"Michael Sam's marketing power is real—just not until draft day"

From Sporting News

Analysis by Preston Clark in SRM 435 (section 1)

Michael Sam, future NFL player, recently announced that he was gay. Now comes the big question: How and when will companies use him in their future marketing and advertisements? Sam’s new agent, Jason Barkett, has already received numerous calls from companies who want to sign him. However, in order to conduct his training for the combine and upcoming NFL season, Sam has turned down all of the offers so far. He wants to remain focused on his game until he can establish himself as a football player, then he will begin looking into the offers. Some possible companies that may want to sign him include Red Bull, Nike (who have already signed openly gay Brittany Griner and Jason Collins), and Beats by Dre. Sam has already signed several autograph deals with trading card companies, but does not want to go any farther than that because his main goal is to prove that his on-field performance is NFL quality. He knows that the marketing dollars will come after that happens.

Michael Sam is an important factor for companies who are looking for a new marketing scheme. His story and his courage are perfect to market to all walks of life, especially the rarely targeted LGBT community. There will be a lot of people in America who will look up to him for being brave enough to come out as gay to the public, which will cause them to want to purchase some of the merchandise and products that he sponsors. Companies will have to use their creativity to come up with proper ways to market Michael Sam in order to make the most out of their advertisements and not offend people. The smart companies will focus on Sam’s play on the field while keeping their message targeted towards the general consumer, not just the LGBT community.

This article was very relevant to the course because it surrounds a guy who will be the center of a lot of marketing schemes in the near future for various different companies. It will be a test for companies to come up with ways to market Sam to not only the LGBT community, but the rest of America too. It will be interesting from a marketing and promotional standpoint to see what companies sign Michael Sam and how they use the different advertisement methods.

---

Analysis by Kirby Burkholder in SRM 435 (section 1)

Our article was on Michael Sam, who has become the first gay NFL player, seeing that he gets drafted, to openly come out. He played football in college for Missouri, and is prospected to be drafted in the first few rounds. By coming out as an openly gay athlete, his agent says the phones are ringing off the hook for future possible deals signing Sam for endorsements, ads, etc, to promote the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Many companies see him as a great marketing tool for their product.

In the article, a few companies were mentioned as possible endorsements for Michael Sam. The first was Beats By Dre, which is a company that already has a partnership with the NFL. Sam would fit well into their signature commercials with the beats headphones on, blocking out all the distractions around them. Another company that is a probable deal would be Nike. Nike already announced its support of marriage equality, and have a good relationship with the LGBT community. They also have already have done a deal with an openly gay WNBA player, Brittany Griner. The third company mentioned in the article is Red Bull. They already have a history of non-traditional sports marketing. The article says how Sam should pick brands he can easily relate to or uses.

Sam’s marketing opportunities don’t stop here though. All these are deals that he can sign to be endorsed by a company or brand, but there are so many more marketing options that will open up, especially if he does well in the league. In other articles, it says how many talk show hosts would like to talk to him already, and there is talk of possible book or movie (documentary) deals. The marketing options for Michael Sam are endless, and most of it has to do with him simply being gay. Another big point stated in the article is how the main thing Sam needs to be focusing on is his play once he gets in the league. He needs to prove he is a top player, or a lot of the talk of these endorsements and deals might go out the window.

"MLB Opening Series In 2014 Will Be Major Boon For Australia"

From MLBSydney2014.com and International Business Times

Analysis by Stephen Dombrowski in SRM 435 (section 2)

Major League Baseball has done a great job reaching out to the global market, but this year their target is a new country: Australia. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. This year’s game will feature the globally prominent Los Angeles Dodgers and a young team that is on the rise, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sydney officials are turning the Sydney Cricket Grounds into a Major League field for March 22 and 23.

From a marketing standpoint of the MLB, this is pure genius. Baseball is on the rise in Australia. There are numerous Australians now in the game including the Rays’ Grant Balfour. After going to Japan for the last several years, they have finally picked a country where there is more potential for growth. The Australian Baseball League was started back up in 2010 and is overlooked by MLB officials. The league’s purpose is to bridge the gap between generations and create a buzz about baseball to the youth to inspire young Australians to play the game. This year was perfect using the 100 year anniversary to bring the game back and to advertise the century mark. However, there are some downfalls to having the game here. Most Australians are more interested in cricket than they are baseball. To some, this game is completely foreign to them and might now understand some of the rules. Lastly, the playing conditions and stadiums in Australia are not adequate to field a Major League ball game.

From the Australian’s standpoint, their advertising of the game in local papers has been fantastic. By having a Major League baseball game here in Australia it shows that the country is serious about getting competitive in baseball. It has been called Aussies Chasing the Dream. The way it is being promoted is to show it is similar to cricket but it being shorter and a lot more convenient to play or watch if you have other things going on in your life. The downfall again for the growth from the Australian standpoint is the lack of adequate and convenient stadiums to play the games at. It is hard to get fans excited about going to a game that does not give the fans a great experience. Cricket again is the challenge facing the growth. David Smith says, “There simply isn’t enough room in people’s minds and lives for new sports.” However, by having this game Down Under, Major League Baseball and Australia are working hard together to overcome these obstacles.

Every professional sports league is trying to branch out and gain global popularity. The NFL in London, the NBA going overseas and in China, the NHL’s large amount of foreign players, and now the MLB playing the first games of the season in other countries. This article is relevant to the course because of the constant change that is occurring throughout sports and how each league is constantly trying to gain a larger audience. It is important for any of us going into the marketing profession to know that there is more to just marketing to your local fans. There is a bigger picture and the world of baseball is becoming a smaller and smaller place.

---

Analysis by Griffin Waugh in SRM 435 (section 2)

This year opening day will come with a small twist. Most people can't wait to take the train into the Bronx and smell the fresh cut grass on April 1 of every year; that may just be me. This year the Opening Series of the 2014 MLB season will take place in Sydney, Australia on the 22nd-23rd of March. The Opening Series will feature a National League West match-up between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The last time a MLB game was played here was an exhibition game in 1914 featuring the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. Major League Baseball signed a $13 million deal to have the first season opener in Australia. By doing so they are passing up more money and a larger baseball market in Japan, a location that has frequently been used for the Opening Series.

This is all a part of MLB's initiative to push for more local enthusiasm for baseball in Australia. Four years ago, Major League Baseball bought a 75 percent stake in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). With Australia hosting the Opening Series, this is the first step in the process of marketing and promoting baseball in Australia. Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig recently was quoted as saying "the globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part our long-term efforts to grow the sport." (The Australian) Just by looking at MLB.com and the amount of jobs it offers with the ABL, it becomes evident that they are pushing for baseball in Australia. This untapped market offers a lot to the MLB in return as they provide a new area to grow the sport of baseball. Unlike other baseball dominant areas like Asia and the Caribbean, they lack established baseball academies. The ABL also provides minor league baseball players a chance to continue their craft as the season occurs from November to January. Many minor league players will go overseas and continue to get better during the winter months by playing in the ABL. Over the years, over 30 Major League players have come from Australia; most famously, Grant Balfour, the new closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. Major League Baseball will look to explore this new territory and market baseball in Australia in order to develop new talent in the hopes of players from Australia coming to play baseball professionally in the MLB.

This growth in baseball in Australia will create globalization for the game. Providing the MLB with new talent, fans, jobs, and revenue. The MLB is already a trillion dollar industry that could now help benefit the economy and the sport of baseball in Australia as well. New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell believes that their marketing and promotional efforts will pay off as "it is estimated that the matches will deliver a direct visitor impact of more than $13 million for the local economy." (International Business Times) The games will also be broadcast live in the US on ESPN. This will serve as a national stage promotion of what Australia has to offer and should increase tourism. It also will put a major sport on display for locals, which should in turn increase local enthusiasm for the game of baseball. The main reason the MLB choose Australia to host the Opening Series was to reestablish the sport of baseball in Australia. They will try to gain new fans and talent after their efforts to resurrect the ABL in 2010 were successful. The impact from the Opening Series along with the revenue generated from ticket sales and TV revenues will help provide the league with new facilities and the chance for continued expansion.

