"Labor board: Northwestern University football players can unionize"

From CNN.com and TSN

Analysis by Reuben Alarico in SRM 435 (section 2)

For our project, we focused our attention on two articles: “Northwestern Players Granted Right to Unionize” by Eric Macramalla and “Northwestern University Players Can Unionize” by Sara Ganim. Overall, they both detailed the situation similarly but they also detailed and went in-depth on different aspects. The first article by Macramalla focuses a lot on the criteria and regulations of being considered a “student-athlete” such as asking for permission to get an off campus job and how you have to accept a coach’s friend on any social media that the player may be using. The second article by Ganim focuses on what the players seek by unionizing such as medical benefits and how Northwestern University may actually eliminate their football program entirely if the players succeed in unionizing so that way they can preserve their academic integrity.

From a marketing and sales standpoint, I believe this situation can help and hurt both parties. I believe that if they succeed in unionizing, then current football players and the football program may be able to target potential recruits and state that their player get treated fairly and so will you. They would also be able to “pitch” them the fact that they will be able to receive medical benefits and possibly see increased stipends. Another marketing strategy that Northwestern University could employ would be to present their top high-profile athletes in a professional way to the NFL. For example, they would be able to show that they take on responsibility and that they handle themselves in a professional manner. I feel that this would take some pressure off any team that is interested in the player. Looking at it from the other side, Northwestern University can use this issue and their stance on it to help pave the way for other schools in preventing the unionization of their “student-athletes.” According to Henry Bienen, Northwestern University’s President Emeritus, is ok with completely eliminating their football program to maintain academics as being their priority. The article goes on to say that this situation could lead to what the Ivy League schools did back in the 1950’s when they dropped athletic scholarships.

As for how this issue relates to our sports marketing class, I believe that it will be a lingering issue for years to come and that it will be something that will cause controversy within private universities. With that being said, I think that later down the road we might see private institutions employ marketing strategies about being a part of a union that might appeal to potential recruits. There have even been talks that these ”athletes” might even receive a salary within the next couple of years. The last reason why I feel that this topic is relevant to class is because it may or may not hinder the schools chance to promote their football or other athletic team if they decide to eliminate the sport all together.

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Analysis by Matthew Flint in SRM 435 (section 2)

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that the Northwestern college football players are employees of the university and have the right to form a union. The union is led by Kain Colter who played for Northwestern as their quarterback. The players on the football team can now bargain with their coaching staff and school, or employers, for more rights and benefits in regards to the basic rights that employees are granted through labor laws. With the players able to unionize, if enough teams pick up on the ability to unionize through private schools, then the situation could very well change the way the NCAA is handled with student athletes. The billions that the NCAA pulls in through college athletics could be split up a lot more if more and more players are considered employees and demand a higher salary and benefits. Northwestern stated that they would consider getting rid of their football program if the union actually came to fruition.

The situation about Northwestern is gaining a snowball effect with the media and how much coverage the topic is getting. A union could be a brand new selling point to colleges if they want to try to adapt the feature of athletes having more benefits and pay raises. Recruits from high school would probably much rather focus more on the sport they are interested in as well as look at the benefits of getting paid for what they love playing. The union could be a great selling standpoint because instead of a recruit going on to another school just with a scholarship, the union could offer the recruit much more.

I believe that the Northwestern unionization is relevant to this course because it has a chance to completely change the way that the NCAA is ran. If Northwestern decides to keep their football program due to the union, they could have an unfair advantage when looking for new recruits. Unions catching on to private schools could easily influence player’s decisions on whether they want to focus more on their academics or their college career. Marketing with the union would be very easy to appeal to younger athletes because they would look at the bigger picture with what is readily available to them to help them achieve their goals and help them in case they get injured.

Sport marketing implications of moving the extra point kick back

From Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports

Analysis by Ryan Watson in SRM 435 (section 2)

This article is about the NFL moving the extra point (after a touchdown is scored) to the 20-25 yard line. Recently owners voted down the rule of moving the ball to the 25-yard line, but this year during the first two weeks of pre-season they will place the ball on the 20-yard line for PAT's. The reasoning behind this is to make the point attempt more difficult to increase competition. If you look at the field goal attempts in recent years the defense barely take two steps because the point is "guaranteed". An NFL writer said it well when he wrote, "the extra point serves as a bathroom break for fans at games". Another statistic is that around 99.6% of extra points were made last football season.

From a marketing, promotion, and sales perspective there are a lot of different variables. The increased competition could increase interest in the extra point, which in turn can increase fan viewership. I do not necessarily think this will be a deciding factor when purchasing a football ticket, but when watching a game, people would likely pay more attention to an extra point. I personally usually flip the channel on the TV when this play is going on, but this rule would prevent me from doing that. I think a lot of the increased viewership would come into play when people are watching on their tablet, computer, smart phone, or TV. Another thing that I thought about is the marketability of kickers. NFL kickers are not very marketable for products or sponsorships, but I think this rule would help some kickers stand out. For example if a kicker went 100% on his extra points during a season this would be notable. Companies and organizations might try to use the increased awareness in kickers to use them to endorse products. Since kickers are not really known to have these deals, that would mean an opening to a whole new market. One other sales aspect that could come from this is a substantial increase in "kicker" merchandise like jerseys.

With these marketing benefits I think that this rule will eventually get installed in the NFL. There are other negative affects though to think about. This could drastically change outcomes to close games, which might not be favorable to fans. A lot of people would be very mad if their team lost to a missed extra point. A major negative affect would also be the increase of player injuries since both the offense and defense would be trying a lot harder (since there is an actual chance of blocking the kick).

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Analysis by John Sullivan in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article Ryan and I chose for our class discussion topic is ‘NFL will test longer extra points for two weeks in the preseason. On March 26th, Michael David Smith posted the article on NBC Sports. The article title is a dead give away for what it is about. For the first two weeks of the 2014 preseason the spot where the football is placed for the extra point will be moved back to the 20-yard line. This turns the normal 20-yard distance into a distance of 38 yards. The article suggests that making the kick harder will make the games more interesting to the fans.

How this relates to marketing, promotion, and sales. By moving the extra point back, it will make the kick more difficult to make. By increasing the difficulty of the kick, the margin of error also increases. By increasing the margin of error, the fans will be more willing to pay attention to see the outcome of the kick. Moving the kick back will increase viewership at both the stadium and at home on the couch. It could potentially keep fans better engaged in the game. It could make them stay in their seats at games and maybe even stay tuned it at home through the commercial breaks.

If this rule becomes concrete it could very well lead to increasing popularity in kickers. People may actually start buying jerseys with the kickers name on the back rather than the quarterback or running back. Kids who like football might aspire to become a kicker instead of a quarterback. Moving the kick back will bring the kickers that do not miss the extra point the respect that they deserve.

