Soccer In The States Reaches It’s Tipping Point…

March 17, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a 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.

Tough Choices But Clear Messages For Northeastern, Hofstra football programs…

December 4, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The late fall has brought yet more cold reality to mid-level college football in the Northeast with two longtime programs, both in the same league but both private schools in very crowded markets lacking a huge rush of on-campus support. Those programs, Northeastern and Hofstra, were both wiped from the slate of the Colonial Athletic Association in the past three weeks. It is another reflection of tough economic times for sports that need to show ROI for colleges…Northeastern cited more of a lack of additional funding as opposed to support, while Hofstra went more of the road of lack of funding, interest and return for the Long Island school. End of the day the fact remained for both…and could be true for several other schools in the Northeast…football at the former 1-AA level does not increase revenue and in many cases with exposure is limited does not effect enrollment so in tough times the focus can now go elsewhere. While disappointing for supporters and more importantly for athletes and support staff, both schools took similar and somewhat effective tactics in breaking the news. They waited until the season was over, thereby avoiding the potential for sentimental groundswell and negative media coverage. They both provided ample amounts of data on cost benefit for the program, along with a longtime study on feasibility and where those dollars could go. They spoke as one voice…president and athletic director…and both spoke with remorse and understanding for the student-athletes. They did not hide in a statement, but faced the media and anyone who had questions when the decision was made. They also worked to pick the right time and date so as to minimize the news cycle and get the University focused on the business at hand. Now did the cloak and dagger plan by both Universities cause “shock” amongst athletes and coaches and alumni not involved in the day to day? Yes as expected. Was there the understandable emotional heat leveled at the decisionmakers and did they take such heat well? Yes they did. Were their answers well thought out and conveyed effectively? Yes they were. ironically, the loss of mid level football in the Northeast is not the tragedy it would be in markets where college football is king. ironically in many of those markets…especially in the south…Universities are adding football program to move to 1-A and find new revenue sources. However in the Northeast, college football is very much an afterthought in a crowded marketplace at a time when most private schools have solid enrollments…enrollment numbers which in other years may have been boosted by the value of an additional 100 male students coming to play football. End of the day, both schools made a tough choice but spoke effectively with one voice, minimized the newscycle and set the stage to move on as positive as possible. At a difficult juncture, both Universities should earn points for their effective communication of a tough message.

Charity Trailblazer? Bloom Forgoes Gold For A Wish of a Lifetime…

November 12, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The last year has seen more athletes embrace issues for social change and cause marketing as part of their platform than perhaps any other period. Is it because smart business minded athletes and the representatives see what is going on at the fan level with the economy and have more of a sense to give back? Maybe. Is it because there are causes that athletes have always felt compelled to embrace because of a personal connection and now have more vehicles to do so? Could be. Is it because brands and leagues have made a much bigger outward push to tie to social responsibility that hospitality and other areas for ROI? Also possible. In the end, it doesn’t really matter which is the cause…the effect is a positive impact directly on the lives of millions in a time where that impact needs to be felt most. The impressive thing about the public outreach by those of influence in sports is the breadth and depth of the programs, from cancer awareness to childhood obesity and single parenting issues.

However even with all the engagement, every once in a while a new imitative jumps forward. Case in point was Wednesday’s announcement that winter Olympian Jeremy Bloom was retiring. Bloom, who created a bit of a controversy during a two sport career when he petitioned the NCAA for football eligibility after being ruled ineligible because of monies received from skiing endorsements, announced that he would not look to qualify for the Vancouver Games at a point when he was skiing and training the hardest in his life. Instead he has chosen to devote more time to the philanthropic passion he has developed in Denver. Working with kids or education? Not exactly. The charity Bloom has developed and will implement is Wish of a Lifetime, a group which works with the elderly to improve the quality of their lives and grant wishes, Make a Wish Style, to seniors. It is a clear departure from the way many athletes have looked at philanthropy. Yes, many devote time and effort to causes that effect adults, especially with poverty or health-related issues. However few have embraced the passionate support of seniors, a group which is growing both in need and numbers as the American population matures at the fastest rate ever. Is it a version of “The Bucket List” as one person pointed out? Perhaps. However what it really is is the attempt by a world class athlete to identify with a cause that he or she sees as maybe not the trendiest but as the place or the niche where he can make the most difference since that area is underserved. In many ways it is not much different that the efforts someone like former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo started with Malaria awareness in Africa. At the time little was known or addressed amongst the population in the Western World about Malaria, but today, largely through Mutombo’s work, the issue of Malaria awareness is a very high priority.

