Nike Turns Marketing Focus to the Legend of Leroy Smith...

Are you looking to create motivating promotional campaign that inspires consumers across the globe? Are you looking for a unique way to capitalize on professional sports in a unique way?

Nike hasdone it again. Each year, the sports marketing masterminds at Nike create an inspiring campaign that turns the heads of sports fans across the globe. This year's viral marketing campaign - Get Your Basketball On - centers around LeRoy Smith, a figurehead who is said to be the man behind Michael Jordan's motivation to become the greatest of all time. While in the 10th grade, Smith beat out MJ for the last spot on the Varsity basketball team- amoment that Jordan will never forget.

Nike called in Charlie Murphy (an actor who gained noteriety from his role on The Chappelle Show) to play the part of LeRoy Smith in a series of mock videos and skits, which include training videos, news segments, and video game previews.

Nike features a collection of interactive features on the promotional site, including a petition for fans to vote Smith into the Hall of Fame, desktop accessories, iPhone applications (and other fake LeRoy Smith gear), and a DVD series (a collection of YouTube segments). In essence, the LeRoy Smith platform serves as a natural fake brand extension for Nike to promote and capitalize on.

While the campaign doesn't scream Nike by any means, it will definitely spark plenty of discussion within the basketball community. A strong sports viral marketing platform with substance and legs, it will be interesting to see how far the LeRoy Smith story takes off.

Check out some of the clips below (and click through to view some of the other segments on YouTube)... It's a classic "do it yourself" platform and a job well done by Nike!

Gatorade's "G" Campaign Begins to Make Sense...

Are you looking to create an inspirational sales piece that does a nice job incorporating product placement? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?

During the 2009 NBA playoffs, Gatorade launched its most recent commercial to support its "G" campaign. The advertisement does a tremendous job incorporating Gatorade's product and athlete endorsers into a storyline that makes sense. All of the company's miscellaneous slogans are starting to come together to form an impactful messaging campaign.

What is G? Gatorade's newest commercial, "That's G" should give you a better idea:

Despite the initial ambiguity of its $50MM "G" campaign, Gatorade has not lost any strides when it comes to fan recognition (despite losing 7.3% in market share in Q1 2009).

More NFL fans correctly identified Gatorade as the league's sponsor in the sports/energy drink category then fans who identified the official sponsor in any other measured category (and higher than any other league-sponsor recognition scores in the NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and MLB). Source: Turnkey Sports & Entertainment Poll for Sports Business Journal

Drive Your Team's Fanbase in New Markets...

Are you looking for ways that your organization can penetrate new marketplaces? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness and support for your brand across the globe?

Sports organizations looking to drive their fanbase in markets across the United States should consider creating a platform that rewards their ultimate fans of major cities/states across the nation.

For example, an organization like the Tampa Bay Rays could create an online promotion entitled, "The 50 Top Rays Fans of America" where fans are asked to submit short videos stating why they should be nominated as their state/city's representative. Teams with a more global focus (e.g. Lakers, Rockets, etc.) could create a similar promotion around the Top 50 fans around the world. Team can either reward these "select fans" with exclusive gear, special entitlements (monthly calls, guest visits, etc.), or special offers from supporting corporate partners.

Which sports properties are currently running similar campaigns?

I. Barclays

Barclays is currently offering a "Barclays Fan of India" promotion as they search for the most passionate and fanatical Barclays Premier League supporter across India. Indian residents are asked to submit an entry form on http://barclaysfanofindia.com that tells why they are the biggest Premier League fan in India in less than 100 words. Fans can complement their submissions with videos and photos to enhance their chance of winning.

The first prize winner will receive a trip for two (2) to see a Barclays Premier League team of their choice during the 2009-10 season. The winners will receive airfare, three (3) nights of hotel accommodations, tickets and transfers as part of their experience. Ten runners-up winners will receive a free authentic Barclays Premiership jersey. Here is a quick video of the promotional campaign:

II. Boston Red Sox

In 2008, the Boston Red Sox ran a contest to name 45 Governors of Red Sox Nation (e.g. state representatives). The team received 1,500+ applications from supporters representing all 50 states (741 from non New England states). Each of the appointed governors will help connect members of Red Sox Nation within their home state to their favorite team and provide the President and Vice President of Red Sox Nation with continuous feedback. The Governors program will serve as the foundation for the official census of Red Sox Nation... and they also hold some popular watch parties around the nation.