This rule change can only bring good to the already great game of football. People are going to watch and go to the game no matter what, but it is the excitement of the unforeseeable events that keeps them coming back for more. People want to see kicks get blocked, or missed. It adds excitement to the game. It makes the game more interesting (if it is a close game), and that is what gets people to watch. This rule change will help promote games because it should make the games more competitive.

It is not for certain that this rule will be established in the official rules of the NFL. But for the first two weeks of the preseason the NFL will experiment with the rule in play. It will be interesting to see how the rule affects the game and the fans.

"Manziel puts on pro day show, then Nike capitalizes on Manziel Pro Day Collection"

From NBC Sports

Analysis by Josh Wells in SRM 435 (section 1)

On March 27th college football may have been changed forever with a revolutionary pro day put on in College station by the one and only Johnny Manziel. Pro day gives athletes with a dream to play in the NFL a chance to show their talents to scouts and coaches. In Manziel’s case he had seven head coaches, George H Bush and Barbara Bush, and many scouts. Many first came from this proday such as; Johnny addressed scouts prior to workout, mixtapes playing throughout, and most of all wore shoulder pads and helmet. Manziel put on a show completing 61 passes out of 65 with 2 drops, leaving scouts with their mouths wide open at the end of the day. As soon as Manziel was done working out, Nike was sure to use this as an opportunity to tell everyone they also had the chance to dress and compete in the same gear as Manziel. Johnny football being endorsed by Nike gives them the chance to use him as much as possible and in my opinion is what his pro day was all about. Being criticized is something that Johnny Manziel is used to and learns to embraced, but I feel he is being push into a certain direction by Nike while he should be focused on his career. When asked about his decision on wear shoulder pads and a helmet, he replied “the game isn’t played in shorts and a tshirt.” Perhaps now we have a real answer to the question; because Nike had a helmet to market. While all the endorsement hype surrounds Manziel, his future employers and coaches have been quoted by saying his performance was a “sideshow and “Circus.” Money is important and I will be the first to say this, but being so young and growing up with one dream to play in the NFL, I feel he has been sidetracked by companies who want to use him. From here on out I believe he needs to focus on himself and try to fly under the radar. While also showing teams he can control and maintain focus with many distractions.

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Analysis by A.J. Scott in SRM 435 (section 1)

They don’t call Johnny Manziel “Johnny Football” for no reason at all. During this past 2013 season, Johnny Manziel was one of the most known, if not the number one, name in college football. Only a 21 year old starting quarterback for Texas A&M, Manziel didn’t waste time showing his talent through his schools football team, completing over 60 passes last season and receiving the Heisman Trophy award.

With all of this recognition, it is no surprise that a high profile athletic brand would want someone like Manziel promoting them. Of course, Nike was the lucky winner. Not only does Manziel wear their brand from head to toe, Nike also took it upon themselves to dedicate a whole ‘Manziel Pro Day Collection’ to him. This collection included all the works you could imagine from the shirt all the way down to the shoes and socks.

Why would Nike want to invest all this money into Johnny Manziel? Well, not only will Manziel more than likely be one of the first 10 that are picked in the NFL draft this year, he will also get a lot of attention once he does get drafted to a team. Manziel left observers speechless at his pro day on March 27th and will only continue to impress America with his talent.

"Dick's Taps Amateurs to Make Case That 'Sports Matter'"

From Advertising Age

Analysis by Kristina Mohler in KIN 501

This article talks about how sporting goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods is launching a new brand campaign that focuses on amateur/youth sports, as opposed to professional. Additionally, Dick’s is supporting youth sports with a “Sports Matter” program where they plan to award up to $2 million in grants to disbanded or financially challenged youth sports teams. The article states that “an estimated $3.5 billion was cut from school sports budgets between 2009 and 2011… and one study predicts that by 2020, 27% of U.S. public schools will not offer sports programs”. Dick’s plan is to help fund between 75 and 100 teams, but the teams must help pull their own weight as well. The teams must raise half the money they need themselves utilizing marketing, public relations, and counseling support from Dick’s. Dick’s will then match the other half of their funding needed.

Lauren Hobart, Chief Marketing Officer at Dick’s, says that is very important that the teams also learn to fundraise, so they can continue funding their team in the future. I completely agree with this. I did some fundraising in high school, and I definitely did some with recreational teams. We were pretty well off in high school with our sports programs, so I could see how kids could be comfortable and expect to just have things handed to you. Fundraising is a more practical approach with great lessons on kids having to learn how to support themselves. Lauren Hobart also stated that she did not know if Dick’s would continue this as a reoccurring program or if it will just last for this campaign. If it is successful, I think Dick’s should look into continuing the program. It gets their name out there and is also a positive promotion with funding youth sports and getting them involved in the community.

This article really opened my eyes to the struggling budgets for youth sports, especially in public school systems. I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in sports throughout my childhood and collegiate years. From my perspective I felt we had enough money to cover anything we needed. I do know we did a few fundraising events though, including car washes and candle sales. Only items we got to keep, like our megaphone, we had to pay for ourselves. Uniforms and equipment were supplied for us. I could not imagine attending a public school and not having a sports program to participate in.

If public schools have to start eliminating sports programs, this would have many negative impacts. Most importantly, our country has an overweight problem. Not being able to promote active, healthy activities will certainly contribute to childhood obesity. Also, this could affect the likelihood of some student-athletes receiving scholarship offers, unless they can afford travel and all-area teams. Overall, kids will be missing out on developmental growth such as teamwork, competition, and overcoming adversity. I also think the school boards and athletic associations need to look at other ways to generate revenue as well.

"Owner of NFL's Indianapolis Colts accused of intoxicated driving"

From Yahoo! Sports

Analysis by Madison McMillen in SRM 334 

Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay was arrested on Monday March 17th for driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance. Irsay failed many field-sobriety tests when he was stopped late Sunday night for driving slow, stopping in the middle of the road, and not using his turn signal. When police searched his car they found many prescription drugs that did not match any of the labels they found on the pill bottles. After being processed at the Hamilton County Jail in Camel, Indiana Irsay was able to post bond and be released Monday afternoon. In a later article, Irsay is said to have checked himself in to a health care facility and is ready to get the help and care he needs.

Jim Irsay is said to be worth 1.6 billion dollars and as the Colt’s owner I would say he is a pretty important guy. The news of his arrest is a hot topic but I don’t believe the amount of publicity he’s getting is necessary. The media has given so much attention to Irsay over his negative actions when many people who are not so well known make these same choices and get arrested every day. He also publically announced his admittance into a health care facility which makes me wonder if he really wants to get help for himself or if people have forced him to do this because of how wide spread this news has gotten. While it is human nature for people to be curious over scandals of famous people or people in positions of power I believe a certain degree of restraint should be in place as these individuals are human and have family members who may be impacted by all of the negative media publicity. It is my opinion that personal issues should be left to the individual and their families to resolve on their own.

