Grabbing The Quietest Weekend In Sports…

February 9, 2013 by

A blizzard blanketed the Northeastern United States (kudos to The Weather Channel folks by the way, who took a lot of heat from The National Weather Service when they started naming winter storms like hurricanes but struck gold with Nemo!) this weekend, leaving millions with nothing to do but dig out and turn on the TV and fire up the computer. With the Super Bowl buzz a distant memory, and the NBA All-Star game a week away, there is a surprising gaping hole in the sports calendar this weekend that teams and brands may look to exploit in future years. The NHL for example, would have had its All-Star weekend the week before the Super Bowl (in Columbus, Ohio, helping a franchise…the Blue Jackets... that may be the least known of any team amongst the five major North American sports leagues), but that weekend still had the rise to Super Bowl and even the Pro Bowl. This weekend? Other than regular season NBA and NHL and college hoops? Nothing. USA Hockey has made NEXT weekend Hockey Weekend Across America, but it butts against the NBA All-Star Weekend…why not this weekend?

Now next year will be a bit different, as we will slide into the first weekend of the Sochi Olympics. But even the Winter Olympics will be six hours away from the States,  and usually the first few days do not bring the major events. Can the NHL take advantage and drop some elite early round pool matchups into those days, and in turn make the weekend in the States all about brand hockey? Peewee, minor league and college? Would be a great play. Could NASCAR  move Daytona back into the quiet week? How about a sport like lacrosse, with its indoor pro game, finding a place in the crowded schedule? Gold is tied to warm weather, tennis is indoors in Europe, but how about Davis Cup, which somehow decided to play a US-Brazil tie LAST WEEKEND in Jacksonville, Florida. Going up against the Super Bowl, even for a sport that says it is more global and doesn’t concern itself with local events, did not help the USTA or the sport, and a very exciting 3-2 result was lost amidst commercials for Super Bowl and mega pre game shows.

How about amateur and fitness sports? This past Wednesday was National Girls and  Women in Sports Day…yet it garnered little coverage and was lost in the post-Super Bowl hangover, the one year to Sochi campaigns and other mid-week happenings. How could such an important demo…from moms who are decision makers to young women who need to be active as part of a healthy lifestyle to elite and telegenic female athletes…be lost in the mix by brands and Madison Avenue. This week Sports Illustrated will unveil its swimsuit issue as part of Fashion Week in New York, and that well marketed “tribute ” to beauty and sport for sure will not get lost in the shuffle. Baseball? Pitchers and catchers have started to report and some teams will hold fan fests, but the logistic transition of most teams make this a difficult weekend to convene in most major markets, unless you are a warm weather club lie the Marlins or DBacks who don’t have to go far.

Now maybe the psyche needs a respite from the Super Bowl, and we needed a weekend of nothing. However if you are a league, a sport, a brand looking to engage and carve a niche, this weekend seems to be a good annual one. The NFL has found a great spot opening their season the Thursday after Labor Day unencumbered. The Kentucky Derby has its spot. The Masters has its own place on the calendar. The weekend after Super Bowl seems ripe for someone to claim and build upon, lets see if someone grabs it.

Filed Under: College Basketball, ESPN, FIFA, Minor League Hockey, MLS, NASCAR, NHL, NLL, Olympics, PGA Tour Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Value In Frozen Lolo? There Sure Is.

November 8, 2012 by

Whether you were with her or against her this summer, Lolo Jones success and then failure made her one of the memorable faces of the London Games. Sponsors certainly adored her style, while her wide-ranging coverage and her polarizing comments, not to mention the backlash from teammates who though she was getting too much coverage for actions in front of the camera vs. on the track, kept her in the headlines.

Like her or not, there was never a doubt that Jones had star appeal, was an outstanding athletes and had a backstory that made her stand out in a crowd.

Now she goes to try her hand at a much colder Olympic sport, the bobsled. She spent three weeks at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center enduring all the testing and was selected along with  another Olympian, 4×100-meter relay gold medalist Tianna Madison, to the U.S. World Cup team as pushers. Where it goes from here and would she make it to the U.S. team for Sochi remains to be seen.

Other male track stars..Willie Gault, Hershel Walker, Renaldo Nehemiah, Edwin Moses…all took to the bobsled to various levels of success (three also spent quality time in the NFL) but only Walker actually advanced to an Olympics.

