Today’s post is from our new contributor, Caleb Mezzy.

An interesting topic of conversation in the intersection of Sports and Social Media is always the question…Would you consider Sports ahead or behind in Social Media growth? After engaging in this debate, I often say the verdict is still out there. While Sports occasionally takes time to embrace a certain platform, it often comes out very innovative when action on that platform takes place.

The key in Social Media is not to be ahead or behind. The key in Social Media is mostly (not only) the below:

Social Media never sleeps. That’s how you know it’s a) a business b) here to stay and c) has value to you and your consumers.

— Caleb Mezzy (@Caleb_Mezzy) April 30, 2012

Yes, that’s me and that’s my opinion, but I firmly believe it. Let’s discuss this in conjunction with Sports. Social Media never sleeps and neither does the Business of Sports. Social Media is a business and clearly so is Sports. The sports industry is not going anywhere and we’ve finally recognized neither is Social Media. Now the final point is the pivotal one. Social Media in Sports has value to both you (the team) and the consumers.

A buddy of mine, Adam Sherk, did some excellent research on the growth of MLB Teams on Twitter and Facebook. If we take a look at these teams and look back at our own Twitter accounts, we will see not only a difference in results of followers, but also a difference in usage. Why? Is it because they are businesses? Is it because they have multiple people working on the account? With my three points above, we are all in the same field, but teams have the advantage as established brands.

Take a good look at Sherk’s study and ask yourself how you grew your own brand on Social Media. What helped? What didn’t help? It makes me wonder if teams could throw these “tools” in the arsenal.

The Celtics have done #CelticsChat which helps to broaden their outreach just like I do with #SMSportsChat every Thursday night at 9 PM ET (shameless plug).

I’ve often brought up teams utilizing their own players as brand extensions especially as more players are breaking news which is making it harder for beat reporters to do so. Using players as brand extensions can help broaden your reach as many fans might be a fan of a player, but not the team.

These are just two elements. In no way are these the only solutions out there, but they are presented for you to explore.

As we begin to see more shifts and adaptations to the world of Sports and Social Media, I leave you with another opportunity for leagues and teams to be innovators.

Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB Advanced Media, was quoted in “How Social TV is Changing Field for Sports” saying that, “both TV viewing and online viewing move together”. Tweeting prior to game time is no longer enough. There are fans in the arena who want to be engaged when they are present. There are fans at home, who want to be engaged and feel like they are there and/or missing out to the point that they NEED to be there. The business extends beyond the stadium audience.

This is exactly the opportunity Sports teams and leagues need to take advantage of to grow their Social Media Business because that is how you bring value to you (the team) and the consumers (the fans).

Caleb Mezzy is the Social Media Coordinator for JKCP.com and is also a Social Media Consultant, co-founder of #SMSportsChat and founder of TweetStarGame. He enjoys the development of the Sports and Social Media intersection.

The NBA has been heavily promoting the Twitter hashtag #NBAPlayoffs in all of their broadcasts and marketing materials this offseason. These efforts are highlighted by their Social Spotlight page over at NBA.com/social-spotlight, which is aggregating content together via this hashtag.

However, in doing my own searches for this hashtag via Hootsuite and Twitter.com, I saw the following Promoted Tweets:

Hootsuite:

Twitter.com:

So, if I understand how this works, both Edge Shave Gel and Degree Deodorant are taking advantage of the popularity of the #NBAPlayoffs hashtag to get exposure for their product via Promoted Tweets. This seems like quite the social guerrilla marketing tactic to me. I don’t think the NBA can officially “own” a hashtag, so the brands aren’t technically using any NBA assets, but they are still getting NBA-related exposure.

In the case of Degree, the official deodorant of the NBA is actually Right Guard, which makes this tactic even more interesting. Does the NBA have any leverage to try to prevent this, or do the brands now need to consider adding Promoted Tweets to prevent competition from swooping in and stealing exposure? Or on the other hand, am I reading too much into this? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Brandi Connolly, Director of Sports & Experiential at hawkeye. This article originally appeared on hawkeyeww.com.

Over the past 10 years or so, major U.S. sports leagues like the NFL have focused on activating and engaging their fans year-round, not just during the regular season. The NFL now promotes their Training Camp, Regular Season, Playoffs, Super Bowl, Free Agency and Draft as individual engagement points throughout the calendar year. Recently, I am starting to see a similar shift in the way the Endurance Industry markets their properties and events. Marathons, triathlons and other endurance races are typically viewed as one-day opportunities for brands to engage consumers; however creative events and brands are looking to generate greater leverage via sustainable, annual revenue streams.

Although an event like the Boston Marathon only takes place on the third Monday in April, most participants run year-round and many are striving to qualify for other top races like, Chicago or New York. Adidas has been a footwear and apparel supplier to the Boston Marathon for 23 years (the coveted Boston Marathon Jacket quickly comes to mind), but in recent years Adidas has been looking for ways to extend their reach beyond that one day in April. Not only do they want to increase their appeal to the qualified runners that compete across the country, but they also want to reach the aspirational audience. Aspirational runners may never qualify for Boston, but running is a huge component of their lifestyle and they will be consumers for life.

For next year’s Boston Marathon, Adidas launched their new “Boston365″ campaign. This campaign combines their Boston Marathon sponsorship, elite athlete relationships and retail partnerships into a new year-long training program. Boston365 was designed in partnership with Fleet Feet Sports to provide assessment, coaching and training to support participants hoping to qualify for future Boston Marathons.

Whereas the sponsor drove the new year-round platform in Boston, in New York the New York Road Runners (NYRR) club is pushing their partners to activate throughout the year. The NYRR wants to provide an elite experience for every participating athlete, not just on race-day but also in NYRR training runs that take place throughout the year. Ann Wells Crandall of the NYRR was recently quoted saying, “Running is an everyday thing, and so we’re trying to match that with our sponsors support.” This approach means that the NYRR needs sponsors who will not only participate in the ING New York City Marathon on November 5th, but also provide support and assistance for additional NYRR events throughout the year.

Overall, I see this trend as a “win-win-win” for the sponsor, the race and the athlete. This drive towards year-round training support and promotion will help build awareness of the many fantastic endurance events that are offered, while also providing sponsors a means to leverage their initial investment through more year-round activation. Smart sponsors who take advantage of this shift will be able to move their sponsorship far beyond race day to reach the broader endurance market.

Brandi Connolly has spent more than 10 years focusing on sports business. She has executed a Super Bowl (XLII), built new membership strategy for bowling’s National Governing Body (USBC), enhanced NASCAR and NFL fan experiences and made sure the world’s best runners are hydrated. Her philosophy is that sport is all about one-on-one consumer engagement. She tells her clients “if you can create a way for a consumer to experience your brand in an authentic way, then you will have a lifelong customer…and that’s what we do.” Click here to view our previous interview with Brandi on experiential marketing.

I have a small but very important post to share with you today.

The longer you work in the sports industry, with all the crazy hours and game nights that you work, and how connected your life becomes to the particular team, league or brand you work for, sometimes you can start to lose touch with the joy and excitement that sports can bring to your life. You need to take time and stay connected to that energy and passion. Most importantly, you need to have fun!

So your homework assignments for this year include:

• Go to a baseball game and sitting in the “cheap seats”
• Tailgate at a college or professional football game
• Watch an overtime game in the  Stanley Cup playoffs
• Go to the park with family or friends just to play catch
• Find a few hours on a Saturday morning for a round of golf
• Join a new fantasy baseball/football/basketball/hockey league
• Play in some pickup basketball games at your local courts
• Try to cross one event off your sports bucket list
• Above all…BE A FAN!

In case you haven’t checked out the Event Calendar, we have another regional sports networking event scheduled for this month!

The Business of Sports – Dallas Networking Event

• Wednesday, April 11 at Prime Bar (2520 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas)
• Open networking from 6:00 to 8:30PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!

Our goal is to create a regular series of sports business networking events in as many major markets as we can. These events provide opportunities for sports professionals on all levels to connect with other like-minded individuals and build up their professional network. Our feedback from these events continues to be tremendous, so we will keep seeking out new locations and new ways to help support this wonderful community. We hope to see as many of you as we can at one of these events very soon!

Special thanks to Jamie Acks, Tom Scovic, Brian Connolly and Brandi Connolly for all their help in organizing and promoting our Dallas events, and an extra thank you to SCA Promotions for providing the appetizers for this event!

Last week, I had the chance to attend the 2012 IMG World Congress of Sports, one of the top Sports Business Journal conferences of the year. I tried to take as many notes as I could from each panel, so here are some of the key questions and insights that were discussed.

Rapid-Fire Roundtable: Unscripted Opinions on the Headlines of the Day

• Team Ownership:  Fans care more about the owners ability to put a competitive team on the field, regardless of what the owner’s name is (re: Mets/Dodgers). However, some owners seem to lose their business instincts that led to their financial success when they start running a team. The owner needs to remember that they are the “steward of the brand” and focus on building a long-term relationship with fans while creating a value proposition that makes sense.
• Ticketing:  Things continue to evolve, with changes being driven by the secondary market. Teams know who they sell a ticket to, but still cannot identify who ends up using it. Being able to identify the actual end user will let teams deliver a better service experience, and this process will come from a transition to electronic ticketing. Additional, season ticket sales continued to be threatened by the price and availability of individual games through ticket resellers.
• Industry Threats:   A common thread through the entire event was the need to improve the in-venue experience in order to drive attendance. It’s not necessarily that the live experience has gotten worse, but the at-home experience has gotten so much better. This panel also had concerns about how college athletics operates. Is there enough benefit for the athletes when the schools are receiving all the revenue, especially with growing media deals, and how can “non-revenue” generating sports survive with so much focus on football and men’s basketball. Finally, the panelists all want to see an increase in player safety research in an effort to reduce the risk of concussions.

Redefining Consumer Engagement: The Role of Social Media and Emerging Marketing Platforms

• Spend vs. Consumption:  Approximately 25-30% of media consumption time is on the Internet, but the digital media spend hasn’t made that shift yet.
• Viral Impact:  Everyone wants to identify that next big social campaign, but you need a message or event that is truly remarkable in order for the message to spread. The message needs to go through the process of consumer discovery to community sharing and then to viral distribution. Additionally, the combination of mass media with social media can generate the widest impact.
• Sharing Value:  You need to think about the potential sharing value when creating digital content. What audience would want to share it? How would they share it? How consumable is the message? How easy and natural is it to share?
• Identifying Talent:  Before you find an agency, identify your reason(s) for engagement and overarching goals. Do the goals and expertise of the vendor match your focus? One of the simplest and best approaches is to find previous social campaigns that you liked, and find out who was behind them.
• My Favorite Quotes:  ”You can’t tweet with a disclaimer.” (Bill Webster from Sun Life Financial) and “You have control of the message…until  it leaves the door.” (I can’t remember who said this – sorry!)

The Balancing Act: How Teams are Staying Competitive On and Off the Field

• Jersey Sponsorships:  It seems like this is the next logical move that can have a significant revenue impact, but teams still need to identify not just the deal value, but the negative impact of removing the city/brand from the jersey. It’s not a simple decision.
• Generating Revenue:  You can only grow your physical and digital inventory so much, so everything seems to come back to small incremental opportunities. For example, the San Francisco Giants saw a 7-10% revenue bump by implementing dynamic ticket pricing and it let’s them better compete with the secondary market. Teams are still trying to find the best ways to monetize around social media. Another option is “vertical integration” with properties taking back control of their own media rights. Finally, one of the biggest opportunities is “buying the property across the street” in an effort to develop an on-site dining, shopping and entertainment experience (e.g. L.A. Live, Patriot Place, etc.).
• What We Can Do Better:  Again, it came back to the live experience. We need to make sure fans can afford to attend live events and have an experience that encourages them to return. We also need to do a better job identifying what the fans are looking for in the live experience vs. the television experience, and find ways to serve both audiences together.

I will post Part 2 with more highlights next week.