To apply for the chance to be a Red Sox Governor, fans had to submit answers to two (2) short answer essay questions and solicit support from friends. Fans were judged on their enthusiasm for the Boston Red Sox coupled with knowledge of the team's history, creativity, understanding of the social climate of the state they represented, and the number of endorsements they received on their fan page.

Those selected as Bosten Red Sox Governors were given an unlimited Fenway Tour pass for themselves and one guest, two (2) tickets to a 2009 Boston Red Sox game, a Certificate of Governorship signed by Red Sox Team President Larry Luchino, the opportunity to partake in periodic conference calls with other Governors, a Red Sox Nation t-shirt, a 2009 RSN Fan Pack Citizenship, a subscription to MLBTV.com for the 2009 season, personalized business cards, and a photograph of their name on the Fenway Park scoreboard.

LetsGoSharks.com Goes Guerrilla in Anaheim...

Are you looking for ways to implement a guerrilla marketing stunt in-arena? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness support in a competitor's arena?

During the 2009 NHL Playoffs, LetsGoSharks.com featured a creative guerrilla signage stunt at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The tactic, designed to drive awareness and support for the Sharks organization (specifically LetsGoSharks.com), featured two (2) rows of Sharks fans doing  a chomping motion with large-sized shark teeth.

LetsGoSharks.com's guerrilla tactic served as an effective way to drive awareness at a competitor's arena and provides a benchmark example for ways that companies with small marketing budgets can drive some incremental visibility in-venue (those without partnership rights will likely get caught and removed but it might be worth the shot).

Check out LetsGoSharks.com's in-venue guerrilla tactic below:

adidas Demonstrates Benefits with Pred-a-Rater

Are you looking to demonstrate to consumers how they can benefit from using your product? Are you looking for ways to leverage soccer personalities?

In March, adidas released a series of soccer viral pieces that feature the world's premier soccer players testing out the company's prized Predator footwear. In each of the clips, adidas demonstrates the benefits derived from wearing Predator soccer boots by measuring the shooting power and precision of the world's finest players using a Pred-a-Rater machine.  

The Pred-a-Rater machine is said to use a mathematical analysis to accurately track a shot's velocity and trajectory on its 11-meter distance from the penalty distance to the goal. Whether the Pred-a-Rater is an accurate measuring tool or not, the clips effectively demonstrate benefits believed to be derived from wearing the Predator footwear (and showcase the personalities of the world's finest soccer stars). Check out two clips from the Pred-a-Rater campaign below:

Grow a Beard for a Good Cause During the NHL Playoffs...

Are you looking for a creative way to drive donations for a charitable organization? Are you looking for a way to capitalize on playoff fever?

During the 2009 NHL playoffs, several teams have aligned with Cenergy Communications to offer a Beard-a-Thon competition for fans to participate in and enjoy online. The Beard-a-Thon serves as a promotional effort designed to drive charitable donations around the excitement of playoff hockey. With a captivating slogan (Grow one for the team), the charitable promotion serves as a great way to engage fans in the action.

On the Beard-a-Thon web site, fans are asked to create an account that shows their playoff beard. For fans that cannot grow facial hair, the site features some graphics to let consumers create a customized look. Once a profile is created, consumers can then donate money on your behalf (or your favorite team) to the charitable cause aligned with the Beard-a-Thon competition. Fans who raise the most money for their charitable organizations will win a grand prize selected by each fo the teams (2nd and 3rd place will also be given prizes in some cases).

Teams are promoting the Beard-a-Thon with press releases and some prime banner ad space on their team home pages. From a social media standpoint, Cenergy Communications created a Twitter account (@Beardathon) to drive some additional impressions (674 followers) for the charitable promotion.