If Jones continues on it will do wonders for Women’s Bobsled, which is not an A list winter sport for NBC or the American audience.

Why does it make sense for Lolo? First, it puts her in a position to yet again how the world she is a dynamic athlete, not just an intriguing pretty face. Second it keeps her very relevant in the brand marketplace for a cycle heading towards another Olympics in two years, this one in the winter. Third, it is an amazing add-on to brands who have been on the Lolo team over the years, an unexpected boost at a time when they may be re-evaluating their time and work with her. Fourth, It gives her a leg up on sustaining her brand vs. many of the most elite track competitors who will not be front and center in the minds of Americans for the most part of the next three years.

Most importantly it puts her in a position to help a sport gain exposure…a sport which probably should and would welcome the help. Women’s Bobsled with Lolo Jones on board makes the sport a factor in popular culture and that exposure can spill over a bit to athletes on the team who had little shot at breaking through without the Lolo halo. It also helps the USOC in many ways, bringing more casual interest to the Winter Games, which usually lag behind the Summer Games in overall awareness. While there may be some negativity, extra buzz, especially for an Olympics that may lack NHL star power if the league decides to not let its players participate, is a good thing for the USOC, for the bobsled federation, for the sport and for NBC.

If Jones makes the team and gets to Sochi, critics would be hard-pressed to challenge her credibility as an athlete. Few ever make the cross over from summer to winter, especially in a sport which was learned on the fly and is quite dangerous.

Will the Lolo experiment work? We shall see the next step this weekend, but if it does, the marketing machine for a slightly far off Winter Olympics will be starting to dial up just as the first snows of 2012 start to fall.

Filed Under: Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

NFL Helps Extend The Olympic Audience

August 7, 2012 by

The NFL and the Olympic movement have had several crossover stars throughout the years…Willie Gault, Jim Thorpe, Bob Hayes among others  have excelled in both athletics and football.

Now Sanya Richards Ross and Holly Mangold have never ventured to the NFL gridiron in recent years as players, but Brand NFL helped give both some added pop as they ventured to the Olympic stage in London this weekend. Make no mistake, Richards Ross and Mangold have certainly earned their keep and deserve all the accolades they have gotten. However their relationships with two prominent NFL stars…Ross married to two time Super Bowl champion now turned Jacksonville Jaguar Aaron Ross, Mangold the sister of New York Jets Pro Bowl offensive lineman Nick Mangold…has certainly helped draw even more casual viewers to their efforts across the pond.

Ross was in the Olympic Stadium for his wife’s  competition…prompting Jags coach Mike Mullarkey to take the team and over 1,000 fans into Stadium to watch her go for gold on the big screen at Everbank Stadium and drawing support from all around. A great shared experience between athletics and the NFL.

Now the Mangold shared experience played out for several days in the New York media as coach Rex Ryan encouraged his star to skip practice and join his sister in her special quest, one which he had resisted in doing until the last minute. Mangold went and supported his sister, much to the delight of the team and the support of the media. NFL lifts even competitive weight lifting it seems.

So what does this mean exactly? Richards Ross has garnered some great brand support on her own…especially through USOC sponsor Citi...but athletics, or track, still falls into the abyss after the Olympics every four years. maybe an extra boost from her NFL crossover attracts a joint sponsorship, or extra grassroots support, to help her gain more attention for her charitable and business endeavors after London, where she became a gold medalist. For Mangold, still maturing in her weightlifting career, maybe it means extra training dollars and more media attention which could also lead to some fun brand campaigns with her brother.

End of the day, the NFL machine helped bring more attention to a pair of very deserving athletes and may help differentiate them from others during the post-Olympic scramble for brand partners. Both are unique stories with great ties to the NFL at a time when the NFL brand is coming front and center in the spotlight. A rising tide can lift not just the NFL boat, but those for track and maybe weightlifting as well.

Filed Under: NFL, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Will Team Handball Ever Get Its Due?

July 31, 2012 by

This was inspired by my colleague Vince Wladika…we don’t agree on everything but when the moon and the stars are right… It has the best elements of soccer and basketball…it has contact…it is fast paced and highs scoring…it is measured in a manageable quarters with universal rules…it is arguably the most widely used training sport on the planet and by some accounts is the second-biggest team sport in the world, yet ask most Americans about Team Handball and they think of middle aged men hitting a spaldeen against the wall. Why?

