Why The Yanks Win With Hope Week…

August 21, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Yes they are the defending World Champions and as so have a responsibilty to give back to their fans year-round.  And from expansive foundations run by Mariano rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Joe Girardi and many others, the New York Yankees do find ways to give back all year round, just like many teams on every level in every market. However what sets Hope Week apart for the Yankees is the expansive connections each and every member of the organization makes with so many different organizations during the busiest part of the season.  The plan, which ranges from visits to having various groups and organizations come to Yankee Stadium, takes every part of the organization and exposes the brand to a wide variety of stories that will have a cumulatiive ripple effect way beyond the initial meetings.  It is Community Relations and outreach to the max, and as a result garnered exposure not just locally but nationally, with a full-length feature on the Today Show on Friday.

The Latest Niche Sport Goes Down…RIP AVP

August 15, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Late Friday afternoon, after most of the business world was done for the August week, came the release that the AVP had closed its doors.  Despite the success of the Olympics, the marketability of its mature stars, the work of former head Leonard Armato and current head Jason Hodell to build interest and following as a lifestyle sport, the end came in mid-season.  It was not for a lack of committment by those running the business, or by its players or its fans.  The AVP had even scored a big victory in January by keeping beach volleyball as an NCAA sport, and a flood of new sponsors…KFC, Nivea…had come on in recent months.  So why did the AVP join the ranks of the AFL, the IFL, the MISL, the USL,  the AAFL and so many other niche leagues?  It is more a reflection of the continued issues in the economic climate which still has yet to recover.  If major sports that have massive audiences, long term media partners, and major brands behind them are struggling to find ROI, then the smaller guys are still the first and the easiest to go.  For all the spending that is done at the highest levels of sport…World Cup, NASCAR, the four major sports in the North America, and even now in MLS…the decision makers can still point to millions, not thousands, who will see the product and the brands that are associated with them. While it is true that there are smaller brands looking to activate against a core audience, you still need major exposure to generate the kind of revenue needed to support and sustain an organization for the long run.  The AVP was also burdened with the problem of facility…each week a new stadium had to be built and configured in a new site to make the sport run well.  It would be like moving a golf course or tennis courts from one place to the next each week.  very, very expensive and very cost prohibitive.

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.

Owning The 4th…

July 4, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 3 Comments 

As one goes through the sports calendar it is always interesting to note what the opportunities are that can still be “owned” or created by brands or teams.  While the biggest days to still grab are those arounf the baseball all-star game next week, it is noteworthy that no one really hase grabbed the opportunity to activate around July 4.  Maybe becuase the day is such one of leasure and activity may be spread too thin, but the day is still one of the quietest news days of the year. at a time when activity is very high.  From NASCAR to the Wimbledon Finals to baseball, there are key goings-on in sport, and this year the spirit of World Cupo abounds as well.

Landon The Brand…

July 1, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 3 Comments 

While France and Italy were wringing their hands and Nigeria was suspending their team for two years, the United States was moving on to figure out how to capitalize on the next step success that was realized in the World Cup.  Despite the loss to Ghana, more casual fans tuned in, logged on and talked about World Cup in the States than ever before, giving the sport a new opportunity in its growth at the professional level. So what’s next?  The NHL used the success of the Olympics to elevate it’s awareness for the rest of this past winter and spring, how can MLS and professional soccer in general do the same?

What’s Good For Africa Could Be Better For Brazil…

June 14, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

While the world watches, enjoys and ponders the long-term effects a positive World Cup will bring to the southern African contintent, it is interesting to wonder even more about how the best practices and experiences brands, fans and the media will work in the favor of Brazil. The South American country will have a rare double in the next decade, hosting World Cup in 2014 followed by the Olympics in 2016, and the good will built out by the outreach and discoveries in South Africa this month can bode very well for the growth of the business of sport in South America going forward.

Louis Vuitton Plus Soccer Legends = Cool Brand Promotion

June 2, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

Looking through the Sunday New York Times I spied an amazing ad (art by Annie Lebovitz) featuring soccer legends Diego Maradona, Pele, and Zinedine Zidane. An ad for GQ? An indepth tease for ESPN’s World Cup coverage? Nope.  It is the focal point of a multi-level international brand campaign by Louis Vuitton that ties all elements of style, sport, and digital together with some traditional fun. The campaign, dissected in the LA Times, was shot in Spain with the three soccer legends getting together to “hang out” under the watchful eye of Leibovitz.  All alone it is an amazing series of ads as art, promoting the quality of the brand.  Then one visits the website.

Naming Rights: Effective Branding For Dollars in the Midwest…

May 30, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 2 Comments 

Much of the talk with regard to naming rights deals revolved around the Meadowlands this past,  as branding experts voiced opinions as to whether the addition of a Super Bowl to the new Meadowlands Stadium will enhance a potential overall naming rights deal and can entice other secondary sponsors to the just opened facility. While it is still a long term process and the Super Bowl addition does help (and probably opens the door for even more top tier events in the future), just one additional event four years hence won’t bring in a multi-million dollar price tag.  The work the Stadium is doing filling ancillary events…soccer, concerts, etc. will also have great brand value, and may even pull in a non-traditional or overseas brand into the mix, keeping in mind Allianz was close to a deal at one point and UK-based Barclay’s is already in as the title sponsor for the upcoming arena in Brooklyn for the Nets.

Soccer In The States Reaches It’s Tipping Point…

March 17, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

As mentioned in a post earlier this week, March  could be a great jump starting point for several properties.  One was IRL, the other really is soccer in North America.  Although MLS certainly has made its solid and steady strides in the past few years, the opening of a new stadium in the New York area, the launch of a new franchise in Philadelphia, the continued growth of success stories in the Pacific Northwest and the World Cup, can maybe, just maybe position soccer for its growth to the next level in 2010 and beyond. However with all the yin of positive vibes, there is still the yang of a potential work stoppage, still sluggish TV numbers and the ever-present issue of quality of top-level play that hang in the distance like a coming rainstorm.  So can soccer…MLS, youth soccer feeding in, and even WPS…finally, finally make the jump in 2010?

Soccer Looks To Philly For A Dose Of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Branding Love…

January 8, 2010 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

One of the biggest problems that professional soccer in the United States has had to deal with in terms of brand growth was the barren area of success from south of Boston to Washington, DC.  The Revolution, under the Kraft family, built a solid business in New England, while the United enjoyed both on field and marketing success in the Washington area.  However despite one of the most fertile grassroots areas for the sport in the country, from northern Maryland through Connecticut, the professional game has never taken hold.  Friendlies have drawn large crowds and interest, both the men’s and women’s World Cups were sellouts in New Jersey, but professional soccer, whether it was the indoor game or men’s or women’s outdoor play, never had success on the field or as a viable brand.  Maybe it was the curse of the Cosmos, who built such a world class standard during the NASL years, or maybe it was poor management, the lack of a successful or viable soccer specific stadium, or any combination thereof, but the most ethnically diverse corridor in the United States has never embraced professional soccer consistently.

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