"Empty seats, lack of buzz fill Sochi Olympics"

From The Kansas City Star

Analysis by Nick Kusko in KIN 501

The article from the Kansas City Star addressed the lack of attendance throughout the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The article explained that there has traditionally been an increase in the turnout of events as the Olympics go on, but at Sochi, this rise has not occurred. The issue was so concerning that it reached the highest levels of the International Olympic Committee. As an example, the men’s downhill, which was considered to be the main event of the Alpine ski schedule, failed to reach a capacity crowd.

Tickets to the various events were sold beforehand, but the turnout has not been there. The Sochi Olympic Committee has resorted to using volunteers to get people in the stands. The Russian crowds that have made it to the events have not been especially enthusiastic, and the competition environment has been somewhat dull.

The Sochi Olympic venues have been the most expensive to construct in history. Unfortunately, people around the world just do not seem as interested in these games despite it showcasing the best athletes of the world. A large reason for the negative buzz around Sochi are the security worries and poor living conditions for the athletes. There have been threats of terror that have intimidated people away from the games, even including some families of the competing athletes. Airfare and hotel costs have also been recorded as being unreasonably high.

There has recently been a surge of pictures to hit the web entitled “Sochi Fails,” which include a lack of privacy in bathrooms, dangerous living conditions, and an overwhelming presence of stray dogs. This type of publicity was not the attention the Olympic Committee was hoping to receive.

The Olympics will always be under scrutiny due to its spectacular nature. Any Olympic Committee will expect to deliver excellence, and Sochi has arguably failed in this aspect thus far. One thing is for sure, Sochi will not be hosting any Olympic events anytime in the near or distant future.

"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.

Job Opportunity: Marketing Assistant at Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU)

Founded in 1949, FISU stands for Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation).  FISU's main responsability is the supervision of both the Summer and Winter Universiades, as well as the World University Championships. The General Assembly representing its members (167 National University Sports Federations) is FISU's main governing body.

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"Ex-NBA team in North Korea"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Justin Syharath in SRM 334

Basketball is a sport that is growing more and more popular through countries all over the world. Throughout the years basketball has been used in a way for people to interact and come together to share common interests. In recent news, the media blew up when Dennis Rodman was sharing a common interest in basketball with his “friend for life” Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea. Early January of this year, Rodman brought a team consisting of former NBA players and street basketball players to play in an exhibition match against a North Korean team.

Rodman’s intentions for this exhibition match were to uplift his relationship with Kim as well as sharing cultural differences between the teams, but the media didn’t seem interested. The relationship between the U.S. and North Korea are not exactly on level terms due to the fact that they have threatened to use nuclear weapons if conflicts were to occur and they also have an American missionary by the name of Kenneth Bae that is being held captive for reasons that the U.S. does not know of. The media constantly attacked Rodman with questions concerning Kenneth Bae and how and why their country is ran the way it is but Rodman states that it’s “none of that is his concern.”

This article is relevant to this course because we learned that as viewers of the media, we want answers. This event that Rodman took part in was supposed to be about an exhibition basketball match that influences how sports can be a bridge between cultural differences and to maybe set foot in the direction of peace between the two nations. Instead, the media ignores the positive aspects of this event and talks up the broken relationship that the U.S. has with North Korea.

"Cubs introduce new mascot"

From ESPN.com

Video from Cubs.com

Analysis by Renee Layne in SRM 334

On January 14, 2014 the Chicago Cubs announced their first mascot as Clark the bear cub. Clark is named after the intersection of Clark Avenue where Wrigley Field is located. The Chicago Cubs took a survey that revealed fans’ desire for a more “family friendly” atmosphere. Clark the mascot will hopefully bring a family friendly feel as he is intended to hand out T-shirts and welcome guests into the stadium before each game. Clark will also be seen waving goodbye to fans after the games. Unfortunately for the Chicago Franchise their new mascot was met with wide spread disapproval from the public on social media sites such as twitter and facebook. The reason this story is pertinent to our Sports Media class is because of how the media has helped project Clark as a laughable disgrace. Several ESPN clips can be viewed comparing the previous unpaid mascot John Paul Weier to the new mascot. John Weier has been dressing up in a bear costume with a cooler collecting donations from fans. The Chicago cubs have asked Weier to stop numerous times and even offered him $15,000 if he would agree to stop the charades. Unfortunately Weier has refused all such offers.

The tirade of outraged Chicago fans continue with such quotes as , “No pants. Yep Clark is definitely a cub.” And “he looks sad.” Several Clark photos have been photo-shopped to expose a reproductive organ on the cub. Clark made his first public debut at a children’s hospital in the hopes of building a family friendly reputation in the eyes of the public. Although the Chicago Cubs try to assuage their fans the negative media attention surrounding Clark continues.

