Colleges To Take A Shot At Message Control? Be Careful What You Ask For…

January 10, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Several years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs took what was then considered a very bold step by breaking a coaching hiring first on ther website, which at the time was unheard of.  Since then, the Washington Redskins have used their Daniel Snyder-owned sites, and radio stations to break and try and control news, a host of athletes, including Tiger Woods and Roger Clemens, have broken news with their own sites and have directed reporters there and only there for information, and many teams and  brands have gone about the business of hiring small but dedicated in-house staffs tp help tell the tale of their news from time to time.  It’s all about message control. Some teams…the Cincinnati Bengals,  Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers to name a few of the first, went to the road of hiring former beat writers and columnists looking for new challenges or work to cover the team, and did not ask them to hold back during controversial times, with the thought being that it would add to the credibility and traffic for the site.  It has made for an interesting and compelling balance, with those looking to control and own media messaging (the haves) and those looking to drive interest across all media (the have nots).  Then you have colleges and even high schools.  In places where coverage and access is in great demand…major universities with large programs and large, professional-like followings…there may be value in message control, while at the Mid-Major and below, the need to drive coverage and find ways to get the information out is becoming more challenging.  Even at large Universities, the struggle to get stories told away from big time football and basketball can be tough in many instances.  So what is the solution?

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.

Squeezing Til The Sponge Is Dry…

October 14, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

In the 1970’s and into the 1980’s big tobacco fueled some of the most successful sports branding opportunities in history. Whether it was Phillip Morris’ support of Virginia Slims tennis or NASCAR’s Marlboro Cup, the cigarette brands created some of the most large scale and effective activation platforms in sports history. Then came all the legislation against smoking and the tobacco brands, and for the better in terms of health and social consciousness, all the spending stopped from those brands. So sports moved on, using the lessons learned in many of those activation platforms to bring in new brands who would spend, maybe not at the large numbers of tobacco, but who would continue to grow business and fill the gap. Banks and financial institutions, insurance, and technology, filled gaps with new money and new ways to reach the consumer.

Fan Ownership Worked In Soccer, Can It Work Baseball?

September 30, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Last year the UK soccer club Ebbsfleet United tried a novel approach to resurrect the club. They sold shares that gave fans a voting portion of all club decisions. Not only did they make enough money to have the club be financially viable, the team had a bit of a resurrection on the field and almost got to the point where the success was being shunned by the local supporters who had followed the club and their middling success, or lack there of. over the years. Could Ebbsfleet become a business model for success elsewhere? Thus far, the answer has been no. Probably more because of the economy than anything else, few have tried to find the initial cash and all the other pieces needed to launch such a venture, and the value of most teams in the United States, even at the minor league baseball and hockey level. is still well outside the realm of possibility for public, or fan owned properties. The minors are still much more business, with smart businesspeople and pretty well off owners (even in small towns), than mom and pop these days. However, enter into the mix the group of entrepreneurs in Connecticut, who have looked below the minors into the college wood bat league for an opportunity to give fans their due. The story was recently reported in the local edition of the New York Times, and tells the story of how four young men are taking that Ebbsfleet model, through the digital space and the grassroots to buy a team with fans making the business decisions and putting the team in Torrington, Connecticut. the group has built the site, Our Baseball Heaven, as an homage to the fan, where for a small investment everyone can own the team…a fantasy sports comes to reality approach. Now the idea has its problems…there is limited commercial viability in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, the team and the town do not have the passionate club following of an English soccer team or even a minor league team that has long been a part of the community, and the town recently lost its minor league ties because of lack of support…but the overall idea remains intriguing. Perhaps for the right people looking for a low cost investment in sports, it could work as a labor of love and a way to get on the job training. However for that you still need the capital to get started, and in this economy the explanation of buying some shares without seeing any or little chance or ROI with discretionary income is a stretch. However even if it doesn’t work this time, there is an upcoming time limit for submissions and the entries have not been what is hoped for, it does leave the door open for a larger business plan for another team, or maybe even an owner for the day concept, at some independent franchise. Duplicating what was done with the perfect storm at Ebbsfleet is a difficult task, but for someone with the right plan and the right amount of grassroots support, maybe that Heaven can be created somewhere in an North American field or pitch or rink. All about timing. Just ask the Ebbsfleet folks.

Tigers The Best Brand Story In Baseball?

September 19, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many skeptics looked to the baseball season this year as a sort of sponsorship and ticketing armageddon…a sure sign that sports was losing its branding and dollars mojo. Yet as we look down the stretch and even back across the season, we see lots of good news for the sport in terms of community involvement, solid ticket sales in a tough economy, good stories and fan interest, along with different types of brand activation. Were there hiccups? Of course, with perhaps the biggest ones being the continued steroid issue (from the past less than the present) and the Yankees pricing and suite issues, although even there the team has been responsive to adjusting and making progress. Still, the ability for baseball teams…both minor and major…to adapt, be more innovative and present a fair and fun social product is still a huge plus, and maybe a good sign of times going forward. One of those brands that has tried to do all the right things, both on the field and off, in a very challenged economy is the Detroit Tigers. From community events, to job fairs to tickets for unemployed workers to forgoing sponsorship dollars on their centerpiece fountain and keeping the General Motors brand attached to it, to honoring announcer Ernie Harwell in a very dignified manner, the Tigers have done everything they can to make sure they are a part of all going on in a city hit hardest by the recession. Plus…they are winning…and winning with athletes who have great stories and are reflective of the community they play in. Now why haven’t more brands attached themselves to the team and the players? Maybe they are not sexy enough and are in a market that obviously is short on consumer spending. However for brands looking to make the consumer feel good and find a way to reach millions as they ride into the playoffs…probably against the Yankees at some point with all that New York and national exposure…the Tigers just might be the smartest, and best buy for a brand this season. Great story with the best still to come.

