"Trade to Jets Launches Tim Tebow Into Marketing Stratosphere"

From Forbes

Review by Chad Byers in Kin 435 (section 1)

Jeff Bercovici’s article in Forbes discusses the benefits Tim Tebow will enjoy from a marketing perspective following his trade to the New York Jets. Forbes discusses the new opportunities that the New York market presents to Tebow. “Tebow-mania” was already at an unbelievable level in Denver but the author shares some of the benefits he will gain from being in the biggest media market in the nation.

Tim Tebow already enjoys endorsements from Nike, Jockey, and EA sports racking in 1-2 million dollars a year. Bercovici informs the readers that Tebow can increase this number drastically almost with regional sponsorships. He states that there are several opportunities to break the million dollar mark with companies that only advertise within the New York and New Jersey area. One of the most obvious facts that determine his strength in endorsement will be his performance. If Tem Tebow can become a starter and succeed in this role it is projected that he will easily top the 10 million dollars a year annually in endorsements. While there is much dispute between the Tebow fanatics and his “haters;” there is a database that compiles statistics on consumer’s perceptions of different celebrity endorsers. Tim was at the top of many of these categories on par with Larry David and Ricky Gervais. Bercovici states, “Tebow is near the top of the chart on a variety of measures, including trust, influence and trend-setting power.” This is why every company wants his face on their product.

I personally find this article completely accurate. Tebow has proven that he has what it takes to win in the NFL and his work ethic will mend the negatives in his playing style. Some people call him phony but Tebow believes what he says all the way to the core; and that is why he is an extremely marketable athlete. I do find that a lot of the attention Tebow gains is from the media pushing him in the spotlight because of his unique way of living his life. His market strength will increase because he is now in New York but the longevity of these deals will depend on his success. New York loves a winner and forgets about a benchwarmer quicker than any other city, the sky is the limit for Tebow but it all rides on his shoulder.

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Review by Josh Futter in KIN 435 (section 3)

The article we chose for our marketing presentation is “Trade to jets launches Tebow into marketing stratosphere” by Jeff Bercovici. This article talks about how Tim Tebow is going to a small market in Denver to a large market in New York City. It talks of the opportunities that present itself for Tim in his move to New York.

This article talks about the “what if’s” for Tim and the kind of money he could be looking at depending on the future he has in New York and the amount of playing time he receives with his new team. It states that Tim could be looking at and upwards of 10 million dollars in endorsements on top of the 1 to 2 million dollars he already receives from his sponsors EA Sports, Nike, and Jockey. This depends on playing time and how the Jets do as a team. The article also states that New York is one of the only, if not the only place where Tebow could get a local sponsorship totaling the 7 figures mark. It also states that Tebow could also get sponsorship deals while riding the bench.

According to the Davie Brown index which tracks consumer perception of around 2500 athletes Tim Tebow is at the top of this study using trust, influence, and trend setting power to measure where the athletes stand with the consumers. This comes with a middle of the road appeal score due to his love him or hate him nature with the fans.

Sports agent Eugene Lee says that If Tim Tebow can win a Super Bowl it can take him to level of stars such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. This article gives you a lot of “what if” situations but leaves a lot of what happens with Tim’s marketability up to him and his performance on the field. The article doesn’t give any real definitive marketing strategies that will be used or new sponsors Tim will have because of his move, leaving a lot up to the reader to figure out on their own.

"Gold Coast: Football club to farce"

From ESPNsoccernet

Review by Tyler Copan in KIN 435 (section 1)

The Gold Coast United is a soccer team that plays in the Australian A-League. The team was founded in 2009 by mining magnate Clive Palmer. At their inception, Palmer proclaimed that the team would fly through their inaugural year without a single loss; he was sorely mistaken. Gold Coast United, instead of winning all their games, quickly became the worst and most despicable team in the league. In their latest blunder, Palmer named one of the newest and youngest members of the team, 17-year-old Mitch Cooper, to be the team’s captain in their match against the Melbourne Heat. This action in itself is ridiculous because Cooper had only played a few games with the team and he had not been in any position to deserve the right to be called captain. The coach of the team, Miron Bleiberg, publicly spoke out against Palmer’s move which led to Palmer suspending Bleiberg for not supporting him. For any other team, this might not be such a big deal, however, Gold Coast United are not just any team. From constantly picking up star players for absurd amounts of money and then those same players not accomplishing anything to constantly having minimal fans and sponsorships at any of their matches, Gold Coast United seems to be going down the drain fast.

