USA Wrestling Takes Its Media Campaign To Another Level...

Are you considering ways to boost media coverage for your organization? Is your Governing Body looking to drive incremental media buzz?

The USA Wrestling Team recently teamed up with IFL Communications to orchestrate a well-planned and executed media plan to help promote their "Fuel the Dream" fundraising campaign. After four days of grueling qualifying for the Beijing Olympics, twelve (12) USA wrestling team members (six men, six women) traveled cross country alongside four (4) staff members to begin a media campaign in New York City. The group spent three (3) days promoting the "Fuel the Dream", a fundraising initiative that will enable the athletes to have their families join them in Beijing.

A "media tour" of this kind was a broad stroke for a mid-sized National Governing Body to pull off, but USA Wrestling, with the help of IFL Strategic Communications, set up a full range of long and short term media opportunities that involved every athlete.  The hits ranged from NPR and the New York Times to CNBC and Telemundo and included appearances at the New York Stock Exchange and the Sports Museum of America, where the team congregated with the Chinese Olympic baseball team. The trip also included a media lunch at Foley's New York, where the restaurant unveiled a sandwich dedicated to the USA Wrestling team, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the team's "Fuel The Dream" campaign.

In all, the team did almost 25 hours of interviews with over 30 media organizations over a 48 hour period, helping the team garner immediate national and regional exposure for both the athletes and the brand. The team's media initiative also helped seed stories with media that will be on hand for the Olympics in Beijing.

Bringing mid-level athletes en masse to New York and proactively identifying and then pitching the stories to a wide range of media is a worthwhile practice that other Governing Bodies should consider in an Olympic year, as the cost of travel paled in comparision to the long and short range exposure. Leading into the month of August, tremendous coverage will be given to U.S. athletes competing in the Beijing Olympics, but the USA Wrestling Team is hoping that with these efforts, they will be one step ahead. 

Thanks to Joe Favorito of the IFL for his contributions to this column. We wish the USA Wrestling team and IFL Strategic Communications the best of luck with their preparations heading into the Beijing Games.

Sonic Branding: What is the Sound of Your Brand?

Sit back and take a quick moment to think, what is the sound of your brand? How does the "sound" of the Dallas Cowboys differ from that of the Miami Dolphins? How does Miller Lite differ from Heineken?

From classical to country to hip-hop, brands across the globe connect with consumers with different sounds. What I am talking about is Sonic Branding, the use of a special sound to identify and advertise products associated with a particular manufacturer. Sonic branding is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for brands to convey memorable messages to consumers... Why? Marketers are now starting to combine music and sports to hit their target consumer base's multiple passion points...

How are professional organizations starting to capitalize on this phenomenon? They are starting to take ownership of their music by integrating corporate partners more heavily in their online content/in-game music (i.e. offering team/player music via iTunes integration online) and are taking greater strides to understand how they can win over more consumers by creating products/events that incorpoate both music and sports (i.e. Nike Plus).

From an outsiders view, which teams have done a great job capitalizing on the passion that fans have for both music and sports? Consider the ways that Celtic Glasow, Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees incorporate music into their game experience. Can these organizations do a much better job leveraging these sounds as assets? Of course... Which is definitely something that we will start to see all teams expound upon in the near future as consumers take greater control of their music and sports... 

Check out three (3) videos that detail how these four (4) teams have incorporated music into their in-game entertainment...

Drive Eyeballs Towards Your Signage By Activating It!

Are you looking to draw attention to your billboards and messaging? Are you looking to captivate the interests of fans, passerby consumers and likewise draw media attention? Activate it. Make it come to life. How? Check out the two (2) following examples:

Toyota performed an interesting stunt to draw attention to a billboard promoting its Toyota Rav4 and "Serious Fun" messaging in Brussels... The automobile manufacturer enabled street pedestrians to jump on a trampoline in front of the billboard to grab an information packet sitting on top of the outdoor signage... an interactive experience that drew significant attention from consumers passing by in their cars...

Why couldn't a sports organization/brand implement a similar branding initiative to promote an upcoming basketball season? (i.e. persons in team jerseys bouncing on a trampoline and making baskets in front of a team billboard, etc.) Or tennis tournament? (players bouncing in the air swinging rackets) Or an airline partner signaling a tie-in between their services and the flight time players have while dunking? There are many correlations here for sports professionals...

