I won’t get too deep - there are too many issues to cover – but I think its important to point out a few prominent factors that may be at the forefront of your marketing minds.

MLB Network

For starters, I think its a BIG risk to put the entire tournament on the MLB Network, rather than have some games televised on ESPN. I think the tournament’s youth – its only in its third cycle – is a major factor here. Let the tournament gain some momentum. Let USA get a tournament win under their belt.  Heck, let the USA get to the finals! I feel as if the tournament needed something, anything, to get it the right amount of publicity before pushing it onto the MLB Network. I had the same concern with the Olympic basketball team and its final games not being televised on NBC…While thats a whole different storyin itself   (Click here if you want to read about it), I am still bogged down by the same concerns here. MLB made a decision for themselves, rather than the fans. That is, they made a deal with the MLB Network to push publicity towards the station itself, rather than putting  the game on a major network so everyone could watch. From what I’ve heard so far, not many people were able to see Wright’s grand slam, nor see the excitinng rally that led the USA team over Canada. Would this have been the case if the games were nationally publicized and put on the likes of ESPN or Fox?

Twitter

These days it’s pretty simple…want to market your team, event, or company? Make sure you hit the Twitter ground running. The WBC has done a pretty good job here. They’ve picked up quite a few followers over the last week, and as we speak, they are up to 88.9k. You can follow them @WBCBaseball. They’ve been pushing merchandise, updating scores, putting up celebrity pics… you know, the whole twitter nine. As far as I’m concerned, they have been on point; and if I can say I’ve gotten the majority of my WBC info from their twitter handle, then I think they’ve done a pretty good job.

Its not all about he USA

Lets not forget…things aren’t all about the USA! Over the last decade or two, we’ve seen a major  push from the majority of professional leagues trying to go global. Some say the NBA is ahead…by far. But I’m not so sure it is. Baseball is HUGE in places like Japan, Korea, and the Dominican. Over the past week, seats in Puerto Rico’s stadium were hard to come by, as the majority of the games were nearly sold out. Taiwan AND Amsterdam are building entirely new baseball stadiums, and sources are saying their construction is a direct result of the WBC’s success. Furthermore, according to Paul Archey, baseball’s senior VP for international marketing, the World Baseball Classic has generated more than $22 million for international federations. SO, while we here in the states may not think the Classic is a huge hit, it seems to be doing something right overseas.

Will all of this be enough? Well, it depends…especially on the success of the US (but that’s a whole different story for a whole nother time). There’s more to this than the majority of us think. I’ll see if I can have another segment about the WBCs success…Until then…(and I apologize to our international readers)….GO USA!

The post Marketing the World Baseball Classic appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

Five years ago, female viewers represented 45% of NFL fans, 42% of MLB fans, 41% of NHL fans, and 32% of NBA fans (Spanberg, 2007). While women are increasingly consuming men’s sports, the same is not true for women’s sports. Powell (2009) found that females made up only 40% of television audiences for WNBA games. With the current state of women’s professional sports, it is important for these leagues to capture the essence of female fans and reach this powerful market.

Women are an intriguing market due to their purchasing power, sustained loyalty, and interpersonal influence. Research has found that female sport consumers view sports as a social event, show more loyalty to a team as opposed to a sport, are more influenced by sport celebrity endorsers than men, and spread more positive word-of-mouth about sport brands than men. So the question for marketers of women’s sports and female athlete brands is how do we reach this influential market of sport consumers? How do we get the women sport consumers to be loyal fans of women’s sports?

Perhaps, one answer is to build relationships with the youth segment of this female market. Gardyn (2001) stated that young female sports fans are a “Super Bowl of an opportunity for marketers” (p.12). Wolburg and Pokrywczynski (2001) described the importance and influence of the youth market for their spending power, ability to be trendsetters, receptivity to new products, and perhaps most importantly, their potential to become lifelong consumers. An enhanced understanding of this market can help women’s sport organizations and marketers target this critical fan base. The goal is to create lifelong fans. This market represents the future of female sports as fans and eventually as the product.