The marketing and sales implications of Clive Palmer’s actions are disastrous for both the Gold Coast United soccer team and the Australian A-League in general. This is bad for Gold Coast United because the actions of their immature owner cause them to be constantly losing fans and other potential consumers of their products and services. Also, since no one is going to their games and they are constantly losing fans, nobody wants to become sponsors of the team and the sponsors that the team does have are probably going to move on to other teams relatively soon if they have not already. The actions of Gold Coast United and its owner Clive Palmer are disastrous for the entire Australian A-League because the sports industry in Australia is extremely competitive and, if Gold Coast United is constantly losing fans and sponsors because of their ridiculous actions, that makes the entire league look bad and could cause potential revenue producers to move on to other sports like Australian Rules Football. In conclusion, Gold Coast United and billionaire owner Clive Palmer seem to be taking actions that lead them down a road that ends in dissolution of the team and maybe even of the league.
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Review by Katie Gebauer in KIN 435 (section 1)

The article Gold Coast: Football Club to Farce explains how another incident by the Gold Coast’s coach Palmer has turned them into a joke. The billionaire, Clive Palmer, funds the Gold Coast team that began in 2009, because like other teams they are struggling with a lack of crowds and lack of sponsorships. Palmer told coach Miron Bleiberg that he was to make the 17-year-old new comer, Mitch Cooper captain for the game against Melbourne Heart. To me it seems that Palmer was trying to achieve new fans by making a young player captain because it showed that he supports youth. Supporting youth could get parents to take their kids to the games, could get young kids to follow the team and players a little more because of their ability to relate to Cooper, and being that Cooper was expected to be very good it could create hype around him which would help out ticket sales and sponsorships. This fact is proven because the first thing I noticed about the article was that Hyatt was the sponsor that Cooper wears on his uniform. What company wouldn’t want to advertise and or sponsor a team or player that is getting that much hype?

The part that Palmer misunderstood about what he did was the affect is would have on the fans. The fans take the game, and the role of captain, very seriously. It is given to someone who shows teamwork and leadership, many fans viewed giving Cooper the role of captain as a joke and a slap in the face to the hard work and effort that the players put into the game. I believe Coach Bleiberg understood this, which is why he assured fans that his role as captain was just a ceremonial gesture. Palmer then came back and suspended Bleiberg because he saw that statement as undermining what he had planned. Being that most of the fans didn’t agree with Cooper becoming captain, the fact that the coach was suspended angered them even more.

Basically this article sums up how this is just one of many instances that Palmer is tarnishing his teams reputation through bad decisions, and how that tarnished reputation may soon lead to the end of this team.

"Marketing moguls, potential sponsors await Patrick's NASCAR punch"

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal

Review by Rick Reardon in KIN 435 (section 2)

In this article the author, Skylar Swisher, discusses the opportunity that is currently in front of Danica Patrick. Danica Patrick won the pole position for the Daytona 500 this past Friday. She is turning all sorts of heads because she is only the third woman to race the Daytona 500, and the first to win the pole there. The author stresses that if she could pull off the upset and win the Sunday at Daytona 500 this Sunday, the marketing opportunities are endless for her. Danica is already extremely well known, 68% of Americans know her by her name or face. This shows that she is already a well known house hold name, and winning this race could only bolster that. She is even very popular amongst avid NASCAR fans, 87% of Americans said that they are hoping that Danica does well in the race, and 80% said that she is good for the support. So across the board she has positive support from all fans already, a win could only help that stat. If Danica would win the race it could attract all sorts of non traditional sponsors to NASCAR, and especially to Patrick. Swisher gives some examples of what kind of non traditional sponsors she could attract. He says that she could attract sponsors everywhere from lotion, all the way to wine. Danica Patrick, could cause sponsors to go away from the traditional blue-collar and automotive products and start sponsoring mass retailers. This is a great opportunity for the sport of NASCAR as well as Danica herself. She could really help improve the sport as well as her own image.