I was introduced to Team Handball by coincidence vs. choice. I was assigned to be the venue coordinator in what was then The Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis for the 1987 Pan Am Games, and the sport was Team Handball. It was a first-time opportunity for the sport, which i knew little about but picked up quickly. The U.S. as the host nation was grandfathered in. So off we went to try and drum up support. The Federation was headquartered in New Jersey. The Americans were made up of former Ivy and Academy athletes and there was a rivalry with Cuba to deal with. So many elements were in place to at least get some support while USA Baseball was out pounding its Latin neighbors.

The Americans took on the vaunted Cubans in round robin competition and low and behold, a full scale brawl erupted. The Americans lost, created an international incident and the sport took off. As the medal round dawned, word spread of the controversy rising and low and behold US faced Cuba for the Gold. Over 6,000 curious and patriotic soles showed up, and in some kind of “Miracle on Ice” redux, the U.S. avenged the loss and beat Cuba…in overtime! Writers from the Newark Star Ledger’s Chris Thorne to AP said team handball had arrived…and then it was gone.

The U.S. men again failed to qualify for London, a victim I heard of a federation short on dollars, interest and promotion for a game well known to any professional in hockey, soccer or even hoops. Could Team handball grow again in the States? Sure. What does it need?

Some basic things…more exposure and centralized organization by its NGB…an extensive education program designed to show the interest in the sport to casual fans…a strong social media push designed around education for those who play and with some slick highlights promoting the action that the sport has…as well as outreach to a growing audience of immigrants who know the game from their youth…immigrants from around the world who understand the game at its core and can expose it to a mainstream American audience. Heck, Slamball once had a home…handball is legit and just as full of action.  It is a simple, inexpensive team game with a solid history and a long following, even as a training sport. It probably has some amazing player stories. I am not saying we need to launch the International Team Handball League tomorrow, but for a country always looking for whats next in fast pace action with a good mix it up spirit, not to mention global routes and infinite sponsorship and media avenues, Team Handball could be a quick and dedicated sell.

Try and find it during London 2012 for yourself…you may be surprised and impressed, even without American males in the mix.

Filed Under: MLS, NHL, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Can The Olympic Gamble Pay Off Without The Games?

July 3, 2012 by

Visa, Wheaties, BP, Zico, BMW,  Polo Ralph Lauren, Subway,  Kelloggs, A T and T,  McDonalds, Kraft. They are just some of the brands that have been part of perhaps the largest and most diverse pre-Olympic athlete branding and outreach campaigns ever. Anyone associated with London 2012, officially or in a non-official capacity, has found the time to use traditional and social media, grassroots marketing efforts and charity elements to extend the Olympic and Paralympic athlete window  year or even 18 months in advance of London, making sure that the halo effect from potential Olympic glory starts even before, well, there is a halo to grab on to.

Many brands in doing such a wide reach prior not just to the games, but prior to qualifying, ran a risk. Qualifying is very much about the human element, and even top athletes are subject to bad days, bad calls, bad injuries and bad judgment. For the brands mentioned above, they fell at least partially victim to no less than three high profile athletes, Nastia Liukin, Bryan Clay and Shawn Johnson, not qualifying for London 2012. By not qualifying, the equity and the halo evaporated in some ways before the Games even began. A risk? For sure, and in the past it was perhaps a gamble that could have been devastating. But in the long term multi-faceted branding world of today, the loss for the brands is probably less than it ever has been before, especially in the case of these three.

Why? Few reasons. First, all three were already well spoken, well-conditioned athletes who had already tasted Olympic glory in the past.  They were not wild shots in the dark for brands looking for one grab at the gold ring. They were longer term, multi-level engagements. This was not the Dan vs. Dave Reebok campaign that leading into the 1992 Barcelona Games that fizzled before it started because one of the two, Dan O’Brien, failed to make the Olympic team. That equity, without social and digital media blew up for Reebok before it ever had a chance to play out in the decathlon.