Teams participating in the Beard-a-Thon competition include:

• Boston Bruins (Boston Bruins Foundation) - Raised $67K*
• New York Rangers (Garden of Dreams) - Raised $27K
• Washington Capitals (Caps Care) - Raised $34K
• Chicago Blackhawks (Chicago Blackhawks Charities) - Raised $12K
• Detroit Red Wings (Detroit Red Wings Foundation) - Still Growing
• Philadelphia Flyers (Flyers Charities, Comcast Spectacor Foundation) - Still Growing
• San Jose Sharks (Sharks Foundation) - Still Growing
• Pittsburgh Penguins (The Mario Lemieux Foundation) - Raised $61K
• Carolina Hurricanes (Kids N' Community Foundation) - Raised $35K

*One Bruins fan, Bob Sweeney of Boston, MA raised $11K+ in donations on his own

Enclosed are some vignettes that participating teams created to promote the Beard-a-Thon cause:

Gillette is Stayin' Alive with Jeter, Woods, and Federer...

Are you looking for ways to incorporate a national media campaign into gameday settings? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?

Gillette recently launched a bold campaign entitled, "The Walk of Gillette", that places its three (3) key athlete endorsers - Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer - in an unforeseen setting (the 1970's). The campaign is designed to spark a "Here's to Confidence" movement that drives consumers to sign up for the chance to win a free Fusion Razor. Gillette is supporting the campaign by giving away free Fusion razors to the first 500 registrants on the promotional page every day for a month from April 16th through May 16th.

What's unique about this campaign?

Gillette is going to feature the 60-second ad on the jumbotron during 17 Yankees home games over the course of the next month (have we ever seen a company leverage this inventory to push a national media campaign?). They are complementing the in-game spot by offering an SMS promotion that will give away free Fusion razors to the first 1,000 Yankees fans that respond to an in-game SMS promotion.  After hearing a Gillette PA announcement, fans are asked to text in a special short code to receive a short code that they can redeem on Gillette's promotional page for the chance to win a free Fusion razor.

The unusual campaign, which emphasizes the confidence consumers feel when using Gillette products (versus a focus on product attributes), is proving to be very popular in its early stages of existence. Since its launch two (2) weeks ago, the Gillette's "Stayin' Alive" piece has garnered over 500,000 views.

Source: MediaPost

The Flyers Call on their Fans During the Playoffs...

Are you looking for ways to stimulate playoff ticket sales? Are you looking for a new call-to-action to energize fans?

The Philadelphia Flyers recently teamed up with Verizon and Wawa to create an engaging ticket sales piece designed to serve as a call-to-action during the team's run in the 2009 NHL playoffs. The ticket promotion models the one implemented to drive ticket sales for the University of Gonzaga's women's basketball team.

The Flyers called on a supporting case of players and coaches (Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and John Stevens) to deliver the playoff ticket sales message. The video piece features a realistic setting (making one feel like they are taking in a game at the Wachovia Center) and a cool LED ribbon board feature that shows the message "Calling XXXX". Fans that share the viral piece with their friends can be entered for the chance to win a Flyers Suite.

Overall, the acting could have been a little better but and the Flyers could have integrated Wawa/Verizon in a more unique fashion, but it is still a great piece. Hats off to Channel 1 Media!

A special thanks to Mike Mahoney of the Carolina Panthers organization for his insights and contributions to the column.

Check it out:

 

The "Bruins Hockey Rules" Campaign Sparks Viral Buzz...

Is your brand looking to create a humorous viral campaign to drive fan excitement? Are you looking for new ways to drive attention to your organization's playoff run?

In an effort to drive buzz around their 2009 playoff run, the Boston Bruins recently released a classic "Bruins Hockey Rules" campaign that features the team's mascot enforcing some hockey etiquette. The Bruins teamed up with Mullen, a Massachusetts-based advertising agency, to create a playoff campaign that features both viral pieces and print ads.  

The club does a tremendous job building buzz and interest for its first round series against the Montreal Canadiens with three (3) humorous clips, which have all generated 70,000+ impressions in just a matter of a few days:

Shiner Bock Sneaks one by Heineken...

Are you looking to create a unique guerrilla marketing campaign to promote a beverage? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness at an event where a competitor has exclusivity to distribution rights?