"Hints of a Comeback as Woods Secures Deals"

From the New York Times


Review by Chad Mozingo in KIN 435 (section 2)

The article that I have chosen to do a presentation on is “Hints of a Comeback as Woods Secures Deals.” This article was found the in the New York Times on November 24, 2011. The basic over view of the article is about Tiger Woods’s sponsorship’s and how they have changed. It describes the collapse of Tiger Woods image and what impact that had on his endorsement deals. Also, the article described the magnitude of collateral damage that the infidelities had on his annual income through sponsorships. Also since the media exposure of his infidelities and its negative impact on the images of Tiger on people the article also described decline of his quality of play. The two combined has made it tough for him to pick up new sponsors and regain his excessive monetary situation that he once had.

Throughout the article it constantly explains marketing concepts such as the marketability of Tiger before and has the infidelities. It shows the ways in which athletes can be paid such as stock grants into companies and the large amounts of money that they can be worth. It also hints at the athlete side of the situation such as how Tiger will not just side with anyone as a partner because if he partners with a poor company it may bring down his image which is ultimately worth the majority of the money.

"The Lines Between Social Media And Sports Continue To Blur"

From Forbes

Review by Josh Ruffner in KIN 435 (section 1)

This article is about how sports teams are starting to implement social media into their marketing campaigns. They are really trying to increase interaction between fans, players, and the teams. Social media usage has become a huge asset to our daily lives. The one that is talked about within this article is Twitter.

The Philadelphia Wings decided to have a special jersey night with the players donning their twitter handles on the backs of their jerseys. The idea behind this was to create an interaction between the fans and players. The jerseys were later raffled off for a charity event. Social media is starting to become widely used in sports marketing. It is easier to engage the fans through social media because everybody is using it. I personally think this was a great idea for the Philadelphia Wings as it increases interaction between the players and fans. I think that Twitter could have a huge future in the marketing of sports. By following teams on Twitter fans are always up-to-date about what is going on with their favorite teams. Since the Wings were the first team to implement this idea, I think others will surely give it a try. I also think this may benefit the smaller leagues because they can become more connected with their fan base through social media usage. I am not really sure how this will factor into the four major sports as many people are already connected with their favorite teams through some sort of social media channel.

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Review by Peter Billups in KIN 435 (section 1)

A recent article in Forbes Magazine titled, “The Lines Between Social Media and Sports Continue To Blur,” addresses the February 12th National League Lacrosse game in which the Philadelphia Wings wore jerseys with the players Twitter handles on them. This marks the first time a North American Professional Sports team has done such a promotion. This promotion was genius; the team and league received a great amount of free exposure due to the jerseys. The NLL and Philadelphia Wings received more airtime on SportsCenter and other news channels channels across the country as well as articles in many magazines including the one in Forbes Magazine. Not mentioned in the article was the fact that after the game the jerseys were auctioned off, with proceeds going to support the American Cancer Society. Obviously, the intent of having these jerseys made, worn once and auctioned off was to provide a unique marketing experience for the Philadelphia Wings and provide an opportunity for fans to engage with the athletes via Twitter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this article. It raises many questions and encourages any sport business professional to consider the future of social media relating to sports. Steve Olenski, a freelance advertising and marketing writer/blogger concludes the article with the question, is “the use of Twitter handles and jerseys, a one time thing? Or do you think this is only the beginning?” I believe that this is only the beginning but the use of Twitter handles on team jerseys will not immediately be duplicated by other professional teams.

The sports purest would be against Twitter jerseys and right now I think management would be against it as well. This practice puts emphasis on the individual players. Why promote fan focus on the individual athletes instead of the team? Many players leave in free agency and those players can easily take fans with them through the use of today’s technology which makes keeping track of your favorite players a click away. The article focuses on the merchandise sales and makes the reader believe that Twitter jerseys could sell and lead to more Twitter gear. I believe that this is not the case, despite the fact that the line between social media and sports is becoming less clear. Fans value tradition and Twitter handles on jerseys is a deviation from tradition. One possibility is first to present Twitter handles in the programs and on the jumbotrons, more or less testing the response. The NLL and the Wings received positive results from the promotion since they found a new way to get publicity and had the positive image of helping those in need. Twitter reaches millions of people, especially those that economically support online marketing. It is inevitable that Twitter is used by major sports programs; but to add Twitter names on jerseys further divides athlete with team.

