понедельник, 17 сентября 2012 г.

Thai Athletes May Launch New Era of Sports Marketing. - Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand)

Byline: Nondhanada Intarakomalyasut

Jun. 21--Thailand's top sports personalities could lead the country into a new era of marketing as the combination of their talent, dedication, determination and accomplishments could be used to help boost the images of brands.

In the past, most brand presenters were actors and models as heart-stopping good looks were the main attributes required.

But with the emergence of world-class athletes like tennis ace Paradorn Srichaphan, the country's marketing industry is about to follow a similar trend to that seen in the West where sports figures are seen promoting products from soft drinks to chequing accounts and investments.

According to David McConnell, senior international vice-president of IMG, a US-based leading sports and entertainment marketing firm which represents some of the world's most prominent athletes like golfer Tiger Woods and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, the value of sports marketing and events in Thailand is likely to jump by 30 percent in the next few years.

He said the growth would be driven by the increasing number of Thai athletes who have the potential to become world-class sports stars.

The upcoming Olympic Games in Athens later this year would further boost the sports marketing industry as the event might end up creating new local heroes.

Mr McConnell said that a new brand's credibility would be enhanced immediately by being associated with an established sports star or world-class sporting event.

However, he noted that a key aspect in sports marketing was linking the right brands with athletes which entails understanding consumer behaviour and what motivates a targeted market segment to purchase particular goods and services.

Currently, IMG's subsidiary, IMG Services (Thailand) is representing rising golf star Virada Nirapathpongporn, who was recently signed as a presenter for Bank of Ayudhaya.

Sports marketing is also seen as tool for recruiting future customers as it uses sports personalities as role models for children and teenagers.

'I think sports marketing can become a traditional type of marketing in Thailand. I don't want it to just come and go,' Mr McConnell said.

He applauded the plan by Beer Thai (1991) to advertise its Chang Beer brand on the jerseys of Everton, an English Premier League soccer team as a very good marketing strategy.

'It can be a powerful tool for both parties as the English Premier League has huge followers in Thailand and Everton has a world-class athlete like Wayne Rooney,' he said.

But when asked to comment on the government's attempt to acquire Liverpool, another English Premier League club, he said the government needed to explain to the general public how this huge investment would benefit the country and its citizens.

'In the football industry, few clubs are financially successful as the transfer fee for players has escalated so high. I don't think shares of a football club are blue chips,' he said.

To see more of the Bangkok Post, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bangkokpost.com

Crying foul: scholars examine the consequences of sports marketing.(Arthur Ashe Jr. SPORTS SCHOLARS 2005) - Black Issues in Higher Education

In recent years, scholars have increasingly joined with activists to challenge marketing aimed at children. It is a widely accepted belief that marketers have sold unhealthy foods as well as questionable toys and games, to the detriment of American children. Motivated by declining measures of child well-being, such as heightened obesity rates, increased anxiety and stress levels and decreased exercise levels, some scholars have become outspoken opponents of commercialism in the lives of children.

In addition to criticizing food, toy and game marketing, scholars have questioned the marketing of sports apparel and athletic shoes. Long before the childhood obesity issue began to gain traction as a public health issue, the marketing of athletic shoes to inner-city youth had already dramatized the perils of unbridled consumerism. Starting in the 1980s, reports of violence with teens assaulting other teens over shoes and clothes revealed the alarming degree to which coveted brands provoked destructive behavior.

'I remember during the mid- to late eighties there were a lot of media reports of youths assaulting one another, stealing from others ... when the very expensive sneakers came to be marketed. That's what caught my attention, and I was just baffled by this kind of phenomena,' says Dr. Velma LaPoint, a professor of human development in the school of education at Howard University in Washington.

'(My colleagues and I) began to review the literature and there was virtually nothing there that related to this kind of phenomena,' she adds.

LaPoint says the athletic shoe obsession among Black youths represented part of a larger trend that extended to athletic apparel and designer label clothes. Concern over the larger trend pushed LaPoint and her colleagues to study how the requirement of school uniforms might improve the K-12 environment for inner-city kids. Research showed that having children wear school uniforms helped lessen the tension around youth consumer culture and created a healthier social climate within schools, according to LaPoint.

In 1999, LaPoint's interest in the dress and fashion issue among Black children led her to organize a conference at Howard, bringing together a broad coalition of researchers and activists looking at all aspects of marketing's impact on children. That 1999 meeting proved pivotal to a group of researchers and activists who would later form the core of what is now the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). Serving on the CCFC steering committee, LaPoint helped bring the CCFC's fourth annual summit to the Howard campus just last month (see story on page 11). Also serving on the CCFC steering committee is prominent psychiatry professor Dr. Alvin Poussaint of the Harvard Medical School and the media director of the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston.

IMAGE VERSUS ACTIVITY

As a researcher who studies the participation of children in after-school programs and youth sports teams, Dr. Billy Hawkins, a sport studies professor at the University of Georgia, decries the tendency in sports marketing to promote objects for conspicuous consumption rather than for their intrinsic value to foster athletic activity. The marketing focus is too much on image, rather than on kids actually playing sports, he contends.

'I think you can see that with the rate of childhood obesity on the rise, shoe companies seem to be interested in pushing an image with their shoes more so than actual participation in sports,' Hawkins says.

Hawkins points out that the conspicuous consumption approach to selling athletic shoes and apparel has flourished over the past two decades while there's been a simultaneous decrease in publicly supported and school-based athletic and recreational activities for children and teens in American society. He also points out there's been a rise in private and corporate-sponsored, club-based sports team activity, which often compete for the most athletically talented kids in a community in a given sport.

There's an increased demand that talented young athletes in club sports and high-school teams show allegiance to particular brands, says Hawkins. Apparel companies have stepped up sponsorship of local sports camps, high-school teams and sports clubs, and 'they expect loyalty.'

Dr. Stephen McDaniel, a kinesiology professor at the University of Maryland, says that once companies develop successful advertising campaigns to introduce and promote their shoes and apparel, they also work hard to craft marketing strategies that create brand loyalty. Part of creating the effective advertising campaign begins with establishing a certain image, or 'street credibility' for a product.

'I think today everybody's looking for the next Michael Jordan. Not only do they look out for rising college stars, but companies have signed up high schools where they have cultivated relationships with the coaches,' McDaniel says.

NO MORE STEREOTYPES

Another criticism leveled at sports marketing is the lack of balanced images in advertising campaigns. Dr. C. Keith Harrison, the director of the Paul Robeson Research Center for Leadership, Academic and Athletic Prowess and faculty associate at Arizona State University, indicts American sports marketing for what he describes as its ongoing failure to craft advertising that go beyond stereotypes of the athletes endorsing sports merchandise.

'Look at the ad with (Atlanta Falcons quarterback) Michael Vick. His body is portrayed as a roller-coaster. There's nothing in it that focuses on the cognitive aspect of him being a quarterback,' Harrison says. 'We're never told about the academic and intellectual feats of athletes.'

He says a common stereotype of Black athletes is that they perform by instinct rather than using their minds to make decisions on the playing field. That image of the Black athlete as instinctual is pervasive in marketing campaigns, Harrison notes.

Dr. Lynn Kahle, the James H. Warsaw professor of sports marketing at the University of Oregon, says that while he has 'no problem with tasteful and appropriate marketing efforts, even ads targeted at people who live in inner cities' he would like to see a broader range of images, individuals and ideas featured in sports advertising.

'I just wish more of the ads would promote role models, such as Bill Cosby, from more career choices than just sports. Or maybe promote Michael Jordan the businessperson as well as Michael Jordan the athlete,' Kahle says.

Kahle cites the current trend in sports marketing with the selling of 'retro' shoes and jerseys as one relying not so much on stereotypes but rather memories of an earlier and more innocent time. 'Retro marketing works because people view other times in our history as at least in some respects better than now. Especially since 9/11, many consumers have shown nostalgia for a safer, simpler time when the pace of change and modern trends were more hopeful. People may want to imagine or pretend that they have returned to the happier time,' he says.

Harrison says he believes it's critical that scholars and others concerned about stereotypes and negative images in sports respond with initiatives aimed at breaking them down. To that end, Harrison is one of the developers of the 'Scholar-Baller' program that can be adapted by college teams to boost the academic performance of their student-athletes. The program title unites the academic 'scholar,' with 'baller,' a popular hip-hop term meaning successful.

Sports marketing firm to move its headquarters, 90 jobs to East Norwalk, Conn. - Stamford Advocate (Stamford, CT)

Byline: Peter Healy

Jul. 7--Velocity Sports & Entertainment LLC plans to move its headquarters and about 90 jobs from Wilton to East Norwalk next month. The new 33,700-square-foot space at 230 East Ave. will provide room for the sports marketing company to grow, said Robert Wilhelmy, Velocity Sports' chief financial officer.

Founded in 1999, Velocity Sports had been at 10 Westport Road in Wilton for the past three and a half years, Wilhelmy said. The company's Wilton lease of 27,000 square feet was up, so it chose to sublease part of 230 East Ave. from Modem Media Inc. until 2009, Wilhelmy said.

He said Velocity Sports expects to add 25 employees a year and its space at the East Norwalk building can hold 150 to 160 people. Velocity Sports helps customers such as FedEx Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. plan and carry out sponsorship activities related to sports. Velocity Sports is a unit of Aegis Group plc, a marketing services company based in Great Britain.