Last night I received the following email which featured an interesting sales tactic. All identifying marks have been removed (substitute content in bold):

Russell,

I’m not sure if you’re a basketball fan, but the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament starts tomorrow and I thought it might be fun to start a bracket pool.  We’ll be giving away a pair of Knicks tickets to the overall winner as well as prizes for 2nd and 3rd place.  It’s free to enter and always fun to follow for a few weeks.  Even if you only get around to watching the highlights.

If you are interested please fill out the COMPANY X bracket on CBS Sports: COMPANY X BRACKET POOL LINK

The password is PASSWORD and you will probably need to create a CBS account if you don’t already have one.

Let me know if you have any questions and good luck to you if you do decide to participate.

SIGNATURE

In case it’s not clear, this email did not come from a friend of mine. Instead, this came from a company that is interested in selling me their particular services. They have sent me emails in the past, so this isn’t a completely “cold email” either. I don’t think I’ve seen March Madness brackets used this way before. It’s quite an interesting way to try and tap into people’s excitement for the tournament while building a relationship with a prospect. In this case, it also qualifies as a targeted message, since I work in the sports industry and this is definitely pushing that angle with both the bracket and prizes. Finally, you should know that the company’s services aren’t sports-specific, making this even more of an outside-the-box idea.

I don’t know how much traction they will get from this approach, since most people prefer joining bracket pools with their friends, but I give them a lot of credit for trying.

As time goes on, there is more and more content buried deep in the archives of this blog, so every now and then, I like to reach into “the vault” and revisit an old post. Since I seem to be venting about pet-peeves lately (see my recent LinkedIn post), I thought I’d go back to this classic “sales pitch” I received back in 2010. This article was originally posted on July 26, 2010 and had many great comments from our readers. Enjoy!

———-

Earlier today, I received a sponsorship solicitation email, which in itself is not unusual. I get all sorts of different requests and proposals through the site. However, there were some things about this particular email I felt should be addressed in a post. First, take a look at the edited version of the email below – all identifying content has been removed (substitute content in CAPS) to protect the innocent:

From:      FULL NAME <SALES REP EMAIL ADDRESS>
To:            <SALES REP EMAIL ADDRESS>
Date:        Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at ##:##
Subject:  SPORT Sponsorship Opportunity

Hello,

My name is REP NAME, and I am a TITLE of a sports agency located in CITY called COMPANY-HAME-HERE (www.WEBSITE.com). I am writing this email on behalf of our affiliate agency, OTHER-COMPANY-NAME (www.OTHERWEBSITE.com). I noticed you are in a sports related business, so I wanted to offer a sponsorship opportunity. We represent numerous ATHLETES. THIS SPORT is the fastest growing sport across the world. We are offering you the opportunity to sponsor these ATHLETES.  Sponsorships include your logo on ITEM 1, ITEM 2 and ITEMS 3 AND 4. Please see the attached Power Point for more details.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please contact me via email at EMAIL-ADDRESS or cell phone at PHONE #. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

FIRST-NAME
CONTACT INFORMATION

So, what problems did you notice? Here are just a few that immediately jump off the page:

1. “Hello,” is not an acceptable greeting. The person sending this didn’t even take the time to type in my first and/or last name. If they have my email address and are sending this to me, they better know my name.
2. Look at the email header. The “From” and “To” address were the same, meaning that I was BCC’d (blind carbon copied). That tells me this same exact email was sent to who knows how many people at the same time. Not exactly a personalized sales pitch. And if you can’t take the time to write me a personalized email, what does that say about how I matter as a prospect, let alone an actual client?
3. No where in the entire email is there any reference to my company name or what we do, other than being a “sports related business.” If you have no idea who I work for or what I do, and how can you demonstrate a fit with your property and how will you generate any interest?
4. The sender is rattling off inventory option in the very first email sent. Before you start to discuss any sponsorship details, you need to assess what value you can provide for the sponsoring company, and then tailor your package accordingly. Just sticking my logo on different things does not provide value.
5. We know this sport is “fast growing,” but that doesn’t mean anything without context or fit. This sport may be growing exponentially, but if your property doesn’t reach my target audience, that size and growth is useless.
6. This particular person isn’t just representing their own agency, but a larger affiliate agency as well. Now any problems with this approach reflect poorly on both organizations.
7. The attached Powerpoint file (not shared here) was actually pretty good and had some nice data in it (albeit not personalized at all). However, the odds of someone opening the attachment from this email are minimal at best.

For the record, I replied back to the sender. He seemed very apologetic for the mistakes and interested in learning what he can do better next time, so I am writing this post as a tip for him and anyone else out there trying to drum up business. What other problems do you see in this approach and what tips can you share with other readers?

In today’s “Five for Friday” , I’m going to highlight five current sports business job openings that focus on the CRM, database and analytical opportunities in the industry:

• CRM Coordinator – Columbus Blue Jackets - A great way to break into a CRM role with a professional team. I know the systems they have in place and some of the people working there, and can highly recommend this opportunity.
• CRM & Technology Analyst – Comcast-Spectacor – This is a position I’m very fond of, since I worked there coming out of graduate school. I learned so much during my time in Philadelphia that I couldn’t attempt to list it all, and it definitely help push my career forward.
• Manager, CRM and Database Operations – Oklahoma City Thunder – Are you noticing a trend? I’ve written about it before, but there are definite opportunities in CRM and database marketing positions for people with some ticketing, marketing and analytics experience. These roles continue to expand every year and more teams invent in these functions.
• Sports Statistics and Information Manager – ESPN – I can’t speak to this position specifically, but it definitely looks like a fun role for someone with strong analytical skills that may want to have a little more connection to “on-field” statistics and research.
• Vice President, Prospector – Turnkey Sports & Entertainment - I’ve been a big supporter of Turnkey’s various research and analysis products over the years, and here’s an opportunity for someone more senior to lead one of their product divisions. This could be great for someone who’s been in a team or league analytical role for a few years and wants to bring their expertise to many clients.

I hope these positions peak your interest, and maybe someone reading this just learned about their next career opportunity!

Update: Here are a couple more related postings that I decided I should include. Yes, this ends up breaking the “Five For Friday” concept, but in this case, I’d rather share the extra postings. Plus, it’s my blog, so I can do what I want!

• Customer Relationship Manager, Cal Athletics (search for the keyword “CRM”)
• Database/CRM Analyst, Memphis Grizzlies
• Database Marketing Coordinator, Philadelphia 76ers

Last year I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Barcelona to attend the Global Sports Forum, but flying across the Atlantic isn’t convenient for most people. So luckily for us, many sessions of this year’s conference are being streamed live! Currently (~9AM EST), Laird Hamilton is on stage doing a one-on-one interview, and later today there are panels discussing Olympic host bids, financing European soccer, and the role of sports as entertainment.

You can watch the live stream below, or hop over to www.globalsportsforum.org.

I originally posted this on my personal blog at russellscibetti.com (still very much a work in progress), but because of how useful LinkedIn can be to connecting with others working in the industry, I thought it would be helpful to post it here as well.

———-

One of my biggest networking pet peeves is receiving LinkedIn requests from people I don’t know who claim that we worked together or know each other, and the request contains NO context whatsoever. I’ve written about this before and tweet about it often. I’d say that I actually know over 90% of the people in my LinkedIn network, which is one of the big reasons that it is so valuable for me professionally. However, I will occasionally accept requests from people who I don’t yet know if they at least provide a reason for the request that is mutually beneficial. I’ve actually made some great connections this way, which is why it’s so frustrating to see people using the website in such an inefficient and ineffective manner.

Here are my two standard replies for these types of requests. This is my way of giving the person a chance to fix their mistake and turn their request into a potential opportunity for both of us. If they don’t bother writing back, it unfortunately confirms why I shouldn’t make them part of my network.

Template 1:

Dear INSERT NAME HERE,

Please don’t be offended by this email, but I was confused to receive your LinkedIn request stating that we worked together, which as far as I can tell, we have not (my apologies if I am mistaken and simply being forgetful). Your request did not provide any context or explanation, and I use LinkedIn to track people in my professional network that I know, so at this time, I do not feel like I can accept your request. Please feel free to reply back with some explanation if you like.

Template 2:

Dear INSERT NAME HERE,

Please don’t be offended by this email, but I was confused to receive your LinkedIn request because I do not believe we know each other (my apologies if I am mistaken and simply being forgetful). Your request did not provide any context or explanation, and I use LinkedIn to track people in my professional network that I know, so at this time, I do not feel like I can accept your request. Please feel free to reply back with some explanation if you like.

Sometimes I end up with a bunch of random sports business thoughts or ideas running through my head, but each idea isn’t really big enough to warrant its own blog post. So, why not share some rapid-fire thoughts? Hopefully one or more of these ideas resonates and can help or inspire a reader:

Leap Day – Today is February 29, which literally only occurs once every four years. So what are teams and other sports organizations doing to try and make this day special? So far, the only Leap Day-specific marketing material I received was a 25% off discount from Barnes & Noble, and I’m quite tempted to take advantage of it. Arizona State was running an interest Leap Day campaign (not-sports related), but for all the sports email newsletters I subscribe to, I haven’t seen any Lead Day promotions. Have you?

Update: Thanks to Twitter, I learned about this $29 concessions credit offer from the Hagerstown Suns and this no convenience fees promotion from the Sacramento Kings (Thanks to @SportsBizMiss and @WExline)

Beer Ban – So the Red Sox have decided to ban beer from the clubhouse, after all the negative publicity the team received at the end of last season. Ex-manager Terry Francona calls is a PR move, and while there might be other benefits to this ban, I’d have to agree with him. However, I have two other questions about the ban:

1. Could this have any affect on signing players? Clearly, there’s not much comparison between the ability to have a beer vs. getting paid millions of dollars, but if a player doesn’t feel comfortable with the clubhouse rules or environment, it has to factor into their thought process at least a little, right?
2. What does the team’s official beer sponsor think of this ban? Could there be any negative impact on their relationship? Again, this is probably quite unlikely, but I imagine they might have an opinion on the ban.

Gamification – This is a big buzz word in digital marketing, and I understand the concept. You want to incentive and reward certain consumer behaviors, and based on the success of social gaming, creating a “game” around these behaviors can be very motivating for some people. While I think this approach does have value, my gut reaction is that it can be very dangerous to create artificial behaviors. Digital behavior can be very important in identifying and scoring  potential business prospects, but only when that behavior is authentic. Could “gamifying” these behaviors hurt our ability to identify real prospects? Just something to think about when exploring this type of initiative.

NHL Trade Deadline – I am a pretty casual hockey fan, but every year, I find myself drawn into the NHL trade deadline. I feel that out of the “big four” leagues, they do the best job generating buzz for their sport at the trade deadline, particularly via their website and other media outlets. Some may argue that MLB generates the most buzz, and they probably do in terms of sheer quantity since the sport itself has a larger fan base. However, I believe the NHL really maximizes their trade deadline exposure the best.

Rival Catchers – It dawned on me this morning that Jorge Posada and Jason Varitek, long-time catchers for the rival Yankees and Red Sox, have both retired this off-season. Both are iconic figures with their respective teams, leading them to multiple championships and many memorable, and sometimes contentious games. This led me to wonder, is there an opportunity to pair them together now is some type of endorsement or advertising campaign? Yankees and Red Sox players have been paired together before (remember this funny ESPN commercial?), and New Era recently had a commercial campaign pitting celebrity Yankees and Red Sox fans against each other. Dunkin Donuts is a corporate partner for both teams – maybe there’s a fit here for them?

What random stories are you thinking about today?

In the past, we used to have regular “Five for Friday” columns that featured five interesting or valuable links for the week. I’m going to start bringing this back more often with all different types of lists. Today, I’m going to highlight five excellent sports business conferences coming up in March that you should look into – as you can see, we are definitely in the midst of “conference season!”

(NOTE: there are LOTS of excellent conferences out there, so please do not be offended if your event is not on this list. I’m happy to add all upcoming conferences to the Event Calendar page, so please reach out to me if your event is not listed there.)

• MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (March 2-3) - For all the statistics-minded folks out there, this is the place to be. Every year I hear great things about this event, and really hope to attend in the future. While most of the conference focuses on on-field metrics, there are also several sessions related to ticketing, media and sponsorship analytics.
• Global Sports Forum Barcelona (March 7-9) - I was fortunate enough to attend this event last year as an official GSFB Blogger, and I had an amazing time. The conference is definitely focused on European sports, which for me was very educational. There is also a strong emphasis on the relationship between sport and society. Click here to read some of my recaps from last year’s event, and keep an eye on their official blog for insights from this year’s edition.
• LEAP – IEG’s Annual Sponsorship Conference (March 18-21) - While I haven’t had the change to personally attend IEG’s conference yet, Mike Mahoney has shared recaps from the past two years and always comes back with valuable ideas to implement. For folks on the corporate side of the business, this event is definitely an annual highlight.
• 2012 IMG World Congress of Sports (March 21-22) - Sports Business Journal puts together several wonderful conferences each year, covering everything from media and sponsorships to ticketing and college athletics. While admission isn’t cheap, they always have an impressive line-up of expert speakers and panelists. Click here for a full list of their 2012 conference schedule.
• SEME: Sports Events Marketing Experience (March 30-31) – SEME is geared towards educating younger sports professionals and has a definite focus on networking and career development. As such, their registration fees are much lower than many other industry conferences. They have a great lineup of presenters every year and manage to cover a wide variety of topics in just two days.

Remember, this is only a list of  events coming up next month. Throughout the year, there are many excellent conferences out there for all different backgrounds and budgets. I will try to list as many of them as I can on the Event Calendar and in future “Five for Friday” posts.

In case you haven’t checked out the Event Calendar, we have another regional sports networking event scheduled for this month!

The Business of Sports – Philadelphia Networking Event

• Tuesday, February 28 at the Field House
• Open networking from 6:30 to 9:00PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!

Our goal is to create a regular series of sports business networking events in as many major markets as we can. These events provide opportunities for sports professionals on all levels to connect with other like-minded individuals and build up their professional network. Our feedback from these events continues to be tremendous, so we will keep seeking out new locations and new ways to help support this wonderful community. We hope to see as many of you as we can at one of these events very soon!

In addition, we’ve added several other career fairs and development events to the calendar, including:

• Feb 16, 2012 - The Interplay of Sports, Business, and Social Media (SMW NYC)
• Feb 23, 2012 - Florida Panthers Career Fair
• Feb 25, 2012 - Sales Huddle – Indianapolis at the NFL Combine
• Feb 29, 2012 - Dallas Stars’ Sports Industry Career Fair
• Mar 5, 2012 - Portland Trail Blazers Sports and Entertainment Career Fair
• Mar 30, 2012 - Charlotte Bobcats Career Fair
• Mar 31, 2012 - Sales Huddle – New Brunswick, NJ
• Jun 30, 2012 - 2012 ALSD & VTG Conference and Tradeshow
• Aug 5, 2012 - 2012 S.E.A.T. 6th Annual Technology Conference

You can always visit the Event Calendar page for the most up-to-date list of upcoming sports business events and networking opportunities!

A friend of mine passed along information about a great educational program for current high-school students, done in partnership between the NFL and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s called the NFL-Wharton Prep Leadership Program and it runs from June 25 – 27.

If you are a current student-athlete, this is definitely an opportunity to jump at. Working with the NFL and faculty from The Wharton School, this summer program for rising high school seniors will give you a competitive edge as you prepare for collegiate athletics, academics and your future career.

The NFL-Wharton Prep Leadership Program recognizes student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom. The program is a selective leadership and achievement recognition program for elite male and female student-athletes participating in all sports. Participants receive specific leadership training and development programming designed by The Wharton School. The rigorous coursework, breakout groups and panels will provide a formal foundation of leadership training for the next generation of leaders!

The program will focus on five main areas:

• Basics of Leadership – assessments, styles, motivating others
• Professional Development – life skills, social media
• Career Development – preparing for the future with resumes, mock-interviews, public speaking, networking
• Financial Education – an introduction to financial terms, tools and the role of financial advisors
• Basics of Management

The NFL and Wharton will select a group of 36 top high school student-athletes graduating next year. Applications must include high school transcripts, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, student essay and athletic achievements records and will be used to select participates. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and either First Team All-Conference or All-County/State performance in athletics is required.

Tuition, room and board costs will be covered by the Wharton School. Selected participants will be responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program.

All interested student-athletes must complete the formal application by Thursday, March 15. You can access the application here. All completed applications will be reviewed by the NFL and Wharton, and applicants will be notified of selection decisions on Friday, April 20.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Xfinity’s Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest, where one lucky winner will receive “a one-year salary and will be responsible for tweeting from the @XFINITYSports Twitter handle on continual basis,  reporting live from premier sporting events throughout 2012.” I was very excited to see that Brendan Wilhide, a past free agent of the week and guest contributor, decided to enter. Brendan is the perfect fit for this position based on his passion and knowledge of social media and the sports industry.

Please click here to visit the Xfinity contest page on Facebook and vote for Brendan today! Good luck Brendan!

This Thursday night, February 16, I will be moderating a Social Media Week panel in New York called “The Interplay of Sports, Business, and Social Media.” The event starts at 6:00 PM and takes place at the Wix Lounge, 10 West 18th Street, 2nd Floor. We have a great lineup of panelists, including:

• Anthony Caponiti (@caponiti) of Activ8Social
• Justin Kadis (@jkadis) of FanBridge
• Tziona Katz (@kittykatzzz) of Madison Square Garden (MSG Media)
• Ruben Quinones (@rubenq) of Path Interactive
• Bob Troia (@bobtroia) of Affinitive

These sports, business, and social media-minded leaders will offer their thoughts and experiences on the growing use of social media in the sports and entertainment world. Get a deeper, inside look into the current state of social sports, as well as where the future lies between these two always changing fields. Listen, ask, discuss, network, and learn by coming to this evening panel.

Attendees will have the chance to mingle and meet each other upon registration prior to the panel, hear from and talk with the event speakers, and enjoy a night of drinks, sports chat, and social media and business trends. This is a must attend for anyone in the sports, marketing, social media, digital media, advertising, entertainment, and sponsorship industries.

Located steps from Union Square, the Wix Lounge is a completely free co-working and event space for creative professionals. Grab your laptop, pop into the Lounge and enjoy a productive workday, great networking opportunities, and amazing events. Active since 2010, the Wix Lounge is run by Wix.com, a free publishing platform providing user friendly tools for building beautiful, easy-to-make desktop, mobile, and Facebook websites. The Wix Lounge provides free support to Wix.com users, giving them help and advice for making the ideal website. To learn more about the Wix Lounge, please visit www.wixlounge.com

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the event organizer Tyler Becker at tyler.becker@nyu.edu or on Twitter at @TylerJBecker.

Click here to register via EventBrite or through the Social Media Week NYC website.

Thanks to Pinterest (just started trying it out today), I found this great infographic from ExactTarget on who won the 2012 “Social” Super Bowl. You can click here to read the original blog post.

This infographic is brought to you by ExactTarget a leader in Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing.

With Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, now is a great time to think about some of the various sports business plots tied to the big game…

- The Ratings Game:  With two of the country’s top markets represented in what’s been billed as a rematch of Super Bowl 42, this year’s game is in position to set another record. Last year’s game averaged 111 million viewers, which was 4.5 million more than the previous year. Could we see 115 million this year? Maybe even 120? Well, 120 million might be a stretch, but it’s probably safe to assume that this year will set another ratings record.

- Hello Indianapolis:  If you build a new stadium, there’s a good chance you will host a Super Bowl. Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008, and gets to host the big game at the end of its fourth full season. While the game may break television records, attendance will be significantly lower this year because the stadium only holds around 70,000 for football, almost 30,000 less than last year’s game in Dallas. With 30,000 less ticket buyers in attendance, there could be a smaller economic impact on the city compared to previous host locations, but “small” is relative. Historically, the Super Bowl generated upwards of $500 million in additional revenue for the host city.

- Marketable Superstars:  This game features two of the league’s most marketable players in Tom Brady and Eli Manning, with both athletes already tied to several visible product endorsement deals. The real question is, will anyone else make a big leap in marketability from this game? Some potential names to watch include Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker, Jason Pierre-Paul, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. While every local fan and fantasy football participant knows these names, starring on this stage can take them from fantasy-relevance to national-relevance very quickly.

- Ticket Prices:  Darren Rovell has been covering this story over on his CNBC blog and on his Twitter feed. The combination of marquee opponents in high-income markets playing in close proximity to another high-value market (Chicago) has all contributed to drive up tickets prices even more than normal. Of course, the market may be over-inflated right now, so those hoping for a bargains may see prices come back to earth this week. If you do plan on going to the game, I hope you booked your flight a while ago, as flights into Indy are completely booked and flights into Chicago have risen over 200%.

- The Commercials:  It almost seems like every year, the commercials draw just as much attention as the game does, which certainly goes a long way to explain their cost – an astronomical $3.5 million for a 30-second spot. On Monday, we can all argue which ones were the funniest, the most bizarre, the most effective and most ridiculous. A new twist this year seems to be the decision by several companies to release the commercials before the game airs. You can click here to view seven ads that are currently available online. While leaking the ad early does remove some of the surprise element, it will still be seen on Sunday by those 100+ million viewers, so maybe this tactic will end up generating more buzz for these companies.

In the past, we used to have regular “Five for Friday” columns that featured five interesting links for the week. I’m going to start bringing this back more often with all different types of lists. Today, in honor of Twitter’s #FF (Follow Friday) hashtag, here are five great sports business folks to follow on Twitter.

(NOTE: there are clearly WAY MORE than five great sports business folks to follow on Twitter, and since this is a recurring column, you will meet many more of them over time, so please do not be offended if you aren’t on the list).

• Brian Gainor (@BrianGainor) – The founder of PartnershipActivation.com and account supervisor at GMR Marketing, Brian is a constant source of best practices and new ideas in consumer and corporate sports marketing.
• Lou Imbriano (@LouImbriano) – Former CMO of the New England Patriots, current CEO of TrinityOne and author of Winning the Customer, Lou offers a great blend of business insights that span sports, sales, marketing and customer service.
• J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw) – Senior Project Lead for Sponsorships at UPS and co-founder of #sbchat (with Lou), J.W. is never one to shy away from an opinion and always shares excellent and entertaining sports business knowledge.
• Mike Mahoney (@mahoney) – Sponsorship Sales Executive for the Carolina Panthers, Mike is one of my earliest Twitter friends and is an active, expert participant in all sponsorship-related discussions.
• Tariq Ahmad (@tariq_ahmad) – A Ph.D candidate at Northern Colorado studying the intersection of sports and social media, Tariq has quickly become a go-to person on emerging trends in social media marketing.

Yesterday I sat down with Justin Cener, Founder of Crowd Seats, to discuss how sports organizations can use group-buying deal sites as part of their sales efforts and what’s unique about the Crowd Seats product compared to other options.

Justin, give us a brief overview of Crowd Seats?

Crowd Seats is the first and only daily deals site for sports tickets. We offer amazing sports ticket deals for 50-90% off face value with no added ticket fees. Consumers love us because we offer great tickets for great games at unbelievable prices. Teams and events love working with us because we’ve created a medium to generate revenue on distressed and last-minute ticket inventories. We focus on one niche – sports, and our business is built to meet the needs of sports teams.

In general, how do you see discount and group-buying sites adding value to sports organizations? What trends have you seen in this area?

Sports tickets are the ideal match for the daily deals model. Sports ticket inventory is perishable – if you don’t sell it, you lose it. Teams have an incentive to offer discounts in order to salvage this perishable inventory.

