On this Giving Back Tuesday we thought it appropriate to talk to someone about sports and philanthropy, so we reached out to our colleague Harrie Bakst. Harrie has really helped shape the world of sports, entertainment and philanthropy through his work at Weinstein Carnegie with business partner Sara Weinstein. They work with athletes, celebrities, brands and causes to maximize exposure and dollars, and have found very creative ways to drive cause marketing messages across a host of platforms. (his bio follows)
Are you surprised at how quickly the field of sports business and philanthropy has grown?
I am but in a good way. I think the integration of business and philanthropy has happened much quicker than I thought compared to when I started this business. I am pleasantly surprised and hope it continues to grow as it has been.
What are the ways you assess potential clients?
Each of our different departments has different checklists. For example, in our talent department, we ask ourselves a lot of questions regarding assessment; do they have good management in place? Why are they doing this or starting this? Are they doing this for the right reasons? Can we deliver with respect to what their goals are? Where is the money going? To run program? To support programs in place? We really need to evaluate clients properly because this industry is small and at the end of the day, all you have is your reputation.
Who are some athletes and entertainers that you don’t work with who do it right and why?
We just asked ourselves this question last week. Bradley Cooper, LeBron James, and Adam Driver were some of the names that came up. I think it’s a mix of the stories behind the philanthropy that they want to do, why they want to do it and their marketability as well as what we can do to raise money on their behalf.
You and your partner Sara Weinstein have made a pointed effort to mix athlete and entertainment, how has it worked and why?
Sports are entertainment, plain and simple and the two industries are very similar. I think Sara and I have done a really good job integrating the two. For example, we got Sean Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization as an official charity partner of the TCS NYC Marathon and raised over $550,000 over two years with Pamela Anderson and Teri Hatcher running in support as well as brand partnerships with Asics, Jet Blue and St. Regis. The really cool part of this initiative is that they are creating a Haitian running club to train the next generation of Haitian athletes and the money raised from this program will go to fund that and create jobs in Haiti for deserving people. Who would of that that Sean Penn and the marathon would have mixed, but it works. The sports media wants to reach out to new areas, and new fans and this was a perfect example of that. When we managed Pamela’s campaign in 2013, it opened up the sports media’s eyes to new media that they have never received before and it was only because of Pamela. This created new opportunities for the marathon and made it a win win.
Which brands do you think do the best work in the space?
Nike does a great job over the years with Livestrong, The (RED) campaign, and The Nike Foundation. I really love what Todd Jacobson at NBA Cares does. They really get it and are so smart from the league perspective. We also have an exciting announcement at the beginning of the year with a major apparel company and our client Cycle For Survival which raises over $20M in 2014 to support rare cancer research and is the fastest growing athletic fundraising event in the country. That brand partnership will be a great one to keep your eye on.
What’s the worst assumption athletes or entertainers make when trying to work with brands in the space?
Brands will stay far, far away from you if you don’t have your philanthropy in check. It’s not that simple.
Is there a property or a team that surprises you with the impact they can make?
The PGA raises so much money for charity and I don’t feel like they get enough attention. Same with the TCS New York City Marathon. Over $22M was raised in 2014 alone across 300 charitable partners. It’s one of the best events and charitable fundraisers in sports. That’s real impact.
How do you define success in a space that maybe be a little more fluid when looking at ROI?
We try to evaluate our success just like the regular sports marketing world does. First of all, we want to show impact. We helped raise $X and that helped Y children or Z research. Real impactful metrics that are clear. And, then we want to show the traditional marketing, sponsorship, and media value that a brand or athlete/celebrity gets with respect to supporting something. So, in other words, we want to demonstrate a double ROI – impact and partnership benefits.
What do you tell brands looking to get into the space when they say they want to identify an athlete spokesperson?
Be authentic. Have it make sense. Activate well. Be clear about your business goals that you want to achieve through this and it’s ok to achieve business goals through philanthropy. Have it all be integrated into one seamless program.
Is there a sport or a property you think is poised to really make an impact in 2015?
Great question. I think with the growth of US soccer, MLS and Jan Greenberg over there are doing great things. We were just speaking with the St. Louis Marathon, and they can make some serious impact in 2015 with respect to what is happening in Ferguson, and how the power of sport can help bring people together. I’m really looking forward to seeing how that comes out and hope that we can be part of it. I also think Crowdrise, Ed Norton and Robert Wolfe over there, are just pushing and pushing the limits with respect to crowd funding and are just so innovative.
About Harrie Bakst
Harrie has worked with clients such as Grassroot Soccer, (Official Charity of FIFA), Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, The Cole Hamels Foundation, The James Blake Foundation, Curtis Granderson, CC Sabathia’s PitCCH In Foundation, Adrian Peterson’s All Day Foundation, Sean Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization, Tiki Barber, Meb Keflezighi, Paul Pierce, Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. New York Knicks event, Jerry Seinfeld 2008 with Stand Up For A Cure, among others. Additionally, Bakst has brokered sponsorship agreements with some of the top organizations and properties in the world including Coca Cola Co., AT&T, Heineken, Foot Locker, Nike, Garmin, CBS, PUMA, Chipotle Mexican Grill, GM, New York Road Runners, Major League Soccer, Reebok, The James Beard Foundation, and Memorial Sloan Kettering-Cancer Center, among others. He has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC.com, FOX News, The New York Times, The New York Post, and the Sports Business Journal.
Harrie’s remarkable story is highlighted in A Race Like No Other (Harper Collins) by The New York Times sportswriter Liz Robbins, where he overcame cancer, started WCPG, and ran the New York City Marathon a mere 5 months after his 33rd and ?nal treatment. He also serves on a number of boards and committees including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, and UJA Federation of New York’s Sports For Youth Executive Board.
Harrie was born in New York City (from the only borough worthy of a “The” in front of it), and is a graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors from New York University, where he was presented the Allie Sherman Business Leadership Award & the President’s Service Award. Harrie was also named by Partnership Activation as one of forty-eight Rising Stars in the sports and entertainment industries in addition to being listed as a top executive under 30-years old by under30ceo.com. In 2011, Harrie was named by the Ivy Sports Symposium and SportsPro Magazine as a “10 NEXT” recipient that recognizes sports industry leaders from around the world who will shape the business in the next decade. He continues to compete in marathons and triathlons raising money and awareness for cancer research.