Looking for a more simplistic idea?

The Dubai Tennis Championship creatively used its messaging as a backdrop for a performing artist at a local venue... This practice can be implemented by brands and organizations everywhere; placing the messaging in a locale where consumer's eyes are fixated for long periods at a time... Why don't we see more of this? This is such a cost-effective promotional practice to implement... Develop similar techniques to activate at your local QSR and casual dining partners' locations! Use promotional backdrops for concerts that take place in your venue!

Go LIVE With Commercials...

Are your commercials lacking substance? Are you continuously looking for new ways to capture the attention of your target audience during in-game broadcasts?

If so, consider mimicking a commercial stunt similar to the one that Honda aired last night live during the reality show Come Dine With Me on British television. Honda staged the first ever live advert by tasking nineteen (19) skydivers with spelling out the word Honda while descending thousands of feet in the air. The crew had three minutes and twenty seconds to complete the stunt, a campaign that supports Honda's new advertising tagline of "Difficult is worth doing".

Check out the "live" skydiving clip below that Honda successfully performed during the commercial break:

Now, you are probably reading this and consider this new strategy to be crazy, concerning all of the difficulty and risk involved with time parameters, etc. But would you be suprised to see a sponsor perform a similar commercial stunt during an upcoming Super Bowl? Or another large event like the NBA finals, MLB All-Star Game, or the World Cup?

The answer is no, especially as brands continuously search for new ways to promote their products and capture the attention of viewers. With increased choice and viewer fragmentation, don't be suprised to see marketers make more risky, innovative attempts to make their messaging a "must-see" for consumers.

Are You Looking to Offer Customized Products?

Are you looking to create customized team products? Limited edition apparel/items that are uniquely designed for your organization? After all, these are the items that fans and season ticket holders are looking for...

If so, don't look past the work of Logan Real, an up-and-coming Miami artist who designs custom shoes and apparel for a range of celebrities; from the Miami Heat's DJ Irie to P Diddy to WWE Super Star John Cena. Real specializes in creating custom hand designed work, spanning a variety of items:

• Shoes
• Watchbands
• Dress Belts
• Photo Wallets
• Blackberry Cases
• Wallets
• Briefcases
• Vintrage Dress Watches/Bands
• Purses / Swimsuits
• Dog Collars

Logan Real's work has been featured in numerous editions of Ocean Drive magazine and Acclaim magazine and had his products showcased at Superbowl Weekend hosted by ESPN.  

Real's hand painted design work is truly exceptional. If there is an artist to go to in the industry for customized work, he is it! Take a moment and check it out...

Target Aging Baby Boomers and Senior Citizens...

Are you looking to capture the attention and interests of the aging baby boomer demographic? Are you looking to develop a platform that acknowledges senior citizens in your local marketplace?

Check out the Tampa Bay Rays' innovative "Golden Rays" program, a campaign developed to draw senior citizens in the Tampa marketplace to the ballpark. Golden Rays Plus Memberships are available for just $10 to all Rays fans 55 years of age or over...

Golden Rays Plus Members Receive:

• One (1) ticket voucher to one of eight (8) select games (the dates vary)
• One (1) ticket voucher to see either the Yankees or Red Sox play in Tampa
• $2 off Outfield Tickets and $1 off Upper Deck tickets to Regular Games Monday through Thursday
• Golden Rays T-Shirt
• Invitation to attend Exclusive Seminars
• Golden Rays Newsletter

To sign up, consumers can either fill out a quick information page on the team's website or call 727.342.4774.

By offering direct access to this membership base (or the group database), I would think that the Rays could effectively sell a presenting partnership for this group... As many companies look for new ways to target baby boomers, wouldn't an automobile/healthcare/eyecare/financial company be interested in tying in their business? Offering select discounts/rewards/plans for Golden Rays members? This serves as a great example of how teams can further segment their fanbases to show incremental value to potential partners...

A great initiative to mirror as the baby boomer demographic nears retirement!

The WWE Targets... Kids?

With youth interests and sports participation figures fluxuating in the past decade, teams and brands alike have been devising new strategies to target this attractive demo... Youth now have more disposable income, influence on HHLD purchasing decisions, and freedom to speak their minds (through a variety of media channels).

How are figureheads in the sports world responding to this? Well, the WWE is on to something...