Further, the nature of attending a sporting event solves the issue of overage spending. Deal sites have had to battle a lack of overage spending as customers would buy a deal and not spend a dime extra. For each ticket sold, teams can count on additional per-cap revenues in the forms of parking, concessions, and souvenirs. $20 parking, $8 beers, and $6 hot dogs add up quick and represent a significant revenue stream for teams.

How should teams best manage the risks associated with discounting tickets? Are there any best practices you recommend?

Teams know they need to discount to salvage distressed/last-minute inventory, but they hate offering discounts to their full-price-paying customers. Teams can alleviate this risk by utilizing services like deal sites to promote the offer to their own user bases. We do recommend that the team provides as big of a discount as possible without going too far past their season ticket price.

How important is the group/social component of these sites in driving sales?

Going to a sports game is a social event, a group event. Further, getting a great deal is a social event as well so the two mesh nicely together. In order for these deals to be really successful, there needs to be a social element to it. That means social media needs to play a huge role in both increasing deal exposure and driving sales from social proof. There is no better advertisement than one that comes from a customer that is sharing his/her purchase. As an example, with Crowd Seats, over 1/3 of our sales come directly from Facebook or Twitter.

What is different about Crowd Seats compared to other non-sports-specific sites like Groupon and LivingSocial?

As a niche daily deal site focusing on sports tickets. we’re able to build our business to meet the needs of sports teams. We’ve spoken to over 50 teams and events nationwide and listened to what they were and were not happy with when working with deal sites. Armed with this data, we built Crowd Seats to give teams another avenue to move inventory on their terms.

Most importantly, we differentiate ourselves from Groupon, Living Social, etc in two major ways. First, we offer the most aggressive revenue split in the industry – by far. Our revenue split gives the team a much larger share, leaving them with far more revenue per ticket than they would receive with other sites. Second, we provide full customer contact information to our partner teams so they can build their customer base. So, we’re not only generating revenue, we’re driving highly targeted leads to teams. This has been extremely well received by teams and has been a driving force behind a lot of our relationships. As a niche site, users who sign up show a pre-determined interest in our partner’s products and we consider them to be highly targeted leads for teams.

What’s next for Crowd Seats?

Currently, we’re live in two markets, New York and Los Angeles. We’ve sold over 250 tickets to date and we’re aggressively targeting new markets to enter. In total, we see 16 potential markets nationwide and we’ve already begun to build relationships with many teams in those regions.

You can connect with Justin Cener on LinkedIn or on Twitter at @CrowdSeats.

My condolences to the Paterno family on the passing of Joe Paterno.

While there is no arguing his accomplishments as a football coach, may his final legacy be allowing the world to learn from his mistakes and the mistakes of others involved so that the situation at Penn State never happens again.

In case you didn’t know, I’m a big social media advocate. I love what it can do for people and business alike, creating content, conversation and active communities. In turn, when I see unique opportunities and promotions based around this space, I love to share them here, which bring me to the “Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” program created by Xfinity.

Here is a quick summary of the contest and what the winner can receive:

“Comcast’s Xfinity Service is launching a contest to hire an individual who will serve as the new voice of Xfinity in the sports social media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest nationwide sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive insights and updates with fans. The contest, entitled “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job,” runs from January 13 through March 25 in search of the next sports social media star.”

“The winner will receive a one-year salary and will be responsible for tweeting from the @XFINITYSports Twitter handle on continual basis,  reporting live from premier sporting events throughout 2012, and educating and engaging avid sports fans in social media communities. In addition to live event access, the winner will also receive all the electronics for the ultimate sports pad, including televisions, home audio/video equipment, etc.”

Anyone who is interested can apply through their Facebook page at Facebook.com/Xfinity. You have to share a video (up to 2 minutes) pitching why you’re the perfect person for this role based on your knowledge and passion for sports, social media and Comcast (after all, the winner will be working for them!). The top entries will be featured on this page and voted on by fans, with the top 5 advancing to the finals. These lucky five will get a trial run covering a premier sporting event in early March, and then a panel of celebrity judges will make the final decision on a winner who will get to travel to and cover some of the biggest sporting events for an entire year.

So, if this is your ultimate sports and social media dream job, make sure to enter ASAP. Also, if you are a reader of this blog and decide to apply, please let us know in the comments so we can check out your entries. I’d love to throw my support behind one of our fans, sharing your entry on the site and in the newsletter. Good luck!

My full-time roles in the sports industry have been focused on the CRM and database space, and these positions can have lots of fun and interesting responsibilities, such as:

• Consolidating data to build a complete picture of each fan and customer
• Building distinct customer segments for targeted marketing campaigns
• Managing digital communications using email, web, PURLs, social media and more
• Creating detailed customer profiles to understand who are fans are
• Measuring the results of sales and marketing initiatives
• Generating new leads and building models to predict sales and renewals
• Using marketing automation to generate incremental revenue
• Analyzing ticket sales and survey research data to identify trends and opportunities
• Leveraging technology to build efficient sales, service and marketing departments

In case you haven’t checked out the Event Calendar, we have two more sports networking events scheduled for this month!

The Business of Sports – New York Networking Event

• Wednesday, January 11 at Slattery’s Midtown Pub
• Open networking from 6:00 to 9:00PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!

The Business of Sports – Atlanta Networking Event

• Tuesday, January 17 at Buckhead Bottle Bar
• Open networking from 5:30 to 8:00PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!

Our goal is to create a regular series of sports business networking events in as many major markets as we can. These events provide opportunities for sports professionals on all levels to connect with other like-minded individuals and build up their professional network. Our feedback from these events continues to be tremendous, so we will keep seeking out new locations and new ways to help support this wonderful community. We hope to see as many of you as we can at one of these events very soon!

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Dave Fogelson.

In all likelihood, people aspiring to “work in sports” are over-looking the sporting goods industry, particularly the retail end of the business, as the starting point for a career path. Retail is where people seeking entry-level jobs can find the most opportunities to apply their sports interest and knowledge and acquire invaluable, real world experience.

The $52 billion sporting goods industry is home to some of the most recognizable and iconic consumer brands and biggest names in retailing. National chains like Dick’s and Sports Authority, regional stores such as Modell’s and Hibbett, specialty retailers in the team sports, golf, running and outdoor segments and many other brick and mortar and on-line outlets have an on-going need for people who either have or can acquire product knowledge and possess a commitment to customer service.

Working the past two years as a retail sales associate at a sporting goods chain, I’ve influenced more sales than during the combined 13 years I spent as the head of public relations for two athletic footwear and apparel companies. I oftentimes think about how much more effective I (and most of my corporate colleagues) would have been in our brand marketing positions had we possessed some of the insight that comes from working retail.

So, what knowledge, experience and skills can you expect to acquire at retail that can help you land that “dream job” in sports?

-  Selling and business development:  Every organization in every industry needs people oriented to generating business. Sporting goods retail associates play the critical role in the space known as “the last three feet of the sale.” It’s the epitome of missionary salesmanship and not merely order-taking.

- Product knowledge:  Having the capacity to understand and embrace the features and benefits of the products/services you represent is essential to any job you’re likely to perform in sports marketing. A product or service’s unique selling proposition is the foundation of an effective marketing campaign.

- Listening and communicating:  Having acquired product knowledge, the ability to apply it by listening to customers, understanding their needs and clearly and concisely communicating the features and benefits of products that meet their requirements creates more business for your employer now and in the future. Aren’t the majority of (if not all) sports marketing programs predicated on building and sustaining customer/fan loyalty to the sponsor’s brand and products?

- Prioritizing and working the plan:  In addition to dealing with customers, retail associates handle a myriad of responsibilities. From organizing inventory to merchandising product displays, many balls must be kept in the air simultaneously. The ability to take on and handle multiple assignments is one of the hallmarks of a successful sports marketer.

- Working (well) with others:  Working retail requires flexibility, a willingness to pitch-in whenever and wherever situations demand and a thick skin. Among managers and sales associates, retail’s “we’re in this together” mentality is comparable to the work environment and expectations you’ll encounter throughout the sports industry.

- Understanding what truly resonates with customers:  Retail (the Place) is where the rubber meets the road for the other three “Ps” – Product, Promotion and Price. Working retail provides insights into what truly motivates consumers to part (or not part) with their cash for products and services. People with this insight are better able to create and conduct more targeted sports marketing campaigns that utilize brand resources more efficiently and effectively.

With this knowledge and experience, in tandem with your educational background and special interests, aspiring sports business executives are in a much better position to pursue and secure more rewarding positions of greater responsibility.

• If your heart is in retailing, there are corporate level positions as a buyer, in merchandising, operations and marketing.
• If retailing isn’t for you, brands across the spectrum of the sporting goods industry need people in product development, marketing and sales who’ve experienced first-hand how consumers and retail sales associates respond to product features, advertising and promotional campaigns and price promotions.
• Non-sports brands that sponsor sports along with their agency partners need people who’ve experienced at the retail level how event sponsorships and athlete endorsers can be leveraged with the consumer to generate sales and create brand loyalty.

The retail environment isn’t glamorous and can be down-right difficult. The challenges you’re likely to encounter at retail, coupled with the modest compensation, are best surmounted by taking a broader view and looking at the time and energy you’re spending on the sales floor as a means to a greater end.

In the majority of instances, the investments brands make in product development and marketing are greatly diminished absent the sales associate creating connections for the product and brand with consumers. Creating these connections is the stuff with which attention-getting resumes are built.

Within this context and keeping in mind your career aspirations, every retail floor assignment, no matter how mundane, every customer interaction and sale you generate have greater significance. Leverage this experience and the insights you’ve gained in your ongoing communications with the organizations you’ve identified as prospective employers and networking with industry contacts.

Dave Fogelson is the former head of public relations for adidas USA and Reebok. He’s also held public relations positions with The Miller Brewing Company, Pan-american Sports Network and Sharp Electronics. For the past 2-1/2 years, he’s served as an athletic footwear and golf sales associate at a major sporting goods retail chain.

When I talk about my various non-sports experience, people tend to laugh when I tell them that my time working at McDonald’s as a teenager was one of the most positive experiences I’ve ever had. I learned so much from that position that applies to any business, so it seems only fitting to share some of those key lessons here in the context of sports business.

1.  No one knows the customer better than your front-line staff.

This is rule number one because I don’t think enough organizations realize the power that their customer-facing staff truly has. Our McDonald’s was a particularly busy location, so our cashiers and floor staff engaged with thousands of customers every week. Through these interactions, we knew what items people wanted, how long they were willing to wait, how much prices mattered, and the general sentiment of our store’s patrons. This information was used each day by managers and staff alike to make sure we were running efficiently and reacting to the needs and preferences of our particular customers.

In sports, the front-line staff includes a wide range of roles, such as sales reps, service reps, box office, concessionaires, ushers, receptionists, gameday interns, guest relations, security, merchandise sales, custodians and more. These are the employees that interact directly with your fans and customers every single day. They know what the fans are saying and feeling. As such, these staff members have very well-educated opinions that can be used to help shape important decisions. Senior management has to set ticket prices, decide on gameday entertainment, select food and merchandise options and build communication strategies. While market research can be used to help influence these decisions, I feel strongly that asking your front-line staff about what the fans want is an important resource that can be just as, if not more valuable that survey results.

2.  Discounts help in the short-term, but value wins in the long-term.

I remember when McDonald’s first came out with the “Dollar Menu” and it was huge!  How can you beat a $1 cheeseburger or $1 french fries? But then Burger King released a “Value Menu”, and then Wendy’s, then Taco Bell. It didn’t take long for everyone to try this approach. This strategy was easily duplicated and in turn, it moved the focus from the product to the price. The same problem exists with coupons and other discount programs. These tactics focus on a quick, immediate transaction – get them in the door and then hope they decide to stay. The problem is that the quality of the product and the product’s value relative to the price have much more of an impact on long-term success.