Research proves the importance of captivating and retaining the female sports consumer. Sustainable league growth for women’s sports could be dependent on that particular fan base. My two cents for women’s sports, tap into that youth market and build your fan base one 10 year old female athlete at a time. Make your games appealing and engaging for that market. Excite them. Involve them. If they play it, make them consume it, and make them loyally consume it for a lifetime. My lobby to fellow female athletes and sport fans…let’s continue running the sport consumer world, but in women’s sports too!

The post Who Runs the (Sport Consumer) World…..GIRLS! appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

If you’re a Sport Management Academy regular, you may remember back in 2012 when we offered our sports apparel sponsorship power rankings, where we ranked the top 5 sports apparel companies based on their collection of athlete endorsements.  As expected, Nike held the top spot in our rankings, followed closely by Adidas.

This college bowl season, those two apparel companies have been in a heated battle for college football supremacy, culminating in tonight’s National Championship between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Adidas) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (Nike).  For the brands, a win guarantees increased exposure – including everything from post game celebrations, endless in-game highlights and of course, the feature photo on every sports page in the country.

Still, the image transfer that takes place between the winning team and its apparel brand is what each brand wants to accomplish most of all. Put simply, if Notre Dame proves superior to Alabama (a stretch, I know) – Adidas is perceived as superior to Nike.  Make sense?

Including tonight’s game, 14 of the 35 bowl games have pitted an Adidas sponsored school against a Nike school.  Thus far, Adidas holds a 7-6 edge over Nike, and has been propelled by dominating victories from Louisville (over Florida) and Texas A&M (over Oklahoma).  However while Nike trails Adidas in the head-to-head matchup between brands, its impossible to ignore the fact that Nike was represented by at least one team in 30 of the 35 bowl games, including 13 games in which  both teams donned Nike apparel.

So when it comes to exposure, Not even a perfect 14-0 record for Adidas could offset the fact that Nike was present during 85% of bowl season.

As for the brand supremecy, it seems to have all come down to tonight.  If the Fighting Irish can pull off the upset against ‘Bama, Adidas can make a strong argument for the title of Most Dominant College Football Brand.

The post Nike vs. Adidas – The BCS Brand National Championship appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

Baseball and softball have joined forces to fight for inclusion on the 2020 Olympic Games program. Both sports were omitted from the program following the 2008 Games in Beijing. What is the strategy for joining forces? The sports are normally gender exclusive and could fight individually for an Olympic bid. However, only one spot remains on the 2020 program and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is calling for gender equal sports. Therefore, the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF) decided to operate as a unified governing body, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), to petition the IOC…Who benefits more from this joint bid?…In regards to sport management literature, I have listed some implications (in 4G!) emanating from this new baseball-softball Olympic battery.

So, without further ado…the final 2 G’s

Generating Awareness

Awareness is the first step in Funk and James’s (2001) Psychological Continuum Model (PCM), which outlines sport consumers relationship with a sport, team, or athlete. Once a consumer becomes aware of a sport or athlete, they can move to eventual allegiance or attachment (to the sport, team, or athlete). The Olympics generate perhaps the greatest awareness for women’s sports. Levin (1992) referred to the Olympics as a “veritable bonanza of visibility” every 4 years (p.64). National bragging rights are on the line for consumers, regardless of the sport or gender. The awareness generated by the Olympics leads to media coverage, individual sponsorship and endorsement of athletes beyond Olympic competition.  Women’s sport success in the Olympics has fueled professional sport leagues development. The Olympics generate global awareness of the sport and provide opportunities beyond the field of play for athletes and fans.

Growth

The International Fastpitch Association (IFA) was created in 2008 to promote youth softball around the world. Little League Softball has over 360,000 participants worldwide. College softball in America provides local and international players a chance to further careers athletically and academically. Emerging professional leagues across the world are working towards providing softball players professional opportunities. Career opportunities, on and off the field, will grow with the growth of the sport. The Olympics provide the global stage to foster growth.

