Hot Stove, Heating Up

Hot Stove, Heating Up

Top MLB Free Agents

 As baseball season came to a close and the Giants celebrated in San Francisco, the focus has turned to the competitive offseason where some big names are on the table and ready to hear offers.  Turn that stove up to high heat, because the baseball offseason is officially underway.  Players hit the market bright and early on Sunday, Nov. 7th at 12:01 AM.  This year's crop is especially rich, as some of the best players in the game are up for grabs. 

Top 5 Free Agents in 2010

 1. Cliff Lee - P  Coming off another World Series appearance, Cliff Lee is the hottest pitcher on the market.  The Yankees have expressed serious interest in him moving forward, dropping out of other bidding wars to solely focus on the Lefty.  He's been a dominate pitcher over the past three seasons, and it's no surprise he's the top free agent this offseason.  

2. Carl Crawford - LF  The speed of Crawford makes him a dangerous asset for any team.  He lead the American League in stolen bases for the fourth season in a row in 2010.  Of course, he's strong at the place with solid numbers.  His age gives him the boost, sitting at 29, so he can expect a large, multiyear contract.

3. Adrian Beltre - 3B  He's considered one of the best on the hot corner, and topped that off with great offensive year with the Red Sox.  He carried the team when other big names couldn't hold up.  Reports are that he will test the market and deny his player option for 2011.  

 4. Jayson Werth - RF  A star on the rise, Werth has solidified his

 position as one of the best Right Fielders in the game.  Just three years ago, he never thought he would play again due to a broken wrist, but the Phillies offered him another shot and he worked his way up to a starter for the playoff  contenders.  A rare five-tool player is hard to find, but expect Werth to look for a long-term contract.  

 5. Victor Martinez - C  Martinez is seen as one of the few catchers that can deliver at the plate, driving in over 100 runs this year.  Although he is on the older side of baseball, but supposedly is willing to move to 1B if necessary.  A team may pick him up for the short term in order to protect the plate. 

Lots of factors play a role in the value of a player, both on and off the field. Effective branding throughout the season can help increase the value of a player's identity.  All in all, sports is a business and we look forward to seeing where these assets end up in 2011. 

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How To Be A Media Darling

How To Be A Media Darling

Athletes and celebrities that are comfortable dealing with media are often the ones that will be targeted by blue-chip companies for endorsement and marketing deals. It’s a simple equation; companies want someone that they know is able to represent their product well. Therefore it is in the best interest of athletes/other celebrities to develop great relationships with reporters and journalists so that they are presented in the best light possible. 

So how does one go about doing this? Of course it starts with getting the interview (something which a qualified publicist can help with if interview requests aren’t flowing in). Once an interview is secured, it’s up to the individual to make a good impression.

•  Remember the reporter or interviewer’s name and use it during the interview. Psychologists have shown that when you use someone’s name in conversation, their overall impression of you will be improved.

•  Human beings are drawn in by stories. Telling a story in your interview about a situation that occurred behind the scenes or in the locker room is one way to make your interview more interesting.

• As much as possible, interviewees should try to mimic normal conversation. It’s ok to ask the interviewer questions if that’s your personality.  Media darling Shaquille O’Neal is famous for doing this.

These are just a few ways that public figures can endear themselves to reporters and audiences reading/viewing their interviews.  It’s important to remember that how one individual conducts an interview may not be the magic formula for everyone. By practicing with a media coach, athletes and other celebrities can determine what works for them and start the process of becoming a media darling that companies would love to have as their spokesperson.

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Endorsement Marketing: What Works & Why?

Endorsement Marketing: What Works & Why?

It’s no secret that athletes have become the standard in the brand marketing game.  Almost every product has a celebrity face to it, especially when today’s world puts so much value in their support.  While using an athlete as the face of a brand does not seem difficult, determining how to market athletes is where a lot of a brands fall short.  When it comes to any kind of endorsements, there are three key theories that determine a campaign’s success.

1. Source Credibility

2. Source Attractiveness

3. Product Matchups

Each one of these components attempts to secure the target audience and bolster a company’s consumer recognition.  In terms of source credibility, it combines a sense of expertise with trust.  The athlete chosen to be the spokesperson requires some amount of sincerity and authority for the consumer to actually buy it – literally and figuratively.  Audiences are not as susceptible to insincerity as once believed. 

Attractiveness supports any credibility and can almost make up for a slight lacking in it.  This, of course, does not mean you forgo any credibility for the allure of a professional athlete – as you will see in the failing examples below.  Each of these theories works together to support the campaign, and require a delicate balance.  Attractiveness acts as the likability factor -- the familiarity -- that consumers look for to make a connection with the endorser.

Finally, and most importantly, the product needs to match with the established brand of the athlete.  A product should fit into the overall plan of the athlete’s marketing as an extension, not just a move for more money.  Consumer reactions are all based on a connection with their heroes, and anything that does not help to create that image will fall flat.

So what are some of the worst endorsements we’ve seen? Here are three examples of marketing gone wrong:

Michael Jordan’s Slam Bowling Ball – It’s hard to knock Michael Jordan in any category as he has created one of the most recognizable brands in sports, but this venture did not go over well.  His AMF basketball-styled bowling ball debuted in 1998.  While he teamed up with an official bowling company, the ball was grooved, like a basketball, and did not meet regulations.  Not only was it unusable, the market for the product was small.  His parlay into baseball didn’t meet expectations, so why would his bowling?