This concept is very important when it comes to all prices, from tickets to hot dogs. Offering discounts, whether its direct from the team or via a site like Groupon can definitely generate a quick spike in sales, but that revenue is not sustainable. A better approach would be to take a more sophisticated look at your prices to make sure the value proposition is there for the customers, perhaps through variable or dynamic pricing. In addition, we know that customers are very sensitive to food prices in the stadium, but most of the time, it’s actually the combination of price AND quality that they are upset about. Dropping the price of a hot dog won’t help if the hot dog isn’t hot or tasty. Just like the actual tickets, concession items need to have value for the consumer, and that comes from quality as much as, if not more than price.

3.  Don’t underestimate the value of a clean bathroom.

Hopefully you just laughed a little, but when you stop to think about it, this statement is very true. Cleanliness in general is a very important factor when it comes to feeling comfortable and welcome in any venue, and the location where people tend to notice this most is the bathroom. At our McDonald’s, we cleaned the bathroom at least once an hour, and usually even more often than that. Even if we were in the middle of dinner rush, we never skipped this task because we wanted the entire dining experience (which often involves a trip to the restroom) to be a positive one.

No one likes a dirty bathroom, whether it’s at a restaurant or at a stadium. That feeling of being disgusted by something can be a surprisingly “sticky” memory, even if the rest of the game experience is quite positive. Meanwhile, fans have come to expect dirty bathrooms and port-a-johns at sporting event, that when you enter one that’s clean, it can create a surprisingly positive reaction (or at least avoids creating a negative one). Keeping stadium bathrooms clean on a gameday is quite challenging, but even if it means a few extra workers on gameday, I would argue it’s well worth it.

4.  Failures can be your best opportunities.

Who hasn’t had a negative experience at a fast food restaurant at some point, whether it’s receiving the wrong order, sitting at a dirty table or finding a hair in your food? The most important thing to do at this point is to listen first, apologize, fix the issue as quickly as possible and try to replace the bad feeling with a good experience. A single service recovery opportunity can have even more impact on long-term customer satisfaction than hundreds of regular, uneventful visits. As a McDonald’s employee, I was taught to go out of my way to make a situation right whenever a customer has a problem, and 99% of the time, I was able to turn that negative situation into a positive touchpoint with our restaurant.

As much as we try to prepare for every situation, we are faced with failures and mistakes all the time in sports – it is the nature of any service-based industry. The tickets get lost in the mail, the hot chocolate isn’t hot, the shirt is the wrong size, a fan slips on a spilled drink – there are thousand of things that can go wrong. In fact, many times the “failure” isn’t even our fault, such as when a customer loses their tickets or mistakenly purchases counterfeit tickets. Heck, we also get blamed for bad weather or poor team performance! Whenever these situations arise, rather than get frustrated, we need to remember that we are being presented with opportunities to build a better relationship with the fans. We must listen to what they’re saying, even if they just want to vent about the team. We should make sure problems are resolved, maybe even with a refund or complimentary tickets. You might be interacting with the most passionate fan who only comes to one game a year, and if that fan walks away unhappy, it could be the last game they ever come to.

5.  Reward loyalty.

I still remember several of the “regulars” that came to my McDonald’s, and I haven’t worked there in almost 15 years. These customers were regulars because of how we made them feel when they came to our store. We knew their names, how often they came in, and what they always ordered. In fact, when we saw them come in the front door, we started making their meal before they placed their order. If they decided to treat themselves to an additional dessert, we just gave it to them without thinking about the extra $1-2 we could have made. Around the holidays, we gave them a thank you card. and above all, we talked to them and listened to them. As this happened, we started realizing that other customers saw how we treated them, and sure enough, these customers often became regulars themselves. We loved our loyal customers, and did everything we could to make them happy.

In sports, we have an amazing luxury in that our customers are fans of our brand and product, something that many industries don’t experience. But unfortunately, this fact is often taken for granted, when it clearly shouldn’t be. The most time, effort and money should be dedicated to those fans and customers that have shown their loyalty over the years as season ticket holders, suite buyers and corporate partners. These are the audiences that you want to reward with the best value, the best experiences and the best level of service. Some teams try to do this with loyalty or rewards programs, and while those programs can succeed, they aren’t necessary to truly reward loyalty. Visit your best customer in the stands and bring them a small gift or upgrade their tickets. Send out thank you card or birthday emails. Call them to ask how the game was, even if you don’t have anything to sell them. These are all simple ways to reward loyal fans that will have a lasting impact on their relationship with the team.

Last week, Coyle Media released a great infographic on how sports fans use various social media check-in services. It’s interesting to see how the results vary by sport (unfortunately, there’s no data on MLB), how sports venues compare to other types of check-in locations, and the most effective ways to drive check-ins.

Personally, I have concerns about the long-term success of geolocation-based services, but the poll does show that there is definite value in this service when it comes to sporting events. So even if the overall adoption rate in these services lags behind other social media channels, it shouldn’t be overlooked by sports organizations.

Sports Marketing from Coyle Media, LLC.

In light of yesterday’s trade/non-trade of Chris Paul from the Hornets to the Lakers, I feel the need to re-publish my take on the inherent conflicts of interest that arise from having a franchise owned and operated by a league. I’ve heard and read several different arguments over the merits of this trade and why it should have been allowed, including:

• The Hornets got back a lot of talent and it was a fair package for Paul.
• The Hornets have a GM in place that is keeping the best interests of the team in mind.
• Paul wasn’t going to sign an extension with the team, so it’s best for them to make a trade.

The actual reason why the trade wasn’t allowed to go through is unclear. The “official” statement was that the Hornets decided against it, but in reality, there has to have been a decision at the league level, which makes sense because…THE LEAGUE OWNS THE TEAM! General managers have to report up to the team owner, and in this case, the team owner is the group of all 29 other team owners. If those team owners do not want the trade to go through, whether or not the reasons are justified or completely selfish in nature, then the trade cannot go through.

Update: For all those people who feel that David Stern either made this decision himself or shouldn’t have “allowed” this veto to happen (cough, cough, Bill Simmons), his bosses are the other 29 team owners. For all of his authority, he still has to listen to them, even if he disagrees with them.

Clearly, this is a gigantic conflict of interest, and it’s a big reason why situations like this should be prevented at all costs. It affects both team decisions (trades, signings, contracts) and business decisions (television contracts, relocations, sponsorships). I wrote about this earlier this year with regards to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and I also include other examples with the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, and funny enough, the New Orleans Hornets.

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By now, you’ve probably already seen the news that Major League Baseball has taken control of  day to day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers away from current team owner Frank McCourt. Instead of trying to weigh in on whether MLB’s decision in this case was right or wrong and what McCourt should or shouldn’t do, I’d like to take a philosophical look at the concept of a league-owned or league-operated franchise. This situation has come up a few times in professional sports over the past decade, including the Texas Rangers, the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, the New Orleans Hornets, the Phoenix Coyotes and now the Dodgers. While the circumstance behind each situation is different, there are some fundamental issues at hand any time a league steps in to manage an individual franchise.

If a league owns or operates an individual franchise, in essence the other 30+ owners within that league are now in charge of that team, since the league itself is owned equally by all of the separate team owners. While each owner is primarily concerned with their own franchise, even having a 1/30th stake in another team is a significant investment. This additional “ownership” can represent a unique conflict of interest for those put in charge of the team’s operations.

The owners want this franchise to be run profitably, but what is the best way to do that? Often times, the best way to generate a short-term profit is through reducing costs, whereas long term profit is more sustainable via investing in the team’s operations. If the other owners care more about the short-term, which could easily be the case since they theoretically won’t own the team for long, then those in charge may be forced to cut costs. In addition, the specific approaches the team takes in their operations could be dictated by that league’s revenue sharing system. If more revenue is shared from ticket sales that local media, will those in charge be forced to focus more on that specific revenue stream to the detriment of the other.

This problem is even more significant when looking at the on-field operations of the team. Those in charge should theoretically continue to do what they can to help the team win, since that will in turn lead to more revenue. However, if that team wins more games, logic dictates that other teams will lose more games, which can decrease revenue for those team owners. This question came up last year with the Texas Rangers. The team was doing well, but until new ownership was in place, the team seemed unlikely to make any roster changes. A more recent example took place this year with the Hornets, when those in charge of the team did make a significant trade in an attempt to improve the team. Mark Cuban spoke out vehemently against this trade in particular because the team took on additional salary, which mean as a partial owner of the Hornets, Cuban could end up losing more money. He didn’t seem upset about the team’s attempt to improve (he said that he wouldn’t mind the trade if they hadn’t taken on additional salary), but I wouldn’t be surprised if behind the scenes, other owners were angry about this aspect as well.

Finally, you also need to look at the context under which the league steps in. One of the most unusual arrangements was when MLB decided not only to “purchase” the Expos, but also arrange for the sale of the Marlins to former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria, and in turn the sale of the Red Sox to former Marlins owner John Henry. While I will not attempt to analyze the various motivating factors behind these deals (how often do you see owners “trade” their team?), there’s no doubt that Henry and Loria benefited greatly from the situation, while the “rest” of the league ends up owning the orphaned Expos, which surely had a negative cash flow until the time they were sold as the Nationals. Again, there does seem to be some conflict of interest when other owners end up having to support the operations of an additional team as part of another owner’s franchise purchase and sale.

Even putting that unique situation aside, other events will continue to arise where a league has no choice but to step in and own or operate a franchise. It is clearly in the best interest of any professional sports league to make sure all of its teams can operate successfully. The conflicts that these situations present are real, and must be delicately managed by all parties involved until operations can be turned back over to the team, hopefully as quickly as possible.

Last Friday I had the chance to attend the 2011 Ivy Sports Symposium, which every year offers an impressive array of speakers, informative panel discussions and wonderful networking opportunities. If you haven’t already, search for the Twitter hashtag #ISS2011 to see some of the updates that were shared during the event. During the breaks between sessions, I tried to grab a couple of video interviews to share with you this week, along with a larger event recap post coming soon.

My final interview was with Brandi Connolly, Director of Sports and Experiential at hawkeye. Brandi and I talked about experiential marketing and how it can be a valuable component in a brand’s overall sports marketing and sponsorship strategy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQwQli-LgrM

You can connect with Brandi on Twitter at @brandiconnolly or by email at bconnolly@hawkeyeww.com.

(Please pardon the slightly unusual shape of the video box – I took the video vertically on my iPhone. I’ll stick to landscape for future clips!)

Last Friday I had the chance to attend the 2011 Ivy Sports Symposium, which every year offers an impressive array of speakers, informative panel discussions and wonderful networking opportunities. If you haven’t already, search for the Twitter hashtag #ISS2011 to see some of the updates that were shared during the event. During the breaks between sessions, I tried to grab a couple of video interviews to share with you this week, along with a larger event recap post coming soon.

Next up is my interview with Scott Minto, Director of the San Diego State University Sports MBA Program. Scott talks about the value of an advanced sports education degree and how attending events like the Ivy Sports Symposium is critical for young sports professionals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyZpR7iJIYY

You can connect with Scott on Twitter at @SDSUSportsMBA or at the SDSU Sports MBA Facebook page.

(Please pardon the slightly unusual shape of the video box – I took the video vertically on my iPhone. I’ll stick to landscape for future clips!)

Last Friday I had the chance to attend the 2011 Ivy Sports Symposium, which every year offers an impressive array of speakers, informative panel discussions and wonderful networking opportunities. If you haven’t already, search for the Twitter hashtag #ISS2011 to see some of the updates that were shared during the event.

During the breaks between sessions, I tried to grab a couple of video interviews to share with you this week, along with a larger event recap post coming soon. First up is my interview with Len Perna, President of Turnkey Sports & Entertainment. Len discusses some of the different products Turnkey has put together and how valuable market research can be in the sports industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuU5jngQHNU

You can learn more about Turnkey on Twitter at @TurnkeySports or by visiting the Turnkey Facebook page.

(Please pardon the slightly unusual shape of the video box – I took the video vertically on my iPhone. I’ll stick to landscape for future clips!)