Fantasy Is The Reality Of Good Brand Activation…

September 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The question often asked with social media these days is a simple one…how does it make money? With all the work being done to give fans more insight and access to athletes and properties, very few if any can prove that the efforts on their own can translate into hard sponsorship dollars. Increased visibility? Yes. Buzz factor? Absolutely. ROI for the spend. Still very questionable, especially for big brands and mainstream properties. It is good to see the NFL setting their social media policy this week, and it remains frustrating that colleges and other properties still fail to see social media as part of a bigger picture media strategy in many cases…just like sports radio was in its infancy…but the answer to how it all justifies time spent and dollars allocated remains a mystery that is slow to unravel.

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.

NASCAR Bucks The Economy, Brings Drivers, Brands and Messages to the Apple…

December 5, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the talk of inflation, recession and the economy, even on a day when the Big Three are pleading their case to Congress for help, NASCAR continues on as the leader in the brand activation space.  As they have for several years, the motor sports industry leaders bring drivers, cars and media to New York for their season ending announcements, sponsor meetings and awards, and find every way to again have their biggest assets…their drivers…tell their stories to both ardent followers and casual fans through the media and in person at a series of wide ranging, high energy activities.  Whether it is Jimmie Johnson mugging for the cameras in Central Park or meeting the fans at the Hard Rock Cafe, or Dale Jr. featured again on Yahoo.com, there is never an absence of activity when NASCAR comes to the Apple.  Even with all the media coverage, the brand remains very mindful of the economy and the state of spending and need for more ROI for its partners.  Gone is the traditional lap around Manhattan with the drivers, replaced by more spread out fan-friendly activities…talks about the future spending of the sport and candid assessments for solutions by industry leaders temper enthusiasm, but also show great leadership.  In the current economy, NASCAR was able to use the week to show the media, its fans in the area, and most importantly both Madison Avenue and Wall Street that all invested in Nascar on any level have a group that is looking for answers, but still knows how to activate against the dollars already spent and those currently in play for the future.   The week remained a well messaged, highly active party, while showing fiscal responsibility and temperment needed.

The NBA Continues to Brand “Basketball” Worldwide And At Home…

November 25, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many times sports get caught up in their own branding opportunities, often at the expense of the greater good of the sport they represent.  There have been countless stories of MLB chasing down rights fees for Little League or the Cape Cod League, or Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League fighting against themselves for marketing space and fan dollars.  While in many cases the ideal is valid, the execution may not be, and the brand becomes more important than the essence of the sport.  One league which has seen the growth of the sport as the next evolution in its brand success is the NBA, and the continued recent developments with worldwide and grassroots partnerships show that David Stern’s vision, now more global and more towards all things basketball, is a smart way to marry all aspects of the game and aggregate worldwide eyes and content, which will again be best for the game.  This week’s  Sports Business Journal shows two of the most recent manifestations of that vision.  The first is with the NBA’s new partnership with the Harlem Globetrotters, one of the sports biggest ambassadors worldwide but until today a brand outside of the NBA scope of assets.  The second was the announcement of  Kevin Weiberg to oversee the NBA’s new partnership with the NCAA.  Both relationships may not be 100% favorable to dollars and NBA brand today, but they show to the world an investment in the sport amongst its partners that many other sports are not willing to make, usually for the sake of a dollar today.  That investment, along with the good will and partnership opportunities to be potentially created, will bear fruit as the investment plays out, and makes the NBA as a brand, and then the sport as a whole, more valuable for the future. 

Taking The Mountain To Mohammad: Ravens Host Business Summitt In New York…

November 16, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Most pro sports teams will take advantage of the road trip to host fans and business partners from their region with the team as a reward for customer or brand loyalty, and to give those involved with the team the much-wanted “insiders” perspective.  That access is becoming more and more valuable as brands look at their sponsorships.  However this week, as Terry Lefton reported in the Sports Business Daily, the Baltimore Ravens made a very smart play to go the experience one better…they hosted a Friday media summitt for New York media buyers and potential partners as part of their advance trip for their game with the Giants.  The move is even better for a smaller market team like Baltimore, especially with the Redskins media machine right in their backyard.  It gave them a well-produced presence in the biggest media market to tell their story and give those who may not know enough about the brand the chance to learn from those on the inside about the team partnership opportunties and personalities that make up the Ravens.  Now instead of buyers looking just nationally or to the low hanging fruit of the Giants or the jets, the Ravens may present a very smart opportunity that the buyers may not have know about before.  Very aggressive, well thought out and tactical branding plan by the team, taking great advantage of their one shot in New York during the fall. 

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