The new space for Velocity Sports is next to the East Norwalk train station. The convenient location for rail commuters can help Velocity Sports recruit new workers, Wilhelmy said.

'We have a lot of folks who want to live in (New York) city and can do a reverse commute here,' said Wilhelmy, a principal and co-founder of the firm.

Fred Brown, chairman of Norwalk-based Desmond Virgulak Brown Commercial Realty Inc., said 230 East Ave. has been hard to market because the placement of its elevators and stairs make it difficult to subdivide into smaller spaces.

That meant Velocity Sports was able to lease the space at below-market rates.

Velocity Sports is paying between $12 and $20 per square foot per year for its office space, said Jeff Gage, senior vice president at Stamford-based Albert B. Ashforth Inc. commercial real estate. The average asking rents in Norwalk are $26 per square foot for Class A space and $22.34 for Class B space, according to CB Richard Ellis commercial real estate.

'My guess is Velocity got a very good deal,' Gage said.

Gage and John Stoddard of Ashforth represented Modem Media in its sublease. James Randel, president of Rand Real Estate Services in Westport, represented Velocity Sports.

Modem Media Inc., an Internet marketing company, no longer fills the bulk of the 117,000-square-foot East Avenue building, at which a Fitness Edge gym is another tenant.

Boston-based Digitas Inc., a digital and direct marketing company, acquired Modem Media last year.

Originally constructed as a factory in 1910, 230 East Ave. later became the Norwalk Factory Outlets retail center. It was redeveloped as an office building in 1999.

To see more of The Stamford Advocate, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.stamfordadvocate.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Stamford Advocate, Conn.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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ISL own-goal flaws sports marketing. - Marketing Week

The collapse of ISL and its parent company ISMM has exposed major flaws in the sports marketing industry. Whether or not ISMM does go to the wall, it is likely to make agencies re-examine their strategies.

Shockwaves have rippled through the sports marketing industry at news of the imminent collapse of International Sports Media and Marketing Group (ISMM).

Reputed to be the world's second largest sporting group, ISMM is waiting for a Swiss court to make a final ruling on whether to declare the company bankrupt. Though its future now looks bleak -- reports indicate ISMM needs $300m ([pound]208m) just to settle its debts -- the company's plight has at least given the sports industry a wake-up call.

M&C Saatchi sponsorship chief executive Matthew Patten says: 'ISMM is part of the fabric of the business of sponsorship sales. What has happened is of very serious concern for those judging the temperature and fitness of the sports business as a whole.'

Sports marketing agency ISL, part of ISMM Group, is the reason for the company's collapse. It broke the bank when it guaranteed the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) $1.2bn ([pound]788m) over ten years for the marketing, broadcasting and licensing rights to the men's tennis championships. But it is understood that ISL has failed to raise the required amount and at the beginning of the month it was reported that the sports marketing agency was trying to break the deal by paying the ATP between $150 and $160m ([pound]111m).

ISL has other major problems. It is being sued for $100m ([pound]69m) by Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the US equivalent of Formula One, after terminating its marketing agreement with them in February. ISL claimed there had been 'numerous breaches' of the contract and a legal battle looms on the horizon.

ISL is also believed to owe Uefa [pound]10m in unpaid merchandising revenues for Euro 2000.

Tie-ups with its various sponsors and sporting bodies are in chaos. The most high profile of these is the 2002 World Cup, which is being jointly held in Korea and Japan. ISL also owns global marketing rights and worldwide television rights (excluding Europe and the US) for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Fifa, football's world governing body, could face marketing the tournament itself for the first time if the court's decision does not go in ISMM's favour. It was confirmed last week that ISL had sacked Patrick Magyer, who was running the 2002 World Cup's promotional campaign.

ISMM's future is likely to be decided in one of three ways. A potential suitor could come and bail it out. Latest rumours suggest that Canal Plus, the French cable TV company which is part of Vivendi Universal, is interested. There is also speculation that ISMM could sell the rights to one or more of its properties. A third possibility is that rivals will let ISMM go to the wall, leaving them in a position to pick up contracts at a deflated price.

Karen Earl director of consulting Tim Crow says: 'The demise of ISMM highlights the fact that the economy of sports businesses is the same as in the real world.'

He adds: There is no doubt the situation at ISL has sent a shudder through companies which are buying rights to make profits.'

ISL's troubles stem from a high-risk and aggressive strategy that involved the company stretching its business interests beyond selling TV rights, the company's traditional role, to the major sporting events.

Just as IMG's strength was built on athlete management and Octagon on consultancy and event management, ISL's strength was the close relationship it forged with organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, Fifa and Uefa. ISL has sold TV and sponsorship rights for the past five Olympics, the past four World Cups, as well as the Euro 96 and 2000 tournaments.

But that influence has now started to fade. As one chairman of a major sports consultants association says: 'You can sell anyone the World Cup. But men's tennis, which is very much a second-tier tournament, is not as easy.'

He adds: 'ISL has made the mistake that many other lesser companies make. It is making guarantees at a time when rights fees in many areas are contentious and dangerous.'

Indeed, ISL has been described by one marketer as a 'sales house' that understands the art of selling television rights but not that of sports sponsorship.

Many say that a company such as Octagon has a far greater understanding of brands because it has an agency background.

An ex-employee of Octagon believes ISL is 'arrogant' and 'lacks empathy'. He says: 'ISL was after very big contracts, big rights and big commissions -- but once it had secured them, it thought the job was done. It just paid lip-service to the back-up services.'

ISL's thinking behind the ATP contract was to get the majority of the money through sponsorship and not television tights, preferring to sell television rights to cable and pay-per-view channels, where it believed it would get higher revenues.

As one sports marketer says: 'Its business plan was two-thirds sponsorship and one-third television.

'But audiences for non-terrestrial channels are far smaller than terrestrial channels, making it unattractive for sponsors. Effectively it has shot itself in the foot.'

Octagon has also had a tough time of late. It bought Brands Hatch for more than [pound]100m, hoping to redevelop the track as an alternative sporting venue for Formula One. But the plan was scuppered after the Department for the Environment and the Regions turned its application down.

Then, last December, it announced a deal with the British Racing Drivers' Club, granting it a 15-year lease to manage the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire.

The future of that deal, which involved a $60m ([pound]42.8m) investment to upgrade the Silverstone circuit in order to continue hosting Grands Prix, is uncertain after Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers said it raised competition concerns 'in respect of the market for the provision of motor racing and related activities.'

It seems likely that rights holders will have to change the way they negotiate their deals with the media and marketing agencies.

Although it is easy to understand why major sporting events such as the World Cup command astronomical fees, it is a lot less easy to justify the greed of minor properties.

In sports marketing, 'micro' matters as much as 'macro'.(Biz Ledger) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Back in the 1960s. my Little League team was given the opportunity to sell books of chances, with a goal to raise money for the hugely popular kids' baseball program at Thillens Stadium at Devon and Kedzie on the far north side of Chicago.

So there I was on a hot summer Sunday evening, dressed in my wool flannel baseball uniform, carefully rolled baseball-stirrup stockings pulled over my white cotton sweat socks, and gym shoes, sweating to death!

I stood in the bright sun in front of a popular restaurant asking unsuspecting diners whether they would like to help support the game I loved.

My parentsdropped me off in front of that restaurant in order to give me something of a life lesson in dealing with people. They even provided me with some basic sales training (i.e., 'It's not chances you're selling, it's yourself!'). They knew that if I didn't sell the chances, they would have to buy them.

I don't remember how many chances I sold that night. I do remember introducing myself, telling people a little bit about Thillens, and then offering them the opportunity to support the cause by purchasing a chance, preferably a whole book of chances, to win a grand prize.

That was my introduction to 'sports marketing' on a micro level.Today, most of us think of sports marketing as something 'macro' -- or gigantic.

Corporate sponsorship and sports marketing as we know it started in the mid-1970s, when then-PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman transformed golf from a game with a lower profile than bowling into a multimillion dollar sport that's on TV all the time and even has its own cable channel.

Beman convinced large corporations to put up big purses and purchase television advertising packages in exchange for putting their company names on the tournaments.As a result, this generation of PGA Tour-ists recently played for an $8 million purse at the BMW Championship, while Jack Nicklaus took home a winner's share of $20,000 when he won the 1967 Western Open.

It didn't take long for other sports and marketing types to figure out Beman's formula.

In the '80s, Nike founder and visionary Phil Knight and perhaps the world's most potent sports marketing machine,Michael Jordan, became an icon. His rise propelled Nike.In the mid-90s, Knight correctly identified Tiger Woods as golf's version of Jordan. Woods was on his way to becoming the first billion-dollar athlete, thanks in part to 'macro' sports marketing.

But every day we still see signs of 'micro' sports marketing.The photo of the local Little League team hanging on the wall of the local dry cleaners, bank, insurance office, pizza joint or barber shop.The team jerseys with the names of the local business sponsor on the back.The sponsors in the ad books for the junior hockey teams.

I still believe that for local businesses, the best way to build awareness and real brand loyalty is to support your local sports teams.Get the photo. Hang it on your wall proudly. Maybe you think people don't notice, because they don't say anything to you.

They do.

Like those poor innocent diners who listened to my sales pitch back in the day and bought a book of chances,local businesses can make a difference.They may not think of it as sports marketing, because maybe it isn't.

It's more like community.

