Two brands which most people don’t usually think of as being “green,” NASCAR and Wilson, recently continued the trend in being more enviro-conscious in their branding, production and presentation, once again proving that if you can be “green” and “first” in a category you can get your brand a nice pat on the back and some good exposure, as well as being environmentally friendly. First Wilson recently became the first brand to introduce to the North American sporting goods marketplace by bringing the first eco-certified basketball (it is black and green) to the marketplace. Do we need a “green” basketbal. Will it make a bigger dent in the carbon footprint in terms of overall productio. Maybe. But by branding it first and making a distinction in color, the sporting good company got some bang for the time it spent in development and marketing. Second was the interesting announcement by the always looking to be innovative folks at NASCAR to announce the largest solar energy project at a sports facility, for the track in Pocono, Pa. A sport that revolves around large amount of fossil fuels seems like a disconnect for being green, but the ability to be “first” “largest” and “effective” gets the message out, positions the sport correctly to a legion of fans that remain very brand loyal and again sets NASCAR up as a leader in a field that has suffered in the current economy and can use leaders for alternative energy sources. Will it make those folks driving RV's a little more conservative when they fill u. Probably not. But it may make the facilities business see new options for sponsorship, community programs and ways to be more cost and enrgy conscious than they are today. Good timing and positioning on both by two brands who are not necessarily associated with always being green.
Some other good reads…Media Post had an interesting piece on Southern Comfort's digital initiatives, which although not sports-related yet, speak to the male demo very well…the Washington Post's Tracee Hamilton had a good piece on the craziness revolving around the start of NFL training camps…Yahoo.com's Adrian Wojnarowski had an interesting look at the craziness of Stephon Marbury's most recent online escapades…and ESPN.com has a good inside look at Isiah Thomas and his time on the road recruiting this summer…