This pertains to this course because it shows what the end result of marketing and promotional efforts can be. It also sheds light on how smaller leagues and corporations grow to establish themselves as entities. I believe thanks to Major League Baseball’s dedication to this effort that baseball in Australia can be sustainable. I would even go as far as saying that it could rival Triple-A baseball, and the Caribbean Series for number of fans and TV revenues.

"Notre Dame, Under Armour Ink Unprecedented $90M Deal"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Sylvia Lee in SRM 435 (section 2)

Recently, Notre Dame and Under Armour signed the most lucrative apparel and shoe deal in college athletics history. The agreement is over a 10-year period worth about $90 million in cash and merchandise. Currently, Notre Dame has a deal with Adidas, which will be ending in June.

In addition to the $90 million deal, the agreement will also allow Notre Dame to take some of the cash in company stock, potentially making the payoff even greater. Because of this, “shares of Under Armour were up more than 3 percent on the day and 80 percent over the last year.”

Notre Dame fans are worried that Under Armour will change the traditional uniforms, but Kevin Plank (CEO of Under Armour) ensured the fans that they will not make any major tweaks. The deal also does not allow Under Armour to get any signage in the stadium. Since 1930, Notre Dame’s stadium has been free of all advertisements and does not have a video replay board, and they will continue on with this tradition.

From a sport-marketing standpoint, I believe this is a huge opportunity for Under Armour since they are continuing to compete with other sporting apparel companies such as Nike and Adidas. With every Notre Dame football game being nationally televised, Under Armour will get a great amount of exposure. Because of this new deal, die-hard Notre Dame fans, students and faculty of Notre Dame could possibly also to become loyal to this brand in a sense that it may make them feel a connection with the football players and program. With about a quarter of the United States population being a college football fan, there is no doubt that Under Armour has gained a tremendous amount of publicity after signing this $90 million deal with Notre Dame.

This article is related to this sport marketing and sales course because it is about the benefits a sports team and a company gained by signing a sponsorship deal. Under Armour will get a lot of national television exposure during college football season, and Notre Dame will be getting a total of $90 million in cash and merchandise.

---

Analysis by Titus Till in SRM 435 (section 2)

On Tuesday, January 21st, 2014, Under Armour and Notre Dame announced to the world their new deal, which is arguably one of the biggest contracts in college sports history between a University and another big name company such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok or Under Armour. Notre Dame’s previous deal with Adidas was the richest in college sports with the 10-year $82 million contract that will soon expire. Notre Dame’s new contract is now being referred to as one of the most valuable shoe and apparel contracts in the country. This 10-year deal will begin as soon as the contract with Adidas expires in June. The value of the deal was not revealed by Notre Dame or Under Armour, but is estimated to be worth a whopping $90 million over the next ten years according to ESPN reporters. Notre Dame will be joining a plethora of schools across the country who have a school-wide deals with Under Armour including company owner, Kevin Plank’s, alma mater Maryland, Texas Tech, Boston College, Utah, Temple, Northwestern, South Florida and South Carolina. For the fans that may have concerns with having changes made to the historical uniforms that Notre Dame has worn for years, Plank says not to worry. Also, Under Armour will not have any signage within Notre Dame Stadium in order to keep the traditional atmosphere, which excludes any advertisements and even a video replay board within the stadium.

This deal ultimately benefits both Under Armour and Notre Dame from a marketing standpoint because of the huge fan base that both Under Armour and Notre Dame have accumulated over the years. With these two entities joining forces, more awareness of both brands will grow. Not only does this create more buzz around the Notre Dame community but also will generate more cash through Under Armour’s company stock. As of 12:30 p.m. ET on the day that this deal was announced the shares for Under Armour went up more than 3 percent and up more than 80 percent over last year. I believe that this deal will generate more sales from Notre Dame fans wanting to be apart of the new change going forth. As this relates to our class, this is a perfect example of a successful deal for both parties involved. If all deals could sound this good on paper the world would be a better place but unfortunately not every company has a growing name like Under Armour and not every school has a tradition like Notre Dame. Whoever came up with this idea to merge this school and this company was a genius from a marketing standpoint.

"No Backlash for Olympic Sponsors: Chobani Rises Most"

From Advertising Age

Analysis by Jacob Porter in SRM 334 (section 1)

For our article discussion we decided to use an article that discussed American advertising and marketing during the 2014 Winter Olympic games. This article discussed how certain advertising campaigns boosted recognition of companies in terms of buzz, word of mouth, and purchase consideration. These numbers are based off of a study conducted by YouGov brand index in which they sampled about 4,300 consumers daily to find out how the general population felt about marketing during the Olympics. Through this study it was learned that Chobani differentiated their product very effectively throughout the games. This is in large due to their pro-gay oriented advertisements. Russia has a ban on distributing same-sex propaganda to youth which caused an outrage especially among gay activists here in America. Chobani and other companies like Chevrolet took advantage of this and produced pro-gay advertisements that were very popular especially among the LGBT community. According to the article lesbian and gay purchase consideration for Chevrolet skyrocketed in the past month.

From a marketing standpoint companies such as Chobani and Chevrolet did excellent and were very wise with their marketing plan. They saw an opportunity which was the outrage of American citizens over Russia’s anti-gay laws and decided to take advantage of it. I think that this kind of marketing is a risk because there are still a fair amount of people in America that oppose homosexual marriage, but these companies took a risk and it paid off big for them.

This article relates to a lot of things we have discussed in this class. One of the things we have discussed in sales is to “know the market/customer”. Clearly these marketing campaigns were not just thrown together a week before the Olympics, but there was probably extensive market tests and data collection. Companies like Chevy and Chobani found out that there was a big market that would respond positively to a pro-gay advertisement. It definitely payed off as it raised awareness, buzz, and product consideration for both companies.

---

Analysis by Shanik Murthy in SRM 333 (section 1)

This article focused on the brands that were associated with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and how their popularity was affected due to Russia’s Anti-Gay laws. Some brands were official sponsors of the event while others were not. Chevrolet, even though it wasn’t an official sponsor, saw its brand consumer consideration rise substantially after it’s commercial depicting same-sex marriage was aired. Chobani yogurt had the overall biggest increase in various categories derived from the YouGov Brand Index statistical calculations. The companies that sponsored the events were taking a big risk in regards to its gay and lesbian consumers because of Russia’s Anti-gay laws. By sponsoring the events, gay and lesbian consumers would infer that those companies were supporting Russia in its views on same-sex marriage and Anti-gay laws. However it turned out that the gay and lesbians positive perception of the companies that sponsored the event actually increased overall. Even though these companies were taking a big risk by associating themselves with the Sochi Olympics, I believe it was a smart marketing tactic nonetheless. Due to the overall popularity of the Olympics, companies were able to showcase themselves on a world stage, which is a rare occurrence that only happens every few years. This article has a direct correlation with this course because it showed what marketing principles and tactics big companies used to attract consumers on the world’s biggest stage, even in an adverse environment such as Russia in it’s current state. This article also showcased the consumer behavior towards these brands and how each brand was affected by the consumer’s perception of them. Finally, because the Winter Olympics is a worldwide sporting event, the brands that affiliate themselves with such an event have to display their top marketing skills to relate and portray their brand to all types of consumers on the biggest stage in the world.