New Sports Marketing and Sponsorship Data Have Been Reported by Researchers at University of Georgia.(Report) - Marketing Weekly News

'This study examines the relationship between spectator motivation and sports consumption behaviours in the context of an adaptive sport. Respondents were spectators from five matches held in the Midwest United States involving registered United States Quad Rugby Association teams,' scientists writing in the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship report.

'The Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC; Trail & James, 2001) was adapted to measure spectator motivation and predict repatronage intentions and online media consumption among wheelchair rugby spectators. indicated that two spectator motivation factors, physical skill and knowledge, were related to repatronage intentions,' wrote K.K. Byon and colleagues, University of Georgia.

The researchers concluded: 'In addition, knowledge and vicarious achievement were found to be related to online media consumption.'

Byon and colleagues published their study in International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship (Marketing murderball: the influence of spectator motivation factors on sports consumption behaviours of wheelchair rugby spectators. International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, 2010;12(1):76-94).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting K.K. Byon, University of Georgia, Dept. of Kinesiology, Ramsey Center 361, Athens, GA 30602, USA.

The publisher of the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship can be contacted at: International Marketing Reports Ltd., 23 the Coach House, 2 Upper York St., Bristol, BS2 8QN, England.

Keywords: City:Athens, State:GA, Country:United States, Advertising, Marketing, Sports Marketing and Sponsorship

Doing Away with Foul Play in Sports Marketing. - Marketing Weekly News

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/0df2a1/doing_away_with_fo) has announced the addition of the 'Doing Away With Foul Play In Sports Marketing' report to their offering.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the books, the major questions leading into the tournament were convincingly answered. Spain overcame tough competition for a dramatic victory. South Africa proved not only capable of hosting the event but earned praise for new infrastructure and social progress. And the drone of the vuvuzela was every bit as annoying to TV audiences as was suspected.

Yet over the 31-day tournament, brand protection issues stole some spotlight from action on the pitch. Nikes Write the Future campaign outshone rival Adidas, FIFA's official partner, with a record 7.8 million viral views in its first week online. Guerilla marketing ads from South African brands Kulula Airlines and Nandos earned international headlines, as did the Dutch women arrested in the Bavaria Beer scandal. In addition to ticket scams and other trademark breaches, these stories will make marketers remember this FIFA World Cup for its implications on future sponsorships and intellectual property (IP) protection. Brands have long invested in sports properties to boost awareness, loyalty and fan support for products or services. Sports sponsorships and athlete endorsements give brands mass exposure and the ability to interact with particularly passionate fan bases, creating strong brand attachment, affinity and emotional connections with the consumer. The cross-cultural appeal of many professional sports has helped the business explode into a giant global marketplace with projected revenues of $141 billion by 2012.

The negative consequence of this growth, however, is that trademark trespassers have intensified their efforts to get a piece of the action. For years, counterfeit merchandise was the main violation confronting sports marketers, and brand protection meant physically tracking down knock-off artists and advocating the merits of officially licensed goods.

Today, Internet connectivity, mobile communication and the ability to deliver rich media experiences over broadband pipelines are creating an even larger, more interactive audience for sports content. But these innovations are also introducing new threats and trademark infringements at record rates. Online ticketing scams, brand hijacking, illegal merchandise sales, pirated TV feeds and the unfiltered dialogue in social media channels are undermining the interests of property rights holders, as well as the integrity of sponsors and media partners.

Brand sponsors and sports associations also face more frequent and increasingly clever ambush marketing campaigns by competitors. These marketers seek to capitalize on the media exposure and popularity of major events without paying the expensive fee for official rights. While growing numbers of marketers are attaching their brands to leading sports properties and franchises, they dilute the value of their investments by not implementing proper brand protection programs.

Doing Away With Foul Play in Sports Marketing is another global thought leadership initiative to help sports sponsors and franchises deal with trademark trespassing, property rights violations and online fraud that compromises their brands and content assets. More than 225 senior level sports marketers were surveyed across relevant industries for an assessment of how brands safeguard themselves and whether those measures are effective. This study also interviewed more than 20 executives from top leagues and corporate sponsors.

While the research confirms that IP and trademark violations negatively impact brand value and consumer trust, brands are not adjusting to the new violations made possible by evolving technology. A startling number also neglect brand security entirely. Consequently, sports marketers are leaving themselves vulnerable to brand infection and unable to reap the full benefits of their sports spend. With the amount of money invested in sports marketing and the opportunity to tap into passionate sports audiences, this neglect of brand protection is disconcerting.

Marketers have long understood the value of investing in sports. Now they must take brand infection dangers equally as serious and learn how to better protect their assets. Brands should emulate the NFL, NBA and other leading sports properties by investing in their futures and proactively attacking the source of the problem. Educate potential violators on why IP laws are important. Engage them in the process and preempt violations before they can occur. Only then will brands harness the full marketing potential of sports properties and events. Key Topics Covered: Introduction

Summary of Key Findings

Detailed Findings

Contributed Content

Executive Insights

About

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/0df2a1/doing_away_with_fo

Keywords: Advertising, Marketing, Research and Markets.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY/IMG SPORTS MARKETING ACADEMY ANNOUNCES PRESENTERS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

LEXINGTON, Ky., April 30 -- The University of Kentucky issued the following news release:

IMG, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, the UK Athletics Department, and Big Blue Sports Marketing, announced Thursday its lineup of speakers for the 13th annual UK Sports Marketing Academy (UKSMA) held May 11-13 at UK. A strong lineup of presenters from prominent sports organizations will include:

* Ari Fleischer, President, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications.

* Gene Smith, Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics, The Ohio State University.

* Chris McCleary, CEO, XOS Digital.

* Doug Perlman, Founder and CEO, Sports Media Advisors.

* Sharon Goldmacher, President & CEO, communications 21.

* Mike Rowe, Principal, Anthony James Partners.

* Jason Coyle, COO, Silver Chalice Ventures.

* Ronnie Vandiver, Texas Zone Marketing Manager, State Farm.

* Walker Jones, Director of Sports Marketing, Under Armour.

* Chris Brearton, Partner, O'Melveny & Myers, LLP.

* Tom Renedo, Senior Associate, Business Affairs, EA Sports.

* David Kristal, CEO, Augeo.

* Glenn Wong, Professor, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Additionally, Tony Barnhart, renowned ajc.com sports writer and television broadcaster for CBS Sports, will be the moderator during the panel sessions. The UKSMA Professional Certification Program, designed for professionals with a strong interest in the field of sports marketing, is the first of its kind in the industry. The Certification Program is a rigorous academic experience taught in a university classroom setting by leading marketing faculty and sports marketing practitioners. For more information and a complete list of speakers, visit www.sportsmarketing.org. Registration is open and available through the Web site. Due to limited space, participants are encouraged to register now and to check the Web site periodically for updates. ABOUT IMG COLLEGE

IMG College is the leader in developing integrated licensing, marketing, and multimedia opportunities for the nation's top collegiate brands across local, regional, and national platforms. IMG College partners include the NCAA and its 88 championships, NCAA Football, leading conferences, and some of the most prestigious universities in the country. IMG College is a division of IMG Worldwide, the world's premiere sports, media, and entertainment company. For more information, please visit www.imgworld.com. ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY GATTON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

The Gatton College of Business and Economics is committed to preparing savvy, world-ready professionals through cutting-edge offerings designed to give students real-world experiences enhanced by first-rate teaching. For more than 80 years, the Gatton College has educated more than 25,000 men and women for today's business world. The college houses bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs within three academic units: the School of Management, Von Allmen School of Accountancy and the Department of Economics. A member of the AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), Gatton College is accredited to offer undergraduate and graduate programs in the business disciplines.

Future Unclear for Sports-Marketing Department at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Brian Louis, Winston-Salem Journal, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jun. 20--The future of the once wide-ranging sports-marketing department at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is unclear after yesterday's official announcement that Nextel Communications Inc. will replace Reynolds Tobacco as the sponsor of NASCAR's premier racing series.

The division's future is murky in part because Reynolds Tobacco's parent in Winston-Salem, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc., has recently embarked on a complete examination of the way it does business to an effort to increase profit.

The company used to have sponsorships in sports such as golf, drag racing, and billiards in addition to NASCAR. But a settlement agreement between the states and tobacco companies in 1998 limited tobacco companies to one sponsorship a year and Reynolds Tobacco decided to keep the Winston Cup.

In its heyday, people who worked in sports marketing were getting paid to go all over the world to attend sporting events, said Jeff Byrd, the president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.. He worked in sports marketing at Reynolds Tobacco for 23 years.

'It was probably one of the greatest places to work in the world,' Byrd said.

Asked about the future of the sports-marketing group, Ned Leary, the division's president, said that will depend on what comes out of the company's review of its operations.

In February, Reynolds Tobacco said that it was talking to NASCAR about finding a new sponsor because of tough conditions in the cigarette industry.

The major tobacco companies have been engaged in a price war over the past year against each other and small companies that make less-expensive cigarettes. The price and promotions war has cut sharply into profit at Reynolds Holdings and other big cigarette-makers.

The company would not say how much it spends on the sponsorship and other marketing efforts related to the Winston Cup, however, estimates put the total at between $40 million and $50 million.

Leary said that less than 10 people work on the Winston Cup. He declined to say how many people work overall in Sports Marketing Enterprises, as the division is officially called. The department also does other promotional work in addition to the Winston Cup.

Sports-marketing experts said that Nextel should hire Reynolds Tobacco's team when it takes over the racing series next year.

