What Value Global Events? Ask Spain…

July 16, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

As the world moves on and experts look back on what value the World Cup brought to the African continent, perhaps they should look no further than the now reigning champion, Spain. Steadily over the last few years, the Spanish athletic programs across the board have transformed the Iberian Peninsula into a world power, whether that be in sports like golf and tennis or soccer and basketball.   Why?  Probably a number of factors but two of the most important are facilities and exposure, both of which are the fruits of Spain’s ability to host and then effectively leverage the World Cup and the Olympics.  Those two events ten years apart, World Cup in ‘82 and Olympics in ‘92, provided a platform to the world and to young athletes  on the benefits not just of top level competition, but also of they ways sport can be a social unifier.

Timing is Everything…Hunter-Reay’s first win as his billboard rises

July 8, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Izod owns a great piece of billboard real estate in New York’s Times Square, adjacent to ESPN Zone and NAsdaq and just down to the left of the Naked Cowboy.  The brand has been able to effectively leverage the space on a month by month basis to promote events at the nearby Izod Center (the Nets, the WWE, the IFL) with some unique, eye catching pop-up renditions that sets the space apart from all the other eye candy in the “Crossroads of the World.”  This past week the brand also caught some great lightning in a bottle…the day they unveiled a mega billboard for Indy Car driver Ryan Hunter-Reay the driver took his first-ever title at (relatively) nearby Watkins Glen  (as pointed out in Sarah Talay’s blog in the Florida Sun Sentinel). The smart thinking PR folks got the driver to New York to do media with the logo as the backdrop, drawing even more attention to the rising star’s first win.  Now if the race was not in Watkins Glen and the billboard was a mointh old would it have mattered?  Who cares.  The point is the decision makers stuck quickly to take advantage (with a potential victory plan mapped out) which created big ROI for the brand and media exposure for the sport and the driver.  

Avery Strikes A Pose…Geico Patches Things Up

June 27, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

PR Move of the Day: Knowing the athlete for any team, league or brand takes time.  It takes time to know to both ask the right questions and listen to what they are saying to correctly build a strategy that makes sense for a unique pitch to work.  The New York Rangers hit on a great one that has now come full circle, by listening and then using the correct resources available to place and then merchandise NHL star Sean Avery…as a summer intern at Men’s Vogue Magazine.  The story has had legs for several months, and even developed a little controversial spin when Avery was hurt during the playoffs, but the piece that ran in this month’s issue was a classic case of taking the time to know and understand a player, and take some comments that he had made and grow it into a long lead, well thought out, well delivered PR push that extended the Rangers brand well past the NHL Finals.  The piece is also great because it takes an NHL tough guy and put him in a very different light, talking about style and fashion and future plans in a way few male athletes ever do.  The whole campaign was a  textbook example of what you can do with a little imagination, a good ear, a knowledge of the athlete and the time to plan and execute  an opportunity off the playing field.

Tennis Is A Beach…And The USTA Starts The Open Season.

June 12, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With summer like weather in most of the Northeastern USA this week, we had to throw some attention to one of those niche sports that is gaining marketshare through some solid PR and grassroots work…Beach Tennis USA.  What started as an offbeat idea has gained solid groundswell support both on the branding and the participation side, grabbing coverage in publications like USA Today, The New York Times,  and  Entrepreneur Magazine and regional coverage of athletes and the sport in places like Tampa and other cities where events are held.  By creating a niche for the growing number of tennis players at low cost and combining with the fun atmosphere of the beach, Beach Tennis has found ways to gain sponsors, get media coverage and take a game that has struggled with a younger demo and make it more appealing.  Will it ever challenge traditional tennis or even well established beach sports like the AVP Crocs Tour?  No, but it doesen’t have to.  As a hybrid and a niche for the casual fan, it has all the elements, including cost containment, to make the branding story an effective one.

Finding A Way To Have Fun…Zach Feinstein Tries To Get Drafted…and “Big Poppy” Night in Lancaster

May 7, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It seems fitting that the day after the Lakers Kobe Bryant grabs a much-deserved NBA MVP award in what has been a fantastic run for the NBA this year, that we find the story of someone who found a loophole to try and have some fun and build a little name for himself heading into the NBA Draft.  Far from the Kevin Love’s and the O.J. Mayo’s is Zach Feinstein, who like any entreprenurial college student, took the time to do his research, build his case and find a way to carve himself a little brand niche out of literally nothing by applying (and being accepted to the eligible list) for the 2008 NBA Draft.  Zach has built a website  , is enlisting support through his “stats,” video and the fast moving digital space, to see if a team will give him a shot.  Problem is Zach has never played basketball at any level, and is actually a junior majoring in applied mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis.  Zach’s pitch is offbeat enough to get him some exposure and smart enough to make a little bit of a mockery of the Draft application system, which will surely have safeguards to prevent listing names of those who just go through the process in the future.  Still for someone looking to grab his five to 15 minutes of fame, Zach deserves some credit for getting exposure and building a small brand where many haven’t been able to succeed with legitimate athletes and products.  Nice lighthearted try.