In 2008, marketing personnel from the Spoetzl Brewery found themselves in a David vs. Goliath battle as they searched for ways to make an impact at the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival. For years, the brewery had used the three-day festival (attracting 65K persons per day) as a platform to promote and drive affinity for their Shiner Bock beer. But to their disfortune, Heineken paid an undisclosed amount of money in 2008 to become the festival's official beer sponsor, gaining exclusive distribution rights. 

As a result, the brewery's representatives turned to their agency, McGarrah Jessee, to create a captivating guerrilla marketing campaign to steal the show.

The result? McGarrah Jessee created and distributed 10,000 beer koozies that exactly resembled the Shiner beer cans. The koozies were distributed to concertgoers en route to the festival, where only Heineken was sold inside. When consumers at the Austin City Limits Music Festival put the koozies around the Heineken beers they purchased at the festival, it appeared that people were drinking Shiner Bock - not Heineken.

The guerrilla marketing strategy serves as a perfect example for ways that brand with smaller marketing budgets and activation dollars can overcome their large competitors. Check out the Shiner guerrilla branding tactic below:

Arsenal FC Cherishes its Memories with Time Capsule...

Are you looking for a new way to commemorate your organization's success on and off the field? Are you looking for new ways to engage your fanbase through a unique experience?

When Arsenal FC moved into its new stadium facility, Emirates Stadium, the team honored its 91 years of tradition competing at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury by creating a specially-made time capsule. The EPL team invited current and past players, team personnel, and thousands of guests to attend a special ceremony. Arsenal FC featured footage of the event and exclusive player interviews on its team channel, Arsenal PLUS, for subscribers to view during their free time (creating exclusive content for fans).

The club filled the time capsule with nearly 40 items, 25 of which had been chosen by the team's fans. Items placed in the time capsule included original team jerseys, Captain armbands, and replica models. Arsenal FC placed the time capsule on display at Emirates Stadium for fans to enjoy while attending the club's home matches.

Time capsules serve as an excellent way for organizations to commemorate their history, engage fans, and highlight the best practices of their corporate partners. Tactics teams can consider implementing can include:

• Promotional Offers / Fan Incentives - Teams can ask all fans who attended their games in a given season to submit a ticket stub with their name on it to win free tickets for a decade/lifetime. The team can anonomously place one winning ticket stub in the capsule and announce the winner 5-10 years later when it is opened
• Corporate Partner Engagement - Teams can create "Corporate Partner Capsules" that highlight their initiatives during a given season. When the team opens the capsule in 5-10 years, if any of the sponsors involved are still partners with the team, the club will provide them with exclusive inventory/value (to encourage partners to remain committed to the team, etc.)
• Commemorate Team History - When teams are looking for ways to honor their history when moving into facilities, honoring retired players, and renovating their current venues, time capsules can serve as a great way to commemorate special occasions

Source: Flickr Photos from arsenalfc

Is Your Organization Calorie-Conscious?

Are you looking for new ways to enhance your concessions stands? Are you looking to provide fans with healthier food/drink items at the ballpark?

When Yankees fans head to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time in 2010 they will notice a variety of changes at the concessions stands. In addition to the standard ballpark fare (hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, etc.) the Yankees organization will now sell a variety of new offerings at its 137 concession stands, including:

• Cuban Sandwiches (sold at the Latin Corner)
• Nachos and Burritos
• Noodle Bowls
• Sushi and Salads
• Barbeque

But one of the biggest changes that fans will notice is that concessions stands around the new Yankee Stadium will post information detailing the amount of calories that are in the food available for sale. With consumers thinking more consciously about their health and eating, and exercising habits, industry personnel can expect to see more teams follow in suit with similar calorie insights at the concessions stand.

Check out some examples below of the calorie information posted at concessions stands around the new Yankee Stadium:

Nike Shines with "Show Your Five" Campaign...

Are you looking to promote a grassroots soccer tournament? Are you looking for a unique way to relate professional sports to the games played by everyday children on the streets?

In February, Nike released a tremendous online campaign designed to peak consumer interest in their  "Show Your Five" soccer tournament being hosted across Europe. The tournament, marking Nike's largest brand push in Europe in the past decade, features teams of the best footballers in Europe competing against one another in a 5v5 match.