Peter Carpenter, the president and chief executive of Elite Sport Management Group Inc., a sports-management and marketing company based in Winston-Salem, said that if he was a consultant to Nextel, based in Reston, Va., he'd tell it to hire the sports-marketing department.

'They're considered the cream of the crop,' Carpenter said.

It is unclear what Reynolds Tobacco will do with the money it won't be spending on NASCAR. Analysts have said that the company could use the cash to discount and promote its cigarettes.

Reynolds Tobacco said that the sponsorship and exposure has been good for its Winston cigarette.

'It's been a very good investment for the Winston brand,' Leary said. Winston has a market share of about 25 percent to 30 percent of adult race fans who smoke.

But even with all the exposure that the brand got, the sponsorship couldn't stop Winston's decline in the U.S. cigarette market.

Winston's market share, based on shipments, in 1971 was 15.9 percent. By 1986 it had dropped to 11.2 percent and in 1996 it was 5.2 percent. In 2002, it was 4.7 percent.

At the news conference yesterday announcing the sponsorship change, officials from NASCAR and Nextel praised Reynolds Tobacco's work to make NASCAR the fast-growing sport that it is today.

NASCAR put together a short film of moments from the years of Reynolds Tobacco's involvement with NASCAR with singer Natalie Merchant's song 'Kind and Generous,' as the accompanying music. The words 'thank you' are a fre...uent refrain in the song.

To see more of the Winston-Salem Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.journalnow.com

(c) 2003, Winston-Salem Journal. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

воскресенье, 16 сентября 2012 г.

Research and Markets Adds Report: Sports Marketing 2012 - Wireless News


Wireless News
09-23-2011
Research and Markets Adds Report: Sports Marketing 2012
Type: News

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the 'Sports Marketing 2012' report to its offerings.

In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include:
First published in 1997, this annual reference handbook is an analysis of spectator sports, sports media, professional sports franchises, and sports marketing. Expanded to 466 pages and 73 chapters, this is our most comprehensive assessment of the U.S. sports business.

Sports Marketing 2012 will provide you with the most recent statistics and data available. This assessment of the $400 billion sports marketplace includes 15 categories of spectator sports, 32 marquee sports events, 116 major league sports franchises, advertising, sports participation, sporting goods, sports-related travel, golf, tennis, collegiate sports, women's professional sports, and the minor leagues. Sports marketing topics include sports broadcasting and advertising, periodicals, sports online, mobile media, licensing, sponsorships, and athlete endorsements.

Over 1,200 website links - directly embedded into the electronic edition - will direct you to additional market research and other resources important to the sports business marketplace.

Previous editions have been used by advertising agencies, professional sports teams, sports agents, public and college libraries, and university sports management programs. This is the best selling publication of its kind available from any source.

Report information:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/654942/ sports_marketing_2

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

Home Depot's Game Plan Is to Boost Emphasis on Sports Marketing. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Tony Wilbert, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 4--While the nation's top college football teams were making big plays during Survival Saturday last weekend, Home Depot was making a big play for fans' attention.

The chain's bright orange logo was featured prominently throughout the day on ESPN's 'College GameDay' program. Those watching the Georgia Bulldogs lose again to the Florida Gators saw the logo several times throughout the Southeastern Conference game on CBS.

The high-profile exposure during sports events is part of the Atlanta-based home improvement retailer's game plan.

Home Depot's new marketing philosophy centers on emphasizing bigger events and programs such as the Olympics and ESPN's 'College GameDay' program, said John Costello, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing. At the same time, Home Depot continues to sponsor numerous regional and local venues and teams.

'The Home Depot is all about empowering consumers to improve their homes, and sports is all about empowerment and achievement,' Costello said. 'What we find is that sports provides very attractive media as well as an opportunity to create excitement for consumers and associates.'

Costello declined to say how much Home Depot will spend this year on sports marketing, but it will be a large part of the $950 million or so the company expects to lay out on advertising. In its intense battle with Lowe's for home improvement dollars, Home Depot believes it can reach customers and potential customers by targeting viewers of sports programming as well as home shows.

To complement sports shows, Home Depot also aggressively is adding to its portfolio of reality home shows it sponsors. The company recently replaced rival Lowe's as top sponsor of the popular cable show 'Trading Spaces.'

Ramping up its sports marketing is a wise move by Home Depot because it often leads to a consumer transferring its good feelings about a sports hero or team to a business or brand, said Ken Bernhardt, regents professor of marketing at Georgia State University.

'Sports sponsorship is very important in that it gives you something you can't get with just straight media advertising --- the halo that comes from being associated with sports teams or sports events that people feel passionately about,' he said. 'It's brilliant marketing as long as you choose organizations to associate with whose fans are loyal.'

But Home Depot would be better off pumping up its customer service, rather than its sports marketing, one analyst said.

'If they don't get more people in those stores helping customers and cleaning up those aisles, it's not going to do any good,' said Barbara Allen, an analyst at Natexis Bleichroeder.

Moreover, she said, Home Depot is an icon and does not need to spend millions building its brand the way Lowe's had to do when it expanded into the Northeast.

Home Depot entered the arena of big-time sports marketing in 1992, when the company announced it would sponsor the 1994 and 1996 Olympic Games. Home Depot has continued its Olympic sponsorship and has employed 330 athletes through the U.S. Olympic Committee's Olympic Job Opportunities Program.

Under the program, Home Depot employees who are training for the Games get full-time pay for flexible 20-hour weeks.

'Without OJOP, I wouldn't have been able to skate after 1998,' said long-track speed skater Derek Parra of West Valley, Utah. 'I would have had to retire.'

The 'halo effect' definitely occurs with sponsoring the Olympic Games and athletes, marketing professor Bernhardt said.

Same with NASCAR, whose fans are intensely loyal to companies that sponsor cars, Bernhardt said.

'Race fans are the most passionate sports fans,' he said. 'They are, and have been, the ones who reward the brands who support the drivers.'

In September, Home Depot extended its contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and its sponsorship of the car driven by 2002 Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart through 2009. Stewart also recently extended his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, meaning Home Depot will continue to sponsor the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet driven by Stewart for several years.

Stewart said Home Depot's sponsorship is important because the company gives back to the community and gives him a built-in fan base among the company's 315,000 employees. In return, Stewart said, he must be a good representative of the company.

'When I go to the managers' meetings, I bleed orange just like they do,' Stewart said. 'I feel like I'm a Home Depot employee.'

Local resident Pat Henry's 9-year-old son, Thomas, thinks Stewart is an employee, and he and Dad shop there because of Stewart's connection to the chain. 'He loves Home Depot because of Tony Stewart,' Pat Henry said of Thomas.

In addition to attracting customers, Home Depot's sports sponsorships create excitement among its employees, Costello said. He pointed to recent visits to Home Depot headquarters by Stewart and 'College GameDay' hosts Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit.

Despite its new focus on fewer, bigger events and broadcasts such as the Oscars and Grammys, Home Depot will not advertise during the 2004 Super Bowl, Costello said.

'The Super Bowl can be very attractive if you're launching a new product or service for companies like Home Depot that already have broad-scale awareness,' Costello said. 'While we have no plans to advertise on the Super Bowl at this time, we're always on the lookout for new, exciting things.'

To see more of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ajc.com

(c) 2003, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

SPORTS MARKETING: The green teams. - Marketing Week

With the London Olympics 2012 and even Formula 1 pushing green strategies to the fore, other sports now need to show their environmental credentials are match fit. By Emily Cubitt

With everyone from Tony Blair to Sir Richard Branson aiming to convince the public of their environmental credentials, the green issue is now a regular feature on boardroom agendas. As blue-chip companies in all sectors attempt to show consumers they are taking these matters seriously, the world of sport is also keen to display its caring side.

The London Olympics in 2012 will inevitably attract huge global audiences and, therefore, be able to secure highly lucrative sponsorship deals. Being green, however, has emerged as one of its key marketing strategies, and with the organisers keen to ensure they deliver a 'sustainable games' they want to make sure they get the right partners on board.

David Stubbs, director of environment and sustainability for London 2012, says this strategy was always a crucial part of the original bid. 'We are not marketing the Games as 'green' for the sake of it. The environment is one of the core pillars of the Olympic movement and it is a fundamental part of making 2012 a successful Games.'

Some 60% of the venues used for the 2012 Games are already existing structures, enabling new builds to be kept to a minimum. And, as Stubbs notes, 'the design and building of new venues, along with the transport system and waste management, will all be carried out with sustainability in mind'.

Chris Townsend, commercial director for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog), adds: 'We are keen to encourage the use of public transport for fans attending the Games.' He hopes that each ticket purchased for an event will come with a one-day Oyster card for travel on all modes of public transport in London for that day.

And London 2012 is not the only sport making the headlines for its green approach. Formula 1 - a sport not traditionally renown for its environmental credentials - is also getting in on the act.

'Being green is our primary marketing concept for 2007,' says Honda Formula 1 marketing director Alistair Watkins. Honda has scrapped sponsorship logos from its cars, replacing them with an image of Earth, and initiated the myearthdream.com website, which allows visitors to make donations to climate change charities.

In terms of luring sponsors to the sport this approach has been well received. Honda has retained all its partners from last year and added ten new ones. Watkins states: 'We now offer our partners licensing opportunities so they can use our logo on their products to demonstrate that they are linked with myearthdream.com. This gives them a point of differentiation in the market.'