"Banking on Booze"

From Athletic Management

Review by Josh Hogan in SRM 435 (section 2)

Why is alcohol not sold at all college sporting events is a question that is asked by so many people and quite frankly myself as well. There is bias in my reasoning because I am a college student, but I do see a merit to this action being taken by a university. Recently the University of Toledo permitted alcohol to be sold at its football and basketball games to the public, not just luxury suites. They are doing this not only for money and sponsorship deals, but also to enhance what Mike O’Brien, athletic director, says is the “game day experience”. They have seen the merit like 22 other NCAA schools in selling alcohol. Of course the proper implications will be in use such as security, id verification, and same game day rules in general for public.

The tailgating experience is one that many people come to football games for, but sometimes abuse this. Fans know that alcohol can’t be purchased inside the stadium and may just try to abuse alcohol as much as possible before the game, then may not even go to event itself. Toledo has recognized this and many other schools are starting to see this too. You want to retain spectators at events not only for the teams support, but the longer they are at event, the higher the percentage they will spend money there. The sales of alcohol could really be a strong benefit to keep the fan at a game and for revenue of selling of alcohol. With big name sponsors coming in such as Budweiser, Coors, etc., I see the potential for bigger prizes for fans. Entertainment could increase, maybe post game shows, or fireworks can become a common theme. JMU I believe is a school that can and needs to move in this direction for the same exact reasons. With an expanding campus, high level of competition for the university, and yes the “party” tagged word for our school. I believe that JMU students wouldn’t abuse alcohol as much in tailgates because they know they can get a beer for the game. I hear it to many times from fellow students that they just want to just leave at halftime because they want to go party. It comes in unison for the home team to also be good so the fan can enjoy the game. I’m afraid that the JMU community is just afraid to take this step, but with the right message being sent to them, I believe they would shift their views.

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Review by Tucker Koch in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article we used for our presentation focused on the idea of the University of Toledo selling alcohol at their football and basketball games. This makes them the 23rd school across the country to do so and it has been a highly controversial decision in almost every case. Toledo will add extra security to games and looks to copy the success of other schools who have seen decreased arrests on game days since allowing the sale of alcohol. Communities tend to be hesitant but schools are extremely optimistic about the possible added revenue. In some cases, like West Virginia University, revenue from alcohol sales at games can exceed one million dollars.

This relates to our class because the whole idea of selling alcohol is in essence a sales promotion to get more people to come to games. Changing the culture of a football stadium is not easy to do at any level, but especially Division I college football. Other than free t-shirts, a good halftime show or a rival opponent, it is extremely difficult to entice fans to give up a Saturday to watch a struggling team. That’s why in the current state, it seems the emphasis to the students is put on the tailgate and not the game itself. The amount of students who tailgate but don’t go into the games at JMU seems to increase every year. In the case of JMU, selling alcohol at the games might entice more people to go to the game, stay past halftime and thus increase the game day experience and atmosphere. With an increased fan presence maybe the team will start playing better at home and then the program becomes one that students and athletes love being a part of.

"Florida Gulf Coast Still Benefitting from Sweet 16 Run"

From Athletic Business

Review by Shane Eachus in KIN 501

There are a number of sports marketing objectives that are a constant focus for collegiate athletics departments. The most prominent objective in major college athletics marketing often times is to grow the athletics brand and to increase notoriety for the university. The 2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament saw a #15 seed, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), advance to the sweet 16 round of the tournament for the first time in tournament history; FGCU became a social media marvel and a Cinderella story for the ages thanks to their rise from obscurity via high flying basketball and a social media explosion. Following an opening round upset of perennial power and #2 seed, Georgetown University, and in particular following a series of highlight reel dunks and alley oops, a twitter account posted a message stating that previously unknown Florida Gulf Coast University must be located in “Dunk City, Florida.” The nickname “Dunk City” quickly caught on and FGCU became characterized by both their style of play and their carefree fun loving attitude, both of which were pointed to in the newly acquired nickname and marketing campaign. Less than 5 hours after the Georgetown game had ended, a music video had been created that would soon go viral referring to FGCU’s basketball team, affectionately referring to the team as Dunk City. Following the game and the popularity explosion of the video, dunk city tee shirts were made, dunk city video packages were produced by CBS and ESPN was featuring the program on SportsCenter.

