Brand Agassi Has Tremendous Value For A Different Generation

November 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

He came of age with the “Image Is Everything Campaign” eventhough his best tennis was years ahead. He came back from the bottom to be a successful professional, and even without a formal education made education is legacy in his hometown. Yes now that Andre Agassi writes an honest accounting of his life and career, a life which not many people on the inside would dispute as being controversial, many tennis lifers have seen to push his accounts to the side and shame him. Shame Agassi? Shame on them. In reality, Andre Agassi’s brand should be stronger today that at almost any point in his Hall of Fame tennis career. He is a role model for the serial athlete and has emerged as being sincere and creating life changing experiences for a new generation of children, not serial athletes. What the Agassi brand stands for today is what most successful people should aspire to…admitting ones flaws and looking to make the lives of those around you better with the success you have had. Agassi admitted drug use. Given the culture of athletics in the ’80’s…a time pre WADA and all glamour? Would that be surprising, especially for a rock and roll lifestyle that individual sports like golf or tennis lead professionals to? Not at all. As a matter of fact, most who followed Agassi’s career at that stage would probably not have been surprised at that time about the usage. What the Agassi brand should be remembered for and what it could be going forward is for resilience. A resilience and rededication to a career and a spirit to sincerely give back that is not just rare in athletes, it is rare in most high net worth individuals. Now one can be assured that Andre Agassi does not need more endorsement dollars, nor would he probably court the spotlight. However if there are brands looking for a role model for where America is today…a country on the rebound and dedicated to growing a generation, one may not look farther that Andre Agassi. He reinvented a career and a life and has come out as a man that not just had a Hall of Fame athletic career, but may be in a philanthropic Hall of fame at some point as well. Not a bad role model for today’s challenged times.

CRONS, Big South Makes Good Sense For Brands…

November 1, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many times we all get caught up in the hype…the necessity to make sure our athletes. schools and teams are associated with the big names to gives us “street cred.” However in these challenged times, the mainstream names and providers…from the drink category to media companies to apparel…are struggling to make ends meet even with the most mainstream of partners, so expecting the dollars and promotional pop for second tier partners is even more of a struggle than it has been before. More importantly, add-ons to gain marketshare that major brands interested in athletics needed in the past, second tier or mid-major conferences, niche sports, rising athletes, are not as viewed as important on ROI anymore because of the economy, because the time invested in building or capturing success just takes too long. So what can mid-major schools or niche sports do? Look to build business relationships with new brands looking for the same type of exposure, and finding creative ways to build economies of scale and creative programs that may not put dollars in the coffers up front, bit will generate interest and buzz and help reduce existing costs for the bottom line. One recent example of was highlighted in this week’s Sports Business Journal, a just announced partnership between the apparel brand CRONS and the Big South Conference. CRONS, which stand for “Come Ready or Never Start” is as much a lifestyle credo as it is an apparel brand, since the company does not yet have a retail presence. What it does have is the ability to address a conference like the Big South as a partner and work with those schools to supply product which they may have been buying for athletes and build out affiliate and community based marketing programs that can help the schools with fundraising, brand awareness and social responsibility, all important messages for today’s challenged times in athletics. Even more important, CRONS gets to treat the Big South as a test case for other potential mid-major partnerships, and the Bog South gets some great exposure with little downside in being a test case for a rising brand. Would it be better for a Mid-Major to have cash flow from a large apparel brand? Of course. However in today’s marketplace having brands that work as partners on many levels and can provide best in class service may be better than taking a small check for a big name and not seeing a longer term, across the board return. Interesting move by both and worth following going forward.

In Search Of The Ultimate Fan Experience…

October 23, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The ying and yang that goes on between discretionary dollars fans can spend and getting premium access for those dollars is a battle that is only increasing in intensity for teams, brands and partners. With access to social media, much of which is free, teams have to continuously justify prices, knowing that the revenue stream for those dollars to the bottom line is more important now than ever as the larger pool of advertising spending goes south. So how does one create an effective, attractive and unique fan experience with limited resources and in the face of stiff competition…something which is truly unique for a fan, not cookie cutter…but still justifies both what the fan can spend and what the team, or even the partner brand, can justify as worth the investment.

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.