So why is being green now such an important part of a sports marketing strategy? Getting sponsors on board is vital for the success of any sporting event and as Mark Chadwick, director of Carbon Clear, a company set up to help businesses and individuals manage their carbon emissions, points out: 'A negative reaction from the public may cause sponsors to shy away from sports [which are associated with lots of emissions], so to demonstrate environmental leadership makes good sense.'

London 2012 and the Honda F1 team are not the only sports focusing on being green. Chadwick notes that the Football World Cup in Germany last year was a carbon neutral event and the England cricket team's trip to Australia for the 2006/07Ashes series was carbon offset. This, along with the high-profile 2012 Games, means that events such as Wimbledon and the US Open are likely to follow suit. However, not everyone is convinced about the long-term prospects of these green marketing strategies.

Adam Wylie, managing partner of independent brand communications agency 23red, believes it is simply the latest bandwagon. 'It is a shift in the corporate social responsibility rhetoric of the last few years now directed at the latest fad - the environment,' he comments. Wylie does not believe being green is now an integral part of a sports marketing strategy but simply political rhetoric in terms of the Olympics and a survival technique for Formula 1. He continues: 'F1 is in danger of losing its glamorous image. I think there is a feeling among some of the team principles that the mitigation of their carbon footprint might help protect the future of the sport.'

So, credibility is definitely crucial. Consumers are more clued up on environmental issues than ever before and will certainly question any brands that cannot make their green claims stand up. And come the London Olympics, environmental concerns are likely to be even more prominent.

With green issues now front of mind for many businesses across all sectors, sporting events and teams that succeed in marketing themselves as green will no doubt ensure they secure increasingly lucrative sponsorship deals. After all, both London 2012 and Honda Formula 1's green marketing strategies have attracted interest from a wide range of sponsors keen to be seen by the world as doing their bit for the environment.

At a time of heightened personal awareness it is vital for the corporate world to follow. Whether this sports marketing strategy succeeds remains to be seen, but one thing does look certain: it will stop existing advertisers looking elsewhere.

Octagon, Sports Marketing Powerhouse, Expands Brazil Footprint by Acquiring Veteran Sports Marketing Firm B2S. - Marketing Weekly News

Octagon, the world's largest sports and entertainment consulting and activation practice, has expanded its South American footprint by acquiring B2S, the veteran Rio de Janeiro-based sports marketing firm with offices in Rio and Sao Paulo. The move dramatically strengthens Octagon's client service offering for both marketing and sports representation in light of Brazil's ascendancy as the 'capital' of sports as host of the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

'B2S has been at the center of sports marketing in Brazil, providing leading edge insights and impeccable activation. This is the melding of two like-minded companies and we are extraordinarily pleased to have them become part of our team,' said Octagon President & CEO Rick Dudley, citing B2S' work with the Brazilian National Team (CBF) and their sports marketing consulting role for major international brands including Itau, Ambev, Vivo, Panini, Red Bull, EA Sports, Andrade Gutierrez, among others.

B2S principal and 10-year industry veteran, Alexandre Leitao, who will become Octagon Brazil President, described the relationship with Octagon as a perfect fit. 'We have been operating our agencies on a parallel track,' Leitao explained. 'We are very excited at the opportunity to align with the global leader in our industry. We have begun immediate collaboration on sponsorship marketing projects for both the FIFA World Cup 2014 as well as the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, and we believe the combination of Octagon's two decades of experience in these two great events coupled with our local expertise will provide an unbeatable resource for sponsors,' he added.

Octagon Marketing Americas President, Jeff Shifrin traced the origins of the Octagon/B2S relationship to a positive collaboration on a 2010 FIFA World Cup™ sponsor pitch. 'That success convinced both of us that we were highly compatible and we are very pleased to be one firm today,' Shifrin said.

Octagon (IPG: NYSE) is the world's largest sports & entertainment sponsorship consulting practice and pioneer and leader in athlete & personality representation & management. Octagon's 800+ employees worldwide work with hundreds of blue-chip corporate clients, 800 athlete & personality clients and manage more than 5,000 events per year. Visit: www.octagon.com.

Keywords: Advertising, Entertainment, Marketing, Octagon.

New Sports Marketing 2009 Report Delivers a Current and Comprehensive Assessment of the $185 Billion Sports Marketplace. - Women's Health Weekly

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f94322/sports_marketing_2) has announced the addition of the 'Sports Marketing 2009' report to their offering (see also Research and Markets).

First published in 1997, this is our 12th annual assessment of the sports business in the U.S. This market research report is a current and comprehensive assessment of spectator sports, sports media, professional sports franchises, and sports marketing.

The assessment of the $185 billion sports marketplace includes spectator sports, marquee sports events, major league sports franchises, golf, tennis, collegiate sports, women's professional sports, sports travel, sporting goods, sports participation, and the major leagues. For each are presented comprehensive statistics, market characteristics, and trends. Sports marketing topics include sports broadcasting and advertising, licensing, sponsorships, and athlete endorsements.

Over 400 Website links - accessible directly from the electronic edition - will link you to additional market research information and other resources important to the sports business marketplace.

Sector and chapter List

1 Market Summary

2 Top Sports Cities

Part I: Sports Market Segments

3 Advertising & Sponsorships

4 Concessions

5 Fantasy Sports

6 Licensing

7 Memorabilia

8 Participation & Recreation

9 Sporting Goods

10 Sports Fans

11 Sports Management

12 Sports Travel

13 Stadiums & Arenas

14 Ticketing

Part II: Sports Media

15 Sports Television Broadcasting

16 Sports Radio

17 Sports Periodicals

18 Sports Online

Part III: Major Team Sports

19 Major League Baseball

20 National Basketball Association

21 National Football League

22 National Hockey League

23 Major League Soccer

24 Women's National Basketball Association

25 Lacrosse

26 Minor League Sports

Part IV: Individual Sports

27 Golf

28 Horse Racing

29 Rodeo

30 Tennis

Part V: Racing Sports

31 Indy Racing League

32 Nascar

33 Racing Circuits

34 Supercross

Part VI: Fighting Sports

35 Boxing

36 Mixed Martial Arts

37 World Wrestling Entertainment

Part VII: Collegiate & High School Sports

38 NCAA Sports

39 College Football

40 College Men's Basketball

41 College Women's Basketball

42 High School Sports

43 Youth Sports

Part Viii: Global Sports Events

44 Olympics

Part IX: Other Sports/Competitions

46 Action Sports

47 Avp Pro Beach Volleyball

48 Marathons

49 Triathlons

50 Poker

51 Video Gaming

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f94322/sports_marketing_2

Keywords: Research and Markets.

UC Irvine Extension Provides New Online Course in Sports Marketing. - Entertainment Close-up

The University of California, Irvine Extension announced the availability of a new online course titled Sports Marketing.

Designed for marketing professionals looking to obtain a better understanding of marketing in the sports world, the Company said the 11-week course will begin on March 26. A free, informative webinar on March 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST will provide participants with a glimpse into how sports marketers effectively use traditional marketing strategies to achieve campaign goals.

'Sports marketing is a multi-billion dollar global industry,' said Melanie Mitchell, acting director of management, marketing and business programs at UC Irvine Extension. 'In today's competitive business environment, individuals who possess a complete understanding of how best to market in the sports industry will forge ahead of their competition.'

At the end of the course, participants will have a complete overview of the various applied principles of sports marketing through two broad domains: marketing through sports and marketing of sports. Course content will include the study of both domains and cover how sport marketers utilize traditional sports marketing, sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, venue naming rights and strategies to meet organizational objectives.

According to a release, course instructor Heather M. Wuebker, M.B.A. is the executive director of communications for the School of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She has more than 10 years of combined marketing and communications experience in the non-profit and education sectors, and has been teaching undergraduate extended studies courses in marketing for Adams State College for the past six years.

University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine.

UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service.

More information:

www.today.uci.edu

Should your bank consider sports marketing? - Bank Marketing

Credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard and American Express have fought for years for the right to be affiliated with sports leagues like the National Football League (Visa), the National Basketball Association (American Express), and the National Hockey League (MasterCard). These companies feel that linking their names to these sports will increase their brand recognition. They're probably right.

Sports is an all-consuming passion for millions of Americans. In December, USA Today quoted a Wired/Merrill Lynch Forum's statistic that only 15 percent of adults could pick the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court out of a list, yet 75 percent could choose Tiger Woods' name from a list of golfers as the winner of the Masters.

The question is, how can a bank tap into this popularity while avoiding the pitfalls of sponsorship? And how can smaller institutions use sports marketing? These issues are discussed in 'Card Marketers Go for the Gold,' Credit Card Management, May 1996, and 'Sports Marketing - A Winning Game for Issuers: Acquisition, Retention Successes Abound,' Card News, November 25, 1996.

Large and small banks have used various means to take advantage of sports marketing besides marketing credit cards. Banks have sponsored sporting events, affiliated with teams, put their names on arenas in their hometowns, promoted local teams in their ads, and tied products to sporting events.

Sponsoring a local sporting event is one way of promoting a bank's image and enhancing its presence in the marketplace. A bank should be careful in its sponsorship choice and be sure to work closely with the organization responsible for the event.

'Event Sponsorship Can Bring Kudos and Recognition,' Bank Marketing, May 1995, describes how LaSalle Bank chose to sponsor the Chicago Marathon and what made the event successful for the bank. Bank of Boulder, a community bank, uses the Bolder Boulder 10K run as its main advertising promotion of the year. It has strong name recognition because its name is connected to a popular community event. One year the bank tied a RaceCD to the event, thus adding to its deposits and customer base. ('Strange Estimates Yield Dividends for Bank of Boulder Customers,' Bank Marketing, August 1996.)

