From iMediaEthics
Analysis by Luke Kaulius in SRM 334
Bode Miller, an Olympic alpine ski racer from the United States won his sixth Olympic metal this February at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Miller placed bronze in the Super-G downhill event. For Bode, these Olympic games were far different from any of the others that he competed in. This is because of the recent death of his younger brother Chelone “Chilly” Miller, who passed away in April of 2013 due to an apparent seizure. Chelone Miller was a professional snowboarder who had planned to compete in the 2014 Sochi Olympics alongside his older brother.
After placing bronze in the Super-G event, Bode Miller agreed to do an interview with NBC reporter, Christin Cooper. During the interview, Miller was asked multiple questions regarding the death of his brother, Chelone. These questions eventually brought Bode to tears and he was unable to complete the interview. This raised much controversy regarding the intention of the interview and the morality of NBC. Many media outlets such as The New York Times believed that this interview crossed a very fine line and was unethical. People around the world posted their negative thoughts regarding this interview on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook. However, Bode Miller believed that there was no one was to blame for the interview. He explained that it was a very emotional time for him and any reporter would have asked the same questions. Responding to the negative criticism, NBC came out with a statement justifying the interview and the intention behind it.
I believe that NBC and Christin Cooper did not do an adequate job preparing and conducting this interview. It was very obvious that they were trying to provoke Bode in an effort to get more media attention. NBC wanted to show the raw emotion of Bode Miller at a time like this, however they could have used better techniques. Rather than asking three out of the four questions in the interview about Bode’s brother, NBC should have eased into the topic and waited until the last question to bring up the death of his brother.
I believe that the perfect amount of emotion that would have been appropriate for NBC’s audience was after the first question regarding his brother. Once they asked two more questions about the Chelone Miller, it gave the audience the impression that they wanted Bode to break down and cry. Christin Cooper should have created a better atmosphere of trust by asking easier questions first and then finish with a question about the death of Bode’s brother. By doing this, Bode would become more comfortable answering the questions and not feel like he is being provoked the entire interview. I believe that if NBC and Christin Cooper had taken this approach, the interview would have portrayed the perfect amount of emotion and create a more content mood for their viewers.
This topic is very relevant to the course because it relates directly to the topic we discussed on interviewing. In class we discussed all components of an interview that occur prior to an interview and during an interview. These components are evident throughout the interview with Bode Miller, especially the method, audience, and agenda of the interview. After learning about how to develop interviewing skills, I am able to understand how the interview was conducted and where NBC might have gone wrong.
The areas that NBC struggled with this interview include the agenda of the interview and the particular way that Christin Cooper asked the questions. She did not create a good atmosphere of trust with Bode Miller because she jumped right into questions that were difficult to answer. NBC was not intentionally trying to provoke Bode Miller, but they did not do a sufficient job in creating a comfortable mood. After seeing this interview, I was able to examine a perfect example of a poorly constructed interview and understand why NBC and Christin Cooper received a great deal of negative scrutiny.
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.
From MLBSydney2014.com and International Business Times
Analysis by Stephen Dombrowski in SRM 435 (section 2)
Major League Baseball has done a great job reaching out to the global market, but this year their target is a new country: Australia. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. This year’s game will feature the globally prominent Los Angeles Dodgers and a young team that is on the rise, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sydney officials are turning the Sydney Cricket Grounds into a Major League field for March 22 and 23.
From a marketing standpoint of the MLB, this is pure genius. Baseball is on the rise in Australia. There are numerous Australians now in the game including the Rays’ Grant Balfour. After going to Japan for the last several years, they have finally picked a country where there is more potential for growth. The Australian Baseball League was started back up in 2010 and is overlooked by MLB officials. The league’s purpose is to bridge the gap between generations and create a buzz about baseball to the youth to inspire young Australians to play the game. This year was perfect using the 100 year anniversary to bring the game back and to advertise the century mark. However, there are some downfalls to having the game here. Most Australians are more interested in cricket than they are baseball. To some, this game is completely foreign to them and might now understand some of the rules. Lastly, the playing conditions and stadiums in Australia are not adequate to field a Major League ball game.