Perhaps from that, many brands today have a wide swath of athletes involved in their campaigns. They come from varied backgrounds and give brands who are investing in the Olympic experience more than one chance at having an athlete break through during London. They have diverse stories and they all have given their buy-in to the brand programs fully knowing that the success is based more on the experience and the engagement as much as it is on bringing home the gold. So in the past, Clay missing in the decathlon or Luikin or Johnson missing in gymnastics meant a dead end. Now the three can still engage in programs through hospitality, special appearances, media activities (which they may not have done for the brand if they were competing) as well as in longer term equity plans that tell their stories, now both of glory and of disappointment perhaps, to an even broader audience.

This is not to say that those who have invested in these high profile athletes, from a TV partner like NBC to the Federations to charities to the brands themselves get away unscathed. The benefit of going to London as anticipated for sure would brighten the partnership and sweeten the deal. However the beauty of the Olympics is in the depth of story, and the stories are plentiful again going into London.

So while the brands that took the calculated risk with these three stars gambled and lost some, it certainly is not a death knell that non-competition would have been in years past. It is more of a time of adjustment and new engagement; perhaps with even more equity and less of a dollar spend than if the gold medal came in London.

It is not easy to predict the winners, but by spreading the wealth and investing for the long term, Clay, Liukin and Johnson can still help deliver some brand gold for their partners, in today’s environment of engagement even more than ever before.

Filed Under: Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Great Brand Run Of NBC Sports…

May 26, 2012 by

There was a time not too long ago where some in the sports and entertainment industry thought the sun had set on NBC Sports as a property. No NFL, Olympics in question, not a lot of forward movement, Comcast rumors of a takeover and on and on. Looking at NBC Sports as a property today that seems hard to imagine, and probably for brands and for casual fans the fact that those rumors were greatly exaggerated is a very good thing.

As Mike Emerick called the overtime on NBC Sports Network on Friday night for the Devils-Rangers, the promos and cross-promos that came across the screen showed how far brand NBC Sports has come. There was a robust MLS offering, the Stanley Cup Final, the potential of a Triple Crown, the Olympics, the Olympic trials, and lots of NBC Sports Talk. Factor in some poker, golf, Indy Car, the French Open, and the fact that Football Night in America transplanted American Idol in the TV ratings, nit to mention all the Comcast Sports-related assets down the line, and one sees a healthy, vibrant brand which runs from cable to broadcast and is growing its web presence as well. Maybe somewhere down the line a print presence and even more robust web-only elements complete the picture, but even without those tied in, it seems like a great time to be in and around 30 Rock if you like games these days.

Now of course none of this was done overnight, the executive team over the years looked at how to cultivate emerging sports like the Dew Tour and Poker After Dark and even developed a dog show stand-alone property. They forged a landmark relationship with the NHL that made the two true partners with incentives to grow together (along with a new tentpole event in The Winter Classic), and of course the rebranding of and reprogramming of VERSUS made the causal fan aware even more of what an NBC Sports offering looked and felt like.

Are there more mountains to climb for the brand? Sure. Ironing out whatever comes next with Comcast Sports and their regionals, looking at the ever-growing market of college football, integrating with a robust entertainment side and evolving even more with a web and mobile presence are all in the mix. However to watch where the brand is today and how it has evolved beyond “just” a programming channel is impressive, and is a credit to those with the vision and the ability to fight off the naysayers and create a proactive media brand.

Filed Under: College Basketball, College Football, Darren Rovell, Horse Racing, Indy Car, MLS, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Olympics, PBR, Tennis Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Giving Archery A Shot?

March 30, 2012 by

It’s an Olympic year, so many of those sports that seem to hibernate from the casual fan start to rise up again, from wrestling to beach volleyball. Each will find their niche and hope to play off of a sentimental crowd on the world’s biggest stage to win recognition and maybe some endorsements or brand dollars.

This year it also seems that brands are aligning themselves with teams of athletes much further in advance, hoping to parlay those relationships into programs leading to the Games and then through the events, should their athletes…both Olympic and Paralympic, grab the spotlight. If not, it was a great run with some great stories.

However one sport below the radar may be finding its own niche, one which has global appeal and may just lead to more casual interest come the end of July. The sport is archery, one which has had its brightest lights cast when famed actress/archer Geena Davis made a run for the Olympic team some years back. Before that and since, the sport gets more exposure in swashbuckling films than on the sports page, at least in North America.