Sponsoring a local sports franchise can also be lucrative for banks. Super-regional banks like Banc One, NationsBank, and First Union use their sponsorships of professional teams to increase the national recognition of their names. First Union's deal to be a sponsor for the Atlanta Braves means that their name is not only known in Atlanta, but nationwide through the Braves' owner's, Ted Turner, cable network. Smaller banks can also prosper from these associations. St. Paul Bancorp of Chicago has affinity checking deals with the Chicago Bulls, Bears, Cubs, and White Sox. Their sports related accounts are so popular that they make up 25 percent of the newly opened checking accounts. ('Banks Throw Marketing Cash Into Sports Team Sponsorships,' American Banker, May 27, 1997.)

BankBoston used a different approach in their official sponsorship of the New England Patriots. Since 1985 BankBoston has given away Patriots pompoms at home football games. This affiliation really paid off when the Patriots went to the Super Bowl in 1997 and there was a local 'pompom mania.' ('Sponsorship Gets Bank's Name into Consumers' Hands,' Bank Marketing, March 1997.)

Banks have been among the most active corporations in paying to have newly built or renovated sports stadiums or arenas named for them. Major banks like CoreStates (the CoreStates Spectrum and the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia), Fleet (FleetCenter in Boston), and KeyCorp (KeyArena at Seattle Center) have made deals to sponsor stadiums and arenas for local professional teams. The banks not only increase their name recognition, but logos on the signage and scoreboard ads are displayed. KeyCorp has even opened a full service branch in the KeyArena. ('Arena Sponsorship is a Slam-Dunk for KeyBank,' Bank Marketing, December 1996.) Banks have also used their connection with their stadiums and arenas to offer corporate and private banking customers free seats to games. ('Here's a Knockout Brand Naming Idea,' American Banker, December 2, 1996)

Banks of all sizes can also promote local teams in their advertising. When the University of Nebraska's football team won the national championship in 1994, both First Bank and Norwest promoted the Cornhuskers in their 1995 ads. First Bank of Minnesota used the opportunity to reach Nebraskans after their recent purchase of Omaha Federal and Norwest used a limited edition Cornhuskers T-shirt as a premium for new account openers. ('Sports Tie-ins,' Financial Advertising Review, August and November 1995.)

Product tie-ins are also successful sports marketing tools for banks. In Green Bay, Wis., where the football fans are supposed to be especially rabid, Associated Bank Green Bay has promoted an 'Associated Packers Checking' account for two years. Account holders can use checks and ATM cards with images of the Green Bay Packers, get a 10 percent discount at the Packer Pro Shop, receive a weekly Packers newsletter, and are eligible for sweepstakes prizes of game tickets or Packers memorabilia. Associated Bank has also advertised a special CD with the rate tied to the number of regular season games won by the Packers. ('Checking Account Sweepstakes Offers Football Game Tickets,' Cross Sales Report, January 1997.)

Oxford Bank and Trust of Addison, Ill., promoted a special CD with an interest rate based on whether the Chicago Bulls win the NBA championship. The bank also has 'Rodman Fashion Fridays' for employees and offers a $10 bonus to customers of new accounts who dress in Bulls clothing or wear Dennis Rodman-like hair. ('Bank in Chicago Suburb Ties Promotion to Bulls Playoff Hoopla,' American Banker, May 16, 1996.)

Finally, the First National Bank of Naples has offered a Sports club account aimed at sports fans. The package includes services that appeal especially to sports enthusiasts: checks with various team logos, trips to sporting events, free sports related gifts and a newsletter with local sports events schedules. ('Fee Income from Sports Club Quadruples to $5,100 a Month,' Fee Income Report, September 22, 1994).

These sponsorships can also generate a lot of public relations opportunities. For example, when Peterson Bank of Chicago announced its World Cup Soccer CD in 1994, it received front page coverage in the Wall Street Journal. By spending $2,000 on press releases and other related PR functions, Peterson received an inestimable amount of publicity for its product. ('Putting Your Institution and its Products into the Headlines,' Financial Marketing, August 1994.)

Sports marketing can either reach a mass market or particular niche markets. For example, a golf promotion will probably reach an upscale market segment. So, when choosing to use sports marketing, banks should consider not only the sport to sponsor, but the market it wants to reach.

DATA STREAM

Bankers recover some lost ground.

People who give a Very High or High rating to the following professionals' honesty and ethics

Pharmacists 69%

Clergy 59%

Bankers 34%

(up from 26% in 1996 & highest rating since 38% in 1985)

Public opinion pollsters 23%

Journalists 23%

Nov. 1997 Gallup Survey

Scarborough Sports Marketing Study: Consumers Show Unwavering Support for Gymnastics, Figure Skating, Men's Golf, High School Sports and Pro Boxing. - Entertainment Close-up

American consumers have typically shown unwavering support for the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, College Football and Basketball, NASCAR and the Olympics.

In fact, the latest study from Scarborough Sports Marketing shows over half (53 percent) of American adults are 'Avid Fans' of one of these sports. But Scarborough Sports Marketing said that when these sports are eliminated fan favorites include sports like Figure Skating, Gymnastics, Men's Golf, High School Sports and Pro Boxing.

Scarborough Sports Marketing defines 'Avid Fans' as consumers who are 'very interested' and 'Fans' as respondents who are 'very, somewhat or a little interested' in a given sport.

Scarborough Sports Marketing further noted that American sports fans have been opening their minds and wallets to a host of diverse sports. Avid Fans of these sports are often characterized by distinct audience demographics. For instance, 73 percent of Avid Gymnastics Fans are female and 81 percent of Avid Figure Skating Fans are female. This is a unique demographic makeup since Avid Fans of sports like the Olympics, Women's Tennis and the WNBA classically 'female friendly' sports are only about 50 percent female. This notable demographic base helps explain findings such as: Gymnastics Fans are 53 percent more likely than all American adults to schedule a spa day, 30 percent more likely to visit a jewelry store and 33 percent more likely to visit a bridal store. Similarly, Figure Skating Fans are 28 percent more likely to visit a florist and 27 percent more likely to visit a dry cleaner.

Another demographically interesting sport is Pro Boxing. Though European Soccer, Major League Soccer and Mexican Soccer are all leagues with large Hispanic fan bases, Pro Boxing is the non-soccer sports league with the highest percentage of Hispanics among its Avid Fans 35 percent. Avid Pro Boxing Fans are also 58 percent more likely than all American adults to use their smartphones to listen to or download music, 67 percent more likely to check sports scores and updates, and a staggering 110 percent more likely to watch free TV programs.

Interviews were conducted between March and August 2011 and therefore may be influenced by seasonality.

Scarborough Sports Marketing measures local and national consumer and lifestyle information by interviewing over 210,000 adults in 77 markets, including all professional sports markets.

More Information:

http://www.scarboroughsportsmarketing.com

Career Paths Vary in Sports Marketing Field.(Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News) - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Dec. 10--Matt Fitzgerald landed his job as senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Dallas Mavericks, in part, because he liked pickup basketball games at the Premier Club.

That's where he met Mark Cuban, back in the days when the Mavericks owner was just another anonymous Internet billionaire.

'Just over the course of a couple of years, I got to know him,' said Mr. Fitzgerald, who was then a senior marketing manager for Coca-Cola Co. 'And I'll never forget the day last January when he came up to me and said, `Hey, did you buy your Mavericks season tickets?' I said `No. Why would I do something like that?' He goes, `Because I'm going to buy the team tomorrow.''

About two months later, when Coke offered Mr. Fitzgerald a promotion, he consulted Mr. Cuban about whether he should take it.

'That's when he said to me, `I want to talk to you about coming on board with the Mavericks,'' Mr. Fitzgerald said.

'I wound up having a lunch meeting with him in March, and I had actually prepared a document called `Restaging the Dallas Mavericks.' We went through that, just to kind of demonstrate the level of thinking that I could bring, and by the end of the lunch he had offered me the job.'

Mr. Fitzgerald's story illustrates two truths about careers in sports sales and marketing -- there are few direct routes to a job with your favorite team, and a professional sports background is not a prerequisite.

A background in marketing, however, is required, Mr. Fitzgerald said.

'There's definitely a learning curve in terms of understanding the business, but marketing is marketing, and there are a lot of things you can apply,' he said.

Jeff Cogen's career path took him from the big top to the top marketing job for the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and Mesquite Championship Rodeo.

Mr. Cogen is executive vice president of marketing and communications for Southwest Sports Group, which is owned by Dallas businessman Tom Hicks and handles marketing for Mr. Hicks' sports-related enterprises. But his first job out of college was with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

His responsibilities included traveling ahead of the show to book arenas and sell tickets and to negotiate advertising and sponsorships with local media outlets.

'One of my towns, by happenstance, was Detroit, Mich., where I brought the circus to a place called Joe Louis Arena,' Mr. Cogen said. 'It was run by a guy named Jim Lites, and he was executive vice president of the Detroit Red Wings and Joe Louis Arena.'

They hit it off, and Mr. Lites ended up hiring Mr. Cogen for the Red Wings' marketing department 1986.

'When they asked me to come work for the Red Wings, I told them that I had never seen a hockey game,' Mr. Cogen said. 'Their response was `good.' They wanted somebody to treat it like a widget.'