"Nationals limiting group sales to boost Take Back the Park campaign"

From the Washington Post


Review by Kristen Rauch in KIN 435 (section 2)

Looking at the crowd in Nationals Stadium on Opening Day two years ago, one would have thought they were at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Phillies fans flooded the capital in 2010, which is why the Washington Nationals have launched a promotion campaign called “Take Back the Park” for this season’s series against the Phillies in May. Andrew Feffer, the Nationals’ COO, claims that this year is “a different day,” as the campaign aims to get the majority of seats filled with Washington fans.

The Take Back the Park promotion offers a special presale of single-game tickets available only to those who live in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. The presale opened at 7:00 am on Friday, February 3rd, and will continue until a yet-to-be-specified date. During this time, Nationals season-ticket holders and residents of the DMV area are encouraged to register for the offer, although eligibility for presale does not guarantee availability of those tickets; tickets are subject to a first-come, first-served basis. Along with this promotion, Feffer has made an appeal to local fans that “filling the park is not only about the Nationals and Phillies, but rather a civic issue.” He hopes the community will band together and take advantage of this opportunity to reclaim what is theirs: Nationals Park.

What does Take Back the Park mean for Phillies fans? They will not be able to purchase tickets to the series until the conclusion of the promotion, and even then, the group tickets they do buy will be at a non-discount rate. This has upset many of the Philadelphia tour operators who generate their income by grouping bus tickets to Nationals Park with tickets to the games. Feffer wants to make sure that Nationals fans get the opportunity to get a ticket to the game before Phillies fans, but once the promotion is over the remaining single-game tickets will go on sale to anyone.

In my opinion, this promotion plan has potential for short-term success. I think that Take Back the Park will get local Nats fans to become more aware of the rivalry with the Phillies, and realizing that this opponent has really “taken away” their stadium, competitiveness will set in and Washington fans will want to reclaim what is theirs. In the long-run, however, attendance ratios at Nationals-Phillies games will really depend on whether or not the Nats win. The new promotion idea will excite the people of Washington for the first series, but if the Nationals are not winning it will have a negative effect on the number of DMV residents who take advantage of the presale and attend future games. Furthermore, limiting group ticket sales may anger Phillies fans, potentially resulting in poorer sportsmanship from those that do end up getting seats in the stadium.

"Peyton Manning nears decision on his next team"

From Los Angeles Times

Review by Michael Smith in KIN 435 (section 2)

Almost all football fans know that the NFL opens up the free agencies today March 13th, 2012. However many people are speculating over Peyton Manning’s free agency. Right now Manning has the headline of the “hot topic” within the NFL. Many players have been released due to an expired contract or teams no longer have the interest or money to sign them. In Peyton Manning’s case, both problems are present, but not for the reasons you might think. Peyton Manning was released by the Indianapolis Colts because they didn’t want nor could not pay him the $28 million dollar bonus he “deserved”.

When the Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay decided to part ways with quarterback Peyton Manning on March 7, 2012, Irsay insisted that the $28 million bonus and additional $7.4 million for Manning's 2012 salary he was due to receive on March 8 had no effect on the decision. Petyon Manning is 35-years-old and is a four-time MVP quarterback. Manning previously underwent surgery to surgically fuse his neck and is coming off a season where he didn't play a single game. While Peyton Manning's impact on the field is undeniable after witnessing the Colts' 2-14 record without him, his impact on the Indianapolis Colts ticket sales is equally amazing. Without Peyton Manning last season the Colts ticket sales dropped by 90% from the previous season and the average ticket price dropped by almost 60%. Peyton Manning's impact both on and off the field to the Colts' organization this past year is undeniable.

When Peyton Manning signed his last Colts contract on July 30, 2011, the contract was for 5 years and $90 million, an average of $18 million a year. While Jim Irsay, the Colts General Manager, wanted to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history, Manning chose to accept less money in order to free up the Colts front office to be able to sign other players. "Whether I deserve to be the highest-paid player over the next five years is irrelevant," Manning said. "I would rather them use that money and keep the players they want to keep and get other players".

Peyton Manning is gone now, and it remains to be seen what the economic impact his absence will have on Colts' ticket sales moving forward. The places that he might end up being a quarterback for the rest of his career are endless. Every team wants his ability, leadership and big name. The fight for Peyton is ongoing but many prospective teams are supposed to be nearing a decision by the end of this week.