"Timeline of events in the Ray Rice case"

From the Baltimore Sun

Analysis by Leah Travers in SRM 334 (section 2)

As a Maryland resident and Ravens fan, I decided to choose the handling of Ravens running back Ray Rice. This is a perfect example to look at when discussing the importance of public relations and media image. I want to look at how the NFL, the Ravens, and Ray Rice used different styles of media to communicate with fans and to clear up their image. The most used tools were news and press conferences, but others examples are commercials and interviews. They say actions speak louder than words and one image can redefine someone, but what is it about the second leaked video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancé that got everyone changing their opinions about him? Could the league and the Ravens have pretend it wasn’t as bad because they didn’t see the action occur, even though we all know Rice punched her? 

“The decision to let Ray Rice go was unanimous. Seeing that video changed everything. We should have seen it earlier. We should have pursued our own investigation more vigorously. We didn’t and we were wrong” said Bisocitti. Image is everything now-a-days. The steps taken to shape a player, a team, or a leagues image is what will keep them successful in a business that all depends on what sponsors and fans think about them.

Mr. Goodell is in the hot spot after how he handled this scandal. Thoughts like “Why didn’t the NFL investigate the situation more?”, “do they even care about what the players do?”, and “are their apologizes sincere?” Mr. Goodell used a news conference to announce to the public that “he got it wrong” and “will get it right.” Another quote that I pulled from his news conference was his view of the NFL. "At our best, the NFL sets an example that makes a positive difference. Unfortunately over the past several weeks we have seen all too much of the NFL doing wrong and that starts with me." Personally, I wonder how many people really do see the NFL this way. But in attempt to clean up the leagues image they are now initiating a “long-term commitment to help people affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.” They are partnering with the National Domestic violence Hotline and the Sexual violence resource center to help women who have suffered from abuse. Which the NFL is funding the resources that these centers have lacked. The NFL also created a commercial of players speaking about “no more” domestic abuse. This commercial shows the support of players in Goodell’s decision to make the disciplinary actions towards domestic violence harsher more effective (first-time offense = six-game unpaid suspension, repeat offender = lifetime NFL ban).

The Ravens called the press conference in May with Ray Rice and his wife Janay. They both publically apologized for their actions. The Ravens then proceeded to tweet “Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident.” Why was Janay Rice even at this press conference? One thought I came up with is that they wanted the press and fans to see that if his wife can forgive him so can the world. If his wife will stay with him, the Ravens will stay, and so should the sponsors. The Ravens deleted their tweet. Mrs. Rice recently has admitted in an interview that if it weren’t for the Ravens suggesting her presence at the press conference, she wouldn’t have gone. Janay Rice wouldn’t have apologized as well if it hadn’t been suggested it. What I don’t think the Ravens expected was the back lash towards this tweet. A #WhyIstayed- viral hashtag campaign began over Janay and Ray Rice’s relationship during the aftermath.

Ray Rice has reach out to the media many times in the form of press conferences, public apologies, interviews, and statements. We see him going to intervention programs, couples counseling, and the prospect of him advocating for domestic violence when the time is right. The situation is now out of his hands and in the fate of those around him. Do they believe his apologizes or do they see these tactics as a way to save his career? After fighting for the right to stay in the NFL, Rice is now waiting in limbo for someone to pick him up. The question is if anyone is willing to take Ray Rice into their brand and risk the consequences, positive or negative.

"Emotional Marketing in Budweiser’s Super Bowl Ads"

From Adweek - article 1, article 2

Analysis by Taylor Mickelberry in KIN 501

In 2015, the third advertisement in a loosely connected plotline by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) featuring its famed Clydesdales and a little puppy will air during the Super Bowl. While the puppy didn’t appear in the first edition of the sequence featuring
A-B’s Budweiser brand, he will certainly be the focal point of this year’s ad named “Lost Dog” (Griner, 2015; McMains, 2015)

In the 2013 version and what is considered the first of this plotline, titled “Brotherhood”, a trainer raises up a tiny Clydesdale to become one of the main attractions of the Bud brand. When the trainer returns to see the Clydesdales in Chicago and sees his horse leading the pack, he holds on to some glimmer of hope that the horse will recognize him. When he realizes he is foolish to think so, he returns to his truck, only to find his horse running down a Chicago street to reunite with him in the emotional payoff viewers expected.