However because of the big screen, that interest may change, and it will be interesting to see if archery can ride that wave. The film is the international blockbuster “The Hunger Games,” and its ties to archery, both in the film and in the book trilogy, seem to be growing interest in the sport itself.

Some studies show that sales of archery equipment have increased more than 20% in the last year, according to figures provided by the Archery Trade Assn., and at the group’s annual show in January there were 20% more exhibitors. If that wasn’t encouraging enough, two other projected blockbusters, Pixar’s animated “Brave” and “The Avengers,” also have key ties to archery.

Manufacturers have also noticed the uptick, with brands like Under Armour now starting to create apparel around the sport that is hipper and more athletic, both for boys and girls.

Now of course you need more than a movie bump to reach the mainstream, you need great stories of the athletes and success in competition, both of which are still in the distance. However the sport is simple to understand, takes a great degree of skill and concentration, has been tried in some form by millions of people around the world. It also has the medieval cache, along with ties to the real world today, which makes it just appealing enough to maybe break through a bit. It is also very pristine in the sponsor category; making it prime for a bit of a run should NBC and other broadcasters suddenly glom on to a growing interest by some key demos, especially young ones. BMX it is not, a little edgy maybe it is.

No it doesn’t mean that archery will replace the NFL on the global landscape. What it does mean is that maybe pop culture can help a niche sport move the needle (or the arrow) just a bit, and ride the Olympic wave, with Hollywood’s help, to a little renaissance.

Filed Under: NCAA, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Another Five Good Ideas Worth Some Thoughts…

January 16, 2012 by

Seems like in addition to more jobs opening up the new ideas that make good business sense are also flowing pretty smoothly. Like last week, and it would be great to grab five at least once a week, here are five other smart ideas on the table.

Martin Luther King Day As A Bigger Platform: The NBA does the best job of any sport in using the values that Dr. Martin Luther King espoused and taking the Monday holiday as a platform to showcase those values to a larger audience. Day games, special events in Washington and other cities and a national television audience all have Dr. King’s messages intertwined, with the idea (along with the hope of no fights in games) that basketball, and sport, can be a common ground for conflict resolution. While it is a solid one day or weekend platform, the real win would be for a national governing body, or the USOC, to take that platform and Dr. King’s messages and extend to a full day of service in a quiet January period. Engage athletes who are looking for exposure, especially in an Olympic year, to use MLK Day as the selling point for sport and conflict resolution. Even better would be to have all competing sports on the day…NHL, college sports and the NBA…also work together to have a unified positive platform for peace and sport, and then carry that platform through February, Black History Month. this would give brands an opportunity to engage not just for a day but for at least six weeks in programs, and give casual fans a greater feel for all the good that can come from sport. It is tough for baseball, in the midst of an offseason or MLS or even the NFL to truly engage in January, but the possibility does exist for smaller programs from even those sports. However to start with the USOC and then spread the MLK message far and wide would be a big step to honor a leader we lost way too early.

Meb The Marathoner: Another great piece of news this weekend was American Med Keflezighi leading the qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Marathon team for London this summer, with a personal best time in Houston. What’s even better is Meb now becomes a prime target for brands looking to espouse the Olympic ideal with a very promotable personality. Sketchers, which took a chance sponsoring Meb with a running shoe when his Nike deal expired, scored a huge coups with his qualifying, and that should open up a new path of brand activation for a very marketable story...already an Olympic silver medalist and a New York City Marathon Champion. Great opportunity abounds.

Diamondbacks MVP: The Arizona Diamondbacks had a renaissance on the field last year, and now they have created a new program to honor the best practices of the brands that work with them. The awards will be presented by current and former players, and are a great call to action for the team and their partners to see how they can challenge each other, and then reward that challenge publicly, with an Oscar-style event. Will it work long term? Not sure. Will it cause some bitter feelings from losing sponsors? Maybe. but the idea to set a high bar, create categories and then acknowledge that work is smart when everyone is looking for that little extra ROI.

Warriors Hash Away: NBA All-Star voting is in progress, and NBA teams are again challenged to find ways to get fans to engage in the process and feel like they are making a difference. The Golden State Warriors, a franchise always looking for a leg up, found an innovative way to reward fans via their “Dub The Vote” contest. Fans were encouraged to tag photos forming a Warrior “W” and attach the photo through special media channels to their votes for particular Warriors like David Lee and Stephen Curry. The resulting best shots and most creative votes are getting rewarded both online and in-arena on game nights with special prizes and meet and greets. Nice way to again create a little competition amongst fans, and inspire people to push for their favorite players.

