership change, not to mention the sluggish South Florida economy, kept the teams brand building in flux, and with his hefty investment to buy, Ross and his management team have looked to every possible avenue, assuming nothing and taking no one for granted, to make sure that the Dolphins brand value ascends not just in South Florida, but in a national buzz and relevance quotient that is reflects in increased merch and ticket sales and a grander place in the NFL hierarchy. All the offseason buzz generation is a very smart move for the first year owner, and they have played to every segment of a potential audience to grow marketshare. While some may say, “Its the NFL, what do they need to sell themselves for?” the answer is simple….as an owner trying to invoke change you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and in this economy taking anything for granted, especially in a market where discretionary dollars can go elsewhere, could be a very fatal flaw, even for the most solid of brands, sports or not.

Marlins Prove That Crime Does Pay…Sort Of.

May 28, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many may have said over the years that the Florida Marlins lack of support in the community, despite ultra-competitive and exciting baseball for the majority of most seasons, is a crime. So the Marlins have gone to great lengths over the years..the Manatee Dance Team anyone…to find ways to lure people into what is now Landshark Stadium. However this week, as reported by Sarah Talalay in her Sun Sentinel blog, the M’s worked with local law enforcement to promote click it or ticket weekend...police officers who found select drivers complying with the law were given pairs of tickets to Marlins games as a reward, and the Marlins community service teams and mascot were out in force drawing attention to a critical community service program for the police. It was a different way to move distressed inventory, tied a solid program to the team, got some good off field exposure for the brand and raised even more casual fan interest for the team going into the pre-summer period where school is not yet out and fans may not be 100% focused on baseball. Nice play for the team and the community.

Soccer Kickin It In The Great Northwest…

May 17, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

While the NHL deals with the mess in Phoenix and rumors abound about other struggling franchises, MLS continues to make smart moves to grow the business for the long term. The new Seattle franchise and their quick success on all levels shows that calculated growth can make sense. By starting with the franchise as a base and building the rivalry hub for the future with expansion into two other underserved markets in the summer months…Portland and Vancouver…both of which had previous success in the sport…is a huge visionary move for the brand. Seattle’s success combined MLS move to bring in people who knew the region (like former Seahawks exec Gary Wright), talent which was established and not haphazard and an embracing of all that has been successful in terms of tradition in the area, right down to team colors and name choice. While many franchises and brands look to be bold and set themselves apart with brash colors and loud statements, the MLS club embraced all that is good and built quickly, a model which will probably be copied with the upcoming expansion. Now is all great with MLS in this economy? No, as evidenced by Michael Lewis piece on the Red Bulls issues at the gate in his Big Apple Soccer piece. But with success stories like Seattle, MLS has again shown that they have learned from others as to what works, and can create an effective startup brand under the tightest of markets that can embrace and grow with a community.

Activation and Access…Some Good Examples Of March Madness

March 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Once the shine wears off of the brackets for March Madness, brand partners and media have to begin the search to find out what are the best and what are the most effective ways of telling the fun stories away from the games. Two examples showed up this weekend. First on the access side, Multichannel News’ Mike Reynolds gives the casual fan an inside look at CBS on Day one of the tournament. Traditionally, media come into CBS headquarters to watch the first day of games and get the insiders view on all the elements the network has in store for the event, and those stories are usually told by various media throughout the first weekend and into week two. However CBS gave Reynolds the chance to write about the experience of being around inside for day one, an event which gives the fans and those in the industry on the brand side a good feel for what the network can out together, from broadcasting to messaging, for the complete broadcast of the field of 64. Good all access piece. Then on the fun activation side, Sarah Talalay in the Sun Sentinel goes into detail about the local Dunkin Donuts promotion, which has its own Sweet 16 of 64 different flavored dounuts which will play down by fan vote and sales into an eventual final four. It is a good way for the local sales corps to tie into March Madness and create some fun for its customers, and even do a little field testing of popular flavors. Again nothing too over the top, but a fun, low cost and effective way to grab the casual consumer and tie it to the brand around a major sporting event. Two good moves by two groups looking to keep the flow going with different ideas for media access and promotion.

Can The Netherlands Capture The Baseball Imagination And The Dollars Of A New Market?

March 12, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

All the comparisons of the Netherlands’ stunning pair of victories over the powerhouse Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic are in. Baseball’s version of hockey’s “Miracle On Ice,” the great triumph of the underdog, David slays Goliath etc etc…Some of America’s best writers, from Tom Boswell in the Washington Post, to Tom Verducci in Sports Illustrated, have chimed in on the beauty of the Classic for the baseball fan, and the great reconfirmation to the world…especially the American sports fan world…that baseball is truly a global game. So with still two rounds to go, and now with more American media eyes on them, can the Dutch team continue the run? Do they have to? The Lake Placid hockey win for Team USA certainly launched the speaking, and branding careers of many of those who took part in the run to the Gold Medal. In the same breath, many marketers questioned the NHL for NOT capitalizing more on the grassroots and branding level for the sport at the time. The NHL brand success has really only been in the last few years for the casual fan. Today with the 24/7 newscycle, the availability of real time highlights and the WBC on in over 200 countries, the distribution of brands looking to capture the imagination and the dollar are more prevalent than ever. So can the Netherlands and some of their telegenic stars cash in? And can baseball use this, along with surprise wins by Italy, China and Australia (thus far) to really continue to catapult the sport to a new level of exposure in places like Europe and Africa, where the sport is growing but not at a quick pace? Probably a good deal will have to do with how the team does in the next round in Miami…a place where they will have a little more celebrity, a little more intrigue and a little more buzz. It may be a stretch for brand growth in the States, since American fans and American media tend to like just American players as their spokespeople. But the team has a good mix of everyman success and a little young swagger, so developing into partnerships across the continent is a possibility, especially with the support of MLB growing the game and the Baseball World Cup coming in Europe in September. Will it be a windfall for the team like Miracle on Ice? The athletic accomplishment is certainly on par, as is the “feel good story” in a time where we seem to be searching more for athletic heros than ever before. However for that to translate into big dollars will take extended success and exposure, but some nice branding from a smart regional marketer would be a hit as well.

Panthers Dentist Takes A Title Sponsorship For Kids Day…

January 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Last year the St. Paul Saints sold their stadium naming rights for a game to some enterprising fans, and as teams, especially those in challenging markets, look for unique and noteworthy revenue and exposure, the idea of titleing a day for your sons Bar Mitzvah or your daughter’s Sweet Sixteen may become more run of the mill.  Especially for those in entertainment looking to build some brand recognition, maybe a niche could be spun off of not just an individual sponsor when it is a company, but an individual sponsor that is really one person.  Now you would have to find people in a challenged economy looking to throw that money at a team, but why couldn’t it be tied to a charity…Joe Smith Day, presented for (as opposed to by) Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia?  These thoughts are spurred by Sarah Talalay’s piece in the Sun Sentinel today, which talks about the Florida Panthers committment to family and hosting another kids day this weekend.  Unusal? No.  What is different is the sponsor is a dentist.  Not a medical group, but one enterprising dentist,  Dr. Larry Kawa, team dentist. Now in all probability Dr. Larry didnt lay out what cost title sponsors would normally for such an event, since he is associated with the team, but how many teeth can Dr. Larry straighten in exchange for the title sponsorship?  Still, for distressed inventory, it makes for some interesting possibilities, and in second tier sports with low costs for some sponsorships, it makes for more buzz than an outfield wall or a dasher board, or a unique way to enhance the overall package.  Good job by the Panthers, good luck Dr. Larry.

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