"Georgia Tech May Auction Tickets to Clemson Game"

From Athletic Business

View from the Northwestern News Network

Analysis by Kristina Mohler in KIN 501

Georgia Tech University is looking into adapting a new ticketing approach that Northwestern University has found to be successful. This approach is a Dutch-auction style, modified from a Netherlands style of selling flowers. Northwestern University economics professors Jeff Ely and Sandeep Boliga pitched their customized version of this auction to the athletics department for their ticket sales.

In this case, Northwestern would tailor ticket prices according to demand and popularity and set them accordingly. As game days approached, ticket prices would drop until the section was sold out. However, differing from normal Dutch auctions, if you bought a ticket at a higher price than the final buyer, you would be refunded the difference in prices in the same section. This way, everyone in the same section pays the same price and no one feels cheated. For example, if tickets go on sale for $80.00 and you buy one right away, but the price drops to $65.00 right before the game, you would be refunded $15.00. A “price floor” would be set to never go below what season ticket holders pay. This method encourages fans to not wait to buy tickets, increases revenue, fills seats, and makes season tickets more appealing. The sooner you buy, the better seats you are guaranteed. Additionally, there is a chance that the ticket price will drop and you could receive a rebate. Season tickets may be more appealing because you avoid the chance of tickets selling out at a higher price, and you avoid the auction all together.

Some schools and professional teams have started using dynamic pricing systems. These two systems are similar that their ticket prices fluctuate according to demand. However, dynamic pricing can go up or down, increasing as demand increases or decreasing as demand decreases. Therefore, someone who buys the first ticket to a game or event will pay less than the person who buys the last ticket. The Dutch auction style will only decrease, never increase. Also, dynamic pricing locks the buyer in at the price they purchase at. Northwestern’s “Purple Pledge” allows for a refund if the price drops in their section after purchasing. Both styles encourage fans to buy tickets early.

Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd stadium holds 55,000. Adjusting ticket pricing to higher and lower demand games could help fill seats and increase revenue. Clemson will be the largest selling game of Georgia Tech’s 2014 season, but I bet hosting Georgia in 2015 could be an even greater revenue generator. In the article, it states that Georgia Tech struggles to break even financially and does not currently fully fund scholarships for its track, cross country, or swim programs. As long as Georgia Tech truly uses increased revenue for positive incentives such as scholarship funding, I think this is a great method that could be adapted across the board.

One of my favorite parts about this is how it potentially cuts out the “second market” (StubHub, Craigslist, etc.). Some have also proposed the idea of venues having a buyback option of which they can resell for profit, instead of having a final sales policy which causes buyers to resell their tickets on such second market venues. This could be lost revenue for the original venue, especially for sold out events. To me, it makes the most sense to offer a full refund for tickets that they could then resell, especially for high-demand or sold out events. I understand how not having a buyback system avoids sales loss for events that do not sell out however. Most second markets charge a fee of their own, so fans do not receive their full money back, and new buyers usually overpay (unless tickets are marked way down). A venue buyback could potentially be a win-win for themselves and buyers, and could help eliminate second markets and perhaps some scalping. I tried selling tickets on StubHub, and it was going to be impossible for me to get my money back. The demand for the game had decreased since I bought the tickets, and I would have had to post them for more than I bought them for in order to end up with my money back after StubHub got their percentage of the sale.

The article states that Northwestern did not offer sales figures to Georgia Tech, but said that the auctions had been successful. I am interested to see final numbers for both schools for both the higher demand games and the lower demand games.

"Super Bowl Ad Placement Key to Brand Recognition"

From Sport Marketing Association

Analysis by Jessalyn Stone in KIN 501

The largest football game of the year, the Super Bowl, was played on February 2, 2014 and as always the cost for the advertisement slots were steep. On average the cost for a 30-second commercial to be aired during the Super Bowl cost $4 million. According to sports marketing researchers the companies whose commercials are aired earlier in the game, particularly during the first and last block of commercials in the first period, also referred to as pods, will have a greater likelihood of brand recognition. Accordingly the effectiveness of advertising decreases as the game goes on while it peaks in the earlier game quarters. Specifically the commercials during the first and last commercial breaks of the first quarter of the game, yield the greatest results if the goal of the advertisement is to increase awareness of brand among sports viewers. Based on this research advertisers can gain a better understanding of when the most ideal time is to place an ad in a commercial break of the Super Bowl to maximize brand awareness as well as knowing how to increase advertising rates during the prime “pods”.

From a sports marketing standpoint research provided in this article could be very beneficial to advertisement and the goals of those specific ads. With this particular research it discusses the goals of advertisements as a means to increase brand recognition. That could be a very beneficial tool for companies knowing how to place ads, especially during the Super Bowl. If however ad recognition is already very well known the company should instead focus on what quarter of commercials to place their ad. Although this research isn’t full proof it can provide valuable information to marketing agencies. This particular year however this research was proven to not be entirely true. The overall number 1 commercial of the Super Bowl occurred during the 2 minute warning of the last quarter of the game. There obviously are other factors to consider as well including the target audience and how the audience is being drawn in by the ad.

Throughout this course we talk about how to target specific populations and how to appeal to a variety of individuals. The Super Bowl obviously is a key example of a large variety of individuals that are viewing the same thing. People of all ages, ethnicities, incomes, regional areas and so on are all viewing the same event. Marketing is used to try and appeal to all kinds of people. Knowing how to target a variety of audiences while getting your branding to the audience is a very important component. Articles such as this one can be utilized in this class to try and focus on the goals of marketing.

"KD well past tired of talking about LeBron"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by John Kim in SRM 334

In every sport, there are elite players and the media always try and compare to determine who the best player is. In recent years, LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder are considered one of the best players in the National Basketball Association. Even though they were compared for a few years now, the debate has fired up even more this season due to the fact that Kevin Durant is considered by many experts to likely take the Most Valuable Player Award after James has received it the past two seasons (Wallace, 2014). After the endless debate about these two players and the constant questions that they receive, Kevin Durant said that he is tired of being questioned about James. However, James told the press that he has no issues addressing questions about Durant (2014).

The media has been comparing elite athletes for a while now and it could be too much for both the athletes and the audiences. Even though many athletes are not too thrilled about the media asking them questions about other athletes constantly, the media keeps bombarding athletes about other players or potential rivals. The media’s intentions for comparing athletes could be to relate to the audience and promote drama; if players are compared and the media creates a “rivalry” between the players to relate to other audiences that are not so interested in sports, it could cause the audience to be interested. Also, sports audiences are interested on what the athletes say about their rivals, so they will tune into interviews, thus creating more views benefiting the media. 

This article is relevant to our course because we have constantly talked about the drama that the media creates and how it attracts both audiences that are extremely passionate about sports or not so passionate about sports. By releasing stories that include rivalries and dramas, the media relates to the audience and attracts them to what interests them. Even though Kevin Durant stated that he was tired of being questioned about James, the media will not stop asking questions about James or other athletes because people want to hear what Durant has to say about other players that he is compared with.

"N.F.L. Prospect Michael Sam Proudly Says What Teammates Knew: He’s Gay"

From The New York Times

Analysis by Tyler Brecht in SRM 334

The 2014 draft could be a huge milestone for the future of the NFL and the players in the league. Michael Sam was a defensive lineman for the Missouri Tigers in the 2013 season. He was a defensive star for the Tigers with 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. This helped Sam achieve a 12-2 season with a bowl win, Missouri's MVP, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The curiosity of what this athlete could do in the professional stage was on everyones mind. This was before Michael Sam announced something that would change the way fans, future coaches, future teammates, and the media would view Michael Sam possibly for the rest of his career. On February 9, 2014 Michael Sam openly came out about his sexuality. He did so before the draft in order for the media attention to hopefully simmer down before he starts his rookie career. Michael Sam would be the first player to go into the NFL being openly gay in a prospective third round pick(Branch, 2014). With the possibility of changing the way the NFL has functioned since its existence, the media is going to take no day off from this young man.