A Social Media Search Begins: The search for a new social media star is on, one who can actually make some money with a real job. Comcast’s Xfinity Service is launching a contest to hire an individual who will serve as the new voice of Xfinity in the sports social media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest nationwide sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive insights and updates with fans. The contest, entitled “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job,” runs from January 13 through March 25 in search of the next sports social media star.

The winner will receive a one-year salary and will be responsible for tweeting from the @XFINITYSports Twitter handle on continual basis, reporting live from premier sporting events throughout 2012, and educating and engaging avid sports fans in social media communities. In addition to live event access, the winner will also receive all the electronics for the ultimate sports pad, including televisions, home audio/video equipment, etc.

Each candidate will receive access typically granted to event personnel, athletes and media and be asked to chronicle their live experiences behind-the-scenes with tweets, video uploads, and short posts that will be featured on the Xfinity Facebook contest tab as well as their own social media channels. Following that weekend, a panel of celebrity judges will evaluate each performance and announce the winner of “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” contest by March 25th. The winner will travel throughout the year to the biggest rivalry games, championship games, and premier sporting events. All the details are here.

Some good ideas worth a look, a follow an entrance or even a little replication

Filed Under: MLB, NBA Teams, NCAA, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Predictions, Just Some Thoughts For 2012

December 30, 2011 by

First of all for all those who read or follow the blog, bought my book, or even signup for the newsletter every week, thank you. I have probably gotten more positive feedback and comments in 2011 than ever before, and it is greatly appreciated. The goal is pretty simple…as my grandfather told me, you have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice more than you speak and always keep learning.

While many look back on the best of 2011 and throw together wish lists for 2012 on who to follow and what to read, I’d like to list out a few things that I hope will continue to percolate, and in the end make our business more fun, more innovative, more interesting and will hopefully generate more jobs for those still looking and for those entering the marketplace.

As always you thoughts and ideas are welcomed. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter on Sundays (we are over 26,000 members now) and haven’t, just email me at fatherknickerbocker1@yahoo.com or join our LinkedIn Group “Sports Marketing and PR Pros.” It’s simple, I hope it’s interesting and informative, and I hope you can contribute.

Some Thoughts and Hopes For 2012:

More Manager and Coordinator Jobs In Social and Digital Media: I had heard a figure in December that there were less than a dozen professional teams of the five major team sports in North America that have a fulltime person managing, creating and finding ways to improve and engage in the digital and social media space. Some of those teams have added spots recently, like the Nets and the Sixers. Hopefully it is a trend that teams invest in more in 2012 as the return may not be yet in hard dollars, but it will be in engagement and responsibility.

More Interest In Athletes and Teams Doing Good: Sport became a punching bag again for problems in 2011, from college and high school abuse issues through the professional scandals around the world. The stories are great copy and get tremendous buzz, but there is also a great deal of good going on with athletes, brands and leagues, especially going into London 2012. Every person can be an advocate for positive change and a sharer of great stories, here’s to telling more positive tales than negative ones. Here’s also to brand doing more to combine their marketing dollars in sport with philanthropy. Good will sends products and builds brands as well.

Global Growth And Understanding In Sport Business: We are all just a text message away from each other, yet the world of sport business still operates in silos. It is coming closer as brands look for more ways to engage across societies and technology, but sport is still very much a business of different cultures. The way we access and follow teams, engage with brands or play games is vastly different, and those who find the way to take the time to understand locally and act globally are the ones who will have a leg up, especially in an Olympic year.

Handles and Hashtags: Mississippi State dropped a hashtag in their end zone, the Celtics an @ sign on their parquet floor and there surely will be more to come, just like a url is standard at every event. The symbols lead to information, and can lead to some great promotional opportunities for the brands with mass carriage. We don’t need twitter symbols replacing names on jerseys or wasteful information sites popping up without an ROI. However for those brands who have a powerful and well planned message to tell, feel free to share the best way to get that info. Maybe twitter handles for athletes should be listed in press releases next to hometowns and high schools. It would be a great way for immediate engagement. However it is not for everyone. Like public speaking and endorsements, social media is a choice not a requirement. It is useful but should not be white noise.