Kellogg’s Partnership with Michael Phelps – Kellogg is known as a family brand and choosing an Olympic athlete to grace the cover of your cereal box seems like a good choice – until the marijuana scandal accompanied by the previous DUI case in 2004. This proves it is important to take the products demographic into consideration – mothers and fathers buying for their children.   A “bad boy” image just won’t work.

Joe Montana’s Sketchers “Shape-ups” – This one just seems out of left field.  A former football great endorsing ugly toning sneakers just screams it was all about the contract, not the product.  Random placement will not automatically create credibility and a star endorser may not do anything for your product if not supported by the other components.


-Mia

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The Most Disliked Athlete in America?

The Most Disliked Athlete in America?

     Sports history is full of athletes that after having risen to the pinnacle of their careers saw it all fall apart by engaging in acts that were illegal or morally reprehensible. Not all of them make it back to the top (Mike Tyson, O.J.Simpson) but more often than not, the public is willing to accept their fallen heroes if their fall from grace and their comeback was handled with humility and genuineness. Lance Armstrong for example has managed to stay above the fray from ongoing doping allegations and investigations by remaining actively involved in his charity work. And though Armstrong has never been formally charged with steroid use, many other athletes have had their careers toppled by the mere hint of illegal or immoral acts. Which brings us to the case of Michael Vick.

     Michael Vick was the number one draft pick in the 2001 NFL draft, an athlete with undeniable talent who at the height of his career was the highest earning quarterback in the NFL, with a $130 million contract at the Atlanta Falcons. Then came 2007 and the events which derailed his promising career. Vick was charged with dog fighting charges and subsequently spent 18 months in prison. An athlete who once had endorsement deals from prominent companies such as AirTran, Nike, Hasbro, Kraft Foods, EA Sports and Powerade was seemingly overnight turned into the pariah of the marketing world. When the dust cleared, Vick had lost over $100 million in endorsement deals and salary.

      Fast forward to today, only one year since his release from federal prison and Michael Vick was just named as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, the only team which opted to give him a chance at redemption. While the opportunity to start for the Eagles only opened up following the injury of the original starter, Kevin Kolb, his injury has proven to be a blessing in disguise of sorts for Vick. It has mobilized hungry Eagles fans (who have been clamoring for a Superbowl appearance since 2005) to support the use of Vick in future games, an interesting turn of public opinion.

     So now that Vick’s on-the-field performance has football fans sitting up and taking notice, will he have an opportunity to once again regain the support of corporate sponsors? For every supporter who believes that Vick has paid for his actions, there are those detractors that will never be satisfied that he is on his way back to success. So what do the marketers have to say?

    Well thus far, marketers are staying far away from the quarterback. Nike recently publicly denied that it had entered into a contractual agreement with Vick, stating that it had only agreed to supply him with gear much as it does with many other athletes who are not official spokespeople for the brand. But as Vick continues to display humility and an understanding of his past mistakes it will be interesting to see just how many sponsors will be willing to go out on a limb for this undeniably electric talent.

According to recently released information on athlete Q scores, which is a metric that marketers use when considering how to align themselves with a personality, Michael Vick is the athlete most disliked by Americans. That is a tough label to have and whether or not Michael Vick can shed it will have as much to do with his on-the-field performance as his off-the-field work.

    I had the opportunity to hear Vick speak to a group of young, minority males at the Urban Youth Racing School’s What It Takes event in Philadelphia and call me naïve but I was impressed by his humility and the determination he displayed to turn his life and image around. It may take some time, but if Vick continues to be a force to be reckoned with on-the-field and can continue with community initiatives that humanize him and gain him fans off-the-field, the time will come when marketers will have to decide if they’re losing out by not being affiliated with him.


-Khaila

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Managing the LeBron brand

Managing the LeBron brand

In what may be seen by some folks in Cleveland as a further slap in the face to the city by LeBron James, the new Miami Heat star took out a full page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal today, thanking his fans and friends in Akron (read 'not Cleveland') The ad reads:



To My Family, Friends and Fans in Akron:

For all my life, I have lived in Akron — and for that, I am truly a lucky man. It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me. Akron is my home, and the central focus of my life. It’s where I started, and it’s where I will always come back to. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything I can for this city, which is so important to my family and me. Thank you for your love and support. You mean everything to me.

LeBron

In all fairness, LeBron is probably feeling a little miffed at Cleveland and in particular Dan Gilbert after that letter-heard-around-the-world, but was this ad the right road to take? When you have a brand like LeBron it is inevitable that you can enjoy a long career without some controversy to mar your legacy, Kobe Bryant, Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods can certainly attest. But it's what you do in the face of the controversy that determines how you are remembered. And this is a lesson that LeBron could stand to revisit. Whether or not this was a childish shun on his part or an innocent omission on the part of his team or the ad buyer, taking the high road should have been the preferred response in this situation. The fact that this letter was issued almost a full month after The Decision, also calls into question its true intent and his team's preparedness to deal with the the aftermath of what they should have known would be a controversial decision.


The lesson here for athletes and entertainers alike is to think long-term about how you want your brand to be remembered and to plan in advance for the aftermath of crises. Proactive vs. reactive should be the route athletes strive to take unless circumstances don't allow.


We'd love to hear your thoughts on whether your perception of LeBron has diminished since The Decision.


~Khaila

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