Michael Sam first coming out has since been the beginning of the media attention that have spiraled around this player. One event came from the support of his own school prior to a home basketball game. Fellow students created a manmade wall to block off protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church in order to rally around Sam's homosexuality(Patterson, 2014). Sam has also received support from our President, Barack Obama, and his first lady. Obama said to Charles Barkley, "I really like the fact that Michael did it before the draft, because his attitude was, 'You know what? I know who I am. I know I can play great football and judge me on the merits.(Patra, 2014)" With support from others outside the league the question of how future teammates would respond came into question. ESPN took a poll from 51 current NFL players asking how they would feel around a openly gay teammate. The results were that they were comfortable knowing he was gay, but the issue was whether they would have to behave differently around him and how they would relate to him(Goessling, 2014). Another problem raised when two CFL players were fined for their remarks on social media towards Michael Sam.

The real question is wether Sam's plan of dispersing the media attention before game day to focus on football is really going to work. There are going to be many future days were the media is going to have easy coverage of Michael Sam including the NFL draft, Missouri's pro day, the NFL Combine, and preseason attention. I think that it was a courageous act to pave the way for future gay athletes trying to make it to the big leagues. With that said Sam must be ready for the amount of media scrutiny coming his way. The media has a reason to give the amount of attention to this athlete because it is a game changer. Other athletes waited until they were retired from the game. Most likely the attention will fade away once they see what he can do on a professional field. Michael Sam may not be the only one receiving negative media attention from his actions. Other players and teams might be criticized for their actions because of his sexuality. Johnny Manziel is a great quarterback entering the draft, but might be overshadowed in his early career due to Michael Sam. Also, teams not willing to draft Sam because of team chemistry might be criticized. Teams might also have to worry about their players' remarks towards Sam's sexuality. In the case of the CFL two players were fined for their remarks(Alper, 2014).

This current event is important to understand in media for knowing that media affects everyone. Stakeholders are important to understand. Sports Information Directors are challenged with confidential information all the time and must know what to do in that situation. Before going to the media they must know how it will affect the stakeholders involved. No matter what media will always be there and it is important to understand the correct steps in approaching it. It was Sam's advisor's decision to allow Sam to release this confident information to the media before draft day knowing the consequences that would arise from the media. All this attention will not be set aside either. Future events will bring the topic back to surface and the media and those involved must be ready for it. With the new communication model in today's world, many forms of media can address this issue. It is important for those to look at the feedback in order to learn what to do in these situations.

Danica Patrick says Richard Petty entitled to his opinion

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Travis Garth in SRM 334

I decided to analyze the sport of NASCAR in this week’s class discussion. A few weeks ago NASCAR hall of famer Richard Petty was prompted on the subjected of Danica Patrick, he stated: “This is a female deal that's driving her. There's nothing wrong with that, because that's good PR for me. More fans come out, people are more interested in it. She has helped to draw attention to the sport, which helps everybody in the sport." Petty also states that, “The only way she will win a race is if everyone else stays home.” Richard Petty’s comments bring an interesting theme in NASCAR racing. His comments suggest that the drivers that win the most races do not receive the most attention in the sports media world or in the sport itself. This suggestion is supported by the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr. won NASCAR’s most popular driver award for a record breaking 11 consecutive years despite only winning one race in the past five years. Also, Danica Patrick was the most popular driver award winner in NASCAR’s nationwide series and has yet to win a race in her career. It seems that NASCAR is becoming a popularity contest for drivers who have not proven their skills on the racetrack. On the other realm of the spectrum there is a driver like Jimmie Johnson who has won 26 races in the past five years. He also won the championship for five consecutive years and earned another championship in 2013. Even with Jimmie Johnson’s proven success in the sport he has yet to win the most popular driver award. With Jimmie Johnson’s career still in progress the media still tends to overlook him and other winning drivers in the sport.

Overall, it is intriguing that the most publicized drivers are not the ones who are winning the races. In competitive sport, where the overall goal is to win, the winners on the race track still lose in the world of sports media. This poses the question of how the drivers that are winning the races must feel, and what role sports media plays in the sport of NASCAR.

Super Bowl XLVIII and weather concerns

From Fansided.com, USA Today 1, USA Today 2, 9news.com, and NFL.com

Analysis by Donshae Joyce in SRM 334 (section 1)

For our article review, we chose to do it on the weather concerns surrounding Super Bowl XLVIII and the accommodations that were planned to counter any inclement weather threatening the event. Although the weather for the game turned out to be more ideal than originally expected, the National Football League encountered uncharted territory in having to plan for the “coldest Super Bowl in history”, as many emphatically described it. As a group, we wanted to dive into the effects that the weather had on the NFL’s preparations for the game, and further educate ourselves on the duties of sports industry employees when dealing with situations such as this one.

Of course, the decision of having the Super Bowl in New Jersey in February came with intense consideration and deliberation on behalf of the NFL. Therefore, it is a safe assumption that the NFL would be prepared for the weather. However, the New Jersey/New York area was hit with a huge snowstorm just weeks before the scheduled date of the game. This caused for major contingency planning from the NFL and MetLife Stadium (where the game was held in East Rutherford, New Jersey). A few of the modifications that had to take place involved: hiring over 1,000 workers to shovel more than 13 inches of snow inside of MetLife Stadium, the NFL providing fans with a cold gear package when they enter the stadium (including hand warmers, gloves, a hat and scarf), groundsmen had to paint the endzones of the field under tents to keep snow from ruining the paint, and the most controversial altering was the possibility of rescheduling the date of the game. Another modification that the NFL might not have taken into consideration was the issue of ticket prices decreases due to the inclement weather. According to a report by Darren Rovell on ESPN.com, Super Bowl tickets went from being the most expensive to the least expensive by reactions from the resale ticket market. Nine days before Super Bowl XLVIII, the cheapest ticket to buy on NFL Ticket Exchange was $1,779. That is $409 cheaper than it was on the site with that many days left last year and $809 cheaper than the year before. The original price was $2,700 before the snowstorm.

The relevancy relationship between this situation and our course has to do with the contingency plan. Working in the sports industry, there are factors that may be uncontrollable that require quick planning and maneuvering for. In this case, the NFL having to deal with inclement weather and how it handled the situation was a good example of a contingency plan and adjusting to the hand that was dealt to it.

---

Analysis by Anthony Rose in SRM 334 (section 1)

The Super Bowl was played on February, 2, 2014 at East Rutherford New Jersey in the MetLife Stadium. The teams that are participating in the game are the Denver Broncos as the home team and the Seattle Seahawks as the away team. This Super Bowl is such a big deal because it is making history because its the first cold weather Super Bowl in NFL history. The National Football League has been doing a lot of work to get the Super Bowl played on the set date but with the weather that New Jersey is used to getting the NFL has to have a contingency plan.

The National Football League had to hire over a thousand workers to clear the MetLife Stadium a couple of days before the Super Bowl game because of the snow storm that hit the area messed the stadium up. The endzones were painted under tents to stay clear of the weather of the weather. To help the fans out with the cold weather the NFL has teamed up with a company called Woodinville based company BDA Inc. to get the fans warm gear to for the game such as hand warmers, ear muffs, gloves, and scarfs. The MetLife stadium also have warm area for the fans that are going to tailgate. All these are the strategies to prepare for the game.

The contingency plan for the Super Bowl is just in case of bad weather. The NFL will be played and hour later or a couple of hours before just so they won’t have to deal with lawsuits from other leagues. The other plan is to move the game the Monday after the original date and the Friday or Saturday before the original date planned.

The plan for the game has not been set yet these are just some temporary thoughts. The National Football League are just taking precautions for the weather because this is one of the biggest events that take place in the country. The NFL want to make sure the fans are going to have and awesome experience also while also the people watching the game also.