Hoops Hall of Fame Looks To New Class As A Jumping Off Point…

September 4, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

When the casual sports fan thinks of the Hall of Fame, usually the first thought is baseball’s shrine in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball’s long-time position as “The National Pastime” and its long-standing summer enshrinement weekend have given the Baseball Hall of Fame a recognition position that none of the other “Halls” have been able to challenge. Their extensive learning and outreach programs, traveling exhibits, and the ability to use the area to draw visitors not just to visit the memorabilia but to experience the game has kept the baseball Hall of Fame a “must visit” destination for the American sports fan. The Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio has started to take a page from baseball’s book, establishing a consistent enshrinement time and other festival-like events to draw fans and brands, but the effort still cannot challenge the spot that Cooperstown holds.

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.

Can The NHL Postseason Grow On The Casual Fan?

April 16, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The NHL postseason begins in earnest this week, falling at a good time after the Masters, just ahead of the NBA playoffs, before the NFL Draft and following the hype of opening day for baseball. It also helps to have many of the major markets where hockey has a strong brand presence…New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Detroit and Philly especially…all playing with intriguing matchups. The new digital platforms the NHL has pushed so hard to create and offer to fans (as reported in Sports Business Journal this week) also draw more brand attention, so the opportunity to capture the casual fan, especially in major markets seems to all be in place. However one of the more fun promotions, taken to a new level with a charity component, was also rolled out this week in nine NHL markets, the beard-a-thon (Terry Lyons not only profiles the project but joins in with a call to action from Boston in his blog). The Beard-A-Thon, supported online, in print, in arena and on TV will create some fun video as teams advance, and most importantly will both support the charities in local markets AND potentially give rival teams a chance to promote together, something which is a disconnect in many league-driven campaigns across all sports. While all the St. Baldricks promotions that teams have done over the years are worthy efforts, this one literally has the chance to grow on the fan base and the media over the six weeks of playoffs, and will hopefully raise funds and awareness as well as casual fan interest for those who normally miss the day in, day out routine of the NHL season. Nice job by Cenergy on concept and deliverable, with some interesting potential brand ties over time for the promotion.

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.

Digging To Find The Spin…Some Good Examples From the Week…

February 14, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As MLB works through the messaging of Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada, there were a number of solid examples of brands and their staffs finding great opportunities for spin, especially on the human interest side. From NASCAR, which gets going with Daytona this weekend, to hoops and tennis, finding the story and then executing through the media really came through with these efforts, let’s take a look.
1- The Great Local Success Story: Let’s give some credit to NASCAR, where the Birmingham News this week told the tale of 15 year old Darrell Wallace Jr. signing with Joe Gibbs racing. Nice local placement of an athlete (the kid is a Mobile native) that seeds the future as NASCAR looks for new faces, all wrapped up in the appropriate place on one of racing’s most anticipated weeks.
2- Valentine’s Day With Anna: Tennis is the game of love, so those at the Champions Cup rolled the dice and brought in Anna Kournikova for a special February 14 Exo. during their regular Boston stop. The promotion got the senir tour a little extra ink, an added extra face, a little more buzz and will sell some additional seats for a sport which normally doesn’t do that well selling tickets for indorr events. Nice play by the promoters and good pitch with the date.
3- The Lovable Loser: We have often documented how the Harlem Globetrotters take the “road show” to new levels with promotion and will again this weekend as part of the NBA All-Star festivities in Phoenix, but the story of the leader on the other side, Washington Generals coach Red Klotz, featured in the New York Times, is a classic pitch of the story behind the story, made even better but the access granted to the writer. Great way to frame a story away from the point of attraction, and give the casual fan more reason to purchase.
4- Babe Lincoln: One of the keys in turning up the story is to listen to all those around and have them tell their stories. Sometimes the gems that surface are even better than the original idea. Take the New Jersey Nets, who were able to uncover the fact that one of their dancers is a distant relative of Abe Lincoln. While some may say it’s luck that New Jersey uncovered the fact, which not only ties with President’s Day and Honest Abe’s Bicentennial, but got New Jersey great coverage on days when they aren’t even playing, but it is good old fashioned pitching that landed the story and is a great example of what happens when you ask unique questions to staff. Rest assured there are other distant relatives of the famous working for teams and brands, but the Nets took the time to think ahead and then go searching, and uncovered a great item to grow the brand, again.

Next Page »