I think this is an important topic for our class to discuss because in our future jobs we will run into these sorts of issues whether it be an owner, coach, or athlete. By seeing how much media attention is given to an Owner for making a bad decision can help us understand how to handle the situation when something like this become an issue for whichever team we will end up working for. It also is a great example to use and learn from to help educate members of staff and players about having their personal issues being broadcasted because of their decisions.

"March Madness Ratings And Revenue Keep Reaching New Heights"

From Forbes.com

Analysis by Jacob Nicely in SRM 435 (section 2)

When you think of the most watched sporting events you may think of the Super Bowl, the World Series, the BCS national championship game, but what you may not realize is that the Men’s NCAA basketball tournament is right behind the BCS national championship game and a few NFL games. When March rolls around, people everywhere fill out their brackets and tune in to stay up to date with how their favorite teams are doing and to keep track of their bracket. In all of this the unthinkable always happens, a cinderella team out of nowhere beats a heavily favored team and makes a run in the tournament highlighting what we all know and love about “March Madness.” Everyday people watch these games from their television, their laptops and tablets, and their phones to try and keep track of their teams, their bracket, or just the overall madness of the tournament. As a result of the madness, more and more people are tuning in to the tournament creating a revenue machine that is raking in over a billion dollars every year.

In 2010, CBS and Turner inked a 14-year deal worth $11 million for the broadcasting rights to the Men’s NCAA tournament. In the regular season, it is extremely rare for a Men’s NCAA Basketball game to reach over 2 million viewers but during the tournament that number skyrockets to an average of 10.7 million viewers a game during the 2013 tournament. Only the Super Bowl, BCS national championship game, and a few NFL games drew in a larger audience than the men’s national championship game with 23.4 million viewers with fans taking in over 1.4 million hours of live streaming during the tournament. To achieve this goal, the two broadcasting companies have devised a scheduling plan that staggers game times and spreads them across 4 channels so that there are more games on television and so that as one game ends another game begins. This is something that marketers can only dream of.

In combination with the television format, there have been numerous mobile applications developed so that fans can live stream the games, get live scores, and keep up with their brackets. With numerous platforms to follow the tournament, it creates more and more places for companies to advertise and spend their money. This has led to companies spending a mind-boggling $1.15 billion on advertisements during the 2013 NCAA tournament and a number that is expected to increase for this year’s tournament. Along with advertising, the NCAA does a phenomenal job segmenting the rounds into their own separate sporting events that everyone can identify with such as the “Sweet 16”, the “Elite Eight”, and the “Final Four.” This creates many options for merchandising and licensing of apparel that many fans buy into every year creating another revenue stream for the NCAA and the schools involved.

All of these numbers are great and show how the NCAA and the broadcasting companies are creating a juggernaut of a sporting event but how do they get people to tune into games that may not normally watch? Well brackets are the answer. Every year fans can go online to various sites and fill out a bracket, where they can predict who will win what game. This creates not only a way to get more fans interested in more games they can watch, but also creates more platforms for advertisers to spend money. With the first-round games which are commonly referred to as “play-in games” reaching all-time high tv ratings, the tournament is only gaining interest year after year.

Turner-Sports and CBS, in combination with the NCAA, have created a fantastic formula from a marketing standpoint. Their TV scheduling and staggering of games encourages fans to watch more than one game, tune into games they may not normally watch, and have more coverage of games causing more people to cut on the television and watch the tournament. In combination with TV broadcasting, the live streaming and mobile applications allow people who normally could not tune in, the ability to watch the games from anywhere, even in school and at work when they are not supposed to. With all of these options to take in the games, the broadcasting companies and the NCAA have allowed themselves to offer diversification of advertising to companies. Now they can reach more target markets, more often, and in locations they normally would not be able to reach them at which is very important because consumers are more likely to buy a product when it is advertised to them when they are in the mindset. Just to give an example, an office supply company can now advertise on live streaming websites and mobile applications because people can tune into to watch the games from their work as opposed to television, which people who are at work cannot normally watch the day games. Also, with more channels and more games it allows for companies to advertise on specific channels to specific demographics based on locations of the teams which they would not have been able to do if only two games were being shown at a time instead of four.

All in all, this time of year can get everyone excited whether you will be rooting for the underdog, cheering on your favorite team, following your bracket closely, or just tuning in to see some great basketball games. The Men’s NCAA basketball tournament will only continue to rise in popularity thus showing that it will only rise in ad revenue as a result. As technology advances, broadcasting companies and the NCAA are keeping up and finding more and more ways to reach viewers every year. This is great news for companies who are looking to market their products and services because they can reach more demographics and specific target markets than they have in the past. From a marketing standpoint, they have created a phenomenal plan to get companies to spend their money as well as keeping up with current trends to keep the companies happy with their investments. As times change and technology develops, we can only sit back and see what the future tournaments will bring.

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Analysis by Ben Eidle in SRM 435 (section 2)

Our article has to deal with CBS and Turner’s television package for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Last year was a big year for the tournament because it hit a nineteen year high for ratings. Last year’s championship game only trailed some NFL games and the BCS national championship game in viewers as well. When speaking about ratings in college basketball they jump a significant amount during the offseason. This has caught CBS-Turner’s attention and they walked away with a fourteen year television deal that runs through 2024. The tournament has been praised for the way they are showing their games as well. They have the times staggered so that you are able to watch the maximum amounts of basketball games and they are spread across four channels which makes it easy to flip back and forth between. Another thing that has brought in more viewers is the expansion of applications for mobile devices. People are now able to interact and watch in many more ways compared to being stuck to a television. Quicken Loans tried to take advantage of the tournament as well by sponsoring the billion dollar bracket challenge but was overshadowed by Warren Buffet who walked away with most of the attention with people ignoring their name on the contest. Ad space has been bringing in more revenue year after year as well. Last year it brought in $1.15 billion in television ad revenue and it is expected to increase this year as well. It has brought in more money than the NFL which is interesting. The last thing they mentioned in the article was that they are thinking of expanding the tournament by adding another round.

This article deals with marketing in multiple ways. The first thing that really stood out to me was the television ad revenue. It impressed me because of how large the number was. It was very unclear in the article what the figure was actually for because it could have been for other advertising as well but I found in another article that it was just for television alone. The ad revenue is larger than you think. It has gained more ad revenue compared to all of the professional sports leagues in the United States barely beating out the NFL.