Colleges Empower Communications People More And Give Them The Tools To Succeed: My friends at CoSIDA have done an amazing job of waking up the sports communicators at colleges to show the business world that they bring great value to a University. However many schools still see the SID position as an add on not an essential voice with real dollar value. The college crisis situations that arose this year pointed that out directly. Many schools do not invest in adequate training or planning for their officials in advance of a crisis, and when a crisis arises they throw thousands at firms with experience in “crisis” overall but not with the nuances of the community. Sometimes it is great, sometimes it creates more problems. Colleges and Universities need to invest in the people who tell their stories through the media…social, digital, traditional, word of mouth…and make sure they are adequately trained professionals who can help keep the strong University brand even stronger.

Fun Promotions: The sports marketing and publicity business should be all about fun and innovative engagement. It would be great to see more innovative Heisman trophy campaigns, more unique promotions for team awards, better sharing of ideas and even more creative campaigns to get casual fans engaged. Maybe a mailing here and there to media will not get a direct ROI or influence a vote, but it will be taken notice of and create some additional buzz.

More Personal Contact: In the past year I have found at least a half dozen MEDIA outlets and personalities who refuse to give out a phone number when asked. Too busy, just send an email and we will get back to you. Sports is still a people business and it’s a personal business. Don’t hide behind mass emails and notes. If someone reaches out to you, reach back out, we can all get along and we all can learn from one another. Take a writer to lunch, buy a league publicist a cup of coffee, use a pen now and then and pick up the phone. A little kindness goes a long way.

Quality As Much As Quantity: The phrase “size matters” has never been evoked more than in the social media space. Properties, athletes, brands rush to get thousands or millions of followers in a medium where the interest was supposed to be direct conversation, not spam. Ask many brands or athletes who follow them, or who they follow, and often you get empty stares or silence back. The most effective online properties are the ones that take the time to see who is following them, when they are following and why and most importantly how they are reacting to what they are saying. It is great to speak to millions or thousands and to have that platform to use smartly. It is even better to make sure that you are speaking to the right few, rather than the disinterested many.

No more gurus, evangelists, experts, messiahs, or icons: If you have to tell someone you are any of these, you are probably not. As for the digital world, the smartest people are the ones who listen and learn and grow and adapt. Those people, no matter what their age, usually spend little time looking for the spotlight or telling people how great they are. If it’s true the spotlight will find them.

“Getting” Gaming: For some reason there still is a wall between the largest and most engaged audience of young online first adopters…the gamers…and traditional sport. It’s almost like the two groups don’t have a common ground, or one refuses to understand the other. Gaming online and traditional sport have a huge common ground…both are competitive, skilled, innovative and social and the interactive space of sport and social in a digital format (online and in mobile) will help grow the gaming interest and the traditional sport following. Hopefully the two worlds will continue to mesh without fear.

Embrace The Bloggers: Some say blogging is past its prime, I think it is evolving. Like every other “medium” in sport and entertainment before it, there is a weeding out process. Bloggers in other areas…parenting, politics, etc are growing and thriving…good sports bloggers, ones with innovative opinions, deep dives on content and a passion for their subject…can be just as effective. Hopefully teams, leagues and especially the NCAA, see the opportunity and continue to embrace bloggers of all ages who do good work. Now will the rogue problem pop up? Yes. But hopefully it is a one off issue that is not reflective of the overall state of the blogosphere, but the chance to have a dialogue with bloggers and use them as allies in promoting brands, teams, athletes and properties is still wide open, and usually nets positive results.

College and High School Media Growth: The sports business is growing still and it is getting younger as well. The use of digital and social media has created endless opportunities for young people who understand the culture and can help those established in the space to grow. Using that space positively, and finding new outlets and ambassadors to tell ones story, is very important in an environment where traditional media is budget and time challenged. High Schools, colleges and universities are looking more and more to using sport, from fantasy sports to explain a math curriculum to marketing and business programs, as a way to communicate and educate. That curriculum is showing young people a new career path that didn’t exist before and in turn they are becoming more passionate and engaged about the business of sport than ever before. Out of that core has come more media platforms, online, text, podcasts etc. that are assets for growth.

