New real estate in sports brands expands…

June 5, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

As the scramble to get the best value for sponsorship dollars, as well as added eyeballs for products and services, continues on in a challenged economy, two brands took a leap step forward in the New York sports marketing scene this week.

More Expensive Real Estate Up For Grabs For Brands? NFL and WNBA…

April 23, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The continued quest for landing valuable real estate in the sports space got another nice pop this week, when Microsoft’s Bing became the latest brand to make its way to a WNBA uniform, landing a partnership with the Seattle Storm.  The jersey signage, especially for MLS and the WNBA, has been a boon to sponsorship, and last year patches made it on to the front of NFL and NBA practice jerseys as well, bringing some brands additional incremental value and teams some added revenue. While the four major team sports still are backing off from jersey signage which is common elsewhere, it is starting to seem more like an inevitability that the integration occurs, the question is porobably where, when and at what price.  Would it start with minor league baseball and hockey, like it already has for the UFL and the D-League?  And who would be the first to test the licensing waters?  All to be seen, but certainly the backlash from the WNBA and MLS has been minimal (although it is true neither has invested the millions in brand development that the four major leagues have over an extended period of time).

Beware Sponges Filled With Cash…And Other Lessons…

March 16, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Last year the brand of choice to fill displaced inventory on television and in stadia around the country was Spongetech. Their giant signs were splashed acroos all of MLB, their patches showed up on the NFL’s “Hard Knocks” show on Bengals jerseys, they appeared along the dasher boards at Madison Square Garden. Spongetech, and their pre-soaped sponges, appeared to be the cure-all for every team salesperson.  They helped balance budgets and create some buzz and all appeared grand.

Be It Snow or “Sol,” Niche Sports Continue To Struggle To Build Brand

February 4, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Even as we move to some of the most lucrative, buzz-filled and highly anticpated events of the year in the next few weeks…Super Bowl, Daytona 500, Vancouver Olympics, NBA All-Star Game…the struggles for second tier and niche sports continue.  This past week, the Los Angeles Sol, arguably WPS’ most successful franchise in year one, folded despite leading the league in attendance.  Then a story in Wednesday’s New York Times pointed out the financial struggles of one of the world’s biggest niche sports…The Iditarod…which has now lost a great deal of its sponsorship and its television contract. While not seemingly linked, both losses show that especially in challenging times, the need to over deliver on brand value is bigger than ever, and the idea that even the most loyal investors will continue to put dollars into an event on an emotional or passionate buy are long gone.  The Sol’s problems are endemic of any start-up league or brand. Despite a solid product and a significant one year investment, the parent company did not see brand growth in the future and decided to cut its losses without finding a buyer in the marketplace.  The troubling thing is that the team is perhaps in the most marketable area, in a soccer-specific stadium and with marketable stars.  Like the recent demise of the Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA, both franchises that seemingly had all the outer appearances of success, ownership made the bold decision to cut losees and move on.  What does this say for the future of WPS?  Chalking the loss up to churn would be OK if it wasn’t in the second largest media market in the country.  The question will be answered over the course of this summer, when soccer mania heats up with the men’s World Cup.  Seeing if WPS gets some of the halo effect with brands is going to be very important to see if the league grows, or if it sets, just like it’s Sol.

NASCAR Goes To The Big Screen(s)…

January 31, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we near Daytona and the start of NASCAR 2010, it is good to see the brand is again looking for more ways to engage the brand, the consumer and grow relevance among the casual fan.  The latest offering is a program launching in  thiusands of movie screens across North America, the first of a series of “short” videos that will promote ties to brands, drive personalities of the drivers and hopefully grow interest among those who may not be yet on the NASCAR bandwagon and now may tune in or log on to catch more of the excitement.   Now it is not unusual for brands, or even sports brands, to reach out to engage the movie goer.  The New York Liberty for example, used the screens of Cablevision’s Clearview Cinemas to promote ticket availability and awareness, and the Women’s World Cup had a similar program to drive awareness.   NASCAR’s IMAX experience, as well as others shot in large screen format, have also tried to draw feans of cinema to a unique aspect of sport.  What is different here is that the videos are more of a long-term awareness push rather than a call to action for just a race, or a ticket buying experience or a tune-in.  It gives the brands featured, each worked carefully into the short, great ROI with a new audience, and also offers great opprtunity to use the shorts virally as well.  In a time when brands need that ROI and NASCAR, like all sports, is battling for the casual fan and the discretionary dollar, the reach to theaters looks like a very clean, snart approach and if it works will be copied. Start  your engines fans.

Liverpool Again Shows Value Of Premium Real Estate….