When Mr. Lites moved to Dallas seven years later to become president of the Dallas Stars, which had just relocated from Minnesota, he brought Mr. Cogen with him to run the team's marketing.

His advice for sports marketing wannabes is simple. 'Get applicable experience, and then keep your eye on the ball,' he said.

George Hays, vice president of marketing for the Dallas Cowboys, was offered his position when his longtime friend and business associate Jerry Jones purchased the franchise in 1989.

'I'm a believer in the fact that you don't necessarily have to [have] a background in any one item or business,' he said. 'As long as you are successful in business, you can take those attributes and put them to work on another business.'

Mr. Hays suggested that students interested in sports marketing should consider a degree in sports marketing and seek internships at local franchises.

'What you're looking for is some type of connection that gets you an edge when you come in,' he said. 'If you've interned with a particular team, and you've done a good job and they recognize it, then you've got a foot in the door.'

To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com/

WIU Alum to Deliver Sports Marketing Lecture - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Western Illinois University issued the following news release:

Next week Western Illinois University sport management students will get the benefit of hearing how one WIU alumnus is applying his graduate degree in the sports industry.

According to Darlene Young, sport management graduate and internship coordinator in WIU's kinesiology department, Tim Atterberg (M.S. 1998) will return to campus to present 'Sports Marketing: Successfully Connecting Companies with Consumers through Advertising and Sponsorships,' at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Brophy Hall 224-226.

Atterberg's lecture is co-sponsored by the kinesiology department and is made possible through a grant from Western's Visiting Lectures Committee, Young added.

'Soliciting professionals to return to campus is crucial for our sport management program,' Young said. 'We need to continue to provide experiences beyond the classroom. I believe Tim is just one example of the many successful alumni we have working in the sports industry. It's also great to have former students return and see how their careers have progressed and provide them with the opportunity to give back to the program.'

Atterberg's impressive resume details his accomplishments in the sports industry; after finishing formal classes at WIU, he interned with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he served as a customer service representative and sales intern. As his career progressed, Atterberg continued working in sports marketing and advertising: he held sales positions at television stations in Quincy (IL) and Wausau (WI), as well as the Fox TV affiliate in Cedar Rapids (IA).

'The station I worked for in Wisconsin is the official Green Bay Packers station,' Atterberg noted. 'When I was there, I had the opportunity to work on the live show 'Pack Attack,' which aired every Monday during football season.'

Currently, Atterberg works at Learfield Sports -- Cyclone Sports Properties in Des Moines (IA) as an associate general manager.

'We partner with Iowa State athletics, and we sell radio, television and web advertising and market signage, sponsorships and promotions. I work with advertisers and use our products to get advertisers their desired results,' he explained.

Atterberg noted that his sport management degree from WIU's kinesiology department enabled him to concentrate solely on the sports industry during his graduate education. He also said the department's internship program was invaluable for him professionally.

'It allowed me to start my career and gain valuable experience while fulfilling my internship requirement,' Atterberg said.

Atterberg's success may not only provide motivation for Western kinesiology and sport management students, but it will give them insight into the fast-paced sports industry.

'Sports marketing is exploding. Advertisers are moving away from traditional media and looking at sports marketing as a way to connect with customers,' Atterberg explained. 'I picked this topic because I want to show students the sales side of sports marketing. I will show them the Cyclones Sports Properties official media kit and present case studies of successful sports marketing concepts.'

'Sports Marketing: Successfully Connecting Companies with Consumers through Advertising and Sponsorships' is open free to the public.

For more information, contact the kinesiology department at (309) 298-1981 or kinesiology@wiu.edu.

суббота, 15 сентября 2012 г.

Sports marketing firm tackles Knoxville area. - The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, TN)

Byline: Bill Brewer

Sep. 27--Knoxville's reputation is being a hot town for college sports, not college sports marketing.

That could be changing with the arrival of Action Sports Media Inc., which hopes to become a market leader now that one of the industry's top executives has purchased it from a Microsoft founder.

In the month since relocating to Alcoa from Portland, Ore., the company has completed a deal giving it the naming rights to the University of South Florida's Sun Dome arena. The agreement, being announced today, also calls for providing the Tampa school with the latest scoreboard equipment and signage, which Action Sports can market to advertisers.

Gordon Whitener, chairman and CEO of Action Sports Media, is adding USF to the mantel of major universities with which the company already is working. It has pacts with the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10 conferences.

'We're going to be a full-service collegiate marketing company, including multimedia, venue signage, naming rights, pouring rights and consulting,' Whitener said.

He describes Action Sports' contract with University of Tennessee as one of the company's largest, involving video board signage at Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena.

With annual revenue of about $15 million, Action Sports is competing with companies like Lexington, Ky.-based Host Communications for a share of the $27.5 billion collegiate sports marketing business that involves selling advertising in stadiums and arenas, selling rights to name sports venues and rights to sell items at venues.

Whitener was CEO of Host Communications until July 2004, when he left in a disagreement with Host directors over the company's direction. Shortly after leaving, Whitener's offer to acquire Host was rejected.

'While we were finding an equity partner to buy them, we found out that Action Sports was for sale. When I was unsuccessful trying to buy Host, I turned my attention to Action Sports pretty quickly,' Whitener said. 'We bought the company for two reasons. We liked the people and the company had good contracts with the right schools.'

Joining Whitener from Host is Jerry Felix, who will be chief financial officer. The company is currently located in offices in Alcoa, where about 10 employees work. Another eight employees are in Portland and 12 are in the field.

Whitener and private equity firm Parallel Investment Partners of Dallas bought Action Sports during the summer from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose varied business interests include sports organizations such as the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Seahawks and The Sporting News publication.

Action Sports began in the mid-1990s as StadiaNet, with a strategy of providing universities Jumbotrons -- huge scoreboards with video screens and space for advertising that sold for $3 million to $7 million apiece.

In exchange for providing the Jumbotrons, StadiaNet would get the rights to sell ads on them. Allen bought the company in 1999 from StadiaNet and changed the name.

Terms of Allen's sale to Whitener and Parallel weren't disclosed. The company was headquartered in Portland, but Whitener decided to move its corporate offices to Knoxville, where his sports career began. The Portland operation is now a regional office.

Originally from Dalton, Ga., he graduated from UT in 1985 with a degree in political science and a minor in business. He first went to UT on a baseball scholarship but left the team and began working with the football team under coach Johnny Majors. He left UT in 1985 to take a position on the football staff at Oklahoma State.

He also spent 12 years in sales and marketing with floor covering companies before getting back into the sports business, first with a company he formed to market rodeo events at NASCAR races and then at Host.

As Action Sports negotiates marketing deals with more schools, it also is looking to increase its size through acquisitions.

'Today, we're looking at two different acquisitions and we're barely out of the chute,' the former Vols assistant said.

He considers the partnership with Parallel Investment critical to the company's growth, saying Parallel's aggressive style jibes with his.

Parallel likewise said Action Sports fits its investment model.

'A hallmark of Parallel's investment strategy is to support outstanding business leaders in situations where aggressive growth strategies can create meaningful returns for our investors, and we see such an opportunity by bringing together Action Sports Media, Gordon Whitener and Jerry Felix,' Parallel Managing Director Clark Crosnoe said in a statement.

Crosnoe said the fierce loyalty college sports fans have to their teams creates strong business opportunities at sporting venues.

'Corporations are just beginning to understand the enormous potential of selling into this type of atmosphere. It's a trend that we believe will fuel the continued success of Action Sports Media,' Crosnoe added.

A nearby example of Action Sports' strategy is at the University of South Carolina, where the company negotiated the sale for rights to name the arena and sell beverages, or pouring rights, at sporting events.

Whitener explained that the naming, pouring, branding and advertising deals are typically commission arrangements for Action Sports.

Other areas of interest are collegiate women's athletics and high school sports. Professional sports aren't an interest and the company does not represent athletes.

'The major focus for our company is to be the best at collegiate marketing and media. That doesn't necessarily mean the biggest,' Whitener said. 'We'll move more into radio, coaches shows, game programs and sports publishing. We're staying with signage as well. We're going to do some things with high school sports, like producing some publishing, Web sites and radio programming.'

The Knoxville area is conducive to Action Sports' business because of UT and its geographic location. Using regional jets, the company can easily get to most business destinations.

'We could have put this business anywhere in the world we wanted to and we chose Knoxville,' Whitener said. 'It's a sports town.'

To see more of The Knoxville News-Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.knoxnews.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

Scarborough Sports Marketing Releases Study: Gymnastics, Figure Skating, Men's Golf, High School Sports and Pro Boxing Rank High in Fan Interest. - Travel & Leisure Close-Up

American consumers have typically shown unwavering support for the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, College Football and Basketball, NASCAR and the Olympics.

In fact, the latest study from Scarborough Sports Marketing shows over half (53 percent) of American adults are 'Avid Fans' of one of these sports. But Scarborough Sports Marketing said that when these sports are eliminated fan favorites include sports like Figure Skating, Gymnastics, Men's Golf, High School Sports and Pro Boxing.

Scarborough Sports Marketing defines 'Avid Fans' as consumers who are 'very interested' and 'Fans' as respondents who are 'very, somewhat or a little interested' in a given sport.