If softball earns a 2020 Olympic bid through the WBSC, continues to transcend global boundaries, promotes gender equality, and generates awareness from Olympic exposure, then it is hard to argue against sustained growth of the sport. The final decision for the 2020 Olympic program will be made in September 2013. The new power team (the WBSC) will slug it out with sport climbing, karate, roller sport, squash, wakeboard, and wushu. Implications far exceed the 2020 Games for the sport and athletes. What else may come from baseball and softball’s collective efforts? Time will tell.

The post Baseball, Softball and the 2020 Olympics….in 4G (Part 2) appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

Who benefits more from this joint bid? This “two-for-one” deal (to be presented on December 19^th to the IOC Programme Commission) has implications far exceeding the 2020 Olympics, particularly for softball.  Women’s sports, especially team sports, have continued to struggle in terms of equality, media exposure, professional league sustainability, and sponsorship dollars. As one of the largest female participant sports worldwide, softball may need the Olympic stage more than baseball to foster growth. In regards to sport management literature, I have listed some implications (in 4G!) emanating from this new baseball-softball Olympic battery.

Gender Equality

The IOC is calling for more gender equality in the Olympic sports program. Yes, it seems funny that a women’s sport is fighting to prove gender equality 40 years after Title IX. The twist here is baseball views their partnership with softball as vital for Olympic reinstatement, and vice versa. Could this be a benchmark movement in the overall fight for gender equality in sports? Connell (2005) stated, “Moving toward a gender‐equal society involves profound institutional change as well as change in everyday life and personal conduct. To move far in this direction requires widespread social support, including significant support from men and boys” (p.1801). I would consider the WBSC as significant support for change!

It seems one question for the IOC, is if softball is the gender equal to baseball? Little League  structures their World Series for baseball and softball similarly, as does softball’s Women’s College World Series and baseball’s College World Series. It seems to make sense for the two sports to fight together as gender equivalents at the Olympic level.

Globalization

Both baseball and softball are criticized by the IOC for their Americanization of the game and lack of global development. The Olympics are a global extravaganza watched by global audiences. While baseball has an established global prominence (Major League Baseball and the World Baseball Classic), softball relies on the Olympics for global exposure (media coverage, sponsorships, and player endorsements).

Though the Americans have dominated international play since the sport’s Olympic inception in 1996 (3 gold medals, 1 silver), the globalization of softball is evident. According to the ISF, 124 countries are currently members across five Olympic regions (Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania). Increasing numbers of American players and coaches have “migrated” overseas for professional opportunities (as do most female athletes). Japan offers arguably the best professional league in terms of sustainability, player salaries, and corporate sponsorships. Italy, Germany, Austria, and Australia are among the many countries offering professional softball leagues. Numerous researchers and scholars have studied labor migration in sport globalization.  This migration of players can strengthen national teams through heightened competition in non-Olympic years.

Now, I know there are 2 more G’s to go-we’ll touch on those in part 2- but for now, this is some great food for thought. Soon, the IOC will be making a monumental decision that is slated to change the future of Softball forever.

The post Baseball, Softball and the 2020 Olympics….in 4G (Part 1) appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

The thing is – you’re not supposed to know about it! In fact, this news is pretty rare. Heck, even MLS Spokesman Dan Courtemanche stated that discussions “remain private”. The only outlet I’ve seen break the news is Bloomberg…and hey, what do we have to lose if we post it here?  But that’s just the thing, we aren’t a news source, are we? We are in fact an academic sports outlet. SO instead of going over the deal’s details, I thought it would be better to tackle this from an academic sport marketing stand point. So, I’ll go ahead and put my professor shoes on.

Whenever I think of a new team, there are several things that come to mind – target markets, market segmentation, and a city’s past history with sports (particularly, the sport that will be entering the mix). Lets dive in, shall we?

