Sports Marketing 2.0

Re-thinking sports marketing now that fans are in charge

Matt Forzley

DEEP Thoughts

This is a sample of the type of writing and thought you will find on at DEEP Thoughts, the DEEP Alliance Marketing Blog. We would love to hear from you with comments and feedback. Enjoy. http://www.deep-alliance.com/?page_id=13

The first half of February is not just a great time for sports fans; it really is “sports marketing season,” the time of year when marketers’ sports sponsorships and endorsements are their most visible. The “season,” of course, includes the Super Bowl, a week of NASCAR from Daytona, and the NBA All-Star Game. And, every four years, an Olympic Winter Games are thrown in

The “season,” of course, kicks off with the Super Bowl where advertising shares center stage with the actual sport like nowhere else. NASCAR then takes the spotlight with a flurry of activity leading to the Daytona 500. Generally falling on the same day as the Daytona 500, as it did this year, is the NBA All-Star Game, a star-studded affair befitting the sport that is largely defined by its individual stars.

So, what has this “sports marketing season” told us so far?

- The power of the NFL is not waning. With this year’s Super Bowl finally eclipsing the largest-audience mark held for years by the final episode of M.A.S.H. and generally positive TV trends across the board, it’s clear the league is still far ahead as America’s top sport. Only prolonged labor strife will endanger that, so here’s hoping the owners and players figure out a way to avoid a shut down.

- NASCAR got a huge boost of enthusiasm with Danica Patrick joining NASCAR ranks with a limited Nationwide Series schedule. Never has there been such excitement in the Nationwide Series. Her debut at Daytona seemed to capture more buzz than the 500 itself. She’s racing with GoDaddy on her car and uniform, the same sponsorship package that Mark Martin displays in the Sprint Cup Series. I’m begging that the two do not appear together in a GoDaddy ad, but I’m not hopeful. Way too many things can go wrong.

- NASCAR has done a lot of things right in the off season, particularly related to letting the drivers drive. Unfortunately, the only thing people want to talk about is a pothole delaying the most important race of the season for two hours. TV ratings were off again for the 500 but the Olympics (and a particularly awesome cross country ski race) being up against it was a major contributing factor. Still possible NASCAR has an up year.

- The death of a Georgian luger notwithstanding, the Olympics in Vancouver got off to a nice start with an artistic Opening Ceremony marred only by a cauldron malfunction. Ratings appear to be up and there are still a lot of story lines to develop. There is always a lot of overblown hype about who will emerge as the big endorsement winner. The reality is that only a few will make an impact. Already a fairly major star, I’m predicting Shaun White to be the one athlete with marketability beyond the very near term.

- How fitting for the NBA All-Star Game to be played in Dallas with the two biggest celebrity sports owners – Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks – behind the spectacle. The NBA indeed has marketable stars in Kobe Bryant (who didn’t play due to injury), LeBron James and game MVP Dwyane Wade. But, DeepThoughts continues to be impressed with the marketability of TNT studio analyst Charles Barkley. Sure, his Taco Bell ad is silly, but I’ve heard that item is selling tremendously.

So, what has Sports Marketing Season 2010 shown you?

Tags: all, bowl, marketing, nascar, sports, star, super

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