Digitizing Sportswear

In this new age, digital marketing has become key for companies to stay afloat. Unfortunately, for many traditional companies, making the move to digital has been a slow crawl. One of the many markets that has seen digital marketing significantly impact sales is the sportswear market. Upon a review in 2012 by L2, a digital marketing company in NYC, with the assistance of the NYU Stern School of Business, the digital IQ rankings of 42 sportswear companies were released. 

According to D’Amico, “the report analyzed each company’s moves in mobile, social media, on their websites and within the digital marketing space (appearances in search rankings for example).” Six (6) companies were given the rank feeble, ten (10) were considered challenged, thirteen (13) were seen as average, eleven (11) were honored as gifted, while two (2) stood high above the rest as geniuses. Those two companies were Nike and Adidas. Let’s take a look at those companies to see what they have done to earn such high marks.

Super Bowl Spending

The Super Bowl is here again, which means its Money Time… ummm… errrr… Game Time! If the NFL were a pimp, the Super Bowl would be its prostitute, and its top one at that. The Super Bowl makes millions for the NFL and many of the losses from smaller turnouts through out the year, can be recouped in one game. But the Super Bowl is not only working for the NFL, it’s working for everybody. It is estimated that the Super Bowl is worth about 500 MILLION dollars to its host city. This is thanks to huge boost in tourism that the big game creates. This means business for hotels, food and beverage, tourism, casinos, souvenir shops, and anything else that town has to offer. It also boosts a cities earning potential for years to come because it creates hype around that city. Moreover, it’s not just the host city that sees an economic boom that day; bars, restaurants, casinos, grocery stores, liquor stores, cable providers, businesses all over the country see a boost in sales.

Making a Move

It is standard for athletes, once they reach a certain threshold, to look for products to endorse, but in this day and age it takes a little more to really reach super stardom. Athletes are realizing that they do not need to just represent a brand; they need to become a brand. So how is this done? Athletes are creating signature moves, phrases, anything to create brand association and get the people talking. Case and point, Tim Tebow. Tebow is not a starter. In fact, he rarely plays, but he has become a household name. People, who know nothing about football, know Tim Tebow. How did he receive such widespread popularity? He created a signature move, Tebowing. Whether deliberate or accidental, Tebow’s “the thinker” pose became a huge trend, which is still talked about and mimicked today.

The Perils of Procrastination and other stories

As seen from the last post, there are many liabilities to look for in the event planning/management industry. Upon review of some Entertainment Law Update podcasts, I was able to identify a few additional hidden liabilities that may not be as prevalent but are every bit as important.

In episode 35, Gordon Firemark, the host of the podcasts, and a guest discuss an issue brought to us by the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City. On April 30, 2012, several casino patrons were playing mini-baccarat when they, after a few hands, began to notice a pattern in the cards and upped their bets. The gamblers were racking up the chips but the casino let the game continue, assuming that there was a large cheating scam going on and that they could catch the person red-handed.

Fight For Your Right to Party!

Bowl season is about to begin and with it comes bowl parties. Whether throwing a small house party or planning an event on a larger scale, there are things to consider. While event planning may appear to be all fun and games to many people, professional event planners realize the dangers of the games. There are many potential liabilities to consider when planning an event. One possible liability was demonstrated by an Atlanta event planner last year. In December of 2010,  Terry Singleton received a letter from the Academy, but it wasn’t for her nomination. This letter was to inform her of her infringement of copyright. An event she had hosted around Oscar time utilized 7-foot gold statues, similar to those given out at the Academy Awards but not identical. She did not see a problem because the statue had no facial features and looked “more like a gold alien” but the Academy had a different idea and was looking to sue. Due to the Academy’s prestige and wealth, the planner decided to comply and came to an undisclosed settlement. While this may seem like a freak occurrence, incidents like this are an expensive liability that could easily be avoided. Be careful not to include any copyrighted material into decorations and if a client is dead set on having something copyrighted, tell the client he/she will have to pay to have the rights to use that copyrighted material. The client may change his/her mind.

Boys Among Men: How To Compete

When thinking about basketball there are certain teams that automatically come into mind. Besides the home team, one cannot help but to think about the Lakers, Heat, Bulls, Celtics and a few of the other large franchise teams. Unless a smaller team is a playoff contender, it is not usually getting much press. So how do these teams gain momentum and amp up their fan base? How when you are the Kings or Warriors, playing in the same state as the LA teams (Clippers and Lakers), do you compete?

Spotlight: SMA Conference

Last week, the annual conference for the Sports Marketing Association (SMA) was held here, in Orlando, FL, at the Wyndham Hotel. This year they teamed up with Teamwork Online to add a day for students to network with some of the many sports professionals present and each other. This past Saturday, October 27, 2012, I had the opportunity to attend this event. It began with introductions and then the professionals shared their stories. The people we heard from were Tom Veit, Alex Vergara, Bob Crowley, Ed Willett, Rick Burton, Jeff Angolini, Donna Rowe, Jeffrey Gray and Marcellus Cooper. Here are a few of their stories: