Female Sports Execs Participate In Marketing Roundtable
SUM Exec VP Kathy Carter, Miller Senior Dir of Sports & Alliance Marketing Dockery Clark, MLB Senior VP/Advertising & Marketing Jacqueline Parkes, LeadDog Marketing Group's Stars and Strategies Managing Dir Sue Rodin and N.Y. Road Runners President & CEO Mary Wittenberg participated in a roundtable discussion with BRANDWEEK's Janoff & Cassidy and were asked how teams, leagues and marketing partners are "dealing with the recession." Parkes: "We're making sure our product stays affordable. And our most accessible version of the product comes on television and online as well." Carter: "No matter how much money (you're) spending on gas, milk or eggs, you want to get away from reality, and that's what sport provides." Rodin: "You're seeing more tailoring of packages." Clark: "We actually benefit sometimes from (a downturn) because (people are) not in the stadium as much, or they've got to (go to) an outlet to go (watch)." Parkes added, "One interesting trend we're seeing is philanthropic activation. As our business is booming and the market is challenged, we have a Susan G. Komen partnership for Mother's Day, a prostate cancer alliance with (Bayer Healthcare's) One A Day (and) KPMG just signed on for reviving baseball in the inner cities."
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Carter Says Fans Feel Jersey
Sponsors Are Authentic Part Of Soccer |
NEW MEDIA: Asked how organizations are building marketing, sponsorship and consumer relationships via new media," Rodin said, "In the theater they talk about the fourth wall, and sometimes that wall gets broken. We're seeing that every day in sports, where fans are becoming more a part of the show. There's polling going on during games, vote for this play ... e-mails, text-messaging, people calling into the (production) booth." Clark: "We had a proprietary text program during the (NFL) playoffs where we had Cowboys fans in Dallas talking to [Giants] fans. It was so successful we (also did) it for the Giants-Green Bay Packers game."
EXPANDING SPONSORSHIPS: The panelists discussed the proliferation of sponsor logos on jerseys and the playing field. Carter said, "About 18 months ago, we allowed four sponsors to (be placed) on the front of the jersey (of four different MLS teams). Without question, this is very well accepted around the world. (Fans) actually said because we didn't do that (initially), we weren't as legitimate and authentic as the leagues around the world." But Parkes said MLB is "intent on keeping the integrity of the playing field, everything between the lines, as clean as possible." Parkes: "Because of that, we've re-branded. Fifteen years ago, the silhouetted batter wasn't on the ball. (Now) our brand is on the back of our caps, the ball, the bases. ... Relative to third parties? That's not in the near future right now."
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Phelps (l) And Hoff Two Athletes With Breakout
Marketing Potential Ahead Of Beijing Olympics |
ATHLETE EXPOSURE: Wittenberg said athletes appearing in non-sports media outlets is beneficial because in "these times of trying to get kids engaged, there's nothing better than creating celebrities (out) of athletes." Rodin: "There's a big risk factor, too. You see it all the time. Sometimes it's acts of omission and sometimes it's acts of commission, where they do things they know they shouldn't do, (like) drinking (too much)." Asked who could have "breakout marketing potential" in this summer's Beijing Olympics, Rodin said, "Michael Phelps is getting a ton of attention. Katie Hoff in swimming. In women's gymnastics, Shawn Johnson. Because swimming and gymnastics, and track and field are so identified with the Olympics, this is their time." But Wittenberg, noting the attention skier Bode Miller got before the '06 Turin Games, said there is a "risk of blowing up when you focus around one athlete" (BRANDWEEK, 5/5 issue).
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