"Jay Z to advise Ndamukong Suh"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Jordan Callis in SRM 435 (section 2)

In “Ndamukong Suh Joins Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Agency,” author Will Brinson discusses the recent move that Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has made regarding his representation. Suh recently left his former representative agency, Relativity Sports, to join forces with Roc Nation, who has recently made a splash by signing the likes of Victor Cruz and Robinson Cano. Brinson suggests that Roc Nation could help Suh mend a reputation that is in need of repairing after multiple incidents where Suh has kicked, stomped, and roughed other players and received multiple thousand-dollar fines. Brinson adds that while Suh has had his problems, he is still a very good player and seems to have a huge upside; and with his current contract soon to expire, a long term deal would make sense for both the Lions and Suh because his salary cap number for 2014 is $22.4 million, which is definitely on the high side.

While Brinson notes that it is unsure whether Roc Nation will be handling the contract negotiations for Suh, it seems that allowing this could serve Suh well, as Roc Nation is fresh off landing Robinson Cano a record deal with the Seattle Mariners. Regardless, Roc Nation will be able to market Suh in ways that other agencies simply cannot due to Jay-Z’s popularity and connections. Brinson is surely correct in noting Suh’s damaged reputation will be a difficult one to restore, but if anyone can do it, Roc Nation seems to be the go-to. The one thing that Suh has to his advantage is his play on the field. Players’ marketability increases when their play on the field is high-caliber. When it comes to players getting promotional deals, positive play on the field seems only second to an outstanding reputation off the field. Suh will not the Peyton Manning’s of the industry in terms of source power or attractiveness, but a potential deal for Suh to represent a company that manufactures and/or distributes football equipment would make sense in terms of source credibility, as Suh is one of the top defensive tackles in the game and has made a name for himself on the field. However, in order for endorsement deals to be a reality for Suh, a community service project with his name on it might be a more important angle to sell to the public at this point.

This article relates to our class because it concerns organizations and how they market their products. Organizations need promotions that can accurately and effectively communicate information about their products, and if organizations choose an athlete to represent their products/services (which many in the sport industry do), they want to be sure that they pick one who will leave their brand in better shape than before. In this case, Ndamukong Suh will be using Roc Nation to convince organizations that he is the best choice to represent their brand. It is up to Suh to avoid any behavior or situations that will negatively impact Roc Nation’s ability to sell him to companies. Additionally, Roc Nation must seek out the most fitting endorsement deals for Suh.

---

Analysis by James Naylor in SRM 435 (section 2)

Lion’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh recently signed with Roc Nation sports agency according to ESPN analyst Adam Shefter. He recently left his former agency, Relativity Sports and according to analysts, it may be time for Suh to change his image. Jay Z may be the one who gives him that opportunity. Jay Z is the agent of a few NFL athletes, but Suh will be his most recognized yet. Suh is infamously known for his excessive intensity during the game. He is a very powerful pass rusher who is most recognized for stomping on a player and kicking another, not to mention all the penalties he’s accumulated for roughing-the-passer. Suh may be potentially trying to get on the good side of the news by switching agencies. Suh is in the last year of his contract and Jay Z may try to negotiate a new deal or just focus on Suh’s marketability.

With regards to marketing and promotions, there seems to be potential opportunity by signing endorsement deals with Suh who has already made deals with Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Subway and Chrysler. With an agent like Jay Z who has experienced tremendous short-term success by signing big names, other major companies may want to look into making deals with Suh. Jay Z has helped other clients such as Robinson Cano, arguably the MLB’s best second baseman, who signed his first endorsement deal with Pepsi last summer. The other aspect of this is there may be too much of a risk to deal with Suh. There is cause for concern since Suh was rated the NFL’s dirtiest player as well as the league’s least liked player. However, with a new agent, Suh may be able to change his image, sign major endorsements and gain a better reputation.

This is relevant to our class because the marketability of professional athletes plays a major role in advertising and promotion. Suh may be on the verge of making serious money sponsoring various goods. By marketing Suh positively, Roc Nation may be able to increase Suh’s source attractiveness and credibility. With the multiple connections Roc Nation has, Suh can gain more exposure and help tap into new markets helping not only companies he signs endorsements with, but the NFL as well.

"Reseating Plan Blamed for Low WVU Hoops Attendance"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Kevin Albright in KIN 501

The article that I came across was in the Athletic Business Journal and it deals with a reseating plan at West Virginia University basketball games. More specifically sources think that this reseating plan has lead to lower attendances for this season’s games. Season ticket holders seats were taken from them and the new reseating plan gave the better seats to those who were larger donors to the program. The first game of the season there was a good attendance but since then the average is nearly half of that first game. The author then goes on to examine if this reseating plan truly is harming the attendance. Although the number of season ticket renewals went down they do not think it is a result of the reseating plan because their donations increased and more money was raised from season ticket holders this year compared to last. He explains that last year the Mountaineers didn’t perform that well and this year is a rebuild year which is why attendance may be lacking. The author feels that the attendance numbers are down because the students are not coming out to support their team and he feels this is an area of concern across the country.

Attendance to sporting events is a huge focus of sport marketing and I think it is often tough to tell why or why not fans may be attending games. There are a lot of different factors that may affect attendance as you can see with this article. The issue that I would like to focus on is the lack of student support. I agree with the author that a lot of schools are suffering from minimal student support and it takes away from the college basketball atmosphere. Based on my experiences the students tend to be the most boisterous fans and they can have an impact on the game and create that home court advantage. Being at JMU I have seen great crowds for a college game and I have also seen poor crowds for a college game and in my opinion a lot of it has to do with the students. I understand that season ticket holders bring in the money which is a primary focus, I feel that to create that ideal atmosphere you need a good group of student fans. For example, Duke has the Cameron Crazies which is the name they give their student fans who show up regularly and camp out for tickets, stand the whole game, paint their faces, and are extremely loud. Duke is a program with a rich basketball history and has a habit of being very competitive so that may make it easier for student fans to rally behind the team.

I found this article interesting because like the author said, every school seems to be losing student fans and the sports marketing departments can help to recruit those fans back to games. I believe that seating does have an impact on the amount of fans that come weather they are season ticket holders or students. The better your seat is or the closer you are to the court the more you feel involved in the game which is the experience fans want to have. Obviously not everyone can have the best seats but I would be interested to see in venues around the country what seems to be the most beneficial seating arrangement for fans to maximize attendance.

"Empty seats, lack of buzz fill Sochi Olympics"

From The Kansas City Star

Analysis by Nick Kusko in KIN 501

The article from the Kansas City Star addressed the lack of attendance throughout the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The article explained that there has traditionally been an increase in the turnout of events as the Olympics go on, but at Sochi, this rise has not occurred. The issue was so concerning that it reached the highest levels of the International Olympic Committee. As an example, the men’s downhill, which was considered to be the main event of the Alpine ski schedule, failed to reach a capacity crowd.

Tickets to the various events were sold beforehand, but the turnout has not been there. The Sochi Olympic Committee has resorted to using volunteers to get people in the stands. The Russian crowds that have made it to the events have not been especially enthusiastic, and the competition environment has been somewhat dull.

The Sochi Olympic venues have been the most expensive to construct in history. Unfortunately, people around the world just do not seem as interested in these games despite it showcasing the best athletes of the world. A large reason for the negative buzz around Sochi are the security worries and poor living conditions for the athletes. There have been threats of terror that have intimidated people away from the games, even including some families of the competing athletes. Airfare and hotel costs have also been recorded as being unreasonably high.

There has recently been a surge of pictures to hit the web entitled “Sochi Fails,” which include a lack of privacy in bathrooms, dangerous living conditions, and an overwhelming presence of stray dogs. This type of publicity was not the attention the Olympic Committee was hoping to receive.