Nike's Show Your Five tournament website features an array of interactive features for soccer enthusiasts to enjoy, including:

• Mash Up Your Game - A feature that lets consumers create their own highlight videos
• Show Your Music - A feature that lets consumers check out the official bands of the tournament
• The New Zoom CT - Shows product attributes of the brand's new footwear
• A variety of videos stemming
• Event / Venue details

To drive buzz for the tournament, Nike featured Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole competing alongside skilled amateur footballers in an urban-style match. Check out the clip below:

Venus Plays Tennis in Traffic to Drive Buzz for Sony Ericsson Open...

Are you looking to stimulate buzz in the local marketplace for an upcoming event? Are you looking to create a new guerrilla marketing campaign leveraging athletes?

Representatives at the Sony Ericsson Open recently called on Venus Williams and Andy Murrary to stop traffic and play a game of tennis atop cars in Miami to promote their 2009 tournament. The guerrilla marketing stunt served as a great way to drive awareness and buzz for the tournament amidst the clutter of events taking place on any given weekend in Miami.

Williams and Murray played an impromptu game of car-roof tennis on Ocean Drive in Miami, drawing a crowd of onlookers and media personnel (making it a hit in the viral world).

Check out a clip of the action below:

The Rockets Elevate Their Concourse Branding...

Are you looking to give your stadium concourse a new look and feel? Are you looking to drive awareness for a new branding initiative amongst fans attending games at your venue?

The Houston Rockets organization has done a tremendous job branding the concourse level at the Toyota Center. The concourse looks fresh, conveys team basketball, and leverages the team's biggest asset in a unique way. Check out some pictures below that detail the team's creative branding tactics:

Mercedes-Benz Makes Racing a State of Mind...

Are you looking to create a humorous advertising campaign that leverages athlete endorsers? Are you looking to portray the personalities of rising stars in your league/organization?

Mercedes-Benz did a tremendous job playing up the personalities of Formula 1 stars Lewis Hamilton (representing England) and Fernando Alonso (representing Spain) in its 2007 viral hit, "Racing is a State of Mind". The humorous clip, portraying how Hamilton and Alonso's lives on and off the track are driven by their competitive nature, generated over 1 million impressions in the online space.

Organizations and leagues in the United States with duos/trios of rising stars should consider creating similar humorous campaigns to help position them in a positive light in the minds of consumers: 

• NHL (Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin)
• NBA (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade
• NFL (Matt Ryan, Matt Cassel)
• MLB (David Price, Joba Chamberlain)
• NASCAR (Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin)
• Tennis (Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic)
• PGA (Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim)

The Indianapolis Colts Help a Hoosier...

Is your organization looking to make a difference in your local community? Are you looking to align your organization with an important cause?

The Indianapolis Colts have recently become a leader in the sports cause marketing scene with their organization's "Help a Hoosier - Spark Random Acts of Kindness" initiative. The team has made it their personal mission to help others living in the state of Indiana through random acts of kindness, goodwill, and monetary support.

To drive support for the campaign, the Indianapolis Colts released a captivating viral campaign (shown below) and are hosting a Help a Hoosier Canned Food Drive on March 20th at Monument Circle from 11am-1pm. On their team website, the Colts feature a list of suggested simple acts of kindness that people can consider doing to help friends, strangers, and family living in the state of Indiana:

• Have a clothing drive at work donate to a homeless shelter, pay for a kid to play in a sports league, visit a nursing home, donate your child's toys to charity, buy lunch for an intern, share your umbrella, volunteer at a local elementary school, take a homeless person out for lunch, write a supportive letter for a friend, etc. 

Take a moment to watch the Colts' captivating viral campaign for the Help a Hoosier initiative and pass it along to five (5) friends. The video features a collection of Colts team employees asking YOU to join them in the movement:

A special thanks to Bryan Kryder for his contributions and insights to this column.

The Suns Influence Social Buzz with Special "Tweet Up" Event...

Are you looking to influence and control what bloggers are saying about your organization or brand? Are you looking to tap into non-traditional forms of media?

