"Snowboarder Shaun White a marketing bonanza"

From the BostonHerald.com

Review by Adam Carranza in KIN 435 (section 1)

In the growing world of action sports, there seems to be only one superstar as their icon, Shaun White. He is the poster boy for not only snowboarding and skateboarding, but for the whole action sports industry. No doubt, his amazing success helps him accomplish this, being a two-time Olympic half pipe and 11-time Winter X games winner. But what also attracts him to so many marketers is his laid back style, easy-going fun personality and his humbleness for all of his success. He signed his first sponsorship deal at the age of seven and hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down since then. White is currently signed with big companies such as BFGoodwich, Burton, Hewlett-Packard, Oakley, Target, Ubisoft and a recent million dollar endorsement with Stride gum which includes his very own flavor. There wasn’t any worry when he couldn’t renew his sponsorship with Red Bull, because he’ll probably sign a deal three times as big with either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

The marketing implications he has are huge and it’s not just within the action sports world. He is considered one of the most polarizing male athlete figures across all professional sports. He has amazing power as a source with his continued victories on the slope and in the skate park, and also has great attractiveness to him with his long red hair look a.k.a The Flying Tomato. But it’s not just his hair that gets marketers salivating over the chance for him to be there sponsor, it’s his attitude toward his accolades and how he seems like a genuine real person accomplishing these great feats, not some stuck up superstar who couldn’t care less. He has the ability to reach so many different markets and is some one young people across the world recognize and are compelled toward whether they participate in these action sports or not.

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Review by Kelly Fraser in KIN 435 (section 1)

According to Boston Herald Sports, professional skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White is a quite marketable athlete. He’s won numerous X Games Gold Medals and has won a gold medal at the Olympics. Additionally, he continues to push the limits in his extreme sport and raises the bar during every competition he enters. What more can a company looking for a spokesperson or an endorser look? We can understand why White is a “marketing bonanza” by reading Brian Gomez’s article in The Colorado Gazette.

The article is a straightforward read detailing and explaining White’s current sponsorships and how he has continued to use his snowboard to promote himself and other companies at the same time. The article states that White “has 1.8 million fans on Facebook and 756,900 followers on Twitter, and almost any video of him on YouTube is an instant hit - a 2-minute clip of the private halfpipe that Red Bull built for him to use for Olympic training in Silverton has been viewed 3.1 million times”. Quiet frankly, I’m not sure why Shaun doesn’t have more than 5 million fans on Facebook. Seeing as though Facebook now has reached over 500 million fans and the fact that White has become an international extreme athlete sensation over the past five years would make one think that White might increase his followers and fans by now; but, he is only 25 years of age, so he still has many years ahead of him to increase his rock star level status in the U.S. and overseas.

Furthermore, the article correctly explains why Shaun White has become so marketable for top organizations. The author included many necessary facts about his accomplishments in sports and as a spokesman for many firms. It’s easy to understand why Shaun White could potentially be the as big in extreme sports as Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong were in their sports, respectively. He’s always natural in front of the camera, goes with the flow, and continues to be himself. Companies enjoy athletes that are easily marketable, outgoing, and approachable. “The Flying Tomato” has and will become an instant hit wherever you see him.

"Sports sponsors are having a ball"

From The National



Review by Ali Noel in KIN 435 (section 1)