The Olympics will always be under scrutiny due to its spectacular nature. Any Olympic Committee will expect to deliver excellence, and Sochi has arguably failed in this aspect thus far. One thing is for sure, Sochi will not be hosting any Olympic events anytime in the near or distant future.

"Analysts: Windfalls for Super Bowl Host Overblown"

From Athletic Business

Review by Jonathan Parker in SRM 435 (section 1)

Super Bowl XLVIII in New York was the first Super Bowl to be held in an outdoor venue. The NFL and economists are arguing if the host city earns any money for their economy from the Super Bowl and all of its events that are associated with it. Economists are saying that the host city, this year New York City, will receive very little to no money from hosting the Super Bowl. They argue that most of the spending was on the tickets, the beer, and the souvenirs associated with the game. Most of that money goes out of town with the retailers that sold these items. Also the NFL has a tax-exempt policy that allows employees working the Super Bowl to avoid any local sales tax on their food and lodging. From this policy, it was estimated that New Orleans lost around $800,000 from hosting the Super Bowl, the year before. The NFL states the economy of New York and New Jersey would see an increase of about $600 million from Super Bowl spending. The NFL’s reasoning was from the fact that more hotels and restaurants were being booked because of the Super Bowl. Also the NFL states that the host city spends a lot of money to lure the big game to their city. With the only reason for doing such, was because of the money their local economy would receive from the outside visitors.

The problem is that the NFL has not shown where they have come up with such a large number, keeping the economists skeptical. The economists fear displacement for the visitors not there for the Super Bowl, because the Super Bowl visitors would fill all of the hotels leaving other visitors to go elsewhere, but New York. The weather this year for the Super Bowl was actually a bonus because it was not during the main tourist season in New York City and from New York City, having so many hotels that it would not displace anyone regardless if they are there for the game or not. A non-NFL study showed the impact of the Super Bowl is around $30-120 million in overall spending. New York should experience around $100 million in increased revenue and a few million will be generated in the form of new taxes.

From a sports sales promotion, I think it is crazy that the NFL thinks the Super Bowl brings in $600 million for New York’s economy. I feel this way because the NFL has to get a certain percentage from all the money spent around the Super Bowl and also the vendors and sponsors for the Super Bowl would get their money as well. Meaning it would leave New York with some new money, but probably not as much as they deserve. Using a sales standpoint, I do not feel the economists see the benefit that a host city has when hosting the Super Bowl. I think the economists always take a worldly view, because they see the economy of the nation, not as a healthy entity and the fact that why would one event change the outcome of one city’s economic status. I think economists need to understand that the sports field continues to grow at an unprecedented pace and continues to attract more fans year by year. Because of this, it can cause a tremendous amount of money to be generated. Another sales point, is that the NFL makes a lot of money from merchandise, tickets, and sponsors that the host city deserves by hosting the Super Bowl. The host city spends a large amount of money in an attempt to host the game and the city that gets the game should actually see most of the revenue.

The NFL from a marketing and promotion point needs the Super Bowl Committee to release their stats a whole lot sooner than after four years have passed. I think they need to because economists, sales people, and local venues want to see the impact that the Super Bowl can have on host cities. Then they will know how to prepare and respond to the situation and see how the NFL came up with their numbers. I think the local stores and vendors would see an increase in sales and revenue because of the attendees the Super Bowl attracts. Many people spend the whole week, within the city, leading up to the game and from this they will be spending money on food, shopping, hotels, and even transportation with cabs and buses.

The article is relevant to SRM 435 because it show the 4P’s of marketing. Product is the Super Bowl, place is of course New York City, promotion is everywhere from TV, to social media, and price is the cost for tickets, hotels, food, and souvenirs. Also the article shows consumer behavior when it comes to dealing with the Super Bowl. It shows how the NFL feels the Super Bowl will draw in the crowds and that how host cities try to outbid each other, just for the economic opportunity that the big game can bring to an area. Finally, the article is relevant to the course in that the Super Bowl can be a money making revenue for the host city. To determine if a sports promotion is successful is determined by the revenue that it generates.

---

Review by John Boitnott in SRM 435 (section 1)

In the article Analysts: Windfalls for Super Bowl Host Overthrown, the question of how much revenue host cities of the Super Bowl actually make is brought up. The article starts by giving the NFL’s claim of how much of a boost the Super Bowl brings to a city’s economy, and then shows that the NFL would want to say that because cities spend hundreds of millions to lure the big game to them. The article goes on to explain how the league won’t reveal how they came up with the figure of how much it benefits the local economies, and uses research and quotes from professional economists to show that the average economic impact is actually around $30 million to $120 million as opposed to the $600 million figure that the NFL states.

From a sport marketing, promotions, and sales standpoint this article can surprise someone when they read that most of the money from branded items goes right back out of town. Except for the small proportion that is paid to the vendors, much of the money leaves the city once the Super Bowl leaves. The state of New York alone spent $5 million on advertising events, and when looking at how much money leaves their economy it can be called into question as to how much the costs were really worth and if the amount of revenue earned after that was actually worth the investment. If future host cities and cities vying for a bid take advice from the economists who contributed to this article, it could have a significant impact on how everything is approached. Marketing and sales strategies and schemes could be changed to make sure the revenue earned from the game stays in the area, and if enough cities collaborate together the prices of Super Bowl bids could drop unless the NFL can somehow guarantee that the city will keep a certain percentage of profits that are able to be measured.

This article is relevant to the course because it a lot of directly discusses sport marketing and sales. Tickets, food, lodging, travel, advertising, along with apparel and merchandise are all things that were used to calculate the amount of money the Super Bowl brought to the city. By carefully dissecting all of these, economists were able to get a number quite different and seemingly more credible than the NFL’s. Especially after the league would not show how they came up with their $600 million figure, this article shows that much of the money that is generated as a result of sports marketing and sales is far from the NFL’s claim.

Job Opportunity: Marketing Assistant at Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU)

Founded in 1949, FISU stands for Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation).  FISU's main responsability is the supervision of both the Summer and Winter Universiades, as well as the World University Championships. The General Assembly representing its members (167 National University Sports Federations) is FISU's main governing body.

FISU is seeking a well-­rounded self-starting, proactive individual to support the Commercial and Marketing Director in the development of FISU’s marketing and commercial activities. Click here for more information.

"Ex-NBA team in North Korea"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Justin Syharath in SRM 334

Basketball is a sport that is growing more and more popular through countries all over the world. Throughout the years basketball has been used in a way for people to interact and come together to share common interests. In recent news, the media blew up when Dennis Rodman was sharing a common interest in basketball with his “friend for life” Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea. Early January of this year, Rodman brought a team consisting of former NBA players and street basketball players to play in an exhibition match against a North Korean team.

Rodman’s intentions for this exhibition match were to uplift his relationship with Kim as well as sharing cultural differences between the teams, but the media didn’t seem interested. The relationship between the U.S. and North Korea are not exactly on level terms due to the fact that they have threatened to use nuclear weapons if conflicts were to occur and they also have an American missionary by the name of Kenneth Bae that is being held captive for reasons that the U.S. does not know of. The media constantly attacked Rodman with questions concerning Kenneth Bae and how and why their country is ran the way it is but Rodman states that it’s “none of that is his concern.”

This article is relevant to this course because we learned that as viewers of the media, we want answers. This event that Rodman took part in was supposed to be about an exhibition basketball match that influences how sports can be a bridge between cultural differences and to maybe set foot in the direction of peace between the two nations. Instead, the media ignores the positive aspects of this event and talks up the broken relationship that the U.S. has with North Korea.

