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Sponsorships Advertising Marketing

THE RUN TO ... 70? IS MCGWIRE READY FOR MADISON AVENUE?

          Mark McGwire's L.A.-based agent Bob Cohen said that his
     phone "keeps ringing with all kinds of offers," after his
     client broke MLB's single-season HR record on Tuesday night,
     according to Greg Johnson of the L.A. TIMES.  Cohen: "The
     potential is unlimited.  At this point, Mark is probably
     getting more publicity than any other athlete in the world  
     -- maybe as much publicity than any other person in the
     world other than President Clinton."  Cohen said it "would
     probably be several weeks before you hear anything on
     possible deals."  Johnson writes that there "are rumors" in
     sports marketing circles that McGwire might turn over his
     marketing to a "giant such as ICM" (L.A. TIMES, 9/10).
          RELUCTANT HERO? In N.Y., Stuart Elliot writes that the
     "race to cash in" on the HR record "is already under way,"
     but it "has not been as frenetic as other recent efforts to
     capitalize on athletic achievement."  Both McGwire and Sammy
     Sosa have been "devoting far less time to the marketing
     aspects of the chase," which has "helped build national
     attention and affection for both men."  Roberto Muller,
     President & CEO of Muller Sports Group: "Madison Avenue is
     salivating.  They're dying for Mark and Sammy."  Muller
     feels that if they were to collaborate on ads, "they would
     be bigger than Michael [Jordan] and Larry [Bird]."  Elliott
     puts endorsement estimates for McGwire at $2M and Sosa at
     $1M.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and its agency, Core,
     "have held off running ads tied to McGwire because of his
     reluctance to play for pay during the race."  So the first
     McGwire-related ads, posters and radio commercials from the
     paper are "only now running."  Core Managing Partner Marc
     Kempter: "[McGwire] has set the tone.  And I think Madison
     Avenue would be wise to follow, because our industry needs
     to learn a lesson about not exploiting a situation." 
     Elliott also notes that "there may even be an endorsement
     career" for Cubs P Steve Trachsel, who served up No. 62 
     (N.Y. TIMES, 9/10).  USA TODAY's Melanie Wells calls McGwire
     "the nation's most desirable endorsement star -- and its
     most elusive."  Wells puts his endorsement value at "at
     least" $3M, "if he'll take it."  One potential endeavor has
     McGwire and Sosa together on a Wheaties box (USA TODAY,
     9/10).  Foote, Cone & Belding VP & Sports Analyst Bob
     Dorfman said McGwire "has tremendous potential.  The fact
     is, he's not interested" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/10).  
          WHAT WE'VE SEEN: A Walt Disney World spokesperson said
     that McGwire, who appeared in Disney's 25th "I'm going to
     Disney World" spot, was paid for the ad "just like he would
     any other kind of endorsement" (N.Y. POST, 9/10). 
     MasterCard ran a half-page ad in USA TODAY congratulating
     McGwire, using its "Priceless" tag (THE DAILY).  In L.A.,
     Denise Gellene gives MasterCard's "Priceless" TV spot "$$$"
     on a scale of "$" to "$$$$."  Gellene writes that as an MLB
     sponsor, and in negotiating rights to use McGwire's image,
     MasterCard "scored a coup" (L.A. TIMES, 9/10).
          COMPARISONS TO MJ: Jack Trout, President of CT-based
     Trout & Associates, a marketing strategy company, said
     McGwire is "getting unbelievable publicity.  And he's got
     the kid, and he's kissing everybody, and his smile.  This is
     like Hollywood.  We finally have a sequel to Michael Jordan. 
     He's got the personality, the capability, the stardom around
     him" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/10).  In Philly, Frank
     Fitzpatrick: "For the moment, Michael Jordan has company in
     the American heroes' penthouse" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 9/10). 
     Rick Burton, Dir of the Univ. of OR Warsaw Sports Marketing
     Center: "He's the new Michael Jordan" (L.A. TIMES, 9/10).
     

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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