L.A. Doesn’t Dodge The Chance To Build It’s Global Brand

March 14, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The Los Angeles Dodgers, despite the messy divorce and internal politics going on with the McCourt breakup, remain one of the world’s premier sports brands.  The front office, led by Dennis Mannion on the business side, continues to cultivate new avenues to grow the brand of the team, not just its players, into a community that is tremendously diverse and is extremely fickle in it’s dpending of dicretionary income.  In addition, the Dodgers have a World Champion to compete with in hoops (the Lakers), and a highly competitive and success neighbor in the American League (the Angels), with one of the most forward thinking owners in baseball (Arthuro Moreno).  So what is a team to do?  Go East.  Below is our recent Huffington Post piece on the Dodgers trip to Taiwan, and its reasons, especially in a croweded marketplace. ..

Mixed Martial Arts Continues To Fight For Brand Development…

March 26, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It still remains a niche sport, but those who have been able to carve their niche in the niche world of Mixed Martial Arts continue to find new ways to speak directly to the core audience with some traditional sports and entertainment branding opportunities, ranging from memorabilia deals to figurines and collectable cards. The MMA site sherdog.com had a good look at the MMA mainstream adaptations this week, singling out companies like Round Five and others that took the smart business approach, looking at the key traditional revenue sources and attach themselves to stars and make them a part of the brand development process. The results have been very strong for those who have picked the smart ways to grow steadily in a very fluid sport. Now obviously the UFC remains the dominant brand, and their attachments continue to do well. However there is no clear number two in the sport, and companies who can find the niche, invest smartly in their product that they understand and then use the viral and digital world to reach that core consumer, still have a chance to succeed. The lack of major brands in the space continues, but there is a slow and steady rise in targeted spends and activations, so those who could potentially partner brand with activation product in a cost efficient way can still make inroads in a relatively new business environment. Nice hit for the sport.

Another Example of New Age Message Control…Curt Schilling.

March 24, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It was probably over a year ago that if an athlete or even an entertainer broke major news on his or her blog he or she would have been vilified. Yet the reports that Curt Schilling, an athlete who is actually working in the digital world with a few ventures, including a gaming company, announced his retirement in his words, on his blog 38pitches.com, and with little fanfare, barely made a negative dent in the media. The Boston Globe report was a great look back at Schilling’s career and his impact on things bigger than baseball, and ironically the access quotes in the story were much more others talking about the pitcher than him talking about retirement. As mentioned, Schilling does take the digital world very seriously, and his blog often offers up opinion and commentary on things that have little or nothing to do with baseball. The issue with this was not the announcement, but the more universal acceptance of the medium. There will be media interviews with Schilling as the days roll by, and he really hasn’t been in the mainstream sports world for a while, but there is no doubt he was an athlete and personality of influence, and it still remains a marvel at how quickly the “missives” controlled by the speaker and used by the media because there is no other access, is becoming the norm for getting the message out. The additional benefit to the speaker is how sites for top athletes who are now building themselves as brands can use news to drive traffic and partnerships. Schilling’s blog and url ran in every major media publication as it was the only source of the statement. Therefore all that traffic and access to his advertisers and “click through’s” become his. If he had called a reporter or a radio show that proprietary traffic would have gone elsewhere. Thus by driving the traffic and controlling the message Curt Schilling won on many fronts, and can now do whatever mass interviews he desires as followup. Another example of the changing flow of media information control.

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.

NASCAR Keeps Finding Ways To Keep Brand Relevant And Active In A Down Economy…

March 22, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With the economy continuing to be in flux, those sports which are really beholden to the corporate entertainment dollar…golf, tennis, NASCAR...continue to try and find ways to court fans and brands to keep themselves moving forward and justifying the high spend that accompanies their mega-events. As Liz Clarke pointed out in Saturday’s Washington Post, NASCAR is probably making the biggest strides to adjust, connect with their fans at all levels and do everything they can to achieve high ROI for every level of dollar spent at events. The concierge service at select tracks is the latest move for the brand, which has already looked to incorporate as many fan activities as possible into race weekend and make sure that those who are coming are getting the experience they expect and beyond. Brands are going to great lengths to come up with unique activation programs, with the hope that when the choice for discretionary spend applies, those brands who have delivered for the fan, both practically and experientally, will get the value and loyalty back. Now practicality will lend itself to the fact that for many people the dollars just aren’t there right now, but the hope is when the economy bounces back, or when the casual fan is looking for a diversion, a NASCAR weekend or event will provide the best in class service to make the choice an easy one. It is good planning and execution, and for one of the brands that has really helped grow the sports and entertainment business in recent years, will hopefully pay off in loyalty, attendance and new partnerships as reward for their outreach.