"Cubs introduce new mascot"

From ESPN.com

Video from Cubs.com

Analysis by Renee Layne in SRM 334

On January 14, 2014 the Chicago Cubs announced their first mascot as Clark the bear cub. Clark is named after the intersection of Clark Avenue where Wrigley Field is located. The Chicago Cubs took a survey that revealed fans’ desire for a more “family friendly” atmosphere. Clark the mascot will hopefully bring a family friendly feel as he is intended to hand out T-shirts and welcome guests into the stadium before each game. Clark will also be seen waving goodbye to fans after the games. Unfortunately for the Chicago Franchise their new mascot was met with wide spread disapproval from the public on social media sites such as twitter and facebook. The reason this story is pertinent to our Sports Media class is because of how the media has helped project Clark as a laughable disgrace. Several ESPN clips can be viewed comparing the previous unpaid mascot John Paul Weier to the new mascot. John Weier has been dressing up in a bear costume with a cooler collecting donations from fans. The Chicago cubs have asked Weier to stop numerous times and even offered him $15,000 if he would agree to stop the charades. Unfortunately Weier has refused all such offers.

The tirade of outraged Chicago fans continue with such quotes as , “No pants. Yep Clark is definitely a cub.” And “he looks sad.” Several Clark photos have been photo-shopped to expose a reproductive organ on the cub. Clark made his first public debut at a children’s hospital in the hopes of building a family friendly reputation in the eyes of the public. Although the Chicago Cubs try to assuage their fans the negative media attention surrounding Clark continues.

"Banking on Booze"

From Athletic Management

Review by Josh Hogan in SRM 435 (section 2)

Why is alcohol not sold at all college sporting events is a question that is asked by so many people and quite frankly myself as well. There is bias in my reasoning because I am a college student, but I do see a merit to this action being taken by a university. Recently the University of Toledo permitted alcohol to be sold at its football and basketball games to the public, not just luxury suites. They are doing this not only for money and sponsorship deals, but also to enhance what Mike O’Brien, athletic director, says is the “game day experience”. They have seen the merit like 22 other NCAA schools in selling alcohol. Of course the proper implications will be in use such as security, id verification, and same game day rules in general for public.

The tailgating experience is one that many people come to football games for, but sometimes abuse this. Fans know that alcohol can’t be purchased inside the stadium and may just try to abuse alcohol as much as possible before the game, then may not even go to event itself. Toledo has recognized this and many other schools are starting to see this too. You want to retain spectators at events not only for the teams support, but the longer they are at event, the higher the percentage they will spend money there. The sales of alcohol could really be a strong benefit to keep the fan at a game and for revenue of selling of alcohol. With big name sponsors coming in such as Budweiser, Coors, etc., I see the potential for bigger prizes for fans. Entertainment could increase, maybe post game shows, or fireworks can become a common theme. JMU I believe is a school that can and needs to move in this direction for the same exact reasons. With an expanding campus, high level of competition for the university, and yes the “party” tagged word for our school. I believe that JMU students wouldn’t abuse alcohol as much in tailgates because they know they can get a beer for the game. I hear it to many times from fellow students that they just want to just leave at halftime because they want to go party. It comes in unison for the home team to also be good so the fan can enjoy the game. I’m afraid that the JMU community is just afraid to take this step, but with the right message being sent to them, I believe they would shift their views.

---

Review by Tucker Koch in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article we used for our presentation focused on the idea of the University of Toledo selling alcohol at their football and basketball games. This makes them the 23rd school across the country to do so and it has been a highly controversial decision in almost every case. Toledo will add extra security to games and looks to copy the success of other schools who have seen decreased arrests on game days since allowing the sale of alcohol. Communities tend to be hesitant but schools are extremely optimistic about the possible added revenue. In some cases, like West Virginia University, revenue from alcohol sales at games can exceed one million dollars.

This relates to our class because the whole idea of selling alcohol is in essence a sales promotion to get more people to come to games. Changing the culture of a football stadium is not easy to do at any level, but especially Division I college football. Other than free t-shirts, a good halftime show or a rival opponent, it is extremely difficult to entice fans to give up a Saturday to watch a struggling team. That’s why in the current state, it seems the emphasis to the students is put on the tailgate and not the game itself. The amount of students who tailgate but don’t go into the games at JMU seems to increase every year. In the case of JMU, selling alcohol at the games might entice more people to go to the game, stay past halftime and thus increase the game day experience and atmosphere. With an increased fan presence maybe the team will start playing better at home and then the program becomes one that students and athletes love being a part of.

"Florida Gulf Coast Still Benefitting from Sweet 16 Run"

From Athletic Business

Review by Shane Eachus in KIN 501

There are a number of sports marketing objectives that are a constant focus for collegiate athletics departments. The most prominent objective in major college athletics marketing often times is to grow the athletics brand and to increase notoriety for the university. The 2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament saw a #15 seed, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), advance to the sweet 16 round of the tournament for the first time in tournament history; FGCU became a social media marvel and a Cinderella story for the ages thanks to their rise from obscurity via high flying basketball and a social media explosion. Following an opening round upset of perennial power and #2 seed, Georgetown University, and in particular following a series of highlight reel dunks and alley oops, a twitter account posted a message stating that previously unknown Florida Gulf Coast University must be located in “Dunk City, Florida.” The nickname “Dunk City” quickly caught on and FGCU became characterized by both their style of play and their carefree fun loving attitude, both of which were pointed to in the newly acquired nickname and marketing campaign. Less than 5 hours after the Georgetown game had ended, a music video had been created that would soon go viral referring to FGCU’s basketball team, affectionately referring to the team as Dunk City. Following the game and the popularity explosion of the video, dunk city tee shirts were made, dunk city video packages were produced by CBS and ESPN was featuring the program on SportsCenter.

To date, FGCU athletics is still utilizing the “Dunk City” moniker. Every copy of the 2013-2014 season media guide possesses a QR code that can be scanned by iPhone and android devices, bringing about a mobile highlight tape consisting of every dunk from the previous year and a half of FGCU basketball. Fans at the institution, as well as in surrounding southwest Florida, have jumped on board with the FGCU, which opened only 17 years ago. A constant objective of sports marketing is to grow the fan base, or increase the number of individuals who recognize and identify with a particular team. Through a number of statistics, including a 415% rise in merchandise sales, and a 154% increase in season ticket sales, we can see that these types of behaviors have certainly grown at FGCU. The primary end result of the dunk city marketing campaign was described as “transformational” by FGCU athletics director Kevin Kavanagh; notoriety for the less than 20 year old university has truly spiked following the dunk city campaign during the 2013 NCAA tournament. One professor who was spending time over the 2013 summer in China reported being approached on the street as a response to his FGCU apparel with only the words “dunk city” being exclaimed at him; university officials even go as far as to praise the 2013 NCAA tournament success and exposure as being the primary reason for the schools admissions application hike (a 35% increase in applications for undergraduate enrollment from 2013-2014).

In the context of sports marketing the athletics department at Florida Gulf Coast University struck gold via another individual’s social media post; without the tweet referring to “Dunk City, Florida” the school’s successful marketing of the basketball program may have never taken off. However, the athletics department displayed a brilliant strategy of building off of a team’s success to produce a monumentally successful advertising campaign. Dunk city was clearly a monumentally successful sports marketing campaign in that it helped to increase the fan base and increase fan behavior/activity. More so, the dunk city marketing campaign extended beyond sports, the sports marketing campaign extended into the institutional realm helping to improve the national and international face of an entire fledgling university. Dunk City has become the brand of FGCU basketball, thanks to the University’s acceptance and promotion of the ad campaign. The catchy and proper fitting nickname helped bring about massive positive changes; in this instance, the relevance and popularity of the nickname or moniker simply made the ad campaign.