Organizations looking to take greater control of their brand image/messaging in the social media marketplace should consider benchmarking the efforts of the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, led by the charge of Amy Martin (Director of Media Research), have done a tremendous job tapping into the social media space by creating their own:

• Social networking forum (Planet Orange)
• Twitter page (which the team often uses to distribute tickets via a "Suns Twitter Trivia" challenge
• 20+ Active Blogs by Suns players and personnel
• Podcasts Forum
• Widget Tools
• Team Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, and Interactive Web Features (Suns Locker Room) 

Now the Phoenix Suns organization is taking greater efforts to control what bloggers, basketball fans, and general consumers have to say about their brand in the social media marketplace. The Suns recently held a "Tweet Up" event, inviting fans who tweet about the team to experience a once in a lifetime event.

To draw interest in the team's exclusive "Tweet Up" event, the Suns created a special offer for its Twitter faithful that included a free "Suns on Twitter" t-shirt, a souvenir bag, and the chance to sit in an exclusive "Twitterville" section for just $37 (a discount of 33% off $54 seats). The promotion grew interest from 125+ Suns tweeters who were treated to an exclusive pre-game event at Dan Majerle's restaurant and a special post-game behind-the-scenes experience.

The Suns made the event memorable for its Twitter guests by surprising them with an exclusive post-game Q&A session with Suns GM Steve Kerr and autograph session with the team's star center, Shaquille O'Neal, who is actually an active participant on Twitter with 34,000+ followers.

The results?

According to the site ConvinceandConvert.com, the event led to the team receiving a tweet on Twitter every 1.6 minutes on the day of the event and dozens of blogs providing coverage of the exclusive event. Not to mention the 125 incremental tickets the team sold to its Twitter faithful attending the game and the free social buzz it received around the event.

Check out a video detailing the Suns' exclusive "Tweet Up" event below:

The Twins Target Fans During the Super Bowl...

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your organization? Have you ever considered buying local air time during the Super Bowl?

The Minnesota Twins aired the first commercial of their 2009 "This is Twins Territory" campaign at the end of the third quarter during Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast on their local NBC affiliate KARE-11. The :30 ad served as a great way for the club to target all fans watching the "big game" in the local Minneapolis and Saint Paul DMA's.

The commercial, entitled "Trucks" featured a handful of Twins players delivering supplies to the site of their new home, Target Field. The ad did a great job showcasing the Twins' stars and the fact that they will be moving into a new ballpark in 2010. The spot is the first of five that are expected to run throughout the 2009 MLB season.

Why run a baseball ad during the Super Bowl you might ask? Once football is over, people immediately start turning their attention to baseball and spring training. The Twins felt that it was the right time and a great audience to promote their product to. The Twins aired their first regional Super Bowl ad, "Sandlot", during the 2008 matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants at approximately a cost of $30,000.

Enclosed below are the Twins' two (2) Super Bowl ads - Trucks (2009) and Sandlot (2008):

Lions Seats For Sale... But Is Anyone Surprised?

As an avid sports fan, how would you react to your favorite team going winless on the season?

After witnessing the Detroit Lions make history by becoming the first NFL organization to lose 16 games in a season, a few Lions season ticket holders took the matter into their own hands and got creative with their PSL seat rights. After the Lions final home loss, a few ticket holders decided to put For Sale signs up on their seats with some humorous messaging...

While the For Sale signs sum up the emotions of Detroit fans everywhere, they also potentially present an idea for "Official Realtors" to capitalize on. Official Team Realtors should consider brainstorming creative ways that they can us the rights/marks/assets of the organizations that they are aligned with to help drive awareness and new business. 

Realtors can:

• Use a select event date to distribute branded For Sale signs (that consumers can use for anything)
• Find unique ways to tie official team rights and marks into the marketing materials (co-branded For Sale signs in the lawns of the clients they are representing, use a mascot appearance for a exclusive showing)
• Capitalize on local franchises being put up for sale (creating billboard campaigns that imply that their realtor division is closing some of the other large deals in town)
• Utilize courtside inventory (For Sale Signs to Our New Customers for $1" on select seats) to drive business