Does Your Team Shop Have a Top 10?

Are you looking for new ways to sell more merchandise online? Are you looking for ways to promote new merchandise and concessions items?

Liverpool FC currently offers an Online Store Top 10 page on its official team website. The Top 10 page is extremely simplistic - listing out a picture and description of each of the top 10 items - yet it is an effective way to help consumers simplify their online shopping experience.

Top 10 pages can serve as a very simple go-to solution for fans looking to purchase a popular gift for a friend or loved one. Believe it or not, consumers gravitate to these types of lists. Featuring a Top 10 page can also serve as a great way to help teams introduce their newest merchandise to fans (and hopefully in turn, boost sales).

Check out Liverpool FC's Top 10 page here.

The Big Ten Leads the Way with Fan Camp...

Are you looking for new ways to generate league/team awareness? Are you looking to create an intriguing campaign that utilizes a collection of team marks?

The Big Ten recently released a tremendous messaging campaign designed to drive awareness and affinity for the member Universities of the Big Ten Conference. The campaign is centered around a group of kids who attend Big Ten Fan Camp to learn more about their favorite teams.

The campaign serves as an excellent example for leagues looking to create a humorous, appealing message to promote their member organizations. After viewing so many stiff commercial adverts produced by Universities (that are shown during games), the Big Ten Fan Camp serves as a nice refresher. Look for more humorous campaigns from the Big Ten in the near future!

On a side note, the thought of University Athletic Departments holding fan camps (especially for young fans if done the right way like Football 101 sessions) could serve as a channel to generate a significant amount of revenue!

Applying Great Marketing Ideas to Sports...

Are you looking to add an element of creativity to your venue? Are you looking for new ways to drive brand awareness?

Here are five (5) examples of great marketing ideas that can have legs in the sports marketplace:

IDEA: Ikea showcased one of its store's main staircase as a chest of drawers filled with a variety of clothing in a neatly organized manner.

APPLICATION: Teams can benchmark this idea and use a staircase within their venue to showcase drawers of their newest apparel that fans can purchase in the team shop (jersey's, men's/women's gear, apparel for children, etc.). Consider tying in a retail/apparel partner to really make it an impactful piece for fans (and minimize costs).

IDEA: The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance created a captivating online piece where cancer survivors shared the moment when they found out they had cancer. The piece received a tremendous amount of exposure due to its extremely personable nature (where viewers could click on a user's picture and hear their story).

APPLICATION: Teams can create and feature a similar slideshow of season ticket holders/alumni donors sharing their stories (of when they received their tickets for the season in the mail, their reaction when the team clinched the playoffs, how they celebrated a championship/draft choice, etc.). Organizations can feature the slideshow as an intro page to the team home page where viewers can personally click on the pictures of individual season ticket holders to hear their story (teams can mix in players, personnel, cheerleaders, etc.). 

IDEA: Volkswagen brought a piece of text to life by simply underlining key words in the advertising message that are directed as key words the reader should focus on. After reading the passage, the reader will find that the underlined words they devoted their attention to actually combine to form a compelling statement.  

APPLICATION: Teams can work to bring their print messaging (either in gameday program ads or online articles) to life simply by adding an element of surprise. If organizations realize that the majority of fans will simply ignore the "Rules of the Game" or other features in game day programs, use a little creativity to turn these sections into enticing reads (that will hopefully drive sponsors to want to integrate their messages).

IDEA: Fisch Franke and Publicis teamed up in 2009 to create an award-winning outdoor messaging campaign that featured live fish swimming in an outdoor bus stop display space. The campaign helped the restaurant sell in its claim that it offered the fish fresh as can be.

APPLICATION: Fishing tournaments (FLW Outdoor, Bass Fishing Tournaments) and sports organizations with an oceanic thematic (fish, sharks, etc.) can create impactful branding displays in high traffic areas (downtown, near the stadium) by featuring live animals in an ad. The live demonstration can help a team sell into consumers that there is nothing like seeing a game live.

IDEA: Vaude Outdoor Equipment turned to the wings of airplanes to create an impactful messaging campaign that would resonate with airplane passengers. The outdoor apparel company featured an illustration of a climber hanging on to the wing for dear lfie (with a claim that Vaude makes Equipment for Extreme Conditions)

APPLICATION: Edgy brands like Red Bull ("gives you wings") and Mountain Dew (who are prevalent in the extreme/action sports space) can feature similar impactful campaigns on the wings of airplanes (if done in a tasteful manner that does not encourage fliers to attempt to try). Teams looking for new ways to leverage airline partners can also look to the wings as available space to feature mascot branding, etc.  