I feel that the “First Four” is also a great marketing tactic. They have taken 4 games and created play-in games for the tournament. The NCAA has taken these games though and have called them the first round of the tournament and once the field of sixty-four is set that is now the second round. They have taken these games and have people thinking that they really are first round matchups which is great because it brings greater interest and kind of jumpstarts the tournament. This is great because at the beginning of the tournament the people are limited to the couple of games at the beginning of the week that they are able to watch instead of changing back and forth between multiple games once the “second round” begins.

Finally, the different ways that you can watch the games in the tournament is a great tactic by CBS-Turner. They have taken the games and spread them across four channels which gives one the option of changing between games in case one is bad compared to another. They also give one the opportunity to just keep going to the ending of each game because the games are staggered and don’t have the same start times. Also, for the final four the games will be broadcasted on three different channels. One will be a national broadcast of the game and the other two channels will have broadcasters for each of the two different schools that are playing in the game. And last but not least, they have continued to improve the online experience. The applications have been vastly improved over the years and this year has become more user friendly. One is also able to follow each team through the application and see what people are saying about each team.

Overall, I believe what CBS-Turner has done is great for the tournament. You give viewers the opportunity to catch the magic of the postseason without missing endings to each game. It has given great customer service as well because people have so many new ways in which they are able to follow the tournament instead of just watching the games on television or checking the scores on the internet. Finally, the television ad revenue is ridiculous and the fact that it is supposed to be more than last year’s tournament has to mean that they are doing something right.

"March Madness Twitter Ads Tip Off After Buzzer-Beater"

From Advertising Age

Analysis by Kelsey Holmes in KIN 501

With each new year of March Madness comes new sports marketing plans. The 3–Week long NCAA tournament is attracting businesses to put forth their very best social media marketing plans. All these companies have goals to be the most creative, wittiest, and fastest to tweet. The ad-revenue of March Madness continues to grow year by year and is steadily catching up to major events such as the Super Bowl. Marketers are debuting new ad campaigns and doing everything they can to get their name in the mix.

This year’s biggest trend will be “Real-Time” marketing. “From now through the NCAA's Final Four weekend in early April, brands will attempt to score marketing points after nail-biting games and general basketball-related social media activity.” While some efforts will be real-time reactions to game events others will be pre-planned. All types of brands; food, insurance, and even hotels are all buying in to get a piece of March Madness on Twitter.

There are 4 types of tweets taking place.
Real-Time: As soon as games end, brands are reacting with witty sayings and tweets to become part of the frenzy.

Prepared: Multiple tweets prepared before games and then used based on what’s happening

Promoted: Advertisement on users Timeline promoting a particular brand.

Intentionally Confusing: Tweets about sports and the brand but not necessarily basketball.

Using March Madness to advertise is a smart and efficient move for these companies. A major attractor is the variety of fans that watch march madness. March Madness attracts fans of all ages and sexes as well as the dedicated and leisure fan. Along with variety of fans come a variety of platforms. March Madness can be watched on television, the computer, tablets, and mobile devices. That means there are 4 channels on TV plus their websites and the March Madness website and mobile apps. This is extremely useful because consumers can be reached anywhere and multiple times a day.

This marketing strategy is extremely relevant and useful to this course. Real-Time marketing is an example of how marketers must evolve to stay relevant to the consumer. Companies must continue to adapt to “stay ahead of the game”. The importance of staying relevant is realer now than ever and the window to react is now slimmer than ever. Companies must now hire professionals specifically for Twitter. This person must be creative and witty and always have a pulse on their audience. Because of this need companies now have to rethink their hiring and the experience of their employees. Also, professionals looking for jobs will find it beneficial to have social media experience. Overall, I think that Real-Time marketing will become more common practice and expand outside of sporting events.

"Beyond the Selfie: Is Snapchat the Next Frontier for Sports Franchises?"

From SportTechie

Analysis by Danielle Colassard in SRM 435 (section 2)

Snapchat is a photograph application that was created in July 2011. This application was created so people could not upload pictures they have already taken, but must take pictures of where they currently are. There are approximately 400,000,000 messages sent a day by its 30,000,000 users. However only 55 percent of those users use Snapchat daily. Snapchat became popular among teenagers and young adults within the past year or two, and now brands and franchises are using that information to their advantage. Knowing that teenagers and young adults use social media almost daily, brands and franchises have joined in and made those same social media accounts to get connected with the younger generation. The New Orleans Saints were the first sports franchise to join Snapchat. In December, the Saints had over 17,000 followers. In order to push content via Snapchat, sports franchises and brands must take a picture and post to what Snapchat calls “a story.” The picture they post to their “story” is only visible to their followers for 24 hours before it disappears. After they got their account, it was all word of mouth promotion for the New Orleans Saints. Snapchat does not have a direct link the Saints could post for their fans to see and follow, forcing fans to have to search for the Saints by themselves in order to actually be able to see the content the Saints send via Snapchat.

Sports teams are beginning to utilize Snapchat to appeal to their younger fans. Some teams are using the application to offer discount codes for game day tickets as well as team merchandise. Other teams are using it to announce a big reveal is coming from the team soon. Some teams are using Snapchat to have a new twist on scavenger hunts, or use it as a fun way to involve their team mascot. Where as others are using it to show content that fans would not get to see otherwise.

Using Snapchat to connect with their younger fans is a brilliant idea. With Snapchat being such a big hit with the younger generation, it is a great idea to use the social media younger fans are using. Using Snapchat for discount codes can be rewarding but also risky. As mentioned in class, giving discounts or gifts away may upset season ticket holders, as well as dilute the value of the product. Since Snapchat “stories” are only visible for 24 hours, the code should only be visible to the fans that look at the content daily. For professional teams it may be a little more risky than for a minor league team who are just trying to get fans to attend their games. Having a discount code for a Monday night game may benefit minor league teams in college towns or a town where minor league is the only team around.

Teams using snapchat to announce a big reveal coming soon, will get their fans looking at their content multiple times per day to see what is going to happen with the team. Using Snapchat for that purpose is smart because the team will have a lot of traffic going through their website as well as all of their social media accounts, promoting their name.

Franchises using Snapchat to show behind the scenes content that fans would not normally get to see is also a great idea. Fans love to see their favorite player in the locker room or some place they do not have access to see them. Fans also enjoy seeing their favorite players at the events they were not able to attend because they were stuck at work, college, or were not of age to attend the event. Using Snapchat can show those fans all of what they were missing.