Writing: The shrinking of traditional media outlets has cost us many of the best writers of a generation, many of whom are trying to adapt to a different world order. Even with that change, the ability to express in the printed word has never been greater. New sites like Grantland, The PostGame and The Classical, along with hyper local sites created by media companies like ESPN (as well as the coming Sports In America Series by SI and HBO) have given long form a new place, and with it some great stories are being told in the digital space. Hopefully the writing of sentences, not tweets, is what young people will aspire to and evolve into as professionals. There is no substitute for good storytelling, and those stories are best told by good writers with good writing skills. There are many, many teachers of the craft now available, and hopefully sites look to continue to embrace those veterans t show the next generation not just what to write, but how to tell that story.

Again, just my opinion, and Lord knows I am guilty of many things as well, but hopefully we are all moving forward in this business, with the best yet to come. As Jimmy Buffet says, “We need more fruitcakes, less bakers.”

Have a great New Year and stay in touch.

Filed Under: Ambush Marketing, College Football, Crisis Management, ESPN, FIFA, Gaming, Jobs, MLB, MLS, NBA Teams, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Olympics, SI.com, WNBA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sport Loves A Comeback Story…So Does The BP Brand

December 22, 2011 by

It has been a slow and steady climb back for the BP brand since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Little by little the company leadership has been working to find ways to look forward and positively to what the company has done as the images of the tragedy in the Gulf fade slowly and the brand rebounds.

Of course one of the greatest areas where comebacks are adored is in sport, and BP, recognizing that opportunity and the drawing power of diverse athletes, recently released their latest far-reaching campaign to again help restore the positive sides of the brand and its thousands of employees to an always cynical public.

The latest campaign is a forward-thinking look at the London Olympics, also a key part of the BP brand reclamation project, although it involves American athletes as opposed to those on the continent. As part of their USOC sponsorship, BP selected a wide swath of Olympians and Paralympians, nine in all, to be part of their proactive ambassador team. The team, from
decathlete medalist Bryan Clay and world-class hurdler Lolo Jones to Paralympic standout and medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson, will do all the usual messaging and appearance and endorsement obligations that comes with such a partnership.

Their launch through social media and the use of augmented reality to promote their personalities is a great new twist, and one which can be altered and downloaded as the game approach. Held up to any sort of computer or Smartphone camera, the printed cards will come to life as the athletes digitally appear in front of the user sharing exclusive training tips and information about themselves and the sports they love.

Again while all that is a cool twist, what is even better is the potential brand adoption for a younger audience that can come with an augmented reality and/or mobile push for BP. While an older consumer may quickly forget the damage the BP brand did to the environment while he or she is filling up at the pump, a younger consumer is still skeptical about companies that do damage to the environment, so going to a more virtual platform may help engage and message that younger consumer just a bit more. BP is in the mega-business of selling products in a very crowded environment, and the use of Smartphone technology to communicate with that discerning consumer is just one more way they can step outside the crowd.

The other interesting adaption that comes with the use of the smart phone will be how those augmented reality platforms can be used for promotional opportunities. Does a Bryan Clay follower down the line get an opportunity to purchase products at a discount at selected stores, can a Lolo Jones follower be prompted into a sweepstakes for autographed merch or a meet and greet or some sort of Town hall event online with Jones herself. Tracking the spending and download habits and serving the consumer even more is key to such a launch with a digital offering.

Then there is the tie to the USOC and its athletes themselves. Even with all the big business of Olympic sport, the tinge of nostalgia tied to Olympians, especially those not in the high net worth sports of basketball or even swimming, is still very high among the average consumer. BP has tied themselves to successful athletes, but not to LeBron James or Michael Phelps. The stories they selected appeal to a wide range of athletes, and are of athletes with chances for huge success in London. They are established but still have upside, and with that growth BP gets to grow as well.

Yes it is only a piece of their sports engagement, but to combine solid backstories, technology, and the Olympic movement, BP has again picked a spot to find ways to continue to heal and to grow in the mind of an active audience who still needs to know that the company is not done with their recovery efforts, but is understanding the consumer and his or her needs more and more and is communicating to that consumer in the environment…sport…where a comeback and hard work is rewarded regularly.

Filed Under: Crisis Management, NCAA, Olympics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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