Scarborough Sports Marketing further noted that American sports fans have been opening their minds and wallets to a host of diverse sports. Avid Fans of these sports are often characterized by distinct audience demographics. For instance, 73 percent of Avid Gymnastics Fans are female and 81 percent of Avid Figure Skating Fans are female. This is a unique demographic makeup since Avid Fans of sports like the Olympics, Women's Tennis and the WNBA classically 'female friendly' sports are only about 50 percent female. This notable demographic base helps explain findings such as: Gymnastics Fans are 53 percent more likely than all American adults to schedule a spa day, 30 percent more likely to visit a jewelry store and 33 percent more likely to visit a bridal store. Similarly, Figure Skating Fans are 28 percent more likely to visit a florist and 27 percent more likely to visit a dry cleaner.

Another demographically interesting sport is Pro Boxing. Though European Soccer, Major League Soccer and Mexican Soccer are all leagues with large Hispanic fan bases, Pro Boxing is the non-soccer sports league with the highest percentage of Hispanics among its Avid Fans 35 percent. Avid Pro Boxing Fans are also 58 percent more likely than all American adults to use their smartphones to listen to or download music, 67 percent more likely to check sports scores and updates, and a staggering 110 percent more likely to watch free TV programs.

Interviews were conducted between March and August 2011 and therefore may be influenced by seasonality.

Scarborough Sports Marketing measures local and national consumer and lifestyle information by interviewing over 210,000 adults in 77 markets, including all professional sports markets.

More Information:

http://www.scarboroughsportsmarketing.com

UPS Scores with College Sports Marketing Agreements. - Health & Beauty Close-Up

UPS has announced a significant expansion of its collegiate sports sponsorship program with the addition of new multi-year agreements with IMG College and the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences.

In a release, the Company said that the sponsorships provide it with access to college sports fans in top markets across the country as well as multi-tiered marketing relationships with many of the nation's elite collegiate athletic programs.

In 2010, UPS announced sponsorship agreements with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Southeastern Conference, becoming the official logistics partner for both in addition to obtaining marketing and licensing rights and hospitality opportunities at championship games and other events.

'Through these new alliances, UPS secures one of the largest sponsorship profiles in Division I college sports, opening the door for exciting B-to-B growth opportunities with the conferences and individual schools along with an unprecedented range of marketing, advertising, branding and hospitality assets,' said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, sponsorships and events. 'These partnerships also give us a compelling communications platform to share the message that whether you're a small business owner or a championship football coach, UPS's mastery of logistics can help you succeed.'

The new relationship with IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, provides UPS a national footprint with local reach through sponsorship opportunities with 68 IMG university partners across the country. UPS said that it will receive rights to a vast array of marketing assets, channels and intellectual property to reach college sports fans, game day activation at 250 college venues, high impact media across TV, radio and digital channels and customized integrated marketing platforms aligned to UPS business objectives.

'This is truly an historic announcement in the annals of sports marketing,' said George Pyne, President of Sports and Entertainment at IMG Worldwide. 'IMG has built the first national college sports marketing platform allowing blue chip brands like UPS to reach the largest and most affluent fan base in sports. We've assembled the intellectual property, marketing assets, media channels and service infrastructure for one-stop shopping, which was never previously available. We are confident UPS will be the first of many national brands to capture the pride and passion of college sports through this new national marketing opportunity.'

'We're extremely excited to add the premier college sports marketing organization and two of the most highly regarded collegiate athletic conferences to our sponsorship portfolio,' added Rogowski. 'This expansion allows UPS to extend its college sports presence to the full collegiate landscape - on campus, through alumni associations and the athletic programs appealing to the 172 million college sports fans across the country.'

SPORTS MARKETING STUDENTS GO OUT TO BALLGAME AT NATIONALS PARK. - States News Service

Washington, DC -- The following information was released by Catholic University of America:

From the time he was 12, senior John Buehler from Cincinnati, Ohio, knew that his dream was to become general manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

'Sports is not even a passion of mine,' he says, 'it's an obsession.' During Christmas break, Buehler sent a job application to every professional sports team in the country.

This semester, Buehler, a marketing major, is one of 40 students taking a class that he hopes will further his dream: Sports Marketing, one of the required classes for CUA's new sports marketing minor.

'Sports marketing and sports management is a rapidly growing business in the U.S. and around the world,' says Andrew Abela, chair of the Department of Business and Economics. CUA added this minor in sports marketing because, he says, 'Our job is to prepare students for careers they are interested in and that are relevant in the business world today.'

As part of the course, Adjunct Professor Steward McHie invited CUA almnus Dan Evans, owner and managing partner of Beyond Sports, LLC, of Leesburg, Va., to share insights on opportunities in sports marketing. In March the class visited ESPN Zone to learn more about spectators and consumers. On April 19, the class visited Nationals Park to learn more about corporate sponsorships.

Visitors to Nationals Park encounter the Exxon Strikezone, the Geico Presidents Race, the Harris Teeter Fan of the Game and the PNC Diamond Club. But how (and why) do these companies become involved with a stadium, McHie asked his students.

After taking a tour of Nationals Park students met with Nationals' marketing staff who talked about different types of sponsorship deals there and why the companies, and the Nationals, are interested in these partnerships, and how they work together for the benefit of both team and sponsor.

Professor Stewart McHie talks to students about the Exxon Strikezone at Nationals Park.

In the case of ExxonMobil, a sponsorship that McHie negotiated during his tenure with the company as brand manager, one of the company's core values is energy efficiency, and Nationals Park is the first LEED-certified baseball stadium in the United States. Both entities' energy-conscious ways are highlighted in the Exxon Strikezone.

Students also learned from the marketing staff about how they got their jobs in sports marketing.

Following the formal presentation by the staff, Buehler was able to talk one-on-one with Allison Ginham, director of partner service, and Whitney Dedon, representative of partner service.

'This is an incredibly difficult business to get into,' he says. 'Any time I can meet people in sports and get a feel for what they do and how they do it u this has been a great opportunity for me.'

Buehler said that while some students might be reluctant to talk to executives, 'I've got nothing to lose. They'll tell me how to be successful and I'll take that any day of the week.

UC Irvine Extension Supplies New Online Course in Sports Marketing - Wireless News


Wireless News
02-26-2012
UC Irvine Extension Supplies New Online Course in Sports Marketing
Type: News

The University of California, Irvine Extension announced the availability of a new online course titled Sports Marketing.

Designed for marketing professionals looking to obtain a better understanding of marketing in the sports world, the Company said the 11-week course will begin on March 26. A free, informative webinar on March 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST will provide participants with a glimpse into how sports marketers effectively use traditional marketing strategies to achieve campaign goals.
'Sports marketing is a multi-billion dollar global industry,' said Melanie Mitchell, acting director of management, marketing and business programs at UC Irvine Extension. 'In today's competitive business environment, individuals who possess a complete understanding of how best to market in the sports industry will forge ahead of their competition.'

At the end of the course, participants will have a complete overview of the various applied principles of sports marketing through two broad domains: marketing through sports and marketing of sports. Course content will include the study of both domains and cover how sport marketers utilize traditional sports marketing, sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, venue naming rights and strategies to meet organizational objectives.

According to a release, course instructor Heather M. Wuebker, M.B.A. is the executive director of communications for the School of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She has more than 10 years of combined marketing and communications experience in the non-profit and education sectors, and has been teaching undergraduate extended studies courses in marketing for Adams State College for the past six years.

University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine.

UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service.

More information:

www.today.uci.edu

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2012 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dallas Sports-Marketing Firm Nears Deal to Join Omnicom Group. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jun. 21 -- The Marketing Arm, a 6-year-old Dallas sports-marketing company, is close to finalizing a deal to become part of Omnicom Group Inc., the giant New York-based advertising and public relations company.

'They're going to buy 100 percent of our company and build their presence in sports through our company,' said Ray Clark, The Marketing Arm's chief executive.

Mr. Clark declined to discuss the financial aspects of the deal, but an industry source estimated that Omnicom will pay $12 million.

Mr. Clark started The Marketing Arm in 1993 after working four years with ProServ, a major sports-marketing agency based in Washington, D.C.

The Marketing Arm, which has posted annual revenue growth of 50 percent for the past three years, works both ends of the sports marketing business companies and athletes. Once it becomes part of Omnicom, it will continue to help the companies use sports to sell their products and help athletes land lucrative endorsement contracts.

Clients include Plano-based Frito-Lay Inc., Nokia Corp., Ameritech Corp. and Fortune magazine. The company works with about 100 athletes, including the Houston Rockets' Scottie Pippen, the New York Knicks' Allan Houston, the Portland Trailblazers' Damon Stoudamire and the New York Giants' Jason Sehorn.

Mr. Clark will remain at the helm of The Marketing Arm, and the company will stay in Dallas, where several other Omnicom subsidiaries are located.

Once the transaction is finalized, The Marketing Arm will handle Omnicom's endorsement deals for companies and athletes -- projected to reach 1,000 transactions by 2001.

Omnicom had revenue of more than $4 billion last year, led by units such as its BBDO Worldwide and DDB Needham advertising agencies.

In buying The Marketing Arm, Omnicom is acquiring expertise in sports marketing, which will help it compete with IMG, SFX Entertainment Inc., Advantage International and other big names in the industry. To serve clients, The Marketing Arm will work with other Omnicom entities around the world, including Dieste & Partners and Case Dunlap Enterprises Inc., both in Dallas.

Mr. Clark said the Omnicom deal will accelerate the growth of The Marketing Arm, increasing revenue tenfold in the next four years. What's more, the company will have the capital to expand by buying other sports-marketing companies.

'We plan on acquiring eight to 12 companies in the next two years,' he said.