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One of the biggest reasons to have a strong communications leader in a company that has a public face is in times of crisis. Keeping everyone on track, following the flow of information, working with public authorities and media who may not be familiar with your situation or practices, and having the organization speak with …

A few recent instances have come up which show when sports or entertainment brands can test the waters to see what is acceptable for their fans and more importantly, their business partners. First was the UFC. CEO Dana White has done a phenomonal job of building that property to as close to mainstream as MMA …

We have often talked about the new ways NASCAR has derived in a down economy to reach the consumer and work with their partners. This week brought another series of innovations, the biggest of which is a new education module tied into science to reach students who love invention and innovation, but may never have …

The celebrity endorsement world is always a tricky one, especially in times where every move and every dollar is being scrutinized as it is today. David Schwab's First Call blog this week had a good look at the marketability of some athletes like LeBron James and Shawn Johnson, and why they can be successful as …

As the Final Four plays out this weekend in Detroit, the nation's oldest college hoops tournament, the NIT, will have already wrapped up with a semi-final and final in New York. While it seems there is little need or interest in the third or fourth college tournaments now being played…one of which may have a …

For those who were excited about the WUSA on its best days and all it could do to raise awareness, build brand and launch a legitimate stand-alone women's professional sports entity comes Women's Professional Soccer, which launched this past weekend. The good news is from a brand standpoint WPS has taken the best practices from …

The Subway chain has done a great job in recent years of finding ways to attack the demo they are trying to reach, whether that is through their team of athlete endorsers, NASCAR or even through their weight loss king, Jared. By going after those groups, Subway spoke right to the adult who chased fast …

The footprint and hours spent by the NBA growing their brand in China over the last ten years is perhaps the best example of global sports brand expansion to date. Now that that process is in place, the league, which has already established a relationship to brand and grow basketball as a sport through its …

It still remains a niche sport, but those who have been able to carve their niche in the niche world of Mixed Martial Arts continue to find new ways to speak directly to the core audience with some traditional sports and entertainment branding opportunities, ranging from memorabilia deals to figurines and collectable cards. The MMA …

It was probably over a year ago that if an athlete or even an entertainer broke major news on his or her blog he or she would have been vilified. Yet the reports that Curt Schilling, an athlete who is actually working in the digital world with a few ventures, including a gaming company, announced …