To date, FGCU athletics is still utilizing the “Dunk City” moniker. Every copy of the 2013-2014 season media guide possesses a QR code that can be scanned by iPhone and android devices, bringing about a mobile highlight tape consisting of every dunk from the previous year and a half of FGCU basketball. Fans at the institution, as well as in surrounding southwest Florida, have jumped on board with the FGCU, which opened only 17 years ago. A constant objective of sports marketing is to grow the fan base, or increase the number of individuals who recognize and identify with a particular team. Through a number of statistics, including a 415% rise in merchandise sales, and a 154% increase in season ticket sales, we can see that these types of behaviors have certainly grown at FGCU. The primary end result of the dunk city marketing campaign was described as “transformational” by FGCU athletics director Kevin Kavanagh; notoriety for the less than 20 year old university has truly spiked following the dunk city campaign during the 2013 NCAA tournament. One professor who was spending time over the 2013 summer in China reported being approached on the street as a response to his FGCU apparel with only the words “dunk city” being exclaimed at him; university officials even go as far as to praise the 2013 NCAA tournament success and exposure as being the primary reason for the schools admissions application hike (a 35% increase in applications for undergraduate enrollment from 2013-2014).

In the context of sports marketing the athletics department at Florida Gulf Coast University struck gold via another individual’s social media post; without the tweet referring to “Dunk City, Florida” the school’s successful marketing of the basketball program may have never taken off. However, the athletics department displayed a brilliant strategy of building off of a team’s success to produce a monumentally successful advertising campaign. Dunk city was clearly a monumentally successful sports marketing campaign in that it helped to increase the fan base and increase fan behavior/activity. More so, the dunk city marketing campaign extended beyond sports, the sports marketing campaign extended into the institutional realm helping to improve the national and international face of an entire fledgling university. Dunk City has become the brand of FGCU basketball, thanks to the University’s acceptance and promotion of the ad campaign. The catchy and proper fitting nickname helped bring about massive positive changes; in this instance, the relevance and popularity of the nickname or moniker simply made the ad campaign.

"Inside Under Armour's 'Game-Changing' Notre Dame Deal"

From Athletic Business

Review by Rosella Sheehan in KIN 501
In January 2014, Notre Dame Athletics and Under Armour signed a deal that would make Under Armour the official outfitter of all twenty-six varsity sports at Notre Dame, over the next ten years. The deal is reportedly between $90 and $100 million dollars and is unique because it offers Notre Dame the opportunity to take some of the money in Under Armour stock. This deal is the largest sponsorship agreement ever by a university and it has been predicted that as a result of this sponsorship agreement, the Under Armour brand will increase in popularity. The contract with Under Armour begins July 1st, once the contract with Adidas expires (Allen, 2014).

From a sports marketing standpoint, the deal between Under Armour and Notre Dame is a good opportunity for Under Armour to grow as a brand. By placing the Under Armour brand on the uniforms of a nationally recognized university, the budding sports clothing and equipment company will reach a level of popularity only recently seen by brands such as Nike and Adidas.

Notre Dame leaving Adidas and signing with Under Armour may be a sign that brands such as Adidas are no longer the brands that universities and teams want to be wearing. Teams are always looking for the best brand that will help them generate success on the field and with Under Armour continuing to produce new technology for their products; they seem to be a brand that will place a team one step ahead of their competition. Finally, when looking at marketing campaigns for Under Armour, their main focus is on the effect the products will have on an athlete’s performance, whereas Nike and Adidas seem to focus largely on the products themselves or which athletes are wearing their brand. This is important to note because Jack Swarbrick, the Notre Dame Athletic Director, hopes that his student-athletes will become “guinea pigs” for new technology being released by Under Armour. 

 This article is relevant to this course because it is a prime example that in the business of college and professional sports, many times there is no brand loyalty for a team or program. As seen when Notre Dame signed a deal with Under Armour after being with Adidas since 1997 (Allen, 2014). Money seems to always be one of the most important factors when teams are looking for potential sponsors. As sport and recreation professionals, when we are given the opportunity to look for and make a deal with a sponsor, it is important that the deal is best for an organization’s current needs and does not only focus on what has been done in the past. Also, when looking for a particular brand or sponsor to work with, it is important that both sides benefit from the deal.

"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.

"IMG's First Year with WVU Rights Exceeds Goals"

From Athletic Business

Review by Dustin Taylor in SRM 435 (section 1)

West Virginia University closed on a big marketing deal this past July. They put out a bid opportunity for marketing firms, and ended up closing a deal with IMG College on a 12 year $86.5 million agreement. This deal gave all of the universities’ athletic programs marketing right to IMG, and they paid WVU the money. West Virginia hopes for the deal are that exposure and sales for games will significantly increase due to the hard work of IMG. IMG has hopes that the money they make from marketing WVU’s athletics through 2025 will well cover the initial expense of $86.5 million that they paid for the rights.

IMG had some issues when first trying to close the deal with WVU for their marketing rights. The original agreement was worth $110 million, but some problems arose about who had rights to broadcast the games. Therefore, the ending deal ended up not getting done until late July. This posed a huge problem as it shortcut IMG’s marketing group time to work on their plans for the upcoming college football season. The group put together a hardworking team, and dove in head first regardless and ended up having some great results.

