From Athletic Business
Review by Kara Beckley in SRM 334
Our current event discussion comes from an article titled, Making Headlines, from the September 2012 issue of Athletic Business. The article emphasizes the importance of helmet safety and the high occurrence of concussions. Concussions in high school sports have increased by 15% annually. Some professional organizations have implemented new regulations to help decrease injuries, such as Pop Warner football banning head to head hits, and the NCAA and National Federation of State High School Association requiring players to sit out the next play if they lose their helmet on the field during a game. The article also discusses advancements in technologies for helmets such as Force Cap Technology’s air-filled sack inside of a hockey helmet to exist as protectors during hits.
This article, written by Michael Popke, has a clear and decisive theme: to develop helmets for a safer athletic playing environment. It starts by reviewing the rules that have been put in place from the effect of concussion increases. Developing technologies assist the body of the article to flow with information that convinces the reader there are enough new precautions we can take to produce safer helmets. The conclusion is well written; focusing that the start of realizing there are flaws in helmets lies within an organization. Emphasis on the Youth Football Helmet Replacement Partnership’s pilot program wraps up the article in great detail to relay the message of safety concerns. Sports media and the article of helmet safety are relevant in a few ways. First, helmet safety and the rising concussion concern would not be spread if it weren’t for the media. They help to inform the public of the issues at hand. Second, if the media shows concern about the topic, it will seem important. Lastly, media can portray helmet safety in a way to persuade the need for future changes.
---
Review by Danny Barto in SRM 334
There is no question that one of the main concerns for NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, is the topic of helmet safety and concussions. The focus on helmet safety is not just at the professional level, but also at the youth, high school, collegiate, and semi-professional football leagues. Helmets play the most important role in the battle against concussions and their devastating effects on the brain. These effects can sometimes be immediate, such as short-term memory loss, or there can be long-term effects such as dementia. It’s not just football that parents and coaches are concerned about. Athletes that play soccer, lacrosse, or hockey are all just as vulnerable during play than any other sport involving contact. The topic of concussion safety is a very serious subject with the NFL, the media, as well as parents and the youth.
Many parents and players believe that if you are wearing a helmet you are automatically safe from head injury. These views are far from the truth according to Inez Tenebaum, chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Tenebaum stated that, “it is vital that parents, coaches, and players understand that there is no such thing as a concussion-proof helmet.” He goes on to say that the best answer is, “safer and smarter play.” This explains the rule changes that have been implemented at almost all levels of football. These changes that have occurred have prohibited headfirst tackles and result in stiffer penalties for violent hits in hockey and football. There have been many innovations in helmet manufacturing and design since the focus shifted to concussion prevention. The article explains that old helmets are designed to prevent structural injuries such as a broken nose or jaw, but a concussion is a functional injury that affects memory and motor skills while leaving the player disoriented after the impact.
The media has played a big role in informing parents, coaches, and athletes about the dangers of certain sports and how to play these sports safely so that concussions can be minimized. ESPN has done multiple documentaries on the health effects that a concussion has on the player immediately as well as the long-term effects. It seems that many stories in the news concerning sports is about player safety and how to prevent serious head injuries. The media along with the major sports leagues like the NFL and NHL have the biggest impact on how safe the game is played.
This article was extremely informative how concussions are being prevented by the use of new technologies and safer play. The sports media has done a great job lately at getting the word out about helmet safety and new rules and regulations being implemented in all types of sports leagues. Companies are developing new technologies that will make the game safer for our kids to play in the future, but like Inez Tenebaum stated in the article, “the best answer is safer and smarter play.”
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
"Will a Ring Finally Turn LeBron Into Michael Jordan of Marketing?"
From Advertising Age
Review by Mandy Adkins in KIN 501
In the article “Will a Ring Finally Turn LeBron Into Michael Jordan of Marketing?” by Rich Thomaselli (2012), the author explains how LeBron James winning his first NBA title has earned him great exposure in the marketing world.
After LeBron lead the Miami Heat to a 15 point win over Oklahoma City Nike quickly put out a sixty second commercial showing a jeweler creating a championship ring for LeBron. The previous two years have been tough for Lebron due to his decision to leave Cleveland as a free agent to join Miami, as well as his poor performance in the 2011 finals. The decision to leave Cleveland paired with the unimpressive first year with Miami resulted in a low number of endorsements for the celebrity player who people believed would become the next Michael Jordan (on the court and in terms of excessive endorsement deals).
Fortunately for LeBron this year was a successful one. He was named Most Valuable Player and is now viewed as a winner, which is a desirable trait for any company looking for someone to endorse their product. This past year LeBron was making $30 million in endorsement deals. His major endorsements included McDonalds, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Sheets Energy strips. However, he only appeared in ads during the NBA finals for State Farm and Nike. At the time the article was written, the belief was that other marketing partners of LeBron’s were holding off and putting more effort into marketing during the upcoming Olympics. Another belief was that marketing partners were hesitant to go all in during the finals due to the risk of LeBron losing a second consecutive NBA Championship.
Now that the final game has been won and LeBron is a ‘winner’, companies have a lot more opportunity for how they decide to brand LeBron. Sports marketing experts believe that LeBron could make an additional 30% to 40% on top of his current $30 million dollars in endorsements. LeBron also has great potential to gain increased exposure in the international market place. His Miami Heat jersey was the number three seller outside of the United States at the time the article was written.
All in all, LeBron’s NBA Championship win has cast him into the top levels of the marketing and endorsement world, creating an avenue for him to potentially become the Michael Jordan of marketing.
A critique of the article is that the author discusses LeBron becoming the next ‘Michael Jordan of marketing’ (even in going as far as making this the title), but does not discuss any details regarding Michael Jordan in the world of marketing. Clearly Michael Jordan is a very well known individual, but not everyone is knowledgeable on just how big Michael Jordan is in terms of NBA basketball and marketing products. The way the article is written assumes that everyone reading it knows what is meant by ‘LeBron becoming the next Michael Jordan’.
The concept of the sixty second commercial spot that was put out shortly after LeBron won the NBA final game was an excellent marketing move and increased the awareness of LeBron as finally a winner. I agree with the critics that this win has given him the potential to excel in terms of endorsements and product marketing.
Monday, October 22, 2012
"Sponsor-Supported Video Boards Make Impact at High School Level"
From Athletic Business
Review by Donna Jones in KIN 501
In today’s day in age you have to stay up-to- date with the times. Michael Popke’s article in the Athletic Business Journal, titled “Sponsor-Supported Video Boards Make Impact at High School Level focused on that up and coming phenomenon. The article focuses on the positive views of a few high school athletic directors regarding video boards. This concept of video boards on the high school is not new, however, this article looks at a few schools in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Minnesota who are paying for these video boards primarily with the help of outside funding such as private donations.
The world’s largest video board, in the Cowboys Stadium is 11,520 square feet per side. Within many professional and collegiate stadiums, many teams have large video boards to display instant replays, statistics, news, etc. Does this concept of a large video board need to trickle down to the high school level? Mike Gosz, one of the high school athletic directors in the article, believes that installing large video boards makes strong fiscal sense. For a prosperous business, $5,000 for five years may not seem too strenuous. After all, they are receiving exposure to a crowd that may be unfamiliar with their product and service. This exposure may lead to increased business for that company.
At Gosz’s high school in Wisconsin, they have a nine-by-fourteen- foot video board for their football stadium, as well as a six-by-eight-foot video board in the gymnasium. These video boards provide 10-15 seconds of advertising for their sponsors. The more money the sponsor pays, the more exposure they receive. A long term goal of Gosz’s is for the advertising dollars to eventually support part of the school district’s budget. For some of these athletic directors they were simply testing the waters, they never felt like a video board was something they needed to have. They have been fortunate to have supportive people behind them to make this happen.
Administrators in favor of these boards realize that the money could be going elsewhere, but businesses are less likely to sponsor the construction of other areas around a school like a bathroom. They want to support something where they will get a bang for their buck. The athletic directors that have already implemented these video boards mention they sought out businesses in which athletics already had relationships with. They guaranteed their sponsors an “enhanced image and increased foot traffic.”
These video boards come with a few stipulations. This process was not easy for Gosz, in his district they were prohibited by the school board to advertise on anything but posters and in programs. Since the change, advertisers must abide by the “educational-friendly” messages parameters set. The example used in the article, a sponsor named “Bub’s Bar and Girl” would be mentioned on the video board as “Bub’s Grill.” In another district, there are restrictions on signage unattached to buildings. For example, a sponsor would not be able to advertise any specials on the video board. To allow schools to go beyond the initial regulations, asking them to censor who their sponsors are is not too much to ask.