Brands and franchises using Snapchat is relevant to this course because teams are marketing and selling their brand by using this application. They are sending content to their fans via Snapchat, a type of social media that not everyone has. It is a benefit to those that have the application on their phone. The content posted to the Snapchat Story is only available to those with a smartphone that allows them to download Snapchat. This benefits the younger generation because almost everyone has a smartphone, iPod, iPad with Snapchat access. Depending on what the team chooses to send out, they may gain interest of teenagers and young adults to want to work in the sport industry, helping it to grow. If a team sends out pictures or videos of event level of different stadiums or arenas, it may gain interest of students wanting to work in facilities. Snapchat can also be used as a promotional tool, providing contests for fans, giving incentives, as well as showing them when and where they can help with community projects or visit players for autograph sessions. Snapchat also shows what game days are like as well as the game themselves, getting fans to want to come back to the stadium to witness the atmosphere in person. Following other teams that are not necessarily a fan favorite, can show people how other stadiums are and what other teams are like behind the scenes.

As mentioned above, Snapchat is a great tool for marketing and promoting sports brands. Showing fans content they would not normally get to see is priceless. Seeing pictures or videos of their favorite player encourages them to come to games, buy merchandise or keep checking back for more.

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Analysis by Chelsea Weber in SRM 435 (section 2)

News about sports used to be limited to newspapers and television, but with social media taking the world by storm, there are unlimited outlets for fans to gain access to information about their favorite teams and players. The most recent social media to catch teams and fans attention is Snapchat. The first team to try out the app was the New Orleans Saints and both the fans and the team have found it quite successful. Snapchat is different than most apps in that the picture or video only lasts up to 24 hours. It is a more personal app than most in that the fans get a direct message from the team and only they can see the picture or video, unlike Twitter or Instagram where the text and pictures last forever and can be seen by anyone. Snapchat gives fans an inside and behind the scenes look at the team and players. This could potentially be a very positive and successful marketing tool if the teams use it correctly. Knowing that the app is used primarily by the younger generations, the organizations need to post things that appeal to that age group. Showing locker rooms, pre-game routines, off the field appearances, individual players, bloopers , etc., could gain the attention of potential fans, while keeping the existing fans. Teams can use Snapchat to promote team events, share team news, and even create challenges for the fans to take part in. All in all, Snapchat is another tool for teams and organizations to get their name out there and create more noise about the organization. It is a great way to market the team and could also create more sales, whether it be merchandise or ticket sales. Whether or not Snapchat is going to work or how long it’s going to last, teams should try it out and see what kind of response they get.

"March Madness evokes marketer madness"

From USA Today

Analaysis by Wyatt Johnson in SRM 435 (section 1) 

Our article talked about how big March Madness is and how it is a marketing mix that advertisers try to take advantage of. With the tournament being broadcasted on 4 different networks it gives companies an advantage to promote their products to potential consumers. March Madness is so big companies can reach different audiences through ads, giveaways, concerts, and rebranding hotels. I feel like this is a month that companies definitely look forward to because it’s a whole month of basketball and a whole month fans will see these ads multiple times throughout March. Companies are also using social media to engage fans as well. Companies like Burger King and Pizza Hut are using twitter to promote their special deals. I believe that March Madness is huge marketing mix for companies because they use all 4 phases of promotion which include advertising, publicity, personal contact, and incentives. All of these phases are essential to engaging fans and consumers. Companies are using different marketing strategies to get in touch with potential consumers even through cell phones. Some companies having different apps that people can download on their phones and that helps companies get various ways of promoting their message. This article is relative to the course because March Madness is one of the biggest events in sports and it helps companies display different ways of connecting March Madness with their product to help promote their message to potential consumers. Companies have to go through various marketing steps we talked about in order to be affective in sport promotion and sales.

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Analysis by Lindsey Tomasz in SRM 435 (section 1)

USA Today's "March Madness Evokes Marketer's Madness" is a short yet great article that focuses on how those in the marketing industry use this three weeklong event to promote their products. It is obvious that although March Madness doesn't exactly have the "heft" of the SuperBowl or the worldwide scope of the Olympics, it certainly is becoming a marketer's dream come true. Over the past few years, this event has brought in more and more ad revenue - more than some professional sports leagues - and the young, desirable audience and the great world of social media are mostly to thank for that. Marketers are doing all they can to take advantage of this; debuting both new ads and apps, hosting concerts, giving away free food, and even rebranding some hotels, just to name a few.

I believe that companies using March Madness to advertise themselves and their products is an extremely smart move. Along with the young audience, the different games throughout the tournament are shown on multiple different channels, which gives marketers more room to work with. It gives them the opportunity to really get out there and spread the word around for what they are trying to sell. There about four stations that are televising games, which also means that there are at least four major websites that can be used for advertising as well. I know from first-hand experience in the past week, that if I miss a game that was on my bracket, I immediately go to the website to see what I missed. I think it is also a great idea to be using former basketball stars in the commercials. Using these stars keeps a relationship between the ad and what the viewer is actually watching it for, and probably holds the viewer's interest more than other, say "regular", people. Although people don't necessarily watch this tournament for the commercials in particular, like they do for the Super Bowl, I think it is still a safe bet to be spending the millions of dollars for that thirty second commercial as long as they keep that "ad to game" relationship going.

This marketing strategy is very relevant to our course because it is a prime example of obviously promotion and sales in the sport industry in relation to a widely social and growing event. To name a few, we are taught about sponsorships, advertising, licensing, different incentives, and what really makes a good sales person/company in a business. Reading about these March Madness marketers has really put a lot of these into perspective and allows me to better understand what all goes into selling a product or service. It has been very interesting for me to watch the games and commercials and be able to go more into depth about how the advertisement was created to better fit the sport and audience and maybe how the certain sponsors/ads fit back into the college basketball aspect. Connecting everything back to the consumers is huge and marketing in this tournament has proven to be all about that, which is why there is no “peak” to be seen at all in the near future of this and it will only become more popular in years to come.

"NBA's All-Star Weekend Tweaks Are Step in Right Direction"

From Bleacher Report

Analysis by Jauan Latney in SRM 435 (section 1)

This article was all about increasing the fan experience in the all-star weekend contest for the NBA. The most anticipated was the new style of the dunk competition which added a freestyle round and is putting three western conference players against 3 eastern conference players. It goes into the changes to other invents like the skills competition being a two-man relay and the three point competition having one full rack of money balls placed wherever the shooter chooses. They also talk on how the young players get a chance to put their names out there during the all-star weekend and possibly get themselves some endorsements.

            The NBA has the best all-star event compared to the rest of the top professional sports. From a marketing standpoint, companies have their names on events that go on involved in all-star Saturday night as well as other events throughout the week. All the fans that are in town for the four day weekend are seeing ads and being involved with these sponsors of the NBA. They came out with a “JAM BAND” for this year at the Jam Session events where you sign in with the bracelet using your information and swipe in at different events. When people swipe in at these events/stations the sponsors of that station can see that and send them mail in the future. The bands can also compare the fans stats to their favorite NBA player in the “Draft Combine” drill. When you’re having events like this, social media is always good to have and you can post to social media with the use of the bands as well. When it comes to sales this was the cheapest all-star game in history to get into but they were also more focused on the whole fan experience this year. With the use of the many performances throughout the weekend and meeting all the players the experience was definitely boosted this year along with the JAM BANDS for Jam Session events.