Thanks to Brett Pharis for sending me this colorful timeline of the NBA Lockout through the end of October. I’m sure everyone is paying attention to how things go this week with the league’s Wednesday deadline on their current offer. Will the players agree? Will they decertify? We’ll all find out soon enough!

Via: Designed by USDirect.com

The latest issue of The Sports Business Exchange from Joshua Duboff was released today and features several great articles, including:

• Perspective From 35,000 Feet Above: Why Steve Jobs was Important to Young Entrepreneurs by Joshua Duboff
• KAEO Startups: Crowd Seats - Daily deals website for tickets to sporting events
• KAEO Startups: Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund - Non-profit to support the education of children who lost a parent in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom
• Making a Marketing Paradigm Shift Within Your Athletic Department by Adam Schemm
• Cheerleading May Not Be Ready For Sport Status, But It Is Big Business by Daniel Scott Benjamin
• The Relationship of Fantasy Football Participation with NFL Television Ratings by John A. Fortunato, Fordham University (a special article from the JSAS Online)

For those of you in the Northeast, I wanted to make sure you know about a great event coming up in a couple of weeks down in Philadelphia!

The 6th Annual Ivy Sports Symposium @ Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Friday, November 18, 2011 from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM (ET)

Today is the final day to register for the 6th annual Ivy Sports Symposium (formerly known as the Princeton Sports Symposium) on Friday, November 18 at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The Ivy Sports Symposium is an annual sports business conference established in 2006 by Chris Chaney (Princeton ’07) at Princeton University. Click here to view the 2011 Symposium agenda.

The Ivy Sports Symposium is one of the global sports industry’s premier conferences that sets the standard among college-based sports business events. It is widely considered the best and most comprehensive one-day event. The Symposium has gained industry-wide recognition since its inception by featuring more than 180 unique speakers from around the world representing all facets of the sports business.

The Symposium aims to advance the sports business by facilitating interaction among students and professionals, providing a forum for communication and debate, and enabling some of the most successful executives in the industry to share invaluable knowledge with their peers and successors.

Click here to register today for the 2011 Ivy Sports Symposium.

My friends over at Qcue,who specialize in dynamic ticket pricing in professional sports, sent me over some interesting information on what they were able to do with their Major League Baseball clients in 2011. I think this is valuable to share, particularly for any organizations that are thinking about the pros and cons of implementing a dynamic pricing strategy.

—–

Qcue today announced the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) season was the most active season to date for dynamic pricing, resulting in significant gains for all clients, including increases in total revenues, full-price ticket sales and revenue per seat (excluding season tickets, which do not use dynamic pricing).

With the regular season now complete, Qcue conducted in depth analysis across clients, concluding that the frequency of price changes has a direct impact on incremental revenue. In fact, they estimate that a team can generate an additional $900,000 in incremental revenue over the course of a season by making one additional change to each of its section prices.

Results like this show why dynamic pricing is quickly becoming an industry standard with more than one-third of MLB teams, as well as teams across other leagues, implementing the practice. Qcue’s roster continues to grow, with the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners set to implement dynamic pricing for the 2012 season. Qcue clients now represent 95% of all dynamically priced baseball tickets.

On average, teams approached 2011 with conservative on-sale prices, often lower than previous years, providing substantial values for many fans.

Additional findings include:

• Average price change per seat: $1.55 increase
• Average percentage change per seat: 3% increase
• Average price decrease: -$13.63
• Average price increase: $3.27

“The market has definitely hit a tipping point, where teams are no longer wondering ‘if’ they should embrace dynamic pricing, but rather ‘how often’ to leverage the intelligence and flexibility a solution like ours can provide to drive incremental revenue,” said Barry Kahn, CEO of Qcue. “Our analysis demonstrates the relationship between the frequency of price changes and incremental revenue and the value of understanding real-time market dynamics in setting more accurate prices. Teams that adjust prices more frequently make more money that can be invested back into the club.”

In addition to regular season pricing, teams are finding ways to extend dynamic pricing to new scenarios such as spring training, which the San Francisco Giants successfully did this year in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Qcue’s turnkey software solution helps teams analyze sales data and other external pricing variables, providing sales and revenue projections, strong reporting capabilities, as well as market-based price recommendations. Additionally, integration capabilities remove the management burden teams often face by directly communicating price changes to the teams’ ticketing system and website.

Thanks to Cybele and Barry from Qcue for sending this over!

Over the past week, there have been several news stories discussing the Big East Conference’s attempt to add additional football programs in order to maintain their automatic qualifying status with the Bowl Championship Series. While the conference’s current structure had been dictated primarily by geography (the “East” coast), their current efforts are focused more on the caliber of program than a program’s physical location. Their current targets would lead them to Idaho (Boise State), Colorado (Air Force) and Texas (SMU and Houston).

If these programs decide to accept their current/eventual invitations to the join the conference, it only seems logical that the conference should change it’s name to reflect their new geographic expansion. Some suggest simply creating western and eastern divisions, but even with that structure, it still seems a tad silly for the conference to use the term East when playing in Idaho and Colorado.

So, I’d like to come up with some suggestions for the Big East, “crowdsourcing” some naming options if you will. I posted the question on Twitter yesterday and got the following suggestions:

• From @TamaraJoleeTV - America Football Conference: AFC East / AFC West…
• From @SportsLoop - STSS Conference–Sea to Shining Sea
• From @NateThompson_ - Conference USA (Editor’s Note: taken for now, but it could open up if C-USA and the MWC merge)
• From @tonymagnelli - How about “The Empire” because the sun never sets on The Empire Conference.
• From @mBLASzKa - Big Country
• From @PioneerPlanner - The Big Best of the Rest (EN: I somehow think they might not like this one)

Earlier this year,  David Holland, Senior VP, Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco, wrote a guest post called “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby” that discussed how emerging technology continues to improve the fan experience. So when I received information about a partnership between Cisco and Verizon at AEG’s Staples Center, I thought it was definitely worth sharing.

The premise behind the Cisco StadiumVision partnership is to leverage digital video technology build by both Verizon and Cisco, to provide a more interactive experience for fans in the building, while making information on stadium amenities and services more visible. At  the same time, this technology can provide additional sources of revenue tied to targeted digital delivery of sponsor and partner assets across more than 375 interconnected HD displays in suites, stands and concourses.

Here are more of the details, courtesy of their joint press release:

• In the luxury suites, Cisco StadiumVision further personalizes the event experience by allowing fans to customize their view of the live game or show below, or switch to other channels of premium HD content, by simply changing the channel via the Cisco touch-screen Unified IP Phones in conjunction with Verizon voice-over-IP service. In the future, fans will also be able to order concessions and team merchandise for delivery to the suites using the touchscreen on the phones.
• With constantly changing games, teams and events, one of the keys for STAPLES Center is the flexibility of the technology being delivered by Verizon and Cisco. The entire color scheme, content and branding of the venue can be done with the push of a few buttons, and this is proving exceptionally valuable at the concessions stands where dynamic menu boards can easily be updated with new menu items and pricing.
• AEG is already seeing a strong return on its investment evidenced by results from the early deployment of digital and dynamic menu boards at the refreshment stands. For example, in March AEG saw a 9% increase in revenue (year over year) from concessions for Los Angeles Kings games. Even more impressive was the 400% increase in revenue (year over year) from select pilot promotions offered for the Los Angeles Sparks games this season.

According to James Timmons, vice president of global enterprise sales for Verizon Communications, “Designing and implementing technology solutions that cater to the individual consumer, as AEG has done with STAPLES Center, is a successful model for other venues to adopt.  Together with Cisco, we’re helping to create a game-changing experience for fans and new business opportunities for STAPLES Center partners.”

Technology partnerships like this one are a key component to maximizing the in-venue experience. With more and more advantages in digital displays, data delivery and interactive content, I expect you will continue to see teams and arenas implement similar programs, hopefully topping each other with more features and benefits for the fans each time.

The NBA is clearly going through a rough period because of the lockout, and with every passing day, more damage is being done between the league and its fans. However, even when an organization has to deal with something as stressful and problematic as a work stoppage, teams must continue to communicate to their fans, keeping them abreast of the situation and offering up as much damage control as possible.

I’m signed up for several team email lists, and I have to say, I’ve been most impressed by the Lakers messages over the past few weeks. Here are a few snippets to show how they’ve stayed in touch with their fans in an honest and direct manner. Each of these messages was “signed” from Tim Harris, Senior Vice President, Operations/CMO.

September 23:

We appreciate your continued patience as the NBA and the NBA Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Since no such agreement has been reached at this time, the league has postponed player training camps and cancelled preseason games scheduled through October 15th.

Please know that you are a vital part of the Lakers, and we value your support.

We want to assure you that the league’s efforts are focused on reaching an agreement that benefits all parties involved. The NBA’s goal is to secure a sustainable business model that enables all 30 teams to compete for a championship, fairly compensates players, and ensures a world-class experience for our fans.

We recognize that without our fans, there would be no NBA. Your passion for the game is what motivates us, and we do not take your support for granted. The league will continue to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement so that we can get back to enjoying the excitement of NBA basketball.

Thank you again for your support and your continued loyalty to the Lakers.

October 4:

We appreciate your patience as the NBA and the NBA Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Since an agreement has not been reached at this time, the league has canceled all preseason games.

The league will continue to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement so that we can get back to enjoying the excitement of NBA basketball.

Lakers fans are the passion that drives the team and we appreciate your support and your continued loyalty to the Lakers.

October 12:

We’re sorry to share that the NBA and the NBA Players Association have yet to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Unfortunately this means the league has had to cancel all regular season games scheduled through November 14th.

Rest assured both sides are working hard to get a deal done so that we can get back to what we all want most, the excitement of NBA basketball. In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep you informed with updates as they become available.

We share your frustration and sincerely appreciate both your support and continued loyalty to the Lakers.

There’s really no way to sugar coat the labor situation that the NBA is going through, so I think the Lakers’ sincere approach and expression of gratitude is a very effective way to communicate to their fans as the lockout moves along. Sending out bad news can be quite challenging from a marketing and PR perspective, but its much better to take this approach than to ignore the situation and not say anything.

I received an email last week from the St. Louis Rams about a new program called “Football University” that I thought was a great idea, so I wanted to share it with you here:

Teams are always looking for new packages and experiences to sell, and this package has a lot of unique benefits outside of just revenue:

• It’s a great integration with existing health care partners, creating more value for their sponsorship (and a nice mention for the team’s catering provider as well)
• The pink color scheme is consistent with all of the NFL’s breast cancer awareness messaging
• The package itself, with inside access to the team’s staff and facilities appeals to casual and hardcore fans alike
• Offering it with and without a game ticket creates flexibility for the consumers, while also hopefully providing a lift for ticket sales
• The inclusion of a charitable component (the United Way) is a great way to give back, and can also encourage more purchases
• Finally, I really like the name of the event – “Football University”

Earlier this week, I received an email from Yelp.com (pictured below). If you’re not familiar with the site, it is a great resource to share and look at reviews for local businesses, and they are also getting into the local deals business, so don’t be surprised to see special offers from sports teams through their service. This particular email was focused on promoting local sports bars where you can go watch your favorite teams play.

When I saw the email, I immediately noticed it because the subject line was “Get Yer New York Sports Here!” – for those of you outside the NY metro area that don’t recognize it, that’s the slogan for SportsNet NY (SNY). You can watch one of their newest commercials, and you’ll hear the phrase at the very end. They use it at the end of almost every TV and radio spot they create.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vDKyKQCYrU

So, what do you think of Yelp’s decision to send an email marketing message that prominently features the slogan of a local sports media outlet? I tried to see if the phrase was trademarked, and my cursory searches did not reveal any results. If the phrase is not trademarked, then it’s probably a great tactic. Of course, if it is trademarked and I just couldn’t find it, using the phrace might not even be legal. Should SNY be angry at Yelp? On one hand, Yelp is benefiting from SNY’s work, but on the other hand, it might help SNY my reminding the reader to watch their programming.