Besides highlighting the sponsors, the video boards will be used for the starting lineups, opening kickoff, and special segments like “fan of the game.” At one school they plan to incorporate live-action footage courtesy of student-operated cameras. This would be a great experience for their TV production class. They would also want to highlight nonathletic events and non-stadium events. They also plan to involve their graphics department students to help companies who may not have the advertising budget to create a digital ad. This interaction gives the involved students real-life experience with clients.
Gosz’s school district offered two-and three-year payment plans to their sponsors and they also have a low-interest loan through a bank to cover some of the upfront costs. Another high school in that district loaned money from the school district for the installation of the board as well as other stadium improvements. Gosz felt as if “this is something that will eventually become the norm.” Because the video boards will be used to advertise/ promote other home events it seems like a good idea to expose the large crowd to an event they may not have previously been aware of. Yes, these boards are costly but as long as the schools are getting their revenue from private donations and sponsors I do not see an issue. Involving others, such as a TV production class makes this to be a learning opportunity. The sponsors are getting exposure and supporting the athletics program which makes both sides happy. I am interested in seeing where things will go from here on the high school level.
Review by Donna Jones in KIN 501
In today’s day in age you have to stay up-to- date with the times. Michael Popke’s article in the Athletic Business Journal, titled “Sponsor-Supported Video Boards Make Impact at High School Level focused on that up and coming phenomenon. The article focuses on the positive views of a few high school athletic directors regarding video boards. This concept of video boards on the high school is not new, however, this article looks at a few schools in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Minnesota who are paying for these video boards primarily with the help of outside funding such as private donations.
The world’s largest video board, in the Cowboys Stadium is 11,520 square feet per side. Within many professional and collegiate stadiums, many teams have large video boards to display instant replays, statistics, news, etc. Does this concept of a large video board need to trickle down to the high school level? Mike Gosz, one of the high school athletic directors in the article, believes that installing large video boards makes strong fiscal sense. For a prosperous business, $5,000 for five years may not seem too strenuous. After all, they are receiving exposure to a crowd that may be unfamiliar with their product and service. This exposure may lead to increased business for that company.
At Gosz’s high school in Wisconsin, they have a nine-by-fourteen- foot video board for their football stadium, as well as a six-by-eight-foot video board in the gymnasium. These video boards provide 10-15 seconds of advertising for their sponsors. The more money the sponsor pays, the more exposure they receive. A long term goal of Gosz’s is for the advertising dollars to eventually support part of the school district’s budget. For some of these athletic directors they were simply testing the waters, they never felt like a video board was something they needed to have. They have been fortunate to have supportive people behind them to make this happen.
Administrators in favor of these boards realize that the money could be going elsewhere, but businesses are less likely to sponsor the construction of other areas around a school like a bathroom. They want to support something where they will get a bang for their buck. The athletic directors that have already implemented these video boards mention they sought out businesses in which athletics already had relationships with. They guaranteed their sponsors an “enhanced image and increased foot traffic.”
These video boards come with a few stipulations. This process was not easy for Gosz, in his district they were prohibited by the school board to advertise on anything but posters and in programs. Since the change, advertisers must abide by the “educational-friendly” messages parameters set. The example used in the article, a sponsor named “Bub’s Bar and Girl” would be mentioned on the video board as “Bub’s Grill.” In another district, there are restrictions on signage unattached to buildings. For example, a sponsor would not be able to advertise any specials on the video board. To allow schools to go beyond the initial regulations, asking them to censor who their sponsors are is not too much to ask.
Besides highlighting the sponsors, the video boards will be used for the starting lineups, opening kickoff, and special segments like “fan of the game.” At one school they plan to incorporate live-action footage courtesy of student-operated cameras. This would be a great experience for their TV production class. They would also want to highlight nonathletic events and non-stadium events. They also plan to involve their graphics department students to help companies who may not have the advertising budget to create a digital ad. This interaction gives the involved students real-life experience with clients.
Gosz’s school district offered two-and three-year payment plans to their sponsors and they also have a low-interest loan through a bank to cover some of the upfront costs. Another high school in that district loaned money from the school district for the installation of the board as well as other stadium improvements. Gosz felt as if “this is something that will eventually become the norm.” Because the video boards will be used to advertise/ promote other home events it seems like a good idea to expose the large crowd to an event they may not have previously been aware of. Yes, these boards are costly but as long as the schools are getting their revenue from private donations and sponsors I do not see an issue. Involving others, such as a TV production class makes this to be a learning opportunity. The sponsors are getting exposure and supporting the athletics program which makes both sides happy. I am interested in seeing where things will go from here on the high school level.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)