The ‘target market’ is a common term used amongst sport managers and marketers. But how much does the every day non-sports manager know of target markets? Well, just in case you are dying for a lesson, I’ll go ahead and ease your worries and let you in on some wisdom . A target market is a specific group of individuals who are sought out by a business because they carry certain characteristics that are in congruence with what the business is trying to accomplish. As a marketer, your goal would be to find the best group of individuals who would most likely consume your product based on their demographics, psychographics, or geographic location. How bout an example? Say if I had an idea to open up an Italian Pizza shop…do you think my restaurant would be more successful in the cornfields of Nebraska, or in the heart of Long Island, NY? I’m gonna go ahead and say the latter (don’t worry..I’m from long Island). We choose Long Island because we have a target market in mind – individuals who are likely to consume Pizza quite often. Long Island has a demographic make up of Italians and are geared towards loving them some Pizza (then again, who isn’t?…..says the Long Islander). Here, we specifically targeted a market (hence, the term) that will likely consume our product.

Market Segmentation is a different story. Often confused with target marketing, market segments are formed based upon various consumer wants and needs. That is, consumer satisfaction drives the segmentation of a market. A large group (a market) is broken down into specific clusters (segments) based on the market’s needs and the consumer’s needs. Once marketers realize how satisfied consumers are with a particular aspect of a product, or once marketers realize that a specific part of a group is satisfied by a particular product, they will cater products towards these likings. I can hear the crowds now…give us more teaching! Don’t worry, its coming, via another example (curtousey of Mullin, Hardy, and Sutton)! In the early 1990s  two things were simultaneously happening. 1 – marketers of skiing products were looking for new ways in which they could market their products. 2 – In-line skating was becoming a huge hit. So, along the lines of the previously mentioned definition of market segmentation, two things happened. 1 – Skiing marketers realized that their consumers were satisfied (and/or dissatisfied) with certain aspects of skis and 2 – these marketers realized they could cater skiing to a new group of individuals who were already part of a larger group – in-line skaters. Thus the creation of “Sled Dogs!”  Remember these?

This was market segmentation at its best (at least in the 90s, it was!). Skiing marketers thought Sled Dogs would satisfy skiiers because they would no longer need skiing poles. But, in addition to this they sought out a certain group of individuals – in-line skaters – who had nothing else to do in the winter …heck you can’t skate in the streets if there’s snow on  the ground! These marketers took their product and segmented what consumers wanted, and they took a group of individuals (those who like action sports) and went after a specific cluster within that group (and that cluster was identified based on consumer wants and needs). That is market segmentation – breaking down a market into certain segments based on consumer needs.

Past History – This won’t be a lesson, as it’s pretty straightforward. How has the town done in the past with a.) sports in general and b.) the specific sport that is to be implemented.

So, lets use all of that lovely wisdom and apply it to the new MLS team in Queens. Are they going after a certain target market? Based on Demographics, Psychographics and location? Yes! Queens (location) has a big Hispanic population (demographics), who are apt to like soccer (psychographics). In fact, the Hispanic population is very big in Queens –  556,605 to be exact. Is it more complex than this? Yes! But, for the sake of this blog, we can say that this new MLS team is on the right track with their application of target marketing. Do we have any more evidence? Of course. According to Times Ledger, “Major League Soccer released a survey…showing that seven out of 10 Queens residents support building a new 25,000-capacity stadium in Queens.”

What about market segmentation? How are they segmenting the market? Well, this is up for interpretation. One could say that besides the NY Red Bulls, New York is a place that needs more soccer. Why not segment the New York market based on consumer needs…specifically segment the market based on where individuals have a liking towards soccer – Queens sounds about right.  And how about segmenting the market of Hispanic individuals who abide in Queens? I think the MLS has that in mind.

Past history? Queens has been successful with several sports – the Jets were successful in their days in Queens, The US Open does well, and the Mets… well they are EXTRAORDINARILY successful (hey…a Mets fan can dream, can’t he!?). Plus, not too long ago Citi Field hosted a soccer match between Equador and Chile. The results? A near sell out crowd (about 2,000 short), with the majority of fans (I’m told) being Hispanic.