"Inside Under Armour's 'Game-Changing' Notre Dame Deal"

From Athletic Business

Review by Rosella Sheehan in KIN 501
In January 2014, Notre Dame Athletics and Under Armour signed a deal that would make Under Armour the official outfitter of all twenty-six varsity sports at Notre Dame, over the next ten years. The deal is reportedly between $90 and $100 million dollars and is unique because it offers Notre Dame the opportunity to take some of the money in Under Armour stock. This deal is the largest sponsorship agreement ever by a university and it has been predicted that as a result of this sponsorship agreement, the Under Armour brand will increase in popularity. The contract with Under Armour begins July 1st, once the contract with Adidas expires (Allen, 2014).

From a sports marketing standpoint, the deal between Under Armour and Notre Dame is a good opportunity for Under Armour to grow as a brand. By placing the Under Armour brand on the uniforms of a nationally recognized university, the budding sports clothing and equipment company will reach a level of popularity only recently seen by brands such as Nike and Adidas.

Notre Dame leaving Adidas and signing with Under Armour may be a sign that brands such as Adidas are no longer the brands that universities and teams want to be wearing. Teams are always looking for the best brand that will help them generate success on the field and with Under Armour continuing to produce new technology for their products; they seem to be a brand that will place a team one step ahead of their competition. Finally, when looking at marketing campaigns for Under Armour, their main focus is on the effect the products will have on an athlete’s performance, whereas Nike and Adidas seem to focus largely on the products themselves or which athletes are wearing their brand. This is important to note because Jack Swarbrick, the Notre Dame Athletic Director, hopes that his student-athletes will become “guinea pigs” for new technology being released by Under Armour. 

 This article is relevant to this course because it is a prime example that in the business of college and professional sports, many times there is no brand loyalty for a team or program. As seen when Notre Dame signed a deal with Under Armour after being with Adidas since 1997 (Allen, 2014). Money seems to always be one of the most important factors when teams are looking for potential sponsors. As sport and recreation professionals, when we are given the opportunity to look for and make a deal with a sponsor, it is important that the deal is best for an organization’s current needs and does not only focus on what has been done in the past. Also, when looking for a particular brand or sponsor to work with, it is important that both sides benefit from the deal.

"Marshawn Lynch Talks Little But Tastes The Rainbow With Skittles Endorsement Deal"

From Forbes.com

Review by Sean Sullivan in SRM 435 (section 2)

I have read numerous articles about Marshawn Lynch and the article by Roger Groves of Forbes was very enlightening. The article discusses the elements of the recent deal between Skittles, Lynch, and the Seattle Seahawks. For fans that follow the National Football League (NFL) they are well aware of the relationship between Lynch and Skittles, but this recent deal could very well revolutionize marketing and promoting products. The article covers basic background of the relationship between all parties, but goes into details of how this deal is first of its kind. The deal is one of the first that will include payment towards a player’s foundation it is also incentive base and will pay the incentives of the player on the behalf of the team; usually the team pays the players incentives. It also allows all three parties to be easily marketable and at a fair cost. Skittles will also design a Seattle Seahawk themed candy leading up to the Super bowl. A summary of the details and benefits of the deal are as follows:

· Skittles: Taps into an established market of Lunch and Seahawks fans. Skittles also saves millions by not having to bid/pay for a Super bowl commercial.

· Lynch: Lynch’s foundations will receive donations and sponsorship from Skittles. Lynch also receives incentives that include every touchdown scored by Lynch he will receive $10,000. This also sets him up for future brands to sign him and to set up a source of revenue after he retires from football; he could become the spokesman for Skittles.

· Seahawks: The Seahawks save money by not having to pay Lynch’s incentives, since Skittles will be paying it for them. They also have their city and franchise marketed through the Seattle Skittles Mix candy pack.

This is a great way to market/promote a product and in a way where each party involved benefits greatly. Seattle saves money and is marketed through Skittles candy across the country, Lynch still receives his incentives, sets himself up nicely for future deals, and his foundations receive generous donations and sponsorship from Skittles. Skittles saves millions and still promotes their product through Lynch and the Seahawks during the most publicized event in the country. Obviously there have been plenty of players and brand deals throughout history of sports, but generally the deals would be a player being paid millions to sign with particular brands; example Lebron James with Nike who will pay him double-digit millions to represent as their spokesman. In this case it is a deal that includes not just the brand and player, but also the team; usually teams fall in the background, not in this case. It is also is interesting how all three parties have worked together in the past. Since 2010 the marriage between Skittles, Lynch, and Seahawks has been outstanding; we will cover this in greater detail when we present. They have worked so well together and this is an example of how important it is to work with brands that you respect and that respect you. This deal also helps Skittles save millions and whenever you can save millions and still market your product at a high level that is a success. We see how all these brands will bid and pay millions, upon millions for a 30 second commercial. Skittles decided to take a different path by paying a much cheaper price through an incentive base contract and donating money towards foundations. They also enhanced their relationship with Lynch and the Seattle Seahawks. Fifteen years ago if you were told to think about Seattle and name the top things to come to your head it would have been rain, coffee, plaid flannel shirts, and Nirvana. Now it is still rain, coffee, Seahawks and Skittles. That is the result of good relations and savvy marketing.

This is relevant to the course because this is just the beginning to future marketing tactics. It already had me coming up with ideas as to how to market products. An idea that came from this was with all the “Omaha” overhyped nonsense, if I was trying to market a product or was in charge of Sales and Marketing with a football organization I am having yearly bids where a company can pay for their product to be one of our teams audible code words. I could easily see a brand paying millions for their product to be Manning, Brady, Rogers, or Brees code word. Imagine Manning instead of saying “Omaha” saying “Pepsi” or “Papa Johns” it is instant marketing and will stick in the mind of those watching. Imagine all the young kids impersonating Manning screaming “Pepsi.” It is a better investment than spending millions for one commercial during one event. Why not spend thousands for your product/brand to be voiced every game and marketed for an entire season, it is a smart tactic. Brands could go through the team to make deals or they could possibly save more money and make the deal through the player. But if you want to be successful and develop a strong relationship, take a page out of the Skittles-Lynch-Seahawks relationship and make a three way deal where everyone wins and receives value out of the deal.

---

Review by Zack Krukowski in SRM 435 (section 2)

This article, found on Forbes.com, reports on the new endorsement deal between Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch and Skittles. Lynch and Skittles have been connected for quite some time now, with the star back eating the candy on the sidelines and Seattle fans showering the field with Skittles after a Lynch touchdown. The deal makes their relationship official, through what Matt Dzamba estimates to be “a multi-year deal in the low-to-mid six-figures annually.” The article also touched on Lynch’s reluctance to speak with the media leading up to the Super Bowl. He regularly said the least he possibly could to avoid a fine, something that garnered mixed reactions throughout the league and media.

From a marketing perspective, I believe this is an excellent deal for both sides. When the casual NFL fan thinks of Marshawn Lynch, the back’s love of Skittles may be one of the first things that comes to mind. With Lynch’s Seahawks in this year’s Super Bowl, it made sense for Skittles to get a deal done as soon as possible to best capitalize on his increased exposure. The article also touched on the differences in opportunity from even ten years ago to today. Ten years ago, Dzamba claimed, Skittles would have been very limited in their options for taking advantage of a new deal this close to game day. Today, however, they have the opportunity to launch a PR and Social Media mini-campaign to bring even more exposure to the Lynch’s love connection to the candy. As for Lynch, his well-documented love of Skittles has already brought the brand extensive exposure, so it only makes sense that he be paid as an official endorser. Every time that the camera lingered on a resting Lynch eating Skittles on the sidelines or featured Seattle fans throwing the candy after a big play, the Skittles brand benefitted no differently than they would have with an expensive television ad.

This article relates to our course because we learn about endorsements and about marketing, two prominent themes throughout the piece. Skittles’ ability to capitalize on the added exposure of Super Bowl Sunday will likely emerge as one of the biggest non-football talking points surrounding this year’s game.