Often times the lure and immediacy of social media and email, as well as budget constraints, force us to forget about the traditional ways to garner exposure. For the most part gone are the days of creative campaigns for the Heisman Trophy or for promoting players or brands via extensive mail campaigns, and good stories may often get lost in the morass of email bombardment that writers and editors now receive. However once in a while there is a reminder that the traditional visual PR stunt is a great way to cut through the clutter and deliver for a brand. Case in point this week was the Harlem Globetrotters, which had its mascot, Globie, parachute into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame to deliver a basketball that had been used around the world. The move, well timed during a slow news period with great visuals and then spread virally and through traditional video distribution channels to TV stations, turned a nothing event,,,the delivering of an artifact to the Hall…into a something event, and gained some great exposure for the Globetrotters and for the Hall, and maybe even for the brand of “Globie.” Was it cost effective for the bran. If the goal was to bring recognition, then yes. If timed right and with the right amount of buzz, the stunt can still surpass any viral campaign for quick and unique and effective exposure. Nice pop for hoops, during a time where most casual fans are thinking baseball or even golf.
Some other good reads….Forbes.com has a good listing of the most resilient brands… the LA Times had a lengthy piece on how the economy is effecting college athletics in California…the New York Times had an indepth piece on Topps new deal with MLB…and AP had a good report on the value spring training brings to the state of Florida…
