Despite LeBron James leaving the Heat "to return to his hometown" Cavaliers during the offseason, Heat fans are "reinvigorated at the prospect of proving that James isn’t the only one loyal to his hometown," according to a front-page piece by Ava Wallace of the MIAMI HERALD. Heat President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth said, "There’s this concept out there, particularly in the national media -- Bill Simmons took a shot at us -- that the arena’s going to be half empty, and I think our fans feel that. I think they want to give Bill Simmons and the rest of the national media a collective ‘screw you,’ for lack of a better way to say it." The Heat unveiled a new campaign using the terms "Heat Nation" and "Heat Lifer," and for it, "banners were unveiled, a hashtag was born, and new promotional videos emphasizing pride in Miami’s culture were shot." Heat Exec VP & CMO Michael McCullough said that although there "is a much stronger marketing effort behind Heat Nation this year, branding the team on the business side hasn’t changed much." He added, "Around town, you’re going to see all sorts of imagery supporting Heat Nation, you’re going to see how we’re presenting our players with a look of ‘we have these big, giant chips on our shoulders.' From the players, from the owners, basketball operations, to our fan base, everybody feels like we have something to prove. We’ve been challenged, and we respond to challenge very positively." Woolworth said the team in August made available "a couple hundred" season tickets at full price. He said that those tickets "sold out in three days." He added that the Heat’s partial-plan sales "have eclipsed what the organization sold last season, as well as the season before that." Wallace notes fans who "signed up for three-year season-ticket plans in December 2012 should help maintain a bottom line for attendance." McCullough said, "Because players come and go, and we don’t market specific players, we don’t market wins and losses, we market the Miami Heat. We have a brand, we have a culture" (
MIAMI HERALD, 10/29).
THE KING IS DEAD (TO US): In Miami, Greg Cote noted the Heat last night debuted a six-minute film on the team website that features "no reference whatsoever to LeBron." Cote: "You get a brief glimpse of Shaq. LeBron? Nada." The film "will be featured prominently" tonight before the team's home opener versus the Wizards. The club "calls the film the 'cornerstone' of an ongoing Heat Nation 'campaign.'" The film "is a good idea by the Heat, and another facet of the very interesting relationship now between Miami and LeBron" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 10/28).
