There is an endless debate over the real brand value of teams going away from their home markets to play exhibition games or.friendlie. as they are called in some sports. In years past, football, baseball and NBA teams would play preseason games in smaller towns or markets in exchange for a guarantee to help offset costs for the season, but those practices have largely gone away because of the economy and other factors. The leagues of course enjoy having preseason games all over as a way to grow the sport, in their vision in makes good business sense and is worth the sacrifice.
This past week, the New York Knicks, a franchise who has long been adamant about not travelling abroad in the preseason because of the time away and the distractions, concluded a ten day, multi-city trip to Italy and France pulled together by the NBA but also designed at showing off the Knicks brand to both existing partners, and more importantly, potential new partners as the team moves into a renovated Madison Square Garden in two years time. For a team that sits at the virtual center of the most cosmopolitan city in the world, the Knicks have long been averse to an international market. They have never had or promoted a player with non-American roots and the high price of doing business in New York has not been desirable for new brands looking to emerge in the U.S. Conversely, the Yankees, the Nets, the Mets, even the Islanders, have taken a global approach with regard to both talent and sponsorship, resulting in multilingual, multi ethnic partners and promotions that have yielded new dollars, new casual fans and new opportunities for growth. The same has happened in other markets, with teams like the Lakers and the Rockets, the Capitals and the Dolphins, the Marlins and the Mavs, reaching outside their geographic borders to identify and cultivate new business relationships, media coverage and fans without alienating the core fan base in any way.
The Knicks have begun in the last few years, under.Donny Walsh as GM and Mike .Antoni as coach and Scott .Neil on the business side, to drastically change that approach and find inroads from a players perspective and from a business perspective on identifying new areas of growth for the team that is more reflective of the climate and the city in which they play. The downside and distractions and break from routine have been replaced by thoughts of team building and global ambassadorship, all from an organization which has had just one playoff appearance since 2001 but has not lost its very solid core fan base but still needs to grow, especially in the face of increased competition for the discretionary dollar both in sports and entertainment. Will the extra effort effectively bring in new fans and sponsors, companies looking to activate in the States with new partners with vibrant platform.? And at what price point will those companies come in a.? In the same market, the Nets have cultivated a number of partners from abroad, including Barcla.s and most recently Stolichnaya Vodka, so the possibility does exist, and the lure of not just MSG, bu. new renovated MSG, certainly wo.t hurt in the pitch as well.
Are there downsides to hitting the roa. Yes. Teams that advance well into the postseason and fail often look back on the offseason wear and tear on players as one reason for their exit from playoff competition. The season is long as it is without extra travel. However these teams are also not hitting the high seas in an outdated steamship. The leagues provide the minimum amount of distractions to make sure that little to no blame can be placed, and find ways to make partners and teams feel quite at home when on these mega trips. Also for a team that has lost position in the standings but still has a very elite brand like the Knicks, the ability to showcase themselves on the road will help solidify any cracks that may be forming back home with some added long distance support. In a city like New York, where tourism is key, that outreach can yield big dividends with discretionary dollars.
So is the preseason road show different from years pas. For sure. Trips to Hershey and Rochester are replaced by Milan and Paris and buses become planes. It is not something for every team every year, but for an elite brand like the Knicks in toda.s global economy one trip can have long term positive effects.
