Landon The Brand…

July 1, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 3 Comments 

While France and Italy were wringing their hands and Nigeria was suspending their team for two years, the United States was moving on to figure out how to capitalize on the next step success that was realized in the World Cup.  Despite the loss to Ghana, more casual fans tuned in, logged on and talked about World Cup in the States than ever before, giving the sport a new opportunity in its growth at the professional level. So what’s next?  The NHL used the success of the Olympics to elevate it’s awareness for the rest of this past winter and spring, how can MLS and professional soccer in general do the same?

The “Owner As Brand” Fades Into The Twilight…

November 27, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The passing this week of the beloved Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin was the latest in a series of instances recently that seem to show us that one of the great storylines of American team sports, the iconic “owner” that we loved or hated and sometimes followed with as much or more passion than the players themselves, is fading into the distance of corporate America. Yes, we still have Jerry Jones with the Cowboys and a community and business leader like Mike Ilitch with the Tigers and Red Wings, but these days a single owner as the personality of his or her franchise seems to be more a hindrance than a help when teams’ cost of doing business or connecting to a community is in play. In addition to Pollin’s passing (his legacy is well detailed in many pieces this week in the Washington Post, including Thomas Boswell’s great read), we have the fading health of the Yankees George Steinbrenner, the recently disclosed illness of the Seahawks and Tralblazers owner Paul Allen, Lakers owner Jerry Buss taking a back seat in running his franchise, and the disfunctional issues with the Raiders and owner Al Davis. Then pile on the public divorce cases of the Padres John Moores and the Dodgers Frank McCourt, both effecting those franchises bottom lines, and there is a very good case that the individual leader has gone the way of the dinosaur. Now in today’s all access media market the argument can probably be made that there is less of a need to have the owner as the organization front man or woman. Fans want access more to the players who they are spending the money on, and probably are less interested in the billionaire owners footing the bills for the talent. Still the owner as the brand and the face of a franchise, more as promoter and pillar of the community than as rich playboy, was what drew many to sport in the first place. The Maras and the Rooney’s of the NFL, a man like Sonny Werblin with the Knicks and the Rangers, Lamar Hunt taking his oil money to help start the AFL, the Yawkeys of Boston…all became touchpoints as sport became big business and their faces and reputations rose and fell in the community with the fortunes of their team or teams. Now these men certainly did not act alone, and the most successful always assembled the right business teams to run said franchises on the day to day. However the team brands and their individual personal “brands” were one in the same. Steinbrenner’s Yankees took on the personality of their owner, both good and bad. Maybe today’s high demand world of everchanging loyalties and interests may not lend itself to such individuals as much as in the past, especially as the battle for the discretionary dollar, but the personality of the owner was part of the mystique of the team brand and was part of the passion that drove the business of sport. Yes its easier to be lukewarm about corporate ownership and maybe it puts more focus on the athletes. However knowing the owner always made it more fun and a little more intriguing, and that personality involved with the imprint of the franchise got sport to be the business it is today. It is probably an era lost, but one which should be reflected on positively as another icon passed this week.

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.