In 2014, we find the same trainer (yes, he’s back! And he’ll offer some of the best analysis that could be found later on!), still raising Clydesdales, but this time he’s living near a puppy farm; And one of those pesky puppies keeps getting out to hang out with his friend, a Clydesdale in a stall. Finally, the puppy is getting adopted, but he’s not happy about this. The Clydesdale gang helps to stop the adoption and walks the puppy back to his friend in the epitome of the title of the ad: “Puppy Love.”

Those ads both won the top spot in the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter and “Puppy Love” won an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Commercial (Horovitz, 2014).

And so, that leaves 2015 as the perfect conclusion to the trilogy of stories here (unless A-B goes all Star Wars on this plotline). This year, A-B has put out a few GIF’s and photos and told us the name of the ad early, “Lost Dog,” unlike last year when our little puppy friend stole America’s heart early, garnering 23 million YouTube views by the Friday before the spot actually aired (Judkis, 2014). The GIF’s show the trainer, played by actor Don Jeanes, tacking up a missing dog poster and struggling with a unruly Clydesdale while simultaneously we see photos of a dirty and scared Labrador pup (presumably the one from last year) running around town.

But did they sell beer?

Odds are, they didn’t.

In fact, A-B is trying to bring back the Budweiser brand, which fell to the third-best selling beer since 2001 and has been declining in sales for almost 25 years, mainly thanks to the fact that the younger generations prefer Coors Light and Bud Light (another A-B product)(Brown, 2015).

But it was, nonetheless, a brilliant marketing campaign and still was successful in its secondary function: cementing Budweiser as an All-American company and reminding its consumers that it knows about life and love in America.

Mark Schaeffer sums it up for us in a 2013 St. Louis Times-Dispatch article by Lisa Brown.

"I don't think beer drinkers are going to buy more Budweiser next weekend because of it," Mark Schaeffer, president of the Clayton office of ad agency Hoffman Lewis, said of the Clydesdale spot [the 2013 “Brotherhood” ad]. "But a long-standing brand like Budweiser has to do an ad like that, that reminds customers of its heritage”(Brown, 2013).

So there’s that secondary function playing its role: A-B is reminding the public of the company’s image and that in and of itself can go much farther than selling a few 6-packs in the immediate days after the Super Bowl.

Basis for analysis on the emotions in these advertisements comes from Kelsey Libert and Kristin Tynski’s article from October 2013 in the Harvard Business Review titled “The Emotions that Make Marketing Campaigns Go Viral."

Libert and Tynski highlight multiple key elements in order to leave a lasting impression on consumers. The first they highlight is to leave branding to a minimum as to not come off as “salesy.” Next, they say to take viewers on an emotional roller coaster in order to keep the viewer interested and to ensure that the viewer is never bored. Finally, Libert and Tynski suggest a company should emotionally connect the marketing that you are doing to the position of your brand.

The Budweiser ads are able to do all of these things; The commonalities being that they never indicate they are Budweiser ads until the last few seconds; they usually have a happy feeling until somewhere between half and 75 percent of the way through, in which they jerk the viewer to somewhere not pretty; and finally Budweiser always positions themselves (via a logo or some other type of identification) alongside a happy ending in order to ensure customers that their company can be connected with the same emotions they just felt throughout their commercial.

Additional great analysis comes from Jeanes, the actor who plays the trainer-rancher in A-B’s ads. In a Forbes article from 2014 by Gay Gaddis, Jeanes says “No one wants to be sold to anymore. The American people voted [the Budweiser ad] as their favorite because it touched their emotions. Budweiser found that Super Bowl XLVIII was the perfect opportunity to entertain and meet people’s needs for that emotion (Gaddis, 2014).”

Marc Wayshak of Entrepreneur is able to further this though in his 2014 article as he says that these type of marketing campaigns are more memorable because of the emotion brought up. Wayshak continues by saying that A-B is trying to create an idea that connects more to the life of the consumer, rather than the product you offer.