The Seahawks Mascot Goes Skydiving to Promote Halftime...

Are you looking for new ways to drive buzz and awareness for an upcoming halftime performance? Are you looking for new ways to integrate corporate partners in halftime festivities?

During their upcoming game against the Oakland Raiders, the Seattle Seahawks are set to feature the Red Bull Air Force skydive team landing on the field during halftime. The 12-man skydiving team, who have performed 13K jumps together, will be making a stadium appearance to the tune of a live concert by the band The Presidents of the United States.

In an effort to promote the upcoming halftime festivities, the Seahawks sent their mascot, Blitz, last week to Pugent Sound to jump with the Red Bull Skydive team as a promotional stunt. The video, shown below, will be featured on the video board in the stadium for all fans in attendance to see while The Presidents of the United States perform a song about the mascot called "This is a Blitz". 

Hats off to the Seahawks organization for working with the Red Bull Air Force to create a captivating piece that truly shows the team's Seahawks mascot in flight. Check it out below:

LSU Promotes Facilities with Cribs Segment...

Are you looking for new ways to promote collegiate facilities to potential student athlete recruits? Are you looking for new ways to subtly showcase corporate partners in the collegiate space?

LSU Athletics recently released a tremendous "Cribs" segment that showcases the athletic department's premier facilities. With assistance from senior guard Lyle Hitt, the segment takes fans and student athlete recruits behind the scenes of the Charles McClendon Practice Facility, consisting of:

• The weight room
• Training room
• Rehabilitation pools
• Indoor practice facility
• Equipment room
• Bowl Game banners
• The locker room
• The student athlete lounge
• The computer lab
• Meeting and film rooms
• LSU coaches offices
• Trophy cabinets

The segment even includes Muscle Milk product placement, glimpses of Nike team footwear and apparel, and an Everlast punching bag.

But what separates this piece from most others?

The segment, produced internally by LSU Athletics, is extremely well done. Viewers are provided a glimpse of the facilities from a student athlete's point of view in a very professional manner. The segment is currently being featured on LSUSports.net and www.LesMiles.net. The clip has generated 150K hits since it was posted less than two (2) weeks ago - a testament to the effectiveness of the high quality video production.

Yet the question remains whether this video will raise some concerns amongst members of the NCAA:

• With the video focusing on the "student-athlete experience", shouldn't LSU Athletics have at least included a feature/mention of the Academic Center (even if it is not a part of the practice facility)?
• Will the NCAA soon put an end to athletic departments/collegiate coaches posting content clearly student-athletes on their official websites (to drive more web traffic)?

Check out the 2009 LSU Cribs Edition below:

Sony Ericsson Invades Toronto to Promote WTA...

Are you looking for ways to make a splash in major media markets? Are you looking for unconventional ways to drive awareness for a team/league?

Sony Ericsson recently featured a guerrilla-style street tennis exhibition in downtown Toronto to promote the start of the WTA Rogers Cup. The global phone manufacturer, known for executing unique stunts, relied on a small team of staff to create a special street court environment on Toronto's Yonge Street for tennis stars Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki to compete in a unique fashion.

The street-style tennis promotion served as an effective way for Sony Ericsson to drive some attention around its title sponsorship of the WTA Tour. The stunt took place on Toronto's Yonge Street, the longest (and one of the most traveled) street in Canada.

Check out Sony Ericsson's execution of the event below:

Event Photos: JCaterer's Flickr Photos

The Big East Flirts with Social Media...

Are you looking for new ways to commemorate historic games? Are you looking for new ways to leverage social media in the collegiate space?

In July, the Big East officially launched SixOvertimes.com, a microsite designed to commemorate the historic 2009 men's basketball quarterfinal game between the Syracuse Orangemen and the UConn Huskies. The site, created by row27 Studios (located in Minneapolis, MN), features 10+ minutes of video from the game, including an eye-catching introduction video and a vignette detailing each overtime period of play. Users can also purchase an exclusive DVD and several photos on the site and check out box scores, player profiles, and key facts from the game.

The SixOvertimes microsite is extremely interesting because it could signal the start of a new trend in collegiate athletics (and all of sports for that matter) - conferences and athletic departments creating microsites around individual matchups/historic games to drive incremental revenue. To make the site a viral phenomenon, Big East officials provide users the opportunity to share the site's content through email, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (check out the Big East on Twitter - @BigEastChamps). 

Users who click the Twitter function on SixOvertimes.com find that it automatically pastes a message into their Twitter stream (Relive One of the Greatest Basketball Games in Big East History http://SixOvertimes.com) to share with colleagues and friends.

