It is one of the most closely guarded logos in the worl.the NFL shield. Even with some of its tweaks over the years, the brands that stand with the NFL and its shield, and the programs they represent, have often been best in class, just as the league presents itself as one of the premier, if not the premier, sporting brand in the world. As we enter the NFL regular season, the first full one since the downward shift in the economy last fall and winter, it is interesting to note the continued support of brands and the diversity of decisions the NFL, its broadcasters and its teams are making to cope with the times we are in.
First on the media side, the diversity of coverage of players, athletes and their partners remains almost untouched in sport and entertainment. Whether it is the in-depth look of specialty shows like.Hard Knock. on HBO (which this year exposed the Bengals brand and its personalities to consistent national coverage for the first time in a very long time) or the diversity of print coverag.a look at newsstands this week sees NFL related content on the covers of magazines ranging from Me.s Fitness and Details to Forbes, as well as every sports related publicatio.the need to be involved with football remains a draw for fans, advertisers and media partners. The brand activation side, from new programs with Coors and Sprint that involve larger digital components, to short term deals with partners like IHOP (a move which the league would have frowned on in less progressive years where money and ROI were secondary) and national player programs like Head and Shoulders lighthearted campaign with Pittsburg.s Troy Polamalu or the Williams sisters vs. Manning brothers continued fun pieces for Oreos all show the expansiveness of unique and diverse activation in and around football Sundays. Even in the digital space, the NF.s first to the table approach to establish an Twitter policy, and their acceptance of bloggers through CBS Sports.com, also shows a willingness to adapt to where the media, and where the fans, are getting information from.
Now does the NFL have issue. Of course, just as any elite brand will. Ticket selling, once never an issue for most teams, quickly became a problem in select markets for select games an thoughts of blackouts in many cities has been rampant the last few weeks. The coverage area of the NFL Network problematic, and even the move by some partners away from hospitality and more towards community programs associated with their sponsorships has curtailed some of the buzz. However as elite brands go, the NFL has taken a good shot economically and again showed that as a new season dawns, they have been reactive to partner needs, responsive to social media concerns, and able to re-jig opportunities to keep the brand resilient, growing and more than effective.
Some other good reads….Dan Wetzel on yahoo has a look at whats ahead for Notre Dame…TRu slant has a good summary of all the positive Warren Moon coverage lately…the New York Times had a good piece on the Islanders cutbacks that caused them to lose popular blogger Chris Botta…and the Minneapolis Star Tribune had a good q and a with baseball maverick Mike Veeck.