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) soon will be launching a web site strictly for kids. The site, WWEKids.com, will complement the recent launch of the organization's kids magazine, WWE kids. Both initiatives are geared towards youth 6-14 years of age. WWEKids.com will host content from the magazine and offer interactive puzzles, interviews, and games featuring the wrestlers as well as consumer products. WWE is sidestepping nervous parents by offering exercise suggestions, providing details on healthy eating, and promoting community involvement and self-esteem.

Geof Rochester, Executive Vice President of Marketing for WWE, commented, "We have seen a steady growth in younger viewers of our programs, and we have made a conscious decision to embrace this audience."

This is a GREAT initiative and serves as a model that I think many professional leagues will look to model. Look for more information to come on similar concepts as they develop...

Connect With Your Fans Via Facebook/Myspace...

What are some innovative ways that your team/brand has tried to connect with its fanbase on Facebook and Myspace?

While many marketers understand that social networking applications are the most effective means for targeting young consumers, many have not discovered effective ways to make use of these mediums.

The Cincinnati Bengals have discovered an easy solution for engraining their brand in the lives of their fans... The team created the "Bengal Widget", a transferable item that users can post on their social networking profiles.

The Bengals Widget offers the 2008 schedule, team videos, news updates, and related team events. Users can simply "own" the Widget by copying it directly from the team site to their social networking profile or copying and pasting the widget's HTML code directly into their website. All consumers have to do is hit the "Grab It button" on the widget, posted on the team webpage.

Look for more teams to discover and create unique widgets that fans can post on their fan profiles to show their team support! The sports applications on Facebook have already demonstrated the popularity of these types of widgets among users.

Have You Considered Giving Your Venue Restrooms a Makeover?

When was the last time that your organization considered making dramatic improvements to its concessions and bathroom facilities? We repeatedly here about teams upgrading their scoreboards, stadium seating, and suite levels, but too often we ignore some of our venue's most pivotal assets - restrooms and food concessions.

Consider the following guerilla tactic implemented by Kleenex... Have you considered bringing on a CPG/Home Improvement partner that can be leveraged to enhance your venue's facilities? This could serve as a great way to vastly improve your women's restrooms to say the least...

Nike Goes Guerilla to Promote Running...

Are you looking for innovative ways to capture the attention of your consumers and fans during their every day lives? Nike walked a fine line with its guerilla marketing tactics in Prague, shown in the clip below... Nonetheless, an innovative tactic that definitely drove consumer awareness on the streets of the city!

The Phoenix Coyotes "Get" Guerilla Marketing...

Which teams and University athletic departments have emerged as "best-in-class" when it comes to grassroots efforts? The following pictures make a strong case for the Phoenix Coyotes, an organization that always seems to find innovative ways to leverage their product in the Phoenix marketplace.

Check out some of the Coyotes grassroots efforts and consider ways that you can implement similar ideas within your venue/market:

Unique Fan Photo Area Out-of-Venue:

Bathroom Activation (Team Branded Mirror)

Custom Shopping Cart Return

Faceoff Street Theatre (Street Corner Display)

Innovative Awareness Tactics

Not sure if the Coyotes actually did this... But this would be a great way to leverage your hockey organization at a local bowling alley!

Looking For A Home Court Advantage? Consider "Speedo Guy"...

The clip below details how Duke fans leveraged "Speedo Guy" to distract UNC shooters at the free throw line... A very interesting in-game tactic that seems to have worked! Off-the-wall sponsors (i.e. Axe, Trojan, etc.) should consider identifying similar personalities on college campuses to drive unique in-game guerilla marketing tactics...

What Would You Do For UNC-Duke Tickets?

What would you do for UNC-Duke tickets... arguably the hottest ticket in all of college sports? At the University of North Carolina, the Carolina Athletic Association (CAA) hosts a contest as part of "Beat Dook Week" that dangles four (4) riser tickets and four (4) lower-level tickets to the game for students who are willing to perform the greatest (craziest) stunts.

The contest is said to get bigger every year... and the 2007-08 season did not disappoint! The "What Would You Do For Dook Tickets" contest is held annually, with a Pokey-Stick eating contest and a soda-chugging contest complementing the promotion in the Pit in 2007-08.