Creating an emotional appeal, even one that does not heavily feature your brand could help enhance your brand anyway via the good feelings it leaves consumers. This is possible when consumers talk about your marketing campaign and therefore your company in good terms. A positive public image goes very far in selling products, even if the original consumer of that saw the ad doesn’t buy it. It could be his friend, his mother or his spouse that decides to purchase an item based on the positive vibes he felt while watching a marketing campaign.

The positivity behind a brand is such a powerful tool for companies to position themselves in the fast-paced world of tweets, YouTube, viral videos and other digital marketing that is all over the place these days. These emotions help the marketing campaign to stand out over all others.

This is a key topic for this class for two reasons. The first reason is that as sports professionals, we will have to work with these individuals and companies and the positive image could be reflected onto us if we enter into sponsorship agreements with them. Secondly, if we are marketing our own entities, we could use these skills to help forge an emotional connection within our own communities, which could help sell tickets or do whatever our entity’s mission statement is.

Emotional marketing is something that always seems to have successes, and it is no more highlighted than on Super Bowl Sunday, much like it will be this week.

"NBC To Stream Super Bowl And More For Free Feb. 1 To Promote Online Offerings"

From Forbes.com

Analysis by Emily Buhl and Samantha Fisher in SRM 435

"Super Bowl XLIX Ad Chart: Who's Buying Commercials in Super Bowl 2015"

From Advertising Age

Analysis by Maura Gunning and Lindsay Butler in SRM 435

"Panthers playoffs: Building brand loyalty"

From Charlotte Business Journal

Analysis by Bethany Doman in KIN 501

Loyalty and fandom is the feeling of emotional attachment and connection that one develops towards a sports team, brand, company, etc. It may be passed down traditionally, may be dependent upon your location, or could be in support of a particular player, but nonetheless, loyalty can be expressed in many different ways and on many different levels.

In my foundational article, “Panthers playoffs: Building brand loyalty”, the author Erik Spanberg discusses how playoff wins and appearances leave a larger impression on fans and ignite fan loyalty, especially for the Carolina Panthers. Being only 20 years old, the Panthers have not had an ample opportunity to develop a strong, deep fan base as other older teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers may have. The Panthers have never had consecutive winning seasons, with only six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl presence in their short life span. Team executives reported that because of the back-to-back playoff appearances (January 2014 and 2015), bonds between the Panthers, their fans, and their sponsors have been strengthened. Building off this postseason enthusiasm, the team is about to embark on a six-year, phased-in makeover of their stadium, backed by taxpayers’ dollars. Team executives believe that this stadium will also boost fan loyalty and additional fan interest.

Within that article, I derived three marketing factors that I felt the Carolina Panthers are contributing to their present and future increase of fan loyalty and engagement. Playoff appearances is the first factor and only recently have the team representatives been able to see the benefits. After losing a divisional matchup in January of 2014 and then a few weekends ago against the Seattle Seahawks, the national attention brought to Carolina has awoken and drawn in more of the fan base. As a marketer, it is crucial to play on the postseason wins and appearances because they are so fresh and a lot of fans are motivated by the intensity and enthusiasm built up during the postseason, regardless of the outcome. Historically, fans cling to those wins and appearances.

In 2013, the Emory Sports Marketing Analytics team conducted a study on the NFL’s fan bases and determined fan equity from historical data. They used winning percentage, pricing, stadium capacity, metro area population, metro area median income, etc. as the historical data. Then, they took model forecasts of each team’s last three years to determine fan equity. The researchers chose a three-year span because the sports world is constantly changing (i.e. player trades, new management and coaching, new rules) and they felt that three years would be enough ground to prove that postseason successes and championships are sources of long-term fan equity. In this analysis, they took the first three years of data (2002-2005) and compared it to last three years of data (2010-2012) and they were able to see the rises and drops in fan bases and loyalty. Since the Colts had seen a dramatic increase early on and then Denver climbing up to #4 in fan equity in the latter years, they determined that Peyton Manning was the common denominator and had an effect on both teams. In the video, Seinfeld jokingly says we are essentially cheering for the clothes of our favorite team since the players are constantly changing and the athletes aren’t necessarily loyal to the teams anymore. We love a player while he plays for our favorite team, then when he gets traded, we tend to hate him. It’s an interesting illogical trend that seems to hit the nail on the head when breaking down fan loyalty.

