Retired Red Sox DH
David Ortiz brought his larger-than-life persona to the
Momentum Sports Marketing Symposium yesterday in N.Y. In a 30-minute session with his agent,
Alex Radetsky, Ortiz shared some of his plans now that he is retired, as well as stories about sponsor relationships that he built during his career. He talked about the importance of players having a good relationship with fans, and then backed it up by graciously stopping for selfies with attendees every few feet as he made his way off the stage. He said, “People want to connect off the field. I take that very personally. When we go to a school, the way the kids look up at us has a major impact.” Ortiz, on helping players develop in his home country, the Dominican Republic: “You want to make sure they understand that just because you got signed by a ball club doesn’t mean that you made it.”
The conference opened the morning after one of the most contentious elections in recent memory, and there was no way to ignore what had happened. Here are some of the speakers' comments on the election cycle and its surprising result. Data scientist Dr. Rich Luker: “If I had to gamble, I’d say the Republicans did an awesome job on data. ... When Trump’s campaign was saying, ‘We have polls that say we are doing better,’ I think they did.” Former United Airlines CMO Tom O’Toole: “What can the sports industry learn from last night’s outcome? Marketing in the sports industry is driven by information, but it is also driven by passion and identity. And relying entirely on the information ... while not fully taking into account the passion and identity can lead to very unexpected outcomes.”
Today's sessions will begin with a discussion on how brands can make smart decisions on e-sports, then launch into three back-to-back sessions that will look at sports that are potentially set to go big-time: Drone Racing League, World Surf League and Tough Mudder. The conference will end with sessions that delve into some of the industry’s hot topics, including Sabermetrics and high school sports. For a quick recap of yesterday and a table-setter for today, check out our morning podcast. Also, check out the event's digital program (THE DAILY).