The IMG group decided to work with the long time voice of the Mountaineer’s radio broadcast, Tony Caridi, to keep him on the radio as part of their team. This was a huge step since he was so well known, and people liked him. The next gigantic step to improving, and bringing in money was the signing of sponsor UPS. IMG put together a few ads for the football team before the 2013 season to try to get some of the players, and mainly the school in general some major attention now that it has joined the BIG 12 conference. Even with the late start IMG was able to exceed their goals by 22-25% at the conclusion of the football season, also overcoming the team having a poor record. IMG has big plans in the future as they will continue to work, and having a full season to prepare should prove to be very beneficial. IMG also plans to utilize more web-based functions to enhance their marketing of WVU athletics in the coming years.

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Review by Zach Lantz in SRM 435 (section 1)

In 2013, International Management Group AKA “IMG” took over management rights of the University of West Virginia’s multimedia rights. IMG has agreed to pay West Virginia 86.5 million dollars over the next 12 years to manage these multimedia rights. In this article, “IMG’s First Year with WVU Rights Exceeds Goals,” it explains how well and why IMG has succeeded their first year of their contract, despite getting off to a late start. IMG had not started until July of 2013 and still by mid December they were projected to make 22-25% of what they had originally anticipated. After taking over, IMG extended the pre-game show from 1 hour to 3 and a-half hours and extended the post-game show from 30 minutes to 2 hours. IMG has made it known that one of their top priorities is to bring in national companies to sponsor the school. While they have already brought UPS aboard, they are in talks with other companies to sponsor WVU. This article does a great job explaining how IMG became a part of WVU, why they chose WVU and how IMG brought on the adversity of becoming the rights owner of WVU’s multimedia in July before the beginning of the football season.

Many universities today hurt for sponsors for their athletic programs. By choosing IMG, WVU has made a tremendous step in promoting their athletic program. WVU’s athletic director, Oliver Luck, explained that the university chose IMG because they needed a bigger multimedia and sponsorships after joining the Big 12. IMG represents more than 90 universities and also the NCAA. While paying WVU over 80 million to hold the rights to their multimedia, IMG’s contract calls for WVU to invest over 2 million dollars in improvements at sports facilities that can be used for marketing. This does not only help IMG market their school, it also helps bring better facilities to West Virginia University.

This article relates to SRM 435 in many different ways. One of the biggest ways it relates to SRM 435 is the marketing and the promotional tools West Virginia and IMG are using to market WVU. IMG will be marketing WVU by creating deals with national companies for sponsorships, they will be advertising through social media and they will also be creating a brand for the fans of West Virginia by creating an environment that keeps these fans coming back. By having taking over, IMG is using all of the tools that we learn during this course and more.

"Notre Dame Announces $400M Stadium Expansion"

From Athletic Business

Campus Crossroads Project - Official Trailer from VideoND on Vimeo.

Review by Nick Merullo in SRM 435 (section 1)

Recently, the University of Notre Dame has announced their intentions to renovate and expand the historic Notre Dame Stadium at a cost of 400 million dollars. With a plan that current University president Rev. John Jenkins has called, “the most ambitious building project in the 172-year history of Notre Dame,” the school will be adding three to four thousand seats of “premium” seating, as well as adding three buildings to the stadium which will be centered on academics.

The expansion will feature building on the east, west and south sides of the stadium. On the west side the University plans to build an nine story, interactive student center. The new student center will also be used for campus recreation. Because of this, the old recreation facility will be transformed to a practice facility focused solely on the school’s men and women’s basketball teams in a separate project. This will allow the current press box will be torn down and placed on the east side of the stadium where it will be given a more lucrative and modern look. The new east side building will also be nine stories high, and will become the new home to the University’s anthropology and psychology departments, as well as featuring a new digital media center. A final building will be added to the south side of the stadium which will be used for hospitality purposes.

Notre Dame has yet to identify where exactly the funding will come from and hopes to begin construction next year. Jenkins has also said that the project should take nearly three years to finish. To add some perspective as to just how large the expansion will be, the article stated that Baylor University’s entirely new football stadium will cost the school 250 million dollars.

Although the brand of Notre Dame Football has consistently sold itself over the years due to its historic prestige, the school’s Athletic Director Jack Swarbick is excited about the new project. "It's such a powerful symbol given what's going on in college athletics right now, that you can take the stadium and say we believe in the integration of athletics into academics, and here's the living proof of it.” The current Notre Dame Stadium had been used solely for football purposes. With the expansion, the University will be able to market the facility from a standpoint of not just football, but also student life and academics. In an age where so much of the game day experience is based on incentives other than just the game itself, this will make the new facility unique in creating value of the stadium for today’s generation.