On Responsibility By Athletes And Media…

June 13, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As everyone gets in a tizzy about which athletes and entertainers are on twitter, facebooking and breaking news on their own websites it is important to remember that the interraction between the media and those they are covering and reporting about…whether that reporting is on CNN or CNBC or the New York Times or blogtalk radio…is still pretty important. No matter how much people can crow about the use of social media, it remains just a part, and still a small part, of effective brand management and communication for fans and the companies associated with teams, entertainment properties and organizations. People pay to go and watch games, and brands pay to be associated with the events that those people play, they still don’t pay to do much online in comparison. two cases in point about the ongoing yin and yang between media and athletes arose this past week, both involving the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The first was a report by very well respected writer Jeff Pearlman about a pretty disappointing and disrespectful encounter between a reporter and the Phils Jayson Werth. The second was the escalating incident regarding the Phils Raul Ibanez, which was explained in great detail by Joe Posnanski on si.com. So here we have an athlete being disrespectful in the workplace (Werth, who wouldn’t talk to a writer for unknown reasons) and we have an athlete having to chase the shadows of an unsubstantiated blog report about steroids, both in the same clubhouse in the same week. What comes to play in both these situations is a lack of understanding on both sides about exactly what the others job is. The athletes have to constantly be reminded by staff that the media are there to do a job, whether they like it or not, and being civil and respectful in the workplace, is part of the deal, just as it would be for any other person in the limelight. No it is not the same for people who have “regular jobs”…teachers, lawyers, businessmen. Part of their job is not being under scrutiny 24/7 by the media, but that is the unfortunate price of being an elite athlete. The second side is the responsibility of the media in this 24/7 world. “The internet” and “bloggers” are used with such disdain by mainstream media that those phrases almost become their own villianous entity, yet the media have a responsibility to chase or not chase unsubstantiated rumors as much as the athlete has a responsibility to answer questions during an access period. The media also have a responsibility to act civil and give athletes, or anyone respect as well, and sometimes that lack of distance or respect is not afforded because of the crazed deadlines put forth. So who is right in this responsibility battle? Well, no one is really right or wrong. What is right is that both sides still need each other, no matter how much one thinks they can isolate themselves. Athletes get paid because the media give them exposure to fans and brands, and the media need the athletes because without them, there would be even less jobs and events and dollars being spent on those things then there are now. Responsibility goes both ways.

Loyal Customers, Right Demo, Fertile Field…The Military Market

September 2, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For those looking to grow emerging sports and get product brand name brandwith, as well as get television coverage, one overlooked market is often the military.  Whether it is with local bases or reservists, families who are behind while servicemen and women are deployed overseas, or in a bigger picture with tours and trips to visit troops abroad, the payoff both on a social scale and a brand scale is usually huge.  A recent story in Stars and Stripes went through the huge offering of football on the Armed Forces Network for the fall, and the thirst for programming  for athetics of all types continues to grow.  The military also have a great affinity for brand loyalty and always welcome the smallest comforts of home.  So when building out an effective sports marketing and PR plan, especially in an environment now where the Armed Services are looking for positive PR platforms and ways to keep troops engaged and connected, using the military as a mutuall beneficial way to tell your story is a great one, locally, nationally and internationally.