Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

Lightning Fans Unhappy With Bradenton CVB For Rally Towels Supporting Penguins

The Bradenton (Fla.) Area Convention & Visitors Bureau on Saturday "was full of apologies" to Lightning fans after it "unleashed an internet storm Friday by issuing a rally towel" to the Penguins, according to Jessica De Leon of the BRADENTON HERALD. The teams are competing in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the yellow rally towels intended for fans "had 'Let's Go Pens!' superimposed over the image of a mascot Penguin holding a hockey stick." Underneath the logo, the words Bradenton, Anna Maria and Longboat Key "were listed along with the BradentonGulfIslands.com web address." Lightning fans "were unhappy with the Bradenton CVB, and overnight #BoycottBradenton began to trend on Twitter in the Tampa Bay area." The CVB "continued to try to reassure unhappy fans locally by explaining the agency is tasked with promoting tourism to the area" (BRADENTON HERALD, 5/15). YAHOO SPORTS' Josh Cooper noted Bradenton "is the spring training home" of the Pirates, as well as the home of the Single-A Florida State League Bradenton Marauders. Bradenton Area Convention Visitors Bureau Exec Dir Elliott Falcione said, "We’re the agency that’s charged with promoting visitation to the Bradenton area and our staff and stakeholders truly love the Lightning ... but at the same time as a convention and visitor’s bureau, we have objectives to drive visitors to our areas in the most unique and effective manner." Falcione said that the Penguins "had contacted his organization as they readied for a potential Eastern Conference Final matchup and asked if they wanted their name on a rally towel." Falcione said that the city of Bradenton "has also held a partnership with the Lightning the last two years ... with their brand being behind the visitor’s bench" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/14).

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.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/05/16/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Pens-towels.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/05/16/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Pens-towels.aspx

CLOSE