At the same time, the project must also take into consideration the opinions of the many football purists within the Notre Dame fan base. Because of this, the decision to refrain from any building on the stadium’s north side is key. This will prevent any obstruction of the famed mural of “Touchdown Jesus” which has long been known as a symbol of the tradition of Fighting Irish football. Although no decision has been made as to whether the playing surface will transition from natural grass to synthetic field turf, the school does intend to avoid placing any commercial advertising on its new interactive video screen scoreboard. And by combining the wants and needs of both the football purists and today’s generation of sports fans, Notre Dame may have the pieces in place for a premiere football facility.

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Review by Luke Drayer in SRM 435 (section 1)

The University of Notre Dame’s 84 year-old stadium is getting a facelift; a $400 million dollar one. The plan to expand was released this past Wednesday by the University’s President, Rev. John Jenkins. According to Jenkins, this expansion is “the most ambitious building project in the 172-year history of Notre Dame.”

Adding between 3,000 to 4,000 premium seats plus three academic buildings on the east, west, and south wings, the stadium will now serve more than just student athletes and their fans. Two new nine story buildings will be attached to the east and west wings, the west side housing the new Student Center which includes a Rec Center and the east side becoming the new home of the anthropology and psychology departments as well as a digital media center. On the south side there will be a six-story hospitality area. "What's exciting about this project is it brings together athletics, faculty and academics, research and a student center, so it's an integrated model," Jenkins said. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick is another proponent for this change. “It's such a powerful symbol given what's going on in college athletics right now, that you can take the stadium and say we believe in the integration of athletics into academics, and here's the living proof of it," Swarbrick said.

The integration of athletics and academics that Notre Dame is doing is really first of its kind in major college athletic programs and universities. However, by marketing it as such, it is drawing a much broader and larger crowd. Now, not just athletes and the fans will be using the stadium and its surrounding facilities, but everyday students as well. Instead of dumping millions of dollars into a facility that is used “six Saturdays a year” as stated in our video, it is now appealing to a much larger body. The integration of athletics and academics in one massive facility creates value beyond just the game day experience; it also provides a higher sense of school pride and less segregation between regular student and student-athletes.

While much of the expansion is targeting towards the younger generation of students, athletes, and fans, the University still understands its roots. Many of the Notre Dame ‘Purists’ don’t want to see their Touchdown Jesus, a long time good luck symbol for the Fighting Irish, taken down or covered up by the expansion. To see that all parties are pleased, the school has decided not to build anything on the north end of the field. Another concern of the older generation is that of having too much commercial advertising on the new scoreboard, which the school has agreed not to have.

The idea of marketing this new stadium as a multi-purpose facility that integrates both athletics and academics is brilliant and one that I think will start a trend amongst other major universities across the country. While upgrading the facility, not only are they improving the image of the football program, but also that of the university and their value on both the academic and athletic side. The school is promoting themselves as one that is well rounded and doing so with its football program at the forefront; the epitome of sports marketing.

Summer Employment: Summit Bechtel Reserve’s Christen High Adventure Base (W.V.)

The Summit Bechtel Reserve’s Christen High Adventure Base is the newest outdoor adventure education facility, in the heart of West Virginia’s New River Gorge. The High Adventure Base is home to an impressive collection of program facilities including 7 challenge courses, 37 miles of downhill and cross country mountain bike trails, 12 canopy tours, 60,000 sq ft of rock climbing structures , to list a few. You can visit http://www.summithighadventure.org to explore The Summit and the programs offered.

They are currently accepting online applications for seasonal staff positions at http://www.summitblog.org/programs/employment/ and looking for men and women 18 years of age or older to help run the 2014 high adventure program.

They will be hiring staff, instructor/guide and manager positions for:
Climbing
Canopy Tours
Zip-lines
Challenge courses
Shooting sports
Kayaking
Mountain biking
BMX
Skateboarding
Camp commissioners
Registration
Logistics
Support staff

This is a great opportunity for students to utilize and refine the skills, education and training they have received thus far and gain further training and ‘in the field experience’ providing exciting adventure education programs. Keep in mind that applicants do not need to be members of the BSA to apply, but must be willing to become members if they are offered a position. 

Internship Opportunity: PGA Tour Summer Internship Program

The PGA TOUR National HQ is once again recruiting for the PGA Tour Summer Internship Program. By leveraging the assets of the PGA TOUR, they are able to offer students a variety of internship opportunities designed to provide optimal exposure and quality first-hand experience in the golf industry. The intern page can be found at http://www.pgatour.com/company/internships.html. The application deadline for yur students is February 28, 2014. 

The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour and is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Program Overview Over the course of our 10 week paid internship program, you will learn about the inner workings of the PGA TOUR and gain an understanding of our corporate functions. In addition to the active role you will have within your department, we will provide you with a classroom based curriculum that will provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth. You will have the opportunity to learn about our core business units first hand from several leaders within our organization as well as fine tune your resume and interview skills that will help you prepare for your future. And, of course, we will have a little bit of fun in the process including opportunities to participate in charity activities, networking events and golf outings!