Alive and Kicking…MLS Starts Another Season With A Boost Out West…

March 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Maybe it’s because they are the least mature of the larger sports in North America, maybe its because they started with the single entity model and knew how to operate and build brand more lean and mean, or maybe its because their grassroots base combined with their breakthrough is still to come, but Major League Soccer, even in this economy, appears ready for more steady growth and even expansion and new brand building. With the season beginning this Thursday, the buzz, at least locally, is already a great sound with the new Seattle franchise, and it could be a breakthrough year for the league. The announcement that VW has reupped their multi-level partnership, including their large presence with the DC United, was broken by Tripp Mickle in this week’s Sports Business Journal, which had a number of extensive pieces on the league and its leadership. Now is all roses with MLS? No. They are starting at one of the busiest times on the sports calendar, between the WBC, March Madness, NASCAR and now golf and tennis beginning heavy US play, and their preseason really takes place in virtual silence in most markets. Even with those challenges though, the brands they have come back, they are finding more ways to activate with youth in key markets, the soccer-specific stadiums are finding their niches and even the Red Bulls advancing to the finals got some much-needed buzz in New York. They have affordability and youth and a good in arena show for all, even if the TV transition has yet to get there. MLS digital play continues to improve and speak to the core, and with additional brand activation in specific markets, maybe just maybe, if they continue building stars and the off-sports buzz, they could be the first to capture additional marketshare while many other brands are struggling to hold on, or as in the case with many niche brands, just fade away.

Can The UFL Do What Others Couldn’t?

March 14, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

They certainly are trying…and trying to be different and complimentary. But can the fledgling United Football League, with its plans to play on Thursday nights on VERSUS and in a series of cities, not with any centralized core, make sense, draw fans, consistent media attention, sponsors and eventually make money? And in this economy can it be the alternative to the high priced NFL and the NCAA? Tough going. The presser they had in San Francisco this week said a lot of different things…some good, some a little out there…but all created enough buzz to get some press. Some of the good…they will be on TV, in some markets which may want the product, signed some good football names and are willing to experiment with some different rules and let the players have some fun. The curious…they say they will work with the NFL…great but has the NFL said they want to work with them? So far, silence from Park Avenue. They want to develop and find new talent but will take on the wayward star to sell tickets, like Michael Vick. They will be in some markets once, and some more than once, and will have all the teams together in Arizona for a training camp. They will also start their season right around when the NFL Network will start their Thursday night games head to head. They have some money, which is a good thing , and have smart brand marketing people working with them. It will be very interesting to see their digital strategy and how it can tie into tapping into a core audience, and if people just will watch FOOTBALL or does it have to be branded NFL FOOTBALL. Everyone else has failed, including the AFL who tried to work with the NFL as a happy complimentary alternative. It seems like the economy of scale is there in terms of games and markets and a cap…and the ticket price,,,$20 is affordable in this economy, but is it enough to generate revenue to get to profitablility? One thing is for sure…in this environment anyone who can deliver a smart business plan that generates jobs when most mainstream brands are cutting back and gives people opportunity is a good thing. Maybe it can succeed, we will see if brands will want to give it a shot on activation, and if mainstream media will follow once the novelty wears off. The industry needs a few more UFL’s, but only if they can succeed.

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.

From The Snip to the Sips…March Madness Activation Gets Going…

March 10, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Whether you are looking for a vasectomy or recreating a classic moment with the help of a popular energy drink, there will be no shortage of activation campaigns on all levels as Selection Sunday comes into view. Darren Rovell reports that last year’s promotion by an Oregon urologist for vasectomies has gained steam this year and may even be copycatted across the country, while Barry Janoff in his blog goes into great detail on Vitamin Water’s promo where fans can send in videos recreating great NCAA moments, as well as the programs by longtime partners like AT and T and Coke. Even partners like Sheraton hotels are offering up March Madness discounts at regional sites, with all trying to cash in on the male demo and the mania that starts when the ball goes up next Thursday at noon. The biggest challenge during the NCAA’s is to find ways to activate with the core fan of the successful university that moves on, while finding ways at retail and online to have all casual fans participate in brand building which leads to the Final Four. Sometimes the smaller brands which pick to activate around regional sites may be able to catch lightning in a bottle, while the longtime NCAA partners have the chance ti build on product affiliations and annual programs that gain strength over time. Either way, for the marketer looking for that elusive male demo, March Madness is here and the activation game is in swing.

March Madness of A Different Kind: Baseball Maximizes WBC Opportunities…

March 8, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Any sports fan in North America looks excitedly to the NCAA Tournament in March, as there are few, if any, annual events which gives us more of a true sense of endless possibilities that can occur than March Madness. Partners, even in a slow economy, looking to capture that key demo will line up for collegiate activation programs and work through CBS to get their brands exposed to the mass audience, even if they “underdog” lasts only the 48 hours from first to second round. But we all love our brackets. In light of that, Major League Baseball, and now baseball on a more global scale, has sought to create its own version of March Madness with the World Baseball Classic. Now as cynical sports fans and media, it is very easy to shoot holes in the WBC…not all the stars, is it meaningful etc etc…however as John Rowe wrote in Sunday’s Bergen Record, the Classic is becoming a celebration of global baseball, with some powerful dollars and now even more regional branding and activation than in the first go-round. Terry Lefton in the Sports Business Journal summed up all the regional activity, which gives brands who like the baseball mix…consistent gameday experiences, a worldwide base of over 30 million fans, access to the Latin and Asian markets plus a strong North American presence…a headstart and even more ROI on their local, regional and national buys. Now is baseball effected by the economy? Of course. But the WBC as a global platform every four years presents itself as a unique brand opportunity, and even in its first few days with some major upsets, has provided lots to build on from both the practical and the emotional side with brands. Another version of March Madness, and a good compliment to hoops.

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