NCAA DOES THE RIGHT THING
April 25th, 2010
They didn’t slay the Golden Goose after all. Several weeks ago, on this page, (Devaluing a Golden Goose: Why Expansion Will Hurt the NCAA Tournament) we wrote decrying the NCAA for what appeared to be a massive expansion of the NCAA basketball championship, one of the nation’s true sports treasures. Our problem with what was being considered wasn’t just that the tournament wanted to add teams, but with the approach to how the tournament would be structured (in essence turning the opening Thursday and Friday into a giant play-in festival). Read the rest of this entry »
Hockey in US: A Perfect Storm of Good News
April 19th, 2010
I got an email from an old college friend this morning asking if I’d jumped on the Chicago Blackhawks bandwagon and purchased a sweet retro “sweater.” The Blackhawks enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference and currently are tied 1-1 in their opening round series against the Nashville Predators. But, back to my friend’s questions. The answer to the first question is, yes, I’ve jumped on board to the point that I don’t plan on missing any of the playoff action. The answer to the second question is, not yet, but only because I’m too cheap.
Getting the email solidified in my mind that something needed to be written about hockey, which seems to be experiencing if not a perfect storm of positive news, then at the very least a very strong weather pattern. Read the rest of this entry »
What a Pair: Couples the right match for ECCO
April 13th, 2010
As always, the Masters produced incredible drama, culminating in a third Green Jacket for Phil Mickelson. We love the event but have to admit, we’re happy it’s over. As much as the Tiger Woods saga keeps certain things that DEEP is involved with in the public arena, we’re simply sick of it and need a break. Time to focus on baseball perhaps. Cubs open at home this week and hope always springs eternal at this time of year, right?
There is one final business/marketing story we wanted to touch on though before closing the book on the emotional roller coaster that was the 2010 Masters. Tiger’s sunglasses? Phil’s all-black look? Anthony Kim’s WWE-inspired belt buckle? Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, the two prominent Englishmen, looking like golf’s version of NASCAR drivers with logos plastered here and there? No, to all of the above. (By the way, it seems to us that the Masters has become to golf attire what the Oscars are to formal wear. Further evidence of the diva-ification of athletes?) Read the rest of this entry »
FOCUS ON FOUNDATION: A logical endorsement approach for Tiger
April 7th, 2010
I didn’t really want to write anything specific about the whole Tiger Woods saga. There was enough so-called reporting and piles of PR punditry circulating in the media that I didn’t feel a need to add to the noise. Moreover, at DeepThoughts we like remain somewhat in our lane on the views we offer. Believe it or not, we recognize that having a blog does not mean we are expert commentators on any and all subjects. I know, I know, hard to believe, isn’t it?
But on the eve of the Masters – a favorite event of ours – we thought the time was right to throw in our two unsolicited cents regarding Tiger and endorsement deals. As we all know, Tiger was in a stratosphere all his own when it came to endorsements, estimated to be near $100 million in annual value. One of the things that people seemed to be bothered by is that Tiger presented himself as a model citizen and traded off that perception to land the generous corporate deals. Thus, when the façade was broken, people were even more angered due to what they perceived to be riches and fame heaped onto a pillar of sand.
Devaluing a Golden Goose: Why Expansion Will Hurt the NCAA Tournament
April 2nd, 2010
It appears the NCAA will be expanding its men’s championship tournament to 96 teams in 2011. Nothing’s official yet, we hear, but all signs are pointing to expansion. Expansion, we believe, would be a mistake.
One of sport’s genuine treasures, the NCAA Tournament takes us on a splendid three-week journey every year, capturing our attention regardless of our school affiliation or status as a sports fan. Like the Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament is welcoming to all-comers, from “avids” to those that don’t know what channel their cable company has assigned ESPN (oh, the horror).
The Good, Bad & Hairy of Celebrity Apprentice
March 23rd, 2010
I took in Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday night. Outside of American Idol it’s one of the few reality shows I can handle watching regularly. On this episode the showcase marketer was Kodak. I will admit that the Apprentice franchise can be a solid product placement play, especially for a brand/sub-brand launches. And, Kodak’s stated goal was for the contestants to create a storefront to help relaunch the “Kodak Moments” campaign. Laudable.
Kodak has extended its relationship by giving a chance for fans to vote for the best “Kodak Moment” of each episode. Rod Blagojevich (the disgraced former Governor of our state, Illinois) being mistaken for Donny Osmond easily wins the distinction – dubious as it may be – in my view.
College Sports As A Marketing Vehicle: Is it Madness?
March 18th, 2010
March Madness is upon us. For the true sports fan, there is no better 2 ½ weeks than the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. I know we’re just coming off an exciting few weeks of winter Olympic excitement, but for the more traditional sports follower, this is as good as it gets. And, let’s face it; the Olympics aren’t conducive to office pools.
So, if the NCAA Tournament does such a great job of capturing our fancy every year, what does that say about the state of college athletics as a marketing property? Do college athletics deliver as a corporate marketing vehicle? As with most things in the world of sports sponsorship, the answer lies in understanding your objectives and recognizing how a property or properties can help you achieve them.
The NHL Brand and the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi
March 8th, 2010
It was hyped as the greatest hockey tournament to ever be played. Hyperbole aside, it seemed to live up to the billing. With rosters made up primarily of NHL players, 12 nations took part in the Vancouver competition and delivered a memorable few weeks of intensity on the ice. All is good in hockey land, right?
Well, not quite. No sooner had the “greatest hockey tournament ever” ended that the debate heated up about whether the NHL should break its season and send its players off to compete for Olympic Gold in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. NHL owners and GMs seem to be against it, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman seems non-committal, and everyone else – players included – seem to feel it’s a pretty good thing.
Lesson in Ambush Marketing: How Stephen Colbert Turned US Speed Skating Association Sponsorship into Olympic Gold
March 1st, 2010
The topic of ambush marketing is always front and center during an Olympic Games. Every two years the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) huff and puff a bit in an effort to frighten would-be “ambushers” from trying to create a link to the Games without having any type of official sponsorship status. Subway with its Michael Phelps ad and Verizon with its active support of US Speed Skating got the brunt of the recent criticism. AT&T is an official USOC sponsor while Verizon chose to back US Speed Skating.
But, did Verizon do anything wrong, or worse, illegal? Well, no, they didn’t, but the USOC and IOC need to show they are actively involved in protecting their sponsors even if they don’t have a real legal leg to stand on.
So, what does this have to do with Stephen Colbert? Colbert, or more accurately, the Colbert Nation, jumped in to help US Speed Skating out of a financial quandary, raising $300,000 through donations from “Nation” members, which Colbert induced. Colbert, of course, is the host of Comedy Central’s popular “The Colbert Report” and quite the impresario. Colbert parlayed that partnership into a platform to extend his persona well beyond his current audience, starting with a December 21, 2009 Sports Illustrated cover shot.