All internship positions for our 2014 Summer Internship Program will be located at our Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

At the time of application, all candidates must meet the following criteria:
• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program
• Currently enrolled as a sophomore or higher
• Cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0
• Eligible to work in the United States

Key Dates: Application Deadline: February 28, 2014
Screening & Interviewing Process: March 1, 2014 - May 1, 2014
Internship Dates: June 2, 2014 - August 8, 2014

The PGA TOUR is an equal opportunity employer.

Internship Opportunity: Aloha Tournaments Summer Operational Position

Aloha Tournaments is looking for a Summer Intern to assist with our busiest season of the year! Our 2014 summer tournament season will consist of 17 different events across the country. In 2013, over 40,000 lacrosse players, between the ages of 7-18 competed in twenty one different events. Aloha Tournaments hosts some of the largest, most well run lacrosse and field hockey events in the nation. While the competition is always top notch, emphasis is placed on providing each player, along with their family and friends, a unique lacrosse experience. This is a great internship for a Sports Management/Administration, Business, or Events majors.

What you’ll do as our intern:
· The intern will be responsible for attending Aloha Tournaments events throughout the internship period; these events are held on weekends (May 17- July 27, 2014). At the events, the intern’s responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
- Assist with event from start to finish
- Loading and unloading truck
- Field set up, clean up and maintenance
- Managing staff
- Parking
- Trash

· The intern will also assist with daily activities in the Aloha Tournaments office and warehouse. These responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Event preparation
- Accept and unload deliveries
- Loading and preparing equipment and supplies for individual tournaments
- Inventory event supplies and equipment before and after events
- Maintain a clean and organized warehouse

What Aloha Tournaments is looking for in our intern:· Proficiency with Microsoft Office
· Excellent oral and communication skills
· Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment and work as part of a team
· Ability to problem solve and develop a solution
· Ability to lift 50+ lbs.

Additional Skills and Experience:· Must be currently enrolled in a full time degree program
· While knowledge of the game of lacrosse is not required, it is preferred.

Compensation:· Interns will be paid $2,500 over a three month period
· Housing will not be provided

Application Process:Please mail, email or fax a cover letter and resume to:
Aloha Tournaments- Internship
PO Box 485
Timonium, MD 21094
info@alohatournaments.com
Fax: 410-252-0225
Phone: 410-252-5642

Internship Opportunity: Fayetteville SwampDogs

2014 SEASON (Spring/Summer) INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

Collegiate Summer Baseball at  J.P. Riddle Stadium

Overview

The Fayetteville SwampDogs are seeking friendly, motivated team players for summer internships at “The Swamp”. Are you a people person? Do you have a passion for baseball? Are you a person of integrity with a good work ethic? Do you have a dream of working in sports? Then a summer internship with the Fayetteville SwampDogs may be for you!

As an intern with the SwampDogs you will receive a unique, well rounded experience to put yourself in a position to be successful in the sports industry. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity allows you to learn the operations side of summer collegiate baseball at it’s best for 28 regular season home games, plus exhibition games.

The Fayetteville SwampDogs are a member of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league featuring teams in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The SwampDogs play at J.P. Riddle Stadium, a Fayetteville landmark, with 28 regular season home games during the summer season.

Intern responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, assisting with grassroots marketing, group sales, promotional efforts, on-field activities and many more incredible facets of summer baseball. Intern positions are offered for the 2014 summer from mid-May through mid-August.

The SwampDogs are looking for current undergraduate and graduate students in sport management, or related fields, that are serious about a career in professional or amateur team sports. If you are a successful candidate, you will get the opportunity to gain practical experience in multiple areas of team operations, including sales, marketing, promotions, stadium operations, ticketing, merchandising, media and public relations and management. You will be working with general manager Jeremy Aagard and assistant general manager Phillip Sims. Aagard was an Assistant General Manager in the Northwoods League for two years, and is entering his eighth year with the Dogs. Under Aagard’s leadership, the Dogs have been honored with the CPL Organization of the Year award in 2007 & 2011. Sims enters his second full time season after spending three seasons as an intern with the Dogs. What does this mean to a potential intern? It means that SwampDogs’ management understands what skills and experience are needed to succeed in this business. You will be challenged with a variety of responsibilities designed not only to ensure the success of the SwampDogs in 2014, but also to impress hiring officials with teams, leagues and organizations, in the future. It also assures you, upon successful completion of your internship, experienced mentors who can assist you with the advancement of your career.