            This is relevant to the course because it covers getting the experience that all fans crave and the way the NBA gets sponsors involved in their all-star weekend. It also is about reaching out to those fans after the event is over to reach them about sales in the future and to ask about their experiences from the weekend. The NBA all-star weekend is the ultimate example of any all-star event in the top professional sports, even greater than the NFL. They get into the marketing and promotion standpoint to make current and future sales and reaching out to obtain new customers due to their combination of being with the NBA. 

"Marketers Going Mad This March Over NCAA Tournament"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Kevin Albright in KIN 501

I came across a marketing article Athletic Business Journal that I found really interesting regarding the NCAA Tournament and how big of a stage it is for marketers around the country. The article starts off by saying that the NCAA Tournament is not quite as attractive to marketers as maybe the Super Bowl or the most recent Olympics, however it is pretty close and especially this year is gaining a lot of attention from marketers. The tournament consists of over 60 basketball games which are all broadcasted over four popular TV stations (TBS,CBS,TNT, TruTV). Games go on for nearly 3 weeks and attract many viewers outside of basketball fans because of the size of the event and the instructiveness of filling out a bracket and competing against others for the better bracket. The article talks about the tournament being a marketers dream because of the large coverage as well as the fact that it’s live sports, they describe it as “TiVo proof”.

Last year it was said that the tournament generated over 1 billion dollars in ad revenue and they anticipate exceeding that this year. The growth of social media has helped the marketing of brands also because for three weeks social media is buzzing about everything relating to the NCAA Tournament. Also companies are sponsoring apps, hotels, contests, hosting concerts and running promotions during this time to grab the attention of their views and promote their product. I see it as a great way to market because of the reasons the article mentioned dealing with it being a 3 week event, live TV, tons of social media opportunities and the size of the spectators.

This topic is very relevant to class because determining where you are going to use your marketing resources is one of the most crucial parts to a successful marketing program. I also thought that it would spark and interesting discussion on how valuable some marketing may be and what kind of price tag can you put on it. For example Warren Buffet is teaming up with Quicken Loans to offer 1 billion dollars to anyone who can get a perfect bracket. Quicken Loans is gaining so much publicity from this contest and they are willing to risk a lot of money if someone wins the contest. Now the odds are very slim that someone gets a perfect bracket but it was the decision they had to make as to how valuable is that as a marketing scheme. The importance of studying trends and analyzing numbers and statistics can be critical to devising a strong marketing plan.

"Rays Tout New 'Flex Packs' Ticketing as Unique to MLB"

From Athletic Business

Video link

Analysis by Rick Reardon in KIN 501

The Tampa Bay Rays are unveiling a new marketing campaign that also couples with their new idea of how to sell single game tickets to fans. Their new campaign centers on the phrase “Rays Up”. This phrase is supposed to link the team with the fans by making it a joint effort to turn the season around. Mark Fernandez, senior vice president, said when referring to the new slogan, “Let’s do this thing together.” After finishing last in the MLB in attendance last year, the Rays are using a new ticket plan, called Flex Packs to improve home field attendance. Flex Packs are targeted at single game ticket buyers who usually just buy the one game. With Flex Packs, a fan can buy a three, six, or nine game pack. The fan can then use these Flex Packs to go to any game as long as it is not sold out. This includes marquee games such as the Yankees, Red Socks, or even the season opener with no up-charge on those certain games. The only catch is that they cannot redeem the Flex Pack for sold out games, which makes sense. Tampa Bay has already started their marketing campaign focused around these Flex Packs by displaying billboards all around the city featuring star players and manager Joe Madden that displays their slogan Rays Up. The three game Flex Packs start at $49 and they have already sold 10,000 Flex Packs (of all varieties).

From a marketing stand point I think this is a genius idea. A lot of the problem, I believe, with increasing attendance to home games especially in baseball is getting people to attend multiple games in a season. With the Flex Packs, it could save family money that is just coming in for the weekend and wants to go watch a weekend series or for a fan that lives in the city but is not sure which games they can attend. The only down side I could see with this would be that fans might start buying Flex Packs instead of season tickets. This way the fan could choose which games they want to go to without having to buy all the tickets to the home games. With that being said, I believe a team will still have their regular die-hard fans that will continuously buy season tickets. However for the fans on the fence deciding whether they want season tickets or not, I think this would be a good way to get their foot in the door and hopefully convert them to season ticket holders. If a fan buys the nine game Flex Pack and continually enjoys going to the game then eventually they might think it would save them some money just buying season tickets. Selling tickets is just one part of the equation though. If fans do not enjoy being at the game and are not leaving with a memorable experience then they will not be willing to come back or buy tickets later. So I do not know if the reason Tampa Bay was last in attendance last year was because of ticket prices or plans, or for the game day atmosphere. But both sides of the equation need to be looked at. I still believe that this is a great way to get new fans in the seats and it’s always good to try something fresh and new.

This relates to our course of when we talked about fans and creating fan loyalty. The best way to get a new fan is getting them out the games to watch and creating an identity with the team. With these Flex Packs, the team is getting more on the fence fans that cannot afford season tickets or that only usually come to one game. If you have a fan that usually only comes to one game you can try to push this ticket package on them by saying they can come to three more of their choice without any commitment up front. I think that this is a great way to establish new fans and also expand the loyalty of certain fans.

"Tourism Expected to Pay Off $51B Sochi Investment"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Rosella Sheehan in KIN 501

In the article, “Tourism Expected to Pay Off $51B Sochi Investment”, author Nancy Armour stated that several previous Winter Olympic cities including Salt Lake City and Vancouver have seen an increase in the amount of tourism revenue since the Olympics left. Russian officials are optimistic that Sochi will also see an increase in tourism in the years to come, especially from Russians and Europeans looking to vacation in the seaside town. Although travelling to Sochi is difficult, it does provide the best of both worlds in terms of snow and sand.

Despite the fact previous host cities have seen an increase in international tourism following the Olympics; I do not believe the same will occur in Sochi. Sochi officials did a great job of keeping the Games safe but the bad publicity the Games received has decreased the appeal of the city to most of the world. Many Westerners are not used to seeing stray dogs running the streets, unfinished hotel rooms or dirty drinking water which will make getting people to go visit this area of the world difficult. One of the biggest challenges Sochi will face trying to draw tourists is the reputation Russia has around the world, which is only becoming worse from its recent aggression towards Ukraine.