From the Australian’s standpoint, their advertising of the game in local papers has been fantastic. By having a Major League baseball game here in Australia it shows that the country is serious about getting competitive in baseball. It has been called Aussies Chasing the Dream. The way it is being promoted is to show it is similar to cricket but it being shorter and a lot more convenient to play or watch if you have other things going on in your life. The downfall again for the growth from the Australian standpoint is the lack of adequate and convenient stadiums to play the games at. It is hard to get fans excited about going to a game that does not give the fans a great experience. Cricket again is the challenge facing the growth. David Smith says, “There simply isn’t enough room in people’s minds and lives for new sports.” However, by having this game Down Under, Major League Baseball and Australia are working hard together to overcome these obstacles.
Every professional sports league is trying to branch out and gain global popularity. The NFL in London, the NBA going overseas and in China, the NHL’s large amount of foreign players, and now the MLB playing the first games of the season in other countries. This article is relevant to the course because of the constant change that is occurring throughout sports and how each league is constantly trying to gain a larger audience. It is important for any of us going into the marketing profession to know that there is more to just marketing to your local fans. There is a bigger picture and the world of baseball is becoming a smaller and smaller place.
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Analysis by Griffin Waugh in SRM 435 (section 2)
This year opening day will come with a small twist. Most people can't wait to take the train into the Bronx and smell the fresh cut grass on April 1 of every year; that may just be me. This year the Opening Series of the 2014 MLB season will take place in Sydney, Australia on the 22nd-23rd of March. The Opening Series will feature a National League West match-up between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The last time a MLB game was played here was an exhibition game in 1914 featuring the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. Major League Baseball signed a $13 million deal to have the first season opener in Australia. By doing so they are passing up more money and a larger baseball market in Japan, a location that has frequently been used for the Opening Series.
This is all a part of MLB's initiative to push for more local enthusiasm for baseball in Australia. Four years ago, Major League Baseball bought a 75 percent stake in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). With Australia hosting the Opening Series, this is the first step in the process of marketing and promoting baseball in Australia. Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig recently was quoted as saying "the globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part our long-term efforts to grow the sport." (The Australian) Just by looking at MLB.com and the amount of jobs it offers with the ABL, it becomes evident that they are pushing for baseball in Australia. This untapped market offers a lot to the MLB in return as they provide a new area to grow the sport of baseball. Unlike other baseball dominant areas like Asia and the Caribbean, they lack established baseball academies. The ABL also provides minor league baseball players a chance to continue their craft as the season occurs from November to January. Many minor league players will go overseas and continue to get better during the winter months by playing in the ABL. Over the years, over 30 Major League players have come from Australia; most famously, Grant Balfour, the new closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. Major League Baseball will look to explore this new territory and market baseball in Australia in order to develop new talent in the hopes of players from Australia coming to play baseball professionally in the MLB.
This growth in baseball in Australia will create globalization for the game. Providing the MLB with new talent, fans, jobs, and revenue. The MLB is already a trillion dollar industry that could now help benefit the economy and the sport of baseball in Australia as well. New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell believes that their marketing and promotional efforts will pay off as "it is estimated that the matches will deliver a direct visitor impact of more than $13 million for the local economy." (International Business Times) The games will also be broadcast live in the US on ESPN. This will serve as a national stage promotion of what Australia has to offer and should increase tourism. It also will put a major sport on display for locals, which should in turn increase local enthusiasm for the game of baseball. The main reason the MLB choose Australia to host the Opening Series was to reestablish the sport of baseball in Australia. They will try to gain new fans and talent after their efforts to resurrect the ABL in 2010 were successful. The impact from the Opening Series along with the revenue generated from ticket sales and TV revenues will help provide the league with new facilities and the chance for continued expansion.
This pertains to this course because it shows what the end result of marketing and promotional efforts can be. It also sheds light on how smaller leagues and corporations grow to establish themselves as entities. I believe thanks to Major League Baseball’s dedication to this effort that baseball in Australia can be sustainable. I would even go as far as saying that it could rival Triple-A baseball, and the Caribbean Series for number of fans and TV revenues.