This will not be your typical internship. The SwampDogs organization is committed to making our interns an integral and equal part of our operation. Considering our small staff, you will be relied upon to provide insight and to make decisions regarding all aspects of the operation. Your opinion will be solicited and your ideas will be welcomed. You will oversee a special area of responsibility that will permit you some autonomy in its operation, with guidance and support from the general manager, and will assist in group-oriented projects with your fellow interns. As an intern with the SwampDogs, you will work hard for a significant amount of hours during the summer, for very little compensation. (If money and free time are high priorities for you, it would be advisable that you consider pursuing a different career path.) Due to the importance of your role to the team, you will be expected to commit full-time throughout the 2014 season. Realistically, this type of internship is not for everyone, only those select individuals who are committed to career success in sport marketing or related fields. Please note, however, that you will not be asked to do anything that is not similarly expected of all members of the management team.

During the time you are an intern with the Fayetteville SwampDogs, you will experience first-hand all aspects of the operation of a baseball team. The practices of our organization closely resemble those of all minor league teams, and, on a smaller scale, most major league and intercollegiate sports organizations. The skills you will acquire will be easily transferable to any sports field in which you desire to work. At the end of your experience, you may feel that you worked harder in those few months than at any other time in your life. However, you will be rewarded with significant practical experience, the positive sensation of a successfully completed season and new friendships among your fellow staff members, ballpark employees and fans that will stay with you and be very beneficial to your future success.

Job Duties

General Responsibilities

All Interns will assist in the following areas:
· Promotional Nights. You will assist with implementation of promotional events at selected home games.
· Game Operations. You will assist in set up and operation for J.P. Riddle Stadium for each game night.
· Community Marketing. You will assist in grassroots marketing of the Fayetteville SwampDogs throughout the community, including: delivering pocket schedules and ticket information to area businesses, assisting with displays and information distribution at area events, supporting speaking engagements, and even performing as the team’s mascots, Fun-Go and Cookie.
· Administration Assistance. Yes, you will have to answer the phones, make copies, stuff programs with inserts, send out mailers, etc. However, with a small front office, we all have to do it, too.
· Other Operations. We have a philosophy that no one, from the general manager down to the batboys, is ever allowed to say, “That’s not my job.” There will be a variety of projects and tasks that will surface and we will all have to pitch in and get them done. These may often be jobs that a college-educated person would not expect to perform on a daily basis, but are necessary to our operation.

Group Projects

Interns will work together on a number of projects in 2014, for example:
· Group Ticket Sales. The SwampDogs offer various group packages including discounted tickets, pregame picnics, birthday parties, field-of-dreams little league promotion, etc and you will assist with the operation of this program. This sales experience will provide you with an important advantage over other full-time job seekers in the future. We are not going to just turn you loose without guidance.

Areas of Responsibilities

The following are general outlines and interns are not limited to this, but will gain experience in these areas:

Operations

Interns will assist in many aspects of stadium operations during the 2014 season. Some duties include; assisting with set up and operation of food service and catering, scheduling and supervising stadium employees, assisting with many team issues (including host families, travel, field maintenance, uniforms, etc.), assisting with game operations (including set up for sponsor displays and playground).

This part of the internship is a great opportunity to get a real understanding of how a sports facility operates. While J.P. Riddle Stadium is a smaller venue than a major league, major collegiate, or even a motorsports facility, its operation is very similar to these venues.

Promotions/Marketing 

Interns will gain experience with in-game promotions and on-field entertainment while assisting in projects that enhance the marketing of the SwampDogs. Duties of the portion of the internship include supervising on-field contests and on-field entertainment, assisting with management of in-game atmosphere, including PA announcements, music, sound effects, etc., will also oversee player and mascot appearances, coordinate camps and similar projects and will take part in community relations projects.

Promotions, marketing and community relations are very important to sports organizations as a way to create a positive market image and create a more entertaining environment to attract fans. Because of that need, this enhances the experience for someone looking for a well-rounded experience in these areas.

Merchandising/Promotions 

Interns will take part in the SwampDogs’ merchandising operation at J.P. Riddle Stadium, including all mail, phone and Internet orders. This part of the internships will be responsible for inventory, staffing, and all sales of SwampDogs’ merchandise, including; caps, T-shirts, novelties, scorecards, etc. Through this section of the industry, interns will learn to discuss sales trends, inventory, promotional ideas and other aspects of merchandising. In the area of promotions, this position will oversee all sponsored promotional events, primarily any premium giveaways.

Other Information

Start Date: Early May. We can be flexible based on school schedules, but interns should be available as soon as possible in May.

End Date: August 20, 2014

How to Apply

If you are serious about a career in the sports industry and are willing to make the commitment it takes to be successful, then send a cover letter, resume and three references (with at least one professional reference) to:

Fayetteville SwampDogs Baseball
Attn: Jeremy Aagard, General Manager
2823 Legion Rd
Fayetteville, NC 28306
Email: jeremy@goswampdogs.com

"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.