I’m pretty torn on this approach, so I’d love to know what you all think.

Digital Fan Marketing Summits, created and organized by Pat Coyle, are educational events designed to help attendees increase revenues through digital media. Pat normally hosts a few of these per year, most recently in Los Angeles and New York. His next event is coming up on October 11 in San Francisco, and I highly encourage folks to attend.

As a special offer for our readers, you can use the discount code sportsbiz to get $100 off the cost of admission!

Each summit attracts leading practitioners in digital publishing and brand marketing who share their experiences and latest thinking, build relationships and debate emerging opportunities such as:

• how to attract fans in digital channels
• how to generate value for these fans
• how to drive revenue from fans
• how to evaluate emerging trends and emerging technologies

Major discussion themes will include: social commerce, mobile commerce, location-based services, games, analytics and more. These 1-day events will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, Ignite presentations, and ample networking opportunities.

For more information and to register, please visit http://dfm11-sf.eventbrite.com/.

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Brett Pharis.

Three More Questions About College Football Conference Realignment: From a Non-AQ Point of View

Under consideration: the current landscape of college football’s conference affiliation and the direction of realignment. Last year we saw Utah and TCU get the nod from the ‘big boys’ to come play for the lion’s share of BCS money. In addition, we saw Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii, and Fresno State make small steps toward becoming legitimate post-season contenders. While Utah and TCU have used their success in big games to make the move to BCS conferences, teams like Boise State, Hawaii, Nevada, Houston, and others are still doing their best to prove themselves worthy in the BCS era. It’s unclear how conference realignment will play out, but as outsiders, Non-AQ schools face a different set of issues that are often overlooked when dissecting the BCS breakdown.

1. Do Super Conferences Provide Any More Stability to the Current CFB Landscape?

Although initial talk about conference realignment was fun and exciting, it’s quickly become one of stress and anticipation – not only for students and fans, but administrators and conference management as well. We’ve decided, as college football fans, which conferences are most powerful and in the best position to add schools to their ranks. It has been decided by ticket and merchandise sales, television viewers, and, unfortunately, the BCS system.

When coupled with Super-Conferences, these factors provide even more economic and political power to conferences that have already become staples in the college football arena. The fact is, Super Conferences do provide more stability for those conferences that already enjoy the benefits of the BCS stage. The Non-AQ schools, however, have an even more tumultuous road ahead of them. Consider the possibility of a Non-AQ school getting an at-large bid above a BCS conference that has multiple no-loss or one-loss teams – pretty unlikely, right? That doesn’t mean the Non-AQs would miss out on all potential BCS earnings, but this could dramatically decrease the slice of pie these schools have access to. You know the implication of this: less money equals further separation in program facilities and recruiting ability, etc., etc.

2. Which Non-AQ Schools Have the Opportunity to Make the Move to a BCS Conference?

This is an interesting topic – do any current Non-AQ schools deserve the chance to play in a BCS conference? Obviously, yes. Utah has already made the jump and TCU is poised to do so next season; albeit to a somewhat depleted Big East. The other obvious choice would be Boise State, but will population-base and television ratings hold Boise and other elite Non-AQ programs back?

3. Is it All About Television Viewers and Population-Base?

Yes and no. To the big conferences currently looking to add teams, television-market-size, fan-base, stadium seating, and academic standing fall in line as some of the most important considerations for conference realignment. But many of these conferences are looking past high potential, expanding, Non-AQ markets in an attempt to steal bigger fish from competing conferences. Look no further than the PAC-12, in discussion with OU and Texas for a potential conference scenario that makes no sense geographically, or economically, for current members.

A closer look at national fan-base and potential to build a conference a bit more organically might lead to a BCS conference extending an offer to a team like Boise State. Boise State, whose TV market and alumni population don’t offer much ‘wow-factor’ for BCS conference addition, do have quite an impressive national following. A recent NY Times article shows Boise State’s national following at about 500k, which is more than nearly half of the current PAC-12 members can claim. In addition, the city of Boise continues to be one of the fastest growing television markets in the US. Other schools like Houston, UCF, and ECU could all make very similar arguments for inclusion. Are these numbers enough to prove worthy of a BCS conference invitation? It’s yet to be seen!

Brett is a writer for CableTV.com. He typically writes about business, entertainment, and sports. You can follow him on Twitter at @BrettDrive.

I am excited to announce that we’re bringing our networking events back to Texas, specifically the Dallas/Forth Worth area!

The Business of Sports – Dallas Networking Event

• Wednesday, September 7 at Hully & Mo’s (2800 Routh St, Dallas)
• Open networking from 5:30 to 8:00PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!
• Special thanks to Brian and Brandi Connolly, Jamie Acks and Tom Scovic for making this event happen.

Our goal is to create a regular series of sports business networking events in as many major markets as we can. They provide great opportunities for sports professionals on all levels to connect with other like-minded individuals and build up their professional network. Our feedback continues to be tremendous, so we will keep seeking out new locations and new ways to help support this wonderful community. We hope to see as many of you as we can at one of these events very soon!

Also, please check out the photo gallery from our last New York event, courtesy of VenuesToday.com.

A lockout is never a good thing for an organization. The stress it creates can have a long-lasting impact on the relationship between the team and its fans. As such, it’s very important to find a way to foster that relationship as much as possible while the labor issues are addressed.

The Denver Nuggets have taken the approach during this time to create Fan Features on Nuggets.com. According to the team, they will feature a different fan each week for at least three months, and maybe longer. The features will cover a mix of long-term season ticket holders, top group leaders, and even new buyers, highlighting their experiences being Nuggets fans.

The first profile went up about a month ago and featured 36-year season ticket holder Brian Dyet. You can read his profile here, or check out the most recent profile of Cheryl Burger (seen on the right), and scroll down for links to all their fan features to date. All fan features are also promoted on the Nuggets Facebook page and other social media outlets.

These features serve multiple important functions, including:

• Rewarding the team’s most valuable customers
• Building goodwill during a tenuous time
• Create some that other customers can aspire to be a part of
• Generate positive content to drive visitors back to the team website
• Potentially generate sales interest from fans that relate to the fan features

Content like this is a great tactic to use not just during a lockout, but year-round. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Nuggets continue this feature once the lockout is resolved. This type of fan-focused content can also extend beyond the website to things like yearbooks, programs, dedicated social media content, in-stadium features and even the physical tickets (several teams in the NFL used fan images on tickets this year).

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Caleb Mezzy.

Playing OF for the AL in this year’s #TweetStarGame, leading the league with a Klout score of 77.80, @JoeyBats19……

We’ve seen the recent activity and popularity of many of our favorite players on Twitter. I’m sure, by now, you have favorite players to follow based on their funny tweets or inside information.

However, have you ever thought about how influential the player is on Twitter? You can see their followers, their following and their tweets, but who is the best MLB player on Twitter to follow?

On July 6, I launched #TweetStarGame. The idea was to combine Klout with my love for baseball and Social Media. I wanted to see which player had the highest Klout score. On Klout.com it states: “The Klout Score is the measurement of your overall online influence. The scores range from 1 to 100 with higher scores representing a wider and stronger sphere of influence. Klout uses over 35 variables on Facebook and Twitter to measure True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network Score.”

We wanted to find the best MLB players on Twitter at each position for both the American (AL) and National (NL) League. You’d be surprised at the scores we received and who is starting, on the bench, or flat out just didn’t make the cut!

Major League Baseball teams could use something like the #TweetStarGame as a positive way to gauge their players’ influence on fans. The most appealing thing in social media is your total outreach. These players are able to influence and engage with their fans all over the world. Klout helps to measure this for the individual players, and teams are also able to see their own organizational Klout score.

There are many teams in which their players have happily adopted social media and are using it wisely. The Yankees, Rays, are among the leaders in the AL and the Indians even have #BullpenMafia as a popular hashtag with their bullpen pitchers being popular tweeters. In the NL,  we’ve seen a recent rise in the Phillies’ players and a steady involvement with the Pirates and Marlins.

As Klout is a measure of online influence it is important to note a few moments that have caused MLB tweeters’ influence to rise. Here are a few instances:

• @HeathBell21 made the NL Bullpen in #TweetStarGame right after his grand entrance with a slide in the MLB All-Star Game
• Players like @HunterPence3 and @CarlosBeltran15 saw a rise in trade talks as they were welcomed by their new teams graciously using their handles. This led to more mentions and followers.
• Other players like @thisisdspan and @mcuddy5 received an increase in influence due to potential trade talks. Although Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer were never traded, their names wer frequently mentioned.
• Other tweeters new to the game of Twitter always see a significant spark in their Klout score. This is evident in Phillies’ Rookie Vance Worley (@VANIMAL_49) who started his Twitter career last week and is now seeing time in the #TweetStarGame bullpen for the NL.

The scores will update once a day. I encourage all of you to voice your opinion using #TweetStarGame. You can post comments on my site (see Caleb’s original blog post here) and use #TweetStarGame to congratulate the players (their handles/Twitter pages are linked) on their deserving spot in the #TweetStarGame.

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Brian Connolly.

Unsold premium seating inventory is a rising problem in the sports industry. It is becoming more and more common to turn on the television for a game, only to see dark suites and swaths of empty club seats in the background. Most teams have approached this issue as a sales problem… making more sales calls, offering more creative discounts, etc. In my opinion however, this is not a sales problem, this is a structural problem.

During the sports facility building boom that lasted from the early 1990’s to the mid 2000’s, most professional sports teams drastically ramped up their inventories of luxury suites and club seats. Prior to the building boom, the vast majority of seating revenues for sports teams were generated from general admission tickets, but now seating products focused on corporations and high-income individuals can account for as much as 25% of a franchise’s locally-generated income.

As the U.S. economy sank into a recession in 2007-2008, many teams were optimistic that the effects of the economic downturn would only be temporary. However as our nation’s economic outlook continues to stagnate, there are several financial and cultural factors that could continue to depress long-term demand for suite and club seat sales:

• A prevailing culture of austerity – With the U.S. unemployment rate exceeding 9 percent, many companies don’t want to associate their brands with premium seating that could potentially be viewed by the general public as “exclusive” or “excessive”.
• The rising non-ticket costs of attending a game – As corporate entertainment budgets have been slashed, the additional cost of stocking a suite with food and beverages or paying for the gourmet food and beverage options that are available in the club lounge, has become prohibitive for many firms.
• Advanced technology has made it more appealing to stay home – With the growth of satellite TV, streaming on-line video, interactive iPad apps, HD and 3D televisions, DVRs, and other such technologies… more sporting events are available at home in a wider variety of entertaining formats. The increased quality of affordable entertainment at home can make it very difficult for price-conscious buyers to commit to large, long-term contracts.
• A surplus of single-event inventory cannibalizes long-term demand – If a team responds to unsold inventory by heavily marketing it on an individual-game basis, they not only incent potential customers to avoid making a long-term commitment, but they also encourage current suite holders not to renew. If you know that discounted club seats are on sale for just about any game you want, why would you commit to buying an expensive club seat license or full-season ticket package? Or if you see another company occasionally renting the suite next door to yours on a per-game basis, why would you renew your long-term suite lease?

As all of these factors continue to depress the demand for traditional premium seating products, the 1990’s mentality of maximizing revenue by building as many large luxury suites as possible on your suite-level is no longer relevant. The days of generating premium prices from non-premium locations by turning them into club seat sections are over. So now, many of those large luxury suites and many of those mezzanine-level club seats are sitting empty. This is a structural problem… a fixed inventory that cannot easily be adjusted to meet changes in demand.