September 17, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is perhaps the last clean piece of real estate on the sports landscape…the jerseys of the four professional teams in North America. A practice which is well accepted globally, brand advertising on the front of jerseys, still is off limits in the States with the NHL, NFL, MLB and the NBA as well as in the college ranks. Even minor league baseball and hockey have stayed away from jersey branding to date. Yet with Liverpool’s record announcement of jersey branding this week, following Manchester United’s deal with AON earlier this year, can the pro leagues here hold off much longer? The test marketing has been there now…MLS has integrated jersey sponsorship into their branding campaigns effectively, the WNBA has taken on the issue with success, the upcoming UFL season will have helmet sponsorship, and now the NFL with practice jersey signage (the value Spongetech received for being on the front of the Bengals jersey for the HBO series “Hard Knocks” in the preseason was a good testament to tasteful and effective) and the NBA (with the Nets being first in the signage pool) has followed suit. With so many teams now effectively using alternative jerseys, throwback jerseys, commemorative patches, and other new licensed product, can jersey signage be far away in the States? One thing the leagues have done, even in these challenged times, is still build a demand for that space by not letting be sold to the first bidder. The leagues are also best at protecting marks and doing the long term planning for their on-field and on-court look, so any decision will be carefully placed and effectively marketed and messaged to the consumer. Perhaps the first move will come as part of a media package when the next major TV and digital rights deal is negotiated by one of the four leagues. Perhaps it will be a mega brand which will try a buy-in all at once for an entire league, hence keeping the uniformity (no pun intended). Maybe it will be the start of a patch program which has been done effectively in tennis and golf for years. One thing is for certain, when teams look at the amount of money Liverpool pulled in for their sponsorship, the discussion has had to have been rekindled again. As brands cut back in hospitality, they need to find creative ways to support their programs through effective exposure, and at some point the virgin jersey space will become the next big option.

Deciding When The Envelope Has Been Pushed Too Far

April 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

A few recent instances have come up which show when sports or entertainment brands can test the waters to see what is acceptable for their fans and more importantly, their business partners. First was the UFC. CEO Dana White has done a phenomonal job of building that property to as close to mainstream as MMA may ever get, especially in a down economy where discretionary dollars will still go to the main four team sports, as well as NASCAR and soccer, in North America. Still, the UFC, with their great TV partner in Spike, have carved a niche with sponsors like Bud Light and Harley Davidson among others. Not huge spends, but very smart ones to access the demo and the UFC experience. Then last week, White went off on a video rant, aimed at a journalist, with profanity and anti-gay comments. It was premeditated, well thought out and then posted on the UFC website. Totally unprofessional and uncalled for and damaging to the brand for casual fans. Now White did recant some of his comments the next day after they received strong criticism, but there was no outcry from most MMA fans or from their brand partners, at least publicly, so perhaps the shock value outweighed the brand damage and the UFC got some edgy headlines with an edgy leader that they enjoy and can benefit from. Still it was way over the edge for a sport looking to be mainstream and poor leadership. Next comes a very interesting Yardbarker blog by the WNBA’s Chantelle Anderson on what the public perceives as sexy and what is not. It is a very well thought out post by a young female athlete and really oputs into perespective what can be edgy and damaging to a brand for women and what can be more acceptable, garner attention and be mainstream. Then Media Post today has an interesting piece on the letter writing campaigns around a too sexy Burger King commercial, aired during many sporting events, which is promoting a kids meal. Again, it is suggestive but not risque, but it caught the eye of a special interest and advocacy group during a sporting event which may make other groups sit up and take notice, and in these challenged times could create a problem for Burger King with the discretionary dollar of conservative families. So here we have a CEO dropping F Bombs and living to fight another day, we have a subtle mix of cartoon characters with a national popular brand being called on the carpet, and we have a top athlete wondering where the middle is. If you are a property, you hope you are smart to make sure partners stay in line but still speak to your clientel, and have leaders who are savvy enough to tow the line and still give your fan base what they want. End of the day, if the ticket buyers and the advertisers remain happy and engaged, then the envelope remains in a good spot. It is when the push becomes a distraction that the crisis management begins.