A special thanks to Garret Munro of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column! 

Source: SyracuseAthletics.com

Use Billboards to Capitalize on Team Affinity...

Are you looking for new ways to capitalize on team affiliation? Are you looking for creative tactics to promote a partnership in the local marketplace?

Brand managers looking to capitalize on team affinity should consider modeling the Dunkin' Donuts guerrilla billboard strategy detailed below. With more sports organizations turning to outdoor media to promote ticket sales, community initiatives, and re-branding initiatives, sponsors have a unique opportunity to drive affiliation awareness by leveraging neighboring billboards.

By simply using an arrow technique (as pictured below), sponsors and ambush marketers can imply association with sports organizations through outdoor billboards. The trouble is often the planning ahead of time (knowing where and when the team's billboards will go up) but most uncertainty can be limited by analyzing historical placement.

Sponsors can drive home team affiliation using a variety of messaging campaigns:

• Great Teams (arrow pointing to team logo) Drink Great Beverages (arrow pointing to sponsor logo)
• Go Big (arrow point to team sponsor logo) or Go Home (pointing to a competitor's logo who was recently eliminated from the playoffs)
• The "Heavenly" Association
• Great Team (arrow pointing to team logo), Great Beer
• Fast Teams (arrow pointing to team logo) Drive Fast Cars (arrow pointing to sponsor logo)

Pringles Goes Ambush at Wimbledon...

Are you looking for unique ambush marketing ideas? Are you looking for for new ways to drive awareness on-site without owning rights to marks?

Pringles, a Procter & Gamble brand, recently took on Wimbledon with a creative ambush marketing campaign. As tennis fans lined up to head into Wimbledon's famous All England Club on July 1st, representatives distributed 24,000 specially marked Pringles"crisps" tubes that read, "These are not tennis balls!" (playing off the fact that Pringles tubes mirror the packaging that tennis balls are sold in).

Pringles drew extra attention to the campaign by featuring Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg look-a-likes (termed "doubles") on-hand to interact with consumers. According to Event Magazine, the guerrilla tactic gained coverage on Radio 1, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Washington Business Journal.

The limited edition Pringles tubes were also sold at select retailers in Europe. Check out some pictures of the unique tennis themed packaging and execution below:

 

Source: Event Magazine, Mash Marketing

Agencies: Touch (Execution), Mash (Staffing)

Take Your Print Activation to the Next Level...

Are you looking for new ways to enhance all aspects of your media spend? Are you looking for new ways to captivate readers through print advertising?

Brands looking for new ways to capture the attention of readers through print media should consider modeling the following two (2) print media "best practices". Keep searching for out-of-the-box ideas!

FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (kwp! advertising, Australia, 2008) - Source: AdsoftheWorld.com

Livestrong, 2009

The Socceroos Creatively Play Up Their Opponents

Are you looking to build excitement for an upcoming match against an inferior opponent? Are you looking for creative ways to drive mass media impressions?

In 2008, the Socceroos (the Australian national soccer team) was looking for a creative way to promote their upcoming match against Ghana. To help drive buzz and awareness for the match, the club turned to Lowe Sydney, a notable advertising agency, to devise a unique marketing campaign.

The collaborating parties created a radical grassroots marketing campaign centered around a fake Ghanaian soccer fan club that consisted of four members who spelled out G-A-N-A on their chests. In an effort to recruit people to be their missing "H" (to complete the club and spell out G-H-A-N-A) the fake fan club heads to high-traffic locations to engage with consumers and drive awareness for the match.

The campaign generated a large amount of publicity across Australia and served as an effective means to promote the match. Check out the creative promotional campaign below:

Looking to Promote Horse Racing Sponsorships?

Are you looking for unique ways to promote upcoming events taking place at a horse track? Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness in the local marketplace?

Sports marketers looking for new ways to drive awareness for racetrack sponsorships should consider taking their show on the road. PMU, a leisure company devoted to conceiving, promoting, and marketing horse betting in France, recently promoted its status as an official partner of the Tour De France with two (2) unique mobile vehicles during a pre-race parade.

The mobile vehicles did a great job driving awareness for its services. Check out some pictures of PMU's activation below:

Gatorade Masters the Art of Michael Jordan...

Are you looking to create a captivating in-market display that utilizes your products? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?