The second factor is social media chatter and engagement and with technology growing rampant, fans are able to voice their opinions and passions on numerous platforms. In a study at Emory University looking at sports franchises, fan interest, financial investment, and social media chatter, the Carolina Panthers rank in the bottom third, 23rd in fans’ financial willingness and 30th in social media equity. Manish Tripathi, one of the Emory marketing professors said in the article, “There is an opportunity to get better here. Postseason success has a strong impact in the NFL, especially for the younger fan base” (Spanberg, 2015). However, in the social media world, the Panthers may seem to lag in comparison to other teams, but according to the team president Danny Morrison, there have been consistent gains on all social media platforms, pointing to the recent attraction of the younger fan base. In the sports marketing realm, it is important to stay adaptable and up to date with the constant changes in society and technology. To strengthen fan bases, teams can inspire loyalty through social media promotions, athlete and fan interactions via social media, or encourage fans to contribute to the team through submitting photos, videos, suggestions, etc., all of which create value for the fan and ultimately builds an emotional connection towards a team. This is relevant because it is a route everyone can use towards creating a quality product or service, satisfying a customer, and promoting loyalty no matter what the position may be (i.e. sports, parks and recreation, retail, etc.).

A newly renovated stadium is the last piece that I drew from the article as means to the Carolina Panthers developing fan loyalty. Rather than make a sales pitch, the Panthers are going to use the postseason as an “affirmation of the excitement and impact the franchise has in the Carolinas” as a strategy towards renovating their stadium (Spanberg, 2015). The team believes that they will have the support, but also gain additional fan loyalty through this six-year, $87.5 million makeover funded by taxpayers. They hope to create a “Dallas Cowboys effect”, where Jerry Jones’ new stadium increased fan loyalty immensely over a three-year span. When trying to gain the physical, emotional, and financial support of the local fan base to build or renovate a sports facility, marketers need to paint a picture so the fans can see and feel the value and potential experiences throughout the whole process.

"DeSean Jackson Cut by Eagles Minutes After Report About Possible Gang Ties Is Published"

From The Wire

Analysis by Connor Cunningham in SRM 334 

For my current event I chose an article on DeSean Jackson and how he was released from the Eagles for possible gang relations. The article was on the website The Wire, and was written by Eric Levenson. The article discusses how the Eagles released DeSean Jackson mere minutes after a newspaper published a story that linked him to Los Angeles gang members. The story reported that Jackson had connection with L.A’s Crips gang. An associate of Jacksons form his rap label Jaccpot records was arrested for a gang related murder. The man was later acquitted of the murder charge, but this was still cause for concern for many. In 2012 there was another gang related murder near a building that one of Jackson’s family members owned. When police searched the place they found old receipts and gun permits of Jacksons. On top of this DeSean Jackson has been seen in several photos with one of the suspects from that murder, and is said to be flashing the Crips gang sign in these photos. This looks bad, although Jackson was never accused of any criminal wrongdoing. Eagles sources told NJ.com that, “a bad attitude, inconsistent work ethic, and missed meetings were the reason for his release”.

From a media/communications standpoint I believe Jackson was released because of gang ties. The Eagles were trying to trade him before the story went out, and once it was released it was the last straw for the Eagles. In 2013 DeSean Jackson hauled in 82 receptions for 1,332 yards and 9 TD’s. DeSean Jackson was 9th in the NFL in receiving yards in 2013. A guy like that doesn’t just get released over an attitude. There would have to be a team that would have traded for him? This may have been the thought a couple years ago but, ever since the murder by Aaron Hernandez many teams have stayed away from players that have character concerns, especially ones with reported gang ties. The media has had a field day with all of the allegations against DeSean Jackson. Many believe he is a bad teammate and what you would call a “cancer” to a locker-room, while others say he’s a guy who has a fiery attitude and is passionate about the game of football. The Eagles did not want to deal with Jackson, or the media attention that was coming with him.