So, if this deal gets inked, will it be a hit? Only time will tell….but in what we have just looked at, I don’t see how it wouldn’t be. A new team always generates buzz, and I don’t see how this would be any different. I’m looking forward to seeing this deal getting done, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

The post Will Queens, NY Play Home to a new MLS Team? appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

The only thing better than shred season is that window of preseason hype that exists just before its time to ride.  Ask any snowboarder, and they’ll describe to you in detail how psyched they get for the upcoming season after watching their favorite episode of the snowboard realms.  Snowboarders have their mind on the mountain long before the snow starts to fall, and for marketers in the snow sport industry, it is important to understand how to reach these consumers during this window of pre-season hype.

With The Nike Snowboarding Project, Nike Snowboarding is doing just that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcZunleln9U

To develop a marketing campaign aimed at building the hype, Nike is releasing three exclusive snowboarding videos on specific dates to coincide with the release of their cutting-edge Nike Zoom Ites Boot.  Over a two-month span, Nike will release the short films and additional bonus content exclusively on the Nike #GetLacedUp website. Here, visitors can get a detailed look at how the new Zoom Ites Boot is constructed.  Riders are encouraged to follow @nikesnowboarding on Twitter, where Nike will reward followers with a passcode to watch each video 3-5 days before its release.  In addition, riders can help fuel the hype by incorporating the #GetLacedUp hashtag to their posts on Twitter and Instagram.

To take the hype a step further, Nike plans to unveil the Zoom DK QS Double Tongue Boot (signature boot of rider Danny Kass) in a quickstrike release coming in early November.  For those of us that aren’t sneakerheads, “quickstrike” is a popular strategy with many limited edition Nike products, providing consumers very little notice of the release date (sometimes less than a week) and only selling to a select number of retailers.  The #DKQS is being pumped in the twittersphere so that Nike can take advantage of hungry consumers who are eagerly awaiting the release date. Designed and debuted alongside the boots is the stylish DK Van Patten Jacket, dialing up a combo that is sure to make any young shredder salivate.

So is it working?  If the conversations about #GetLacedUp on twitter are any indication, then YES.  No, we can’t look at twitter to determine if people are buying Nike boots. But, regardless of sales data, Nike has managed to frame much of the the hype and enthusiasm of the upcoming season around the Nike Snowboarding brand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp_LE0nUAuY

The post The Nike Snowboarding Project: #GetLacedUp appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

GoPro makes digital cameras, and prides itself in producing “arguably the most versatile cameras in the world.”  With over 3 million units sold in the last three years, the famous HD HERO® line of wearable and gear-mountable cameras and accessories have become the gold standard for capturing the first-person perspective of an active lifestyle. (Source:GoPro.com, Mobile&Apps.com)

With their latest project, GoPro has developed the Hero3 HD –  which by nearly every measure blows its predecessors out of the water.  It’s 30 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the Hero 2, making it less obtrusive and facilitating a wider range of mounting options.  Technologically, its image processor is twice as fast and shoots 4k video at 15 feet per second (which sounds pretty legit..whatever it means).

And while the evolution of smartphone technology has led to the demise of many camera companies (for example kodak), GoPro is utilizing smartphones to further enhance the capabilities of its already ground-breaking video technology.  With a mobile app available on Apple iOS and Android platforms, Hero3 HD users can now operate the camera from their smartphone, as well as preview and share content to the web.

If this seems like something you can’t live without, The Hero3 Black Edition is priced at $399.99 and became available for purchase on Wednesday.  Although if you don’t want to pony up the dough to buy one just yet, you can still enter the daily giveaway on the GoPro website.  They give away one of EVERYTHING THEY MAKE once a day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U

The post Sport Product of the Week: GoPro Hero3 HD appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

…golf clap for Red Bull…

Forget Superbowl ads.  Forget exclusive Olympic sponsorships.  Today, it’s all about branding space programs.  The bar has been set.