As CNBC's Darren Rovell reported a few weeks ago, Gatorade recently created a unique mural of Michael Jordan on a sidewalk in the South Side of Chicago using 14,641 Gatorade bottles. The sidewalk street are was created to introduce the brand's new, limited edition Jordan Series (which includes six (6) different MJ-themed flavors) and commemorate His Airness' upcoming induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Gatorade called on an internal team of experts and celebrities (Scottie Pippen, Jackie Joyner-Kersee) to create the impressive street art display in a matter of only 16 hours.  A series of lighting fixtures enable the thousands of Gatorade bottles making the Michael Jordan display glow at night time. But what's even more impressive than the actual display itself is the amount of preparation, teamwork, and planning that was required to execute the project. The second video below does a tremendous job detailing all of Gatorade's behind-the-scenes work. Check it out!

Nike Takes its Livestrong Campaign to the Streets of New York...

Are you looking for new ways to engage consumers on-site? Are you looking for ways to give fans a voice as part of an impactful messaging campaign?

Over the years, Nike has done a tremendous job building equity behind the Livestrong campaign, a foundation started by legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong. Over the past few months, the campaign has taken a life of its own in France as well as the United States.

France (featured during the 2nd stage of the Tour de France)

Livestrong created a "Chalkbot" that enables consumers to submit inspirational messages that will be featured on the streets of the Tour de France. The Chalkbot is a trailer mounted device that operates similar to an ink jet printer, spraying messages and graphics on road surfaces. The Chalkbot provided a way for consumers across the world to share words of hope, inspiration, and encouragement with others across the world. Check out the Chalkbot below:

New York City

Livestrong recently aligned with Macy's to bring Macy's Herald Square in New York City to life for consumers. Livestrong representatives set up chalk walls for consumers to send messages of hope, inspiration, and support to those battling cancer and Lance Armstrong on his Tour de France journey. The Livestrong Foundation also outfitted numerous window displays with inspiring messaging campaigns and related elements. Athlete Director Dave features a collection of photos of the event on his Flickr page HERE. Check out some highlights of the event below:

 

Bring Signage to Life with an Element of Engagement...

Are you looking for new ways to engage consumers on-site, despite having limited resources? Are you looking for new ways to leverage in-venue signage?

As stadium clutter remains a point of concern for corporate partners, sports marketers should consider new ways to engage fans using static stadium signage. The enclosed adidas ad (as featured in Japan) serves as an excellent benchmark for corporate partners looking to bring their static signage to life on game day.

By simply clipping/attaching a select number of VIP badges (5/50/100/1,000) to a static piece of signage located in the stadium concourse level, corporate partners can electrify excitement among fans. With a simple call to action (video board/LED messaging, PA, ticket stub, online mention prior to the game), sponsors can leverage their stadium signage to serve as a "stadium destination" where fans can hurry to win badges redeemable VIP experiences, exclusive merchandise and a variety of other prizes.

As an example, Coca-Cola could feature an announcement on the video board during halftime that directs fans to head to a select Coke-branded pillar for the chance to win 1 of 100 VIP badges (that can be redeemed for: limited edition online music downloads, exclusive gameday experiences (e.g. ballboy, post-game party, floor seats), co-branded team gear, free Coca-Cola at games for the rest of the season, etc.).

Sponsors can build excitement throughout the season by rotating the location of their signage inventory in-venue (causing fans to go look for it prior to the game) and offering new prizes. With the advent of QR codes and RFID technology, corporate partners will soon be able to replace VIP badges with select barcodes that scan to win prizes.  These efforts will help corporate partners:

• Drive incremental value out of their existing inventory (turning bland stadium signage into venue destinations for fans - almost like a scavenger hunt)
• Reward fans (driving demand/interest through scarcity)
• Tie signage inventory to additional assets (hospitality, drive traffic to online destinations, etc.)

Are You Using Sex Appeal to Sell Season Tickets?

Are you looking for new ways to get fans to pick up the phone and order season tickets? Are you looking for new ways to leverage your organization's cheerleaders or dance team?

The Phoenix Suns are currently leveraging the sex appeal of their dance team to drive traffic and interest in season ticket packages. The team prominently features pictures of their dance team wearing headsets (mirroring a practice used by adult hotlines) to drive click-thrus to landing pages that respond to inquiries and provide additional information.

Check out their persuasive messaging tactic below (and click through the image to see the landing page the Suns organization are directing fans to): 

Nike Captures Athlete Perseverance with New Campaign...

 Are you looking to create a campaign that the stories of athletes who have battled and overcome diseases? Are you looking to create an emotional campaign that demonstrates the meaning of life?