This is a great tactic to drive student fan interest/demand for rivalry games... but most athletic departments would want to act with caution due to the potential legalities with being involved!

Word Of Mouth... Is What The Industry Is Talking About

The March 2008 edition of Event Marketer features some great information on Word of Mouth (WOM) Marketing that I wanted to share... As sports marketers, we always hear about it, yet facts and results are rarely brought to the table. The goal of this article is to build your knowledge on word of mouth marketing - read up and spread the word!

What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Simply, it is getting people to talk about a brand by creating meaningful and direct interactions with consumers (usually through a brand ambassador communicating their experiences). WOM is an effort by an organization to encourage, facilitae, and amplify marketing-relevant messages among consumers

Where is Word-of-Mouth Marketing Happening? Everywhere. People are telling others about the brands they love and the experiences they take in. Turn brand engagements (stadium experiences) into stories worth telling to friends and colleagues... Capitalize on this! What is the story that your fans will tell their frends? Events get people charged up about brands like nothing else... What are you doing with your promotions/corporate sponsorship initiatives to agree with this statement?

Why is Word-of-Mouth Marketing a Growing Trend? Ad budgets are down, alternative media spending is up - yet 90% of consumers are talking to each other face-to-face about brands. Now, consumers are in control of the message. WOM spending topped $1BN in 2007, making it one of the fastest-growing alternative media segments (to give you an idea of the shift to non-traditional marketing/advertising methods: Nike spent just 1/3 of its $678MM ad budget on traditional media in 2006) 

Is Word-of-Mouth Marketing Effective? A new research report released by The Event Marketing Institute revealed that 78% of event attendees told others about their on-site experience. Some 90% of these people talked up the event to others within 48 hours - a simple note that demonstrates that people are communicating about their experiences more now than ever...and are doing so across multiple channels  

Is Word-of-Mouth-Marketing Cost-Effective? In most cases, yes. Companies that leverage buzz and influencer programs to increase reach lower their critical "cost-per-touch" measure. According to an EMI study, 77% of consumers say that their purchase decisions are influenced by others.

Sports Marketer Implications: Wait, what? 77% of consumers say that their purchase decisions are influenced by others. Here is the answer for persons selling tickets - focus your efforts on identifying brand ambassadors - create influencer programs (especially to drive group sales) where you identify one (1) brand fanatic and have them spread the message to others about their experience attending a game, etc. By creating these "customer-to-prospect" programs, you essentially want to reach out to a consumer who understands the brand and then takes it upon themselves to infect others on your behalf... Providing them with a VIP experience or some free gear/behind-the-scenes access couldn't hurt either...

How do you become a Word-of-Mouth Marketer? Start by asking yourself a few of these questions...

• What is our marketing doing to encourage WOM and in particular WOM advocacy?
• How do we drive buzz that stimulates trial and repeat purchase?
• How can we make it easy in our messaging for consumers to really be able to share with each other the most relevant and important and exciting things about our brands?
• How does our messaging bring that to the fore so it's easy for consumers to have the language to talk about our brand and what are the marketing mechanisms that make it easy for consumers to spread the word about our brand?
• How can I take advantage of the fact that 90% of event attendees bring at least one other person with them? That more than 66% of persons travel to events in groups of 2-4 people? That 37% of people share their event experience with friends and family on the same day it took place?
• Am I putting the consumer in charge of the message and letting them control it? What steps am I taking to have my brand weaved into their conversations and how can I influence this?
• Have I identified my influencers/connectors - socially connected consumers that passionately love my brand and act  as my best customers? Have I identified my core group of brand advocates? Have I taken measures to identify such a group of individuals in the stadium setting? Influencers, who make up just 10% of the world's population, wield their influence on everyone they meet.  

Target Out-of-Town Fans!

Are you looking to target fans outside of your team's local market? Consider benchmarking the online tool that the New York Jets created for their fans across the globe.

The New York Jets feature an online portal called Out of Town Jets Fans. The online tool is so simple, yet it provides a very effective way for the Jets to connect their fans and increase their affinity for the organization.

The Out of Town Jets Fans is a user-friendly spreadsheet tool that lists:

• Bar/Restaurant Location
• Address
• City
• Phone
• Specials

Users can post their own fan club pages, access existing fan pages, and update new bar listings. Users can search by state listings. This is a great tool to stay connected with fans out-of-market!