Red Bull has definitely broken new ground in the “cold fizzy beverage” sponsorship game with the development of Red Bull Stratos. However, this is nothing new to an energy drink brand that has always taken a revolutionary approach to branding and sponsorship.  Red Bull Stratos is just one example of the caffeinated inspiration that goes into Red Bull’s efforts to develop an identity.

For years, Red Bull has been well represented in Formula 1, MotoGP and the World Rally Championship, as well as blood-pumping Enduro races like the Morocco Rally and the Red Bull Sea To Sky.  But beyond its identity in well-known racing events around the world, Red Bull has broadened its reach by creating high-profile action sports events and, at times, even inventing new extreme sports in the process.

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has taken international competitive cliff diving events to exotic locations like Islet of Vila Franca do Campo.  Red Bull Storm Chase brings the world’s 10 best storm-surfers into a battle against the elements by holding its world championships in locations around the world notorious for extreme weather conditions.  It sounds crazy…it looks event crazier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW859Ch7D3g

Every other year Red Bull holds Red Bull X-Alps, which takes the world’s most extreme, versatile athletes on a 864km race through the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea with nothing but a pair of boots and a paraglider to their aid.  This is an event that truly redefines extreme sports.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD-UYu8cc-Y

Just a few weeks ago the Red Bull Art of Motion called the world’s 21 best parkour athletes to Santorini, Greece to participate in “the world’s first and ultimate parkour competition.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDlJ4uzih1c

On December 1st, Red Bull Crashed Ice begins its 12th year of Ice Cross Downhill World Championships.  After seeing some Crashed Ice highlight videos, there’s no doubt there were some highly caffeinated brains behind its development.  And if this sounds like something you’d like to try, Red Bull is currently drafting athletes for the upcoming season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnW44KqPI8c

Lastly, with shred season fast approaching, I had to mention Red Bull Supernatural, a competition in British Colombia, Canada aimed at finding the world’s best all-around snowboarder.  It’s perhaps no surprise that the inaugural Red Bull Supernatural in 2012 was won by Travis Rice, Red Bull team rider and the very man who inspired the Supernatural event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2pibq3uFqI

Since most of these events are niche sports, many would argue that Red Bull is limiting the scope of consumers it could potentially reach.  Also, considering the often life-threatening level of risk that many Red Bull sponsored activities involve (i.e. skydiving from space), it is fair to question Red Bull’s decision to align itself with such dangerous and potentially fatal activities.

Whether you are for or against how Red Bull positions its brand in action sports – and now science and technology – one must commend Red Bull on the creativity and innovation it has shown in building the brand’s identity.

The post Red Bull: Space Age Sponsorships appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.

It’s hard to believe the Fighting Irish haven’t won a national championship title since 1988. Still, when Fighting Irish fans see their team get off to a hot start, they start buying up all the goodies. Many have used the ‘are they really back?’ argument for both FSU and Notre Dame; yet, consumers don’t really seem to care. After four weeks of hard-fought football, Notre Dame and FSU are top 10 teams and both teams, because of their brands, are outselling the competition. According to my man Cole Harvey over at the Chopping Block,

FSU had the second highest increase in merchandise sales between the day before and the day after its win over Clemson. Between Sept. 22-24, the Seminoles saw a 127 percent increase in merchandise sales. Only Kansas State (210 percent) saw more.

These  stats represent a larger realization: that when big brands such as FSU, Alabama, etc. do well, the NCAA is likely to see an increase in business. Here’s a good example. In 2010 the Champs Sports Bowl featured a match up between NC State and West Virginia. In 2011, the same Bowl game featured Notre Dame vs. Florida State. The result: In 2011 Neilson Ratings went up an astounding 55%.

I don’t use FSU here because they are my team; rather I use them as an example because they serve as a representation to show the marketability to big named brands. While the Fighting Irish have a tough schedule ahead of them, the NCAA will surely be rooting for them, and other big named brands to succeed.

The post The NCAA needs Big Brands to do Well appeared first on The Academy of Sport Management.