On the other hand, I do think that Sochi will draw Russians because Sochi became a source of pride for them during the Winter Games. A major draw this town has is its closeness to not only the sea but also the mountains. Other transformations to the seaside town that will draw Russian tourists is the new theme park “Putin World” and the transformation of Olympic Park into a race track for the Russian Grand Prix later on this year. Finally, the fact that Russia has several new sporting arenas will increase their appeal to host other sporting events in the future.

This article is relevant to this course because it is important to realize that several factors are taken into consideration when tourists decide to travel for a sporting event. Some of these considerations include: travel, accommodations and safety. Whenever an event is put on, organizers must consider these factors since they will affect the appeal of an event and the experience each guest will have. Especially in unappealing locations or with a losing team, organizers must think of creative ways to get people to come to games and events.

Internship Opportunity: Madison County Parks and Recreation Summer Internship

Qualifications:

·         Hold a junior or senior standing in a four year degree program, be enrolled in the last semester of a two year degree program, or be enrolled in the second half of a graduate program.

·         Have a major grade point average of at least 2.0 (3.0 graduate GPA).

·         Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills.

·         Have strong initiative and the ability to work independently.

·         Follow Madison County application process.

·         Follow all Madison County applicable policies and procedures.

Job Description:

The intern will be assigned field-based tasks as well as administrative tasks. Field-based tasks include serving as a tournament and camp co-coordinator and assisting with program implementation. This will give the intern experience with leadership and developing their planning skills. Other tasks will include field maintenance and preparation. Administrative tasks will give the intern experience with communication, meeting timelines, and organization. Daily and weekly schedule may change as needs arise and change. There will be hands-on learning as well as opportunities to work independently. The intern will be mentored throughout their time with more one-on-one time at the beginning and a gradual phase-out to more independent work near the end. There will be fast-paced days with long hours, evening and weekend work, and the chance for a last minute change of plans at any time. 

Application Procedures:

Please go to http://www.madisonco.virginia.gov/humanresources.php and download a job application and email it along with a resume to mcparksrec@gmail.com or mail to:

 Madison County Parks and Recreation

 PO Box 435

Madison, VA 22727

Please contact Jerry at 540-308-1247 or email mcparksrec@gmail.com for more information or any questions. 

"The marketing of Michael Sam"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Jacob Orpin in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article talks about how Michael Sam coming out gay will affect his marketability. Now a days things like this can benefit your marketability unlike 15 years ago. It use to be to high of a risk for players to come out gay, now the risk reward it so high you can really benefit from it. There is already a ton of people and companies trying to get a deal out of Michael. Michael doesn’t want to sign a ton of deals just wants the usually shoe and apparel deal. The thing that struck me the most after reading the article is the increase in gay sports bars in New York. The article says 15 years ago gay sports bars were failures now they are getting franchised. Michael Sam helps open an entire new market for the NFL that will only help increase the fan base and help the LBGT community.

From a marketing standpoint Michael Sam is a dream come true to many people. Everyone is going to want a piece of the first openly gay NFL player. Being a first can go a long way in the marketing world. Nike has already signed two openly gay athletes in Jason Collins and Brittney Griner. Neither one has done much when it comes to making money. Just coming out gay isn’t enough you still have to perform on the field. The Brooklyn Nets just signed Jason Collins to a 10-day contract. Before that he didn’t have a contact with any team and in turn wasn’t during must in a sales point. Coming out gay will help Michael get opportunities for endorsements but there is still work to do on the field. If Michael Sam performs on the field the endorsements will start rolling out faster than he ever imagined. Whatever team ends up drafting Michael I feel like there sales will go up with they just tapped another fan base. There might be more media coverage around your team but from a sales point I don’t see any ways it could hurt.

Michael coming out gay is very courageous especially doing it before the combine. It took a lot of guts to be able to do that and be able to talk about it in front of the media. Time will tell if this move was smart in terms of being drafted and being marketable. I truly believe Michael will contribute to an NFL team in the next few years. You don’t go from being SEC player of the year to a benchwarmer. The SEC is to good and the last six SEC defensive player of the years were first round picks, he will be the first to not be.

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Analysis by Will Taylor in SRM 435 (section 2)

Michael Sam could possibly be the most revolutionary athlete in the sports world since Jackie Robinson. As the first NFL draft prospect that has come out as gay, the day he is drafted and steps foot on the field for the first time will be monumental and will be forever remembered in sports history. With this culture change happening in the sports world, Michael Sam’s marketability rises with every interview he gives. This article describes how many companies are all trying to gain entry into the LGBT brand, but are biding their time waiting to see how he performs on the field. The article also discusses how difficult it will be trying to have Michael Sam represent them, as he only wants to sign a couple deals. It also discusses the market as a whole, and how the LGBT community would fit into sports, and how they would be accepted within the sports industry.

Michael Sam has marketing potential without a doubt being the first openly gay NFL draft prospect. However, his true marketing value will be determined with his play on the field. As seen with Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, performance is what drives the market. Because Jason Collins has never had too much on-court success, he hasn’t seen the big marketing deals you would expect. This will also be true for Michael Sam, whose career is in the balance after his poor performance at the combine. The impact on the NFL culture and sports industry in general will be massive; however it would be very difficult to market a player who sits the bench. Another aspect mentioned in the article is the fact that no just any company can use Michael Sam effectively to market their business. Only companies with a strong base in the LGBT community already can effectively reach out to the market that follows Michael Sam.

This article is very relevant to this course because it discusses the marketability of a high profile athlete in a new market to the sports industry. The article discusses how Michael Sam will go about signing deals, and how companies will try and use him to market their business. It discusses how difficult it will be to market to the LGBT community because of how new the market is to the sports world. This is very relevant because this will change the sports world and how sports and athletes are marketed to a new group of sports fans.

"Watch the Spots: Chevrolet Features Gay Couples in Olympic Ads"

From Advertising Age

Analysis by Candynce Boney in KIN 501

During opening night of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Chevrolet aired two commercials featuring gay couples for the first time in both of their television slots. It is important to note Chevy went through with these commercials with the understanding that Sochi had enforced anti-gay laws. All the families in these commercials were real life families that were found through both social media and outreach. Not only does Chevrolet show gay couples there are also multi-racial families shown in these commercials. Chevy’s goal is to explore “what it means to be a family these days.” During the second commercial they show a gay couple celebrating their marriage and an openly gay scientist, Jack Andraka who developed a way to test for pancreatic cancer. Although during the commercials the pictures flash by rather quickly it is still easy to recognize both the mixed race families and the gay couples.