Nike recently released a tremendous "It's About You" campaign that serves as a call-to-action for Nike enthusiasts to join the global fight against cancer. The campaign, driven by Lance Armstrong's triumphant return to cycling, includes an integrated media and grassroots campaign that features a number of inspirational stories from athletes and personalities, including:

• Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox)
• Sanya Richards (track & field)
• LaShawn Merritt (track & field)
• Evan Handler (actor)
• Patrick Dempsey (actor)
• Lance Mackey

The thematic of the campaign is designed to inspire consumers to turn hope into action and join Lance Armstrong on his journey to fight the global epidemic. The campaign's homepage enables consumers to submit their own inspirational messages online or by text to a custom-made Chalkbot that will write those messages in yellow chalk on the roads of the Tour de France - an amazing activation piece. Consumers who participate will receive an email with GPS coordinates providing the location where their message is chalked on the course.

The athletes featured in the campaign's short films will wear Livestrong gear at pivotol sports moments to help raise awareness about cancer. Check out Nike's "Driven" commercial, which will headline the campaign by running on national television, below:

Are You Looking to Connect with Sports Fans Online?

Are you looking for a one stop shop to engage with consumers in the online sports marketplace? Are you looking for ways to reach a mass of fantasy sports players and sports social media users?

Fantasy Sports Ventures (FSV) is quickly becoming one of the most dominant forces in the sports social media space. The company recently aligned with RotoHog, Watercooler, and Sky Social Media - moves that will enable FSV to offer marketers an assortment of opportunities to engage with consumers in the online and mobile social media space.

With 400+ fantasy websites, the RotoHog.com platform, and hundreds of team-based fan communities on Facebook (through the Watercooler partnership), in its arsenal, FSV offers a collection of assets to help brands tap into sports' flourishing online business.

What does all this mean for brand marketers?

When it comes to targeting online users, FSV's portfolio will quickly rank among the likes of Yahoo!, ESPN, and Fox Sports with 11MM+ users per month. Look for the company to dramatically enhance its clientele roster (which currently includes Coke, Sprint, Gillette, Coors, and Wendy's) in the coming months.

Check back soon for more ways to capitalize in the online sports marketplace!

Looking to Tackle Compliance Issues?

Are you looking for new ways to educate students, coaches, faculty, and donors about new compliance regulations? Are you looking for ways to drive buzz around University compliance efforts?

The University of California Riverside Athletic Department has done a tremendous job tackling compliance issues by introducing a Compliance Bear mascot. The University is showcasing its mascot, Scotty the Bear, in a series of skits that demonstrate the do's and dont's of compliance.

Since the University introduced the Compliance Bear on campus, violations have decreased significantly. With the Compliance Bear's popularity on the rise, UCR officials have a real opportunity to capitalize on from a sponsorship standpoint. There may be a few corporate partners interested in leveraging the bear at local store events, etc. (healthcare, banking, accounting firms, etc.).

Check out the clip below and consider new ways that you can introduce similar initiatives at your University!

A special thanks to Jonathan Norman of GMR Marketing for his insights and contributions to this column!

New Tiger Woods Viral Leverages Scott Van Pelt...

Are you looking to create a campaign that resonates with consumers? Are you looking for unique ways to use non-athlete endorsers?

Brands looking for ways to make an impact in the sports marketplace without investing a large sum of dollars into an athlete endorser should consider tapping into the voices of the game - the announcers and sports reporters that fans connect with on a daily basis. Oftentimes, we see brands align themselves with athlete endorsers that are either unrecognizable, highly risky (due to off-field actions), or are not personable. Why not take advantage of leveraging announcers and television/radio personalities whose job is dependent upon this?

EA Sports recently released a terrific Tiger Woods viral piece that integrates ESPN announcer Scott Van Pelt into the mix. Van Pelt, one of Sportscenter's most recognizable personalities, has a pretty serious amount of star power in the sports world. The clip does a great job incorporating some of his humor to make the game's launch that more appealing. Check it out below:

Here is a quick of some sports reporters and announcers (with star power) that could be leveraged on a national scale include:

• Jay Glazer, Erin Andrews, Dan Patrick, Bob Costas, Al Michaels, John Madden, Rachel Nichols, Michael Wilbon, Suzy Kolber, Bonnie Bernstein, Michelle Tafoya, Tony Kornheiser, Mike Golic, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler, Jay Bilas, Stuart Scott, Desmond Howard, Mel Kiper Jr. (draft specific), Peter Gammons, Digger Phelps, Chris Berman, Linda Cohn, Steve Berthiaume, Steve Levy, Mark May, Kenny Mayne, Bill Simmons, Rick Reilly, Woody Paige, Jim Rome, Mike Patrick, Dick Enberg, Brent Musburger, Jack Arute, Gary Thorne, Dick Vitale, Joe Buck, Greg Gumbel, Tim McCarver, Billy Packer, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and James Brown