AFL Tries To Hold It Together As Messages Conflict At The Team Level…

December 10, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the biggest challenges in a crisis is getting all spokespeople on the same page.  Regardless of the message, releasing the bigger picture information, positively or negatively, and having that information be consistent is a great show of solid planning.  Such was the recent case with the WNBA and the demise of the Houston Comets.  The information was released with one voice and one message through the league and the team at the same time, and showed a solid plan and unity amongst spokespeople even in the bleakest of situations for a sports entity.  The last few days the Arena Football League has faced an even bigger crisis…one of suspending play for an entire season as it reorganizes.  It has been a bizarre few months for the league, going from the unexpected resignataion of Dan Baker and the folding of one of its best franchises from a business standpoint, the New Orleans Voodoo, to this week’s feeding of the rumor mill.  Now the league has put out the correct broad statements with regard to action or inaction going forward, all tempered with the correct mix of guarded optimism while a final plan to play or not play is arrived at.  The real issue has come at the team level, where some like the Orlando Predators are conducting business as usual and looking forward and supportive, while others like Kansas City speak out about shutting down and suspending operations.   While none of these decisions and statements can be made in a vacuum, the conflicting messages do not help the league at this crucial time, and it shows the lack of consistentcy that many second tier sports often face.  The great experience and planning at the league level doesn’t always translate down to the team level, and the result is more distractions as the course of business plays out.  Now the hope is that the league comes out at the right time with a strongly worded, forward thinking statement with the correct media access to explain the new business plan.  Until that time, the league office remains trying to almost fight as the teams scramble for position, positively or negatively, feeding a rumor mill which will only do the brand more harm than good.  Hopefully out of the solution is a more streamlined and cooperative and forward thinking group at the team level, which will match the level of competence and proactivity the league offices have put forward in growing the AFL into a recognizable and to this point very worthy brand.

The Goalie Mask, The Bases, The Batting Helmet? The Next Place for ROI?

December 7, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As teams and brands struggle to find more unique places to generate buzz and sponsor interest, and as the last four major sports in the United States still try to keep uniforms clean of advertising for team branding, new options for expermentation will abound.  This weekend, Gary Smith, the co-author of Saving Face, the history and uniqueness of the hockey goaltender mask, was asked about the space on the goalie face as a creative license or a branding opportunity.  Earlier this year the Tampa Bay Lightning tried with some success (and great creativity) to use the masks of goalies Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig as advance publicity for the movie Saw V , which was produced by Tampa owner Oren Koules.  The masks were eventually raffled off for charity and while some media questioned the commercial viability of the images, the result got buzz for a brand that can struggle.  Several years ago MLB did a deal with Marvel to make the bases in stadia look like webs as a promo for Spiderman, and were vilified by the press.  The result was good buzz for a one shot promotion for Marvel and a one-time test for MLB.  So the question remains, how do you find space that is tasteful enough with an ROI that is valuable in a shrinking marketplace.  Alternative uniforms work for the big four, so maybe there are one-offs that can be created for charity and sponsor buzz?  Advertising on jerseys is OK in the rest of the world where the team brands may not have that stigma, and the minor leagues can look for unique ways to brand and get exposure, so why can’t the majors?  Does it cheapen the product?  Do the brands have to stay clean?  can you do funky branded batting helmets for one game?  It all comes down to dollars and planning, and what the sponsor believes will be worth the return.  Saw V was a good test for the NHL…will be interested to see what comes next on the faces of our favorite goalies.  

The Player Blog…some good ones

August 1, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

I spent the last few days in various places with my colleague Josh Rockoff of Strike Interactive and the two topics that came up frequently were the growth of online gaming and the value of athlete websites, or with the second topic, the problems therein.  While most athletes, like most brands, feel that the outreach to the fan or the building of one’s own “brand” is essential, there are few that actually do it right.  One reson is the limit of an athletes time to come up with compelling content on a regular and consitent basis.  The other is that many times the sites are manned by others “ghosting” for the players, and the sites often come across as contrived with little insight into the athlete.  That is what the fan wants…not the happy go lucky thoughts of the athlete…the insight into what makes up the person, the slice of life of training camp or behind the scenes that gives the athlete character.  Does it have to be controversial?  No.  Is it always compelling?  No.  But thoughts of what goes on inside the clubhouse or the mind of the athlete…or what the athlete does away from the field…makes him or her more marketable, more interesting and easier to like and understand during the lean times.  Some blogs…like the Washington Wizards’ Etan Thomas’ blog on Huffington Post last year…were great.  But for whatever reason they suddenly stopped.  Same with Diana Taurasi’s blog…great insight into the WNBA and the famale athlete and then nothing.  Are some athletes paid to blog?  Sometimes, especially by the more commercial sites.  However the commitment to be consistent and work with someone to give the fans insight takes time and dedication but a precious few athletes…but those athletes will reap off field dividends in the long run.  Five blogs worth checking out…in baseball, Curt Schilling’s blog, even in an injury riddled year, gives fans insight of both on and off the field…another baseball blog worth reading on espn.com is the Tigers Curtis Granderson (will be interested in seeing the take on yesterday’s trade), while Donovan McNabb’s posts from training camp are also pretty good…the best remains Gilbert Arena’s blog on nba.com…even in the offseason he keeps the fans engaged with his offcourt happenings and otjher thoughts both in and out of basketball…especially for those rising athletes or those schools or smaller market teams looking to get more digital exposure, identifying athletes and coaches and helping push their personalities through the blog or simple websites remains a great opportunity to grow marketshare and bring in some extra dollars while identifying with a very hungry fan base…a little effort can reap a lot of benefit. 

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