A little weekend roundup of some smart best practices the last week or so, all with a football tie…
KISS Fans The Flames For AFL Interest: it has been years since the Arena Football league has been on the radar screen for most fans and brands nationally. The League which brought us football on an ice rink, Kurt Warner and Jon Bon Jovi support virtually went out of business and then was resurrected with smaller markets and tighter budgets, and without a lot of the big plans that owners had to become an indoor funded version of the NFL.
Some markets like Philadelphia and Orlando remained hotbeds for the short, slam bang field, but many other bigger cities came and went as the lack of national sponsorship and promotion hurt growth. However the league has gotten a nice buzz bump with the members of KISS “buying in” to resurrect the Los Angeles market. Gene Simmons has never been one to shy from a camera, and his success both in music and in the reality show world has given the AFL some off-season exposure and a way to attract attention and probably more media coverage for when the KISS kick off next spring. In some ways it is similar to the support the LA Kings cultivated with Hollywood insiders to raise their profile during their Stanley Cup run…don’t take dollars but use influence and other assets…like media relationships, to raise the profile of a sports brand that was many times and afterthought in Southern California. The KISS also jumped on the Tim Tebow bandwagon last week, with Simmons offering him a contract while doing his usual media rounds with talk shows.
What does it all mean? In terms of exposure it’s great for the AFL as a whole. Bon Jovi was a legitimate business partner with Ron Jaworski and others with the Soul, putting dollars and business acumen into game presentation and player recruitment. Will Simmons and company do the same, or is it all for just the PR ploy? That remains to be seen. The outreach to Tebow, and probably others, will also grab low cost headlines with little risk UNLESS someone actually takes the bait and the contract, so all that spin is great too. Will fans come more than once? What will the quality of play be like? Will Simmons involvement also bring in brands for LA and for the League that have been on the fence before? Is there a nice reality and social play in the offing that the league can grow off of as well? All that remains to be seen. However for a league that was once an up and comer as a business that fell off the radar, Simmons and company have been a nice addition, and the publicity machine has been turning really well.
Revis Island Becomes…Revis Island: Last Thursday the tiny city of Treasure Island, Florida scored a nice PR coups, remaining itself “Revis Island, Fla.,” for the Tampa Bay Bucs home opener against the New Orleans Saints. The move is a nice PR play in honor of former Jets’ All-Pro Darelle Revis, now calling Tampa home. The event was held at a local golf and tennis club, although the original plans were to have Revis plant a Buccaneers flag in a Treasure Island beach — and include Bucs cheerleaders, a pirate ship and keys to the city.
There is no cost for the ceremonial move, and should Revis continue to return to his All-Pro form it could be a nice and continued boon to the local town, giving it national exposure as well as a partnership with the team. If the Bucs and Revis falter, there was certainly no risk in investing a little time in the man who, because of his great skill level, has spent much time on that “Island” with receivers going the other way. If it works, the merchandise will also flow for the tiny town, and who knows, maybe a little Mayor for A Day promotion, with some charity ties, could also come in the offseason. Smart, well timed promo by the town and the Bucs.
Lions Paint The Town: Columbia has not been a football powerhouse in well…never, save for a bit of a heyday in the 1930’s. Since then the Lions have not roared with Ivy League football success, although the feeling is things are looking up, and New York has never been that much a college football town in decades. However the Lions do have assets…savvy local marketing, large influential donors, and very successful alumni around the world…who have wandered to what was Baker Field and is now Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in upper Manhattan. So what does the team do? Take the players to the alumni, and other media spots, to drum up some support. The Lions, who don’t open the season until next Saturday against Fordham, took their players, cheerleaders and mascot into the caverns of Manhattan, and to spots like the Today Show, for a meet and greet on the offices of some of their more influential alumni and media partners. There was no expectation of ESPN cameras following the team, but there was an expectation that if people get to meet the players one on one and hear their stories, there is a better chance of support for a fall Saturday, and for some additional financial and brand support for the program.
The Columbia staff spread across Manhattan, armed with digital cameras to record the events, and had lots of fun with the program, surprising CEO’s and meeting young kids on the street. It won’t turn Jets or Giants fans on a dime, but it did help draw some awareness for the program, once which as an affordable type of family entertainment, is more than worthwhile. Nice grassroots idea from our Ivy friends.
Rutgers, NYCFC Face Similar Challenges With One Common Tie