The Volvo Ocean Race is a very well known, global yacht sailing event where some of the world’s top professional sailing teams compete in nearly a yearlong sailing marathon. The article “Sport Sponsors are Having a Ball” states that as of January 13th the Abu Dhabi leg of the Volvo Ocean Race was complete meaning the competitors continue to progress to the finish. Since the Volvo group is the main sponsor of this race the company expects to see immense increases in its projected sales in the near future. This company and many others including Prism and Standard Chartered that are involved in sponsorships all expect to see jumps in their forecasted revenues thanks to their branding to the public. For instance, the two-week period when the Volvo Ocean Race took place in Abu Dhabi brought in over 100,000 spectators. The Volvo Group designed a destination village as a marketing tool, which provided the company with a huge opportunity to get their name out to the public and all of the spectators that come out to view the race. Even having the Volvo name in the title of the race provides superior product placement and publicity. The marketing team at Volvo targets a specific demographic for this event. Their objective is to represent a fighting spirit and the goal to strive to be number one according to Anders Orsberg, the chief financial officer of the Volvo group. Because this tournament is an international event, the Volvo group is able to amplify its exposure in many countries around the world. The Volvo group is participating in numerous activations throughout the ocean race allowing people in this target market to touch and feel their current and upcoming products. The Volvo Ocean Race is a great example of how sponsorship and marketing can play a major role in impacting and persuading people to buy their high-quality products. In order to sell their products the Volvo group must engage with their target market to stimulate an interest and desire for people to buy their products. Through sponsoring this lengthy tournament, the Volvo group will be able to globally increase product awareness and therefore establish an emotional link for potential customers.

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Review by Wesley Goodman in KIN 435 (section 1)

According to the article “Sports sponsors having a ball," sports sponsorships are on track for a raise in spending this year. This in large part due to the number of prominent tournaments being help around the World, specifically in the United Arab Emirates.

The Volvo Ocean Race, a yacht race around the world, is a great example of this as The Volvo Group has spent more money than in recent years in order to market for such events. The Volvo Group always hopes to see a financial profit and this year they are expecting sales to increase thanks to their promoting for such events. Volvo has done a great job preparing for this event by advertising worldwide as well as building Destination Villages in passing cities, which are expecting to produce about 100,000 spectators. This easily expands The Volvo Group’s authority throughout their target market worldwide. 

The Volvo Group crafted their sponsored event around their values and morals as a company. A competitive attitude mixed with their organizations core values make up the Volvo Ocean Race’s principles and policies. This permits Volvo’s target market around the world to understand the Volvo Group’s morals and values and allows them to feel more involved with the company. 

Other companies are also spending more in sponsorship deals this year. Last year, Prism, a Middle Eastern sports marketing company, spent about $2 Billion last year and that number is expected to continue to grow as such opportunities as the Olympics in London come along this year. Even more companies such as Standard Chartered, a bank based in the United Kingdom, and Dubai Duty Free, an airport retailer, have been increasing it sponsorships over the past few years and that trend will continue this year. 

All in all sponsors are progressively spending more money to market themselves as revenue is due to increase this year.

"Selling Sponsorships"

From 2011 Fundraising and Promotions Guide

Review by Jessica Staten in KIN 435 (section 2)

The story is about the Corporate Sponsorship Program at Conway High School in South Carolina. This program has been used at Conway since the 1980s when Chuck Jordan, the Athletic Director and Head Football coach, first came to the school. The athletic program needs money so it uses its Booster Club and Letterman Association to attract local business and organization to become sponsors. Matt Varnadore, the Associate Athletic Director of Marketing at Conway, says that the program is all about the students. The Booster Club, made of about 30 volunteers, helps athletics also by fundraising throughout the year. The CHS Letterman Association is made of previous varsity athletes that want to help support the Athletic Program and for an annual fee can receive Letterman Lapel Pin and their name in the Football Program. Each year Conway High School has around 30 corporate sponsors each year. Corporate sponsors pay $500, while Non-corporate sponsors pay $1000. Some of the benefits from a sponsorship include signage on one of three scoreboards in football, baseball, or softball; a sponsor can also purchase an annual sponsorship which gives them the opportunity to advertise at numerous events, become a football game sponsor, and purchase membership into the Booster Club and Letterman’s Association. On special deal that Conway High offers is the Football Game Sponsorship Program. In this program, a business can pick a specific home game to sponsor and have the entire night focused on their business. They are given 12 general admissions tickets, use of the view box, four public address announcements, and can set up a booth to have giveaways, raffles, and other promotions. By using the Booster Club to solicit local business and organizations and networking through the CHS Letterman Association, Conway High School has successfully kept their athletics program running successfully. By giving the sponsor many benefits in their packages, they make the business or organization feel like they are the top priority. This strengthens their relationship with the school over time.