"The Connected Fan"

From Adweek

Review by Ryan Dixon in SRM 435 (section 1)

“Competing with the couch”, as this article talks mostly about connecting with the fans through social media and ways to get fans attention while at the game there are still some people out there that would rather enjoy watching a game “on the couch.” Stadiums and ballparks are thinking of more creative ways to get the fans engaged not just into the game but into what’s going on around the game. Places like the seats, at the concession lines, or even on the big screen scoreboard. While some stadiums are more technologically advanced than others, they are still trying to rebuild and revamp to get the game day experience more live and exciting.

The way this article ties into this course is that without all the new technology that is being added to the stadiums people wont want to come and watch games in person anymore. They will rather sit at home and be able to get the same experience that they would at the games. That’s why companies are coming together and thinking of ways to get fans to come to the games. With adding new technology to stadiums fans will see that and know they are getting a better experience than they would on their couch. Without fans coming to view the games in person you wont have sales and marketing promotions for other companies and even for your stadium itself. Fans want that wired environment; have free WiFi so their videos or pictures upload quicker onto their social medias. During games you have trivia presented by a certain company that does promotions for the team. While a game is on time out you may have a chance to get and upgrade seat exchange by answering the trivia question right. Its things like this that make fan want to come to the games in person. I feel bad for someone who has never been to an actual stadium to watch a game in person. I know many people say they would rather watch games on a HD TV but I don’t know what is more HD than our own eyes and experiencing everything first hand.

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Review by Cody Fazenbaker in SRM 435 (section 1)

With the emergence of advanced technology, the viewing experience of sporting events is changing drastically. Ten years ago, the action of the game was what drove fans to come watch. Now, with the creation of smartphones and Wi-Fi, it is all about the fan experience. Fans are not as motivated to attend sporting events live as they were years ago because of the convenience of watching multiple games from several angles from the comfort of their own home. Sports organizations are “competing with the couch” and fighting to give fans an irreplaceable fan experience in order to keep fans coming back.

Studies have shown that more than half of sports fans would rather watch a game from their own home than attend the game live. The Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, is one example of a venue that is providing that at-home experience. The addition of Wi-Fi, 4G LTE coverage, and the ability to order food from your own seats are just some of the many amenities that give fans a high-tech experience. Because the value of being at the game does not mean as much as it did years ago, sports organizations and marketers must find ways to appeal to our digital generation. Dallas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, installed an HD center-hung scoreboard that measures 72 feet by 160 feet. The Miami Marlins encourage fans to tweet difference team references before and during the game in order to get their tweets up on the scoreboard. Kansas City’s MLS soccer team asks fans to participate in games on their smartphones with incentives being things such as seat upgrades. The ultimate goal of these organizations now is to have fans arrive to the game earlier, stay longer, and spend more. Knowing what your fans want is more important than ever.

This article is relevant to our marketing and advertising class because those two things are more important than ever in the sports business world. In order to keep fans coming back to attend games live rather than have them watch from home, sport marketers and advertisers must be more creative than ever. It is all about connecting with the fan and personalizing their experience.

"Are you more likely to buy athlete-endorsed food products?"

From Philly.com

Review by Nick Kusko in KIN 501

The article explored the significant influence celebrity athletes have on their audience, with a specific focus on the promotion of “junk food.” It was discussed that the most susceptible population were adolescents, which could be a contributing factor to childhood obesity and Type-II Diabetes. As a conclusion, it was noted that a shift should be made in having these same influential athletes promoting healthier and more nutritious options to today’s youth.

There were two main conclusions that resulted from the article. The first of which was that professional athletes would always have a strong influence over audiences. The majority of athletes are positive role models, and in return, followers (especially youth) will be drawn to products and services they represent. The article provided a historic example of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams promoting cigarettes in the 20th century (Dahlsgaard, 2013). Today’s athletes could obviously not promote tobacco products in today’s society, but it is a similar concept of making universally less desirable products seem acceptable or “cool.” Athletes have historically been spokesmen (or spokeswomen) for products, and this will most likely never change.

The second main conclusion, which was related to the first one, was that professional athletes’ have a “brainwashing” effect. They have the ability to make any object or food seem needed, because they endorse it in an advertisement. As the article suggested, would a child be tempted to eat an Oreo just because Peyton Manning tells them to? Unfortunately, the answer for most would be yes. As the article implied, this undeniable power should be harnessed and used to portray a positive message of healthier eating and exercise in attempt to combat childhood (and adulthood) obesity.

This article is relevant to the course as celebrity endorsements are a large component of sports marketing. These advertisements are heavily used in the media and strategically placed for specific audiences. The marketing industry would be a completely different world if professional athletes had no role in the promotion of the most popular brands, products and foods. Some would even suggest that such a concept is unfathomable in today’s multimedia domain.