With Chevrolet promoting their new marketing technique, they seem to have placed a large amount of emphasis on slogans. America is starting to become more of a nondiscriminatory country, their slogans does a great job catch the attention of new era Americans. What I mean by new era Americans is, for this current generation everything is about being inclusive and politically correct. Many of the young Americans now are multi-racial and support Same Sex Marriages. Therefore Chevy is reaching a large population of people with opening this new market scheme.

From a marketing standpoint, I was curious as to how Chevy’s older more conservative customers would respond to the new marketing technique. As one would expect the responses to this commercial were not good. People said they would never purchase another car from Chevrolet; some went as far to say they would sale their current Chevrolet vehicles due to these commercials. In my opinion this is still a good marketing technique, as I mentioned before, people are becoming more liberal in their standpoints on relationships.

More specifically for up and coming marketers, the field is constantly evolving with today’s new society roles and trends. We would need to confront some of those old stereotypes, not being afraid of going after something new. In my opinion, as a marketer it is important to understand, not every person will agree with all marketing tool and techniques used, but in order to evolve in the field barriers have to be pushed. It is going to be easier to push these barriers in companies as large as Chevrolet, but even on a college level doing more inclusive things and making everyone feel welcomed may produce better outcomes at different events around campus.

"NFL to penalize use of racial slur"

From ESPN.com

From Tommy LaRose in SRM 334

Football has long been seen as a harsh sport for tough people, and language that would not be acceptable in other work environments is accepted on the field. However, the NFL is expected to enact a rule where players would be penalized 15 yards for use of the N-word on the field. The league’s competition committee will officially decide whether to agree to the rule next month. John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (which monitors diversity in the NFL), says he will be, “Totally shocked if the competition committee does not uphold” the new rule.

The possible new rule has gotten mixed reactions. Amongst African Americans, it could be argued that the word is actually a term of endearment. Regardless of how you feel about the word, some people believe it is the job of the players to police the use of the word. It is their responsibility to rid their workplace of the slur. It is interesting that the NFL feels it is their responsibility to discourage the use of the word. The timing of the decision is also curious. I personally believe the new rule is more of a PR move than anything else. I highly doubt many players have gone to the league office and complained about the use of the N-word. For many, it is a normal word that is used in daily conversation. It also seems counterproductive in the sense that the rule would bring the topic of race back to the forefront of the discussion in sports. We as a society are trying to move past the issue of race, and the NFL is no different. Trying to force people to act in a certain way or say certain things is not the correct way to go about it in my opinion.

The new rule seems to be more of a reaction to media coverage of recent events. Richie Incognito’s bullying of teammate Jonathan Martin was probably the driving force behind the rule. The media repeatedly reported on the threatening text messages sent by Incognito to Martin. Included in these messages, it was reported that there were many racial slurs aimed at Martin. One could conclude that the N-word was probably the most commonly used slur. The bullying incident sparked a hot conversation all over ESPN and other media outlets. People began to question whether the tough-guy image of the NFL had gone too far. The media discussed the culture of the NFL, and race was inevitably brought up as a topic. Bad publicity for the NFL is something the league does not want, and the new rule could be seen as a proactive way to try to change the culture of the NFL. Incognito’s harsh words embodied the culture the NFL is trying to rid itself of, and the NFL hopes the media will receive this new rule positively.

As we discussed in class, the new model of media is far different from the old model. It is progressive in almost every way and is much more interactive and detailed. The Richie Incognito incident would not have received nearly as much coverage 60 years ago: maybe a one-page story in the sports section of the newspaper. Today, the media jumped all over the story and painted the culture of the NFL in a very negative light. Media coverage of an event greatly influences the way the public views it, and sometimes can even prompt a reaction from an entity such as the NFL.

"Reporter made Olympic Skier Cry, Was it Unethical? NBC Takes Heat For Sochi Interview"

From iMediaEthics

Analysis by Luke Kaulius in SRM 334 

Bode Miller, an Olympic alpine ski racer from the United States won his sixth Olympic metal this February at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Miller placed bronze in the Super-G downhill event. For Bode, these Olympic games were far different from any of the others that he competed in. This is because of the recent death of his younger brother Chelone “Chilly” Miller, who passed away in April of 2013 due to an apparent seizure. Chelone Miller was a professional snowboarder who had planned to compete in the 2014 Sochi Olympics alongside his older brother.

After placing bronze in the Super-G event, Bode Miller agreed to do an interview with NBC reporter, Christin Cooper. During the interview, Miller was asked multiple questions regarding the death of his brother, Chelone. These questions eventually brought Bode to tears and he was unable to complete the interview. This raised much controversy regarding the intention of the interview and the morality of NBC. Many media outlets such as The New York Times believed that this interview crossed a very fine line and was unethical. People around the world posted their negative thoughts regarding this interview on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook. However, Bode Miller believed that there was no one was to blame for the interview. He explained that it was a very emotional time for him and any reporter would have asked the same questions. Responding to the negative criticism, NBC came out with a statement justifying the interview and the intention behind it.

I believe that NBC and Christin Cooper did not do an adequate job preparing and conducting this interview. It was very obvious that they were trying to provoke Bode in an effort to get more media attention. NBC wanted to show the raw emotion of Bode Miller at a time like this, however they could have used better techniques. Rather than asking three out of the four questions in the interview about Bode’s brother, NBC should have eased into the topic and waited until the last question to bring up the death of his brother.

I believe that the perfect amount of emotion that would have been appropriate for NBC’s audience was after the first question regarding his brother. Once they asked two more questions about the Chelone Miller, it gave the audience the impression that they wanted Bode to break down and cry. Christin Cooper should have created a better atmosphere of trust by asking easier questions first and then finish with a question about the death of Bode’s brother. By doing this, Bode would become more comfortable answering the questions and not feel like he is being provoked the entire interview. I believe that if NBC and Christin Cooper had taken this approach, the interview would have portrayed the perfect amount of emotion and create a more content mood for their viewers.

This topic is very relevant to the course because it relates directly to the topic we discussed on interviewing. In class we discussed all components of an interview that occur prior to an interview and during an interview. These components are evident throughout the interview with Bode Miller, especially the method, audience, and agenda of the interview. After learning about how to develop interviewing skills, I am able to understand how the interview was conducted and where NBC might have gone wrong.

The areas that NBC struggled with this interview include the agenda of the interview and the particular way that Christin Cooper asked the questions. She did not create a good atmosphere of trust with Bode Miller because she jumped right into questions that were difficult to answer. NBC was not intentionally trying to provoke Bode Miller, but they did not do a sufficient job in creating a comfortable mood. After seeing this interview, I was able to examine a perfect example of a poorly constructed interview and understand why NBC and Christin Cooper received a great deal of negative scrutiny.