ESPN started a multiplatform marketing push for its ESPN app yesterday and will roll out various promos and branding through Labor Day. The timing coincides with the start of college football and the U.S. Open, when ESPN’s TV and broadband platforms carry 240 live events. “This is a good time to take advantage of that scale,” said ESPN Senior VP/Production & Multimedia Integration Tina Thornton. The campaign’s main message essentially tells viewers to download and stream the ESPN app, which is available via iOS and Android and offers a simulcast of ESPN’s TV channels and archived material to authenticated cable subscribers plus news and highlights. The net started its marketing push on television yesterday by replacing the ESPN brand on its microphone flags with the app's “E” logo. Thornton said that change may last longer than a week. “We have not made that decision yet,” she said. ESPN ran promos during the Monday morning “SportsCenter" and highlighted the app on the bottom line ticker. Spots are running on TV, radio, digital and social. ESPN also will have its on-air talent talk about the app, which was the message during a high-school football studio show, when host Chris Cotter acknowledged many viewers would be watching the Mayweather-McGregor fight instead of ESPN programming. “We know you’re going to be watching the fight -- a lot of people are tonight. But here’s what you need to do. Download the ESPN app.” Ironically, that message was not part of the marketing campaign, Thornton said.
PICK OF THE LITTER: The marketing campaign also includes a TV and digital component called “ESPN Presents: Fan’s Best Friend,” which includes a 30-second spot that features a man who picks out an ESPN app like one would pick out a pet. “They say you don’t choose the app. The app chooses you. It is everything I could ever want in a sports companion.” ESPN’s internal CreativeWorks group developed the campaign. Earlier this year, ESPN parted ways with its longtime agency of record, Wieden+Kennedy. The net hired independent agency Droga5, N.Y., earlier this month to take its place, but Droga5 had nothing to do with this campaign. “We think there are many more opportunities to get more fans engaged in that space,” Thornton said. “We also want to teach people about what they can do with the app.”
