The NBA in Canada, the NFL, Arena Football, and CISL in
Mexico. That's only the beginning of a new international push by
the U.S. sports industry. Yesterday, THE SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY
spoke with Craig Tartasky about global sports marketing.
Tartasky is Exec Dir of the International Sports Summit, and the
company he works for -- E.J. Krause & Associates -- is about to
announce a Japanese Sports Summit, and is exploring the market
for a European Sports Summit. Highlights of our conversation
follow:
THE DAILY: Who is driving the move overseas? Corporate
sponsors or the leagues?
TARTASKY: I think it's a combination of both sides asking
if the market is ready. Leagues are not going to new countries
arbitrarily. Rather, they are talking to their sponsors and
gauging their interest. At the same time, the sponsors want to
know if there is already an understanding of the league's product
in a foreign market.
THE DAILY: Is it important to move licensed products first,
as a way to build fan awareness?
TARTASKY: Absolutely. While we tend to look at licensed
goods at home as an extension of our teams, in many countries
they are nothing more than fashion statements. But, they do
create consumer identification with the product. People will go
to see a team or league just because they've been wearing their
colors and want to find out what it's all about.
THE DAILY: How does the ever-changing international
telecommunications industry figure in to the globalization of
sports?
TARTASKY: The biggest problem facing the international
media is the same problem our regional cable companies have right
now -- and that's the struggle to find product. Overseas, there
are no strikes, but sports television is still developing, so
there isn't necessarily a lot to put on the air. American
leagues -- which provide great visuals --are perfectly poised to
take advantage of that gap.
THE DAILY: What are the hot international marketing
approaches?
TARTASKY: I don't think anyone's come up with anything too
novel. What you're seeing are new ways to skin the same cat.
We're trying to reach the same demographic -- mostly men, a lot
of 18-34. ... The key is to appreciate [cultural] differences,
start with licensed products, add an exhibition game or two, and
begin to build grass roots interest.