Since his release DeSean Jackson has signed a contract to stay in the NFC East with the Washington Redskins. To relate it to our course, you have to look at the job the Redskins front office, coaches, and public relations department have ahead of them. How will they go about trying to fix the image many have of Jackson? Will they work at this or simply try to have people focus on his productivity on the field? As a Redskins fan my whole life I am ecstatic with the signing, and eager to see how this scenario plays out.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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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.

"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.

"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.

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.

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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.

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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.

"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.

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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.

"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.

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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.

"Seahawks' Richard Sherman Gets Hounded by Media in This Perfectly Timed Ad"

From Adweek

Video from the game

Review by Becca Gibbs in SRM 435 (section 2)

This article highlights Washington Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman’s recent post-game interview with Erin Andrews influencing his brand new Beats by Dre commercial. The timing of this commercial could not have been better or worse, in some opinions. After Sherman’s final play of game against the San Francisco 49ers, he screamed into Erin Andrew’s microphone “I’m the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get. Don’t you ever talk about me!” (Gasper, 2014). Sports journalists and bloggers alike began writing and posting about Sherman being a thug from Compton, California.

Sherman’s Beats by Dre commercial was released the day of the NFC Championship game, the same day Colin Kaepernick’s, the 49ers quarterback, aired. When the Seahawks won, Kaepernick’s commercial was pulled and only Sherman’s would be played. Sherman had the reputation of being a thug before the championship game, but his rowdy interview reinforced this reputation. His Beats by Dre commercial promotes the adaptive noise canceling headphones with the slogan “Hear what you want”. This was the perfect pitch for Sherman because he pays no attention to the trash talkers calling him a “thug”. In the promotional standpoint, it is unclear which is being advertised more, the headphones or Sherman. The interviewers’ questions during the commercial become increasingly personal until one interviewer asks “how do you feel about your reputation as a thug?”. Although it was a relevant question, and it reflected his post-game interview, I believe that the questions were too personal and focused too much on Sherman and not enough on the product. Had Sherman been calmer during his interview with Erin Andrews, the commercial would not have gotten the attention that it has received.

Although many reporters claim that the release of this commercial was perfectly timed with Sherman’s NFC Championship game interview, I believe that the cornerback’s publicity outshined the Beats by Dre headphones. The commercial stars Sherman and only features the headphones. When promoting a new product, it is extremely important to keep the focus on whatever it is you are selling. I think Beats by Dre chose an appropriate athlete for the product, but Sherman stole the spotlight of the commercial after his interview. Although the commercial is good publicity for the Seahawks’ player, it does not promote the headphones enough.

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Review by Amy Spring in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article in Adweek about Richard Sherman promoting Beats by Dre was a perfectly timed ad and explains why. It promoted who Richard Sherman is, who he isn’t, and the headphones that he and millions of others use. A game between two of the toughest teams, the two teams that most thought would be the final two in the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks was held on January 19th. That same day an ad for Beats was released and again aired the next morning on SportsCenter.

Sherman had drawn national attention for his post-game interview with Erin Andrews. He quickly became a highly talked about, controversial, player. He has had fines for trash talking on the field and after the game was played. The ironic thing about the interview and the issues people have with Sherman is one of the most intelligent and philanthropic young players in the NFL. He earned a 4.2 GPA in high school and a communication degree from Stanford University.

Although the interview was in the moment and seems to be genuinely how Sherman felt after the big play, he created a lot of hate and talk about himself. The main focus was on the interview and not on the big athletic play at the end, or how close the game was. Sherman was quoted saying, “If I’m going to get a reputation, I might as well own my reputation.” He is aware he is being talked about but is staying focused on the game and not letting the negative attention get to him.

The article discusses that the intensity of the commercial is not as strong as others in the past; however it is relevant to what Sherman has been dealing with throughout the season. The media is trying to pin him as a thug. This was all great publicity timing for Beats and Sherman teaming up since publicity is free and they were already using him in the commercial to promote the Beats.

This Sunday the Super Bowl will be played at 6:30 pm between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos; anticipation for the result and to see how the “greatest cornerback in the game” performs, both on and off the field.