I have been engaged by several professional and collegiate sports teams in recent years to analyze premium seating demand, and there are several demand trends that have consistently appeared:

• As overall demand has decreased for large suites that can be difficult for all but the largest companies to fill, new demand has developed for a wider variety of suite sizes, configurations and locations. Examples include smaller suites with seating capacities for 8 to 12 people, super suites with memberships sold in 2-seat increments, large party suites that cater to high-capacity corporate functions, and bunker/event-level suites that offer both a lounge area with behind-the-scenes views of the players and front row seats in the lower bowl.
• There is significant untapped demand for loge boxes (open-air, “theater-style” boxes with seating for four to six people). Loge boxes are extremely popular with small to mid-sized businesses that can’t afford suites but would like a comfortable, private space for entertaining clients.
• Demand for club seats that are located on a mezzanine level is rapidly decreasing. Attaching premium amenities to a non-premium seating location has lost its appeal for many fans. The demand for club seats can be greatly enhanced by relocating them in the center of the lower bowl.

In order to maximize their premium seating revenues in the new economy, many teams/buildings will need to invest in facility renovations to meet the current levels of consumer demand. Until teams provide a wider variety of seating options and price points, they will continue to carry large amounts of unsold inventory and cannibalize their long-term sales efforts with single-game rentals.

Brian Connolly is a sports and entertainment venue consultant with CSL International (www.cslintl.com). He specializes in market demand analysis and financial advisory for professional sports franchises, collegiate teams, arenas, stadiums, ballparks, performing arts centers and amphitheaters. You can follow him on Twitter @BrianHConnolly or e-mail him at bconnolly@cslintl.com.

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Dr. Kirk Wakefield and was originally published in Volume 7, Issue 4 of the Migala Report. The Migala Report was launched in October 2003 to create an educational and idea-sharing resource for sports executives pursuing revenue-generating concepts. To subscribe, please visit www.MigalaReport.com.

Do great players make a coach great? Or do great coaches make players great?  Either way, all else equal, anyone of us involved in recruiting would rather start with the best personnel we can find for our rosters. Since mistakes in recruiting can cost a coach his or her job. We want to know what traits, skills, and experience are necessary to perform at the highest levels, so we know what to look for and how to effectively coach top performers.

What makes a successful salesperson? To find out, we examined the characteristics of ticket and sponsorship salespeople across eight professional sports teams on the advisory board of the Migala Report, who also serve as advisors to Baylor University’s Sports Sponsorship & Sales program. The results, which did not differ whether ticket or sponsorship salespeople, confirms and extends what we know about the characteristics of successful salespeople.

Five characteristics differentiate strong from weak performers in selling for sports organizations. Each is a significant predictor of sales generated for the organization, but of varying importance. In terms of the influence on actual annual sales revenue, the top five characteristics, in order:

1. Adaptive selling skills
2. Sales training
3. Goal clarity
4. Dominant behavioral style
5. Experience

We begin with number five and work our way to the most important characteristic leading to success in selling in this industry, adaptive selling.

Experience:  Since success in selling is based upon commissions and bonuses, individuals who sustain longer careers have clearly produced sales in the past—or else they wouldn’t have a job. So, experience as measured by years in the position (within the team or within the industry) will always offer a clue as to future success. Yet, it’s important to note it is the least important of the five characteristics. While experience definitely helps in this industry, some organizations may weigh this factor more heavily if they have less ability to discern the next four more important elements of successful salespeople.

Dominant behavioral style:  The DISC behavioral style assessment tool is growing among sports and non-sports organizations alike to evaluate sales candidates and is also used as a sales management tool. The DISC Behavioral Style Assessment requires individuals to complete a psychological battery of items describing the way one interacts with others in work settings. The emphasis is on behavior, not temperament or personality. The chart below offers a brief summary of the four behavioral styles, based on work conducted by TTI Performance Systems, who assisted us in our studies.

Our results in studying sports salespeople, as well as real estate salespeople, reveal that individuals who are “High D’s” are more successful than low D’s. Furthermore, higher levels of the other DISC traits are not associated with successful salespeople. In fact, individuals with high “S” scores may do very well in customer service positions, but fare poorly in sales positions due to inability to close.

Goal clarity:  To be successful, salespeople must know what is expected of them. Compared to poor performers, successful salespeople:

1. Know exactly what output is expected.
2. Have clear and unambiguous performance targets.
3. Have a clear, planned set of goals to achieve the objectives.

Goal clarity is a function of sales management effectiveness and the individual salesperson. Driven salespeople are goal-directed, so even when management is vague, the individual will still establish goals. Of course, the problem is these goals may not be consistent with management’s goals. Consequently, the best scenario is when the sales manager works with salespeople to establish agreed upon goals for the position.

Sales training:  The level of sales training provided varies considerably across professional and collegiate sports. Compared to Corporate America, sports franchises could stand to improve sales training. In complex buying contexts involving large dollar expenditures, corporations may invest anywhere from six weeks to two years in training salespeople. One of the reasons sports franchises may not see the value of such sponsorship sales training is a lack of understanding or appreciation for the complexities with which major corporations evaluate and manage brands.

In a general sense, effective training can be measured by understanding the extent to which the sales staff clearly understands:[1]

1. How to interact with customers.
2. How much service to provide customers.
3. How to behave with customers while on the job.
4. How to handle customer objections.
5. How to handle unusual problems and situations.
6. How to deal with customers’ criticisms.
7. Which specific strengths to present to customers.
8. Which specific benefits to highlight for customers.

Organizations that highly value training ultimately invest in their own bottom lines, as the level of training was the second strongest influence on salespeople’s earnings in our study.

Adaptive selling:  The strongest influence on performance is adaptive selling, defined as “the altering of sales behaviors during a customer interaction or across customer interactions based on perceived information about the nature of the selling situation.”[2] The top performers in selling sports, or just about anything else, will:

1. Use a unique approach for each customer.
2. Easily change to another approach if the current sales approach is not working.
3. Experiment with different sales approaches.
4. Be flexible in selling approaches, not stuck on a set approach.
5. Find it easy to change presentation style to fit the buyer.

A key component in adaptive selling is confidence in one’s selling abilities, or the personal belief in being capable of organizing, executing, and evaluating the right course of action in the sales context. Not so much confidence or self-esteem in a general sense, but confidence in one’s sales skills. We all know people with plenty of confidence, but that doesn’t mean they have good adaptive selling skills.

Adaptive selling skills fit hand-in-glove with a partnership approach to selling. Adaptive selling, also referred to as consultative selling, focuses on offering a unique selling proposition attuned to the buyer’s needs. Our research also indicates adaptive sales skills are highly correlated with sales training, High D behavioral styles, and experience. Hence, the best salespeople are both born and bred—pointing to the importance of both recruiting and coaching.

Dr. Kirk Wakefield is the Executive Director at Baylor University’s Center for Sports Sponsorship & Sales, and serves as editor of The Migala Report published by the Center.

[1] Singh, Jagdip and Gary K. Rhoads (1991), “Boundary role ambiguity in marketing-oriented positions: a multidimensional, multifaceted operationalization,” Journal of Marketing Research, 28 (August), 328-38.

[2] Spiro, Rosann L. and Barton A. Weitz (1990), “Adaptive selling: conceptualization, measurement, and nomological validity,” Journal of Marketing Research, 27 (February), 61-79.

I am excited to announce that we have two more sports networking events scheduled for this month and they are in the two biggest markets in the country!

The Business of Sports – Los Angeles Networking Event

• Thursday, August 18 at ESPN Zone at LA Live
• Open networking from 6:00 to 9:00PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!
• Special thanks to Joshua Boren (Populous) and Ara Messerlian (Par 5 Events)

The Business of Sports – New York Networking Event

• Wednesday, August 24 at Slattery’s Midtown Pub
• Open networking from 6:30 to 9:30PM
• Free to attend, all backgrounds welcome (No resumes please!)
• Details and RSVP here!
• Special thanks to Joshua Duboff (The Sports Business Exchange)

Our goal is to create a regular series of sports business networking events in as many major markets as we can (we’re actually working on coming back to Dallas/Fort Worth very soon). These events provide opportunities for sports professionals on all levels to connect with other like-minded individuals and build up their professional network. Our feedback from these events continues to be tremendous, so we will keep seeking out new locations and new ways to help support this wonderful community. We hope to see as many of you as we can at one of these events very soon!

I was riding on a subway in New York last night and saw an advertisement that caught my interest. Take a look at the picture below…

If you are from the New York area, you might see this ad and “recognize” the font being used for the word “YES.” If it doesn’t look familiar to you, take a look at this logo:

Now, I know that they’re not exactly the same (e.g. there is a diagonal slant in the tips of the “E” in the YES Network logo that’s not in the Nestea ad), but you have to admit there’s a definite resemblance. The question I have is, was this font choice intentional? Considering the advertisement is running in a New York subway and the popularity of the Yankees and the YES Network in this area, this could be a strategic decision by Nestea or their advertising agency, especially if this is only a local campaign (the argument doens’t hold as much weight if this is part of a national campaign).

It costs a lot of money to use a team’s logo, but designing an advertisement in a way that can still trigger an association in the mind of the reader without including any actual team marks could be a cost-effective option. In many situations, a particular font or word choice can be enough to trigger that association. I’m not saying that’s what Nestea was going for here, but the font choice was definitely enough to make me think of the YES Network, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Coyle Media has created a great info-graphic providing insight into the demographics, behaviors and affinity of fans that follow NHL teams on Twitter. Take a look…

[Via Coyle Media]

Some of the items that I found to be most interesting were:

• 78% attended at least one game, which is particularly impressive since only 68% live within the team’s metro area. These engaged Twitter users represent an important source of potential ticket revenue.
• 87% check Twitter multiple times a day, but only about 1/3 of these users have used a geolocation service. While geolocation has a lot of potential, the adoption rate is still much slower than other forms of social media usage.
• The fact that 88% are multi-screeners shows how much value fans see in social engagement as a key facet to the home viewing experience. The more that media outlets integrate social media, the better experience these viewers will have.

For more insights from Pay Coyle, including his thoughts on how this data relates to sponsorship potential, visit his blog post at CoyleMedia.com.

Update:  Coyle Media just released a similar info-graphic on Facebook usage – click below to view that one as well, or visit CoyleMedia.com for the complete blog post.

Sports Marketing from Coyle Media, LLC.

Rather that relying just on my opinion, earlier this morning I asked my Twitter network, “What does the #USWNT loss yesterday mean for the WPS and soccer in the US in general?” Let’s take a look at some of the different replies I received, ranging from quite positive to pretty gloomy…

From @timingle:  Loss is unfortunate but gives increased motivation to continue developing program. A strong, well-funded professional women’s league can only help the future of the #USWNT, it certainly can’t hurt it. Recent fans of the #USWNT need to be made AWARE of WPS. ‘Strike while the iron’s hot’, so to speak, capitalize on excitement.

From @gx5:  Means nothing for soccer in the US. Was never big, will never be that big here. Nothing changes. Huge hit for WPS though. People will continue to not care. Another Cup win could’ve temporarily boosted attendance.

From @andrewhfine:  Definitely a hit to lose, but game was well played and very entertaining. As far as attracting fans, thats better than 3-0 win.

From @ShekBorkowski:  Probably nothing. US fans are big event fans and a typical womens football club match just will not excite them. Not really possible to sustain that level of interest without media coverage we have witnessed since the BRA match.

From @Chris_Lesley:  It meant WPS being marketable for 3 months to not being marketable at all.

From @parkour_knox: As much as I loved them being there, even a win for #USWNT would have done very little for WPS or womens soccer in the US. The hype around the game was more about national pride and less about people caring about womens soccer #inmyopinion.

From @jonathan_norman: I think the strong overnights bode well for the long-term health of soccer. I still see growth potential, honestly. #sportsbiz

From @spencerlueders: Millions in $ and lost potential of young girls picking up the sport. London 2012 is next chance.

From @JoshuaABoren: Long term it benefits the game. Added lots of new fans & drove interest. Short term though, people will forget when NFL is back.

In addition, this was the first topic discussed in last night’s weekly #sbchat. You can check out the transcript here (thanks to @cannonjw for sending this over). What do you think the short- and long-term impact of yesterday’s match will be?

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Dr. Kirk Wakefield and was originally published in Volume 7, Issue 1 of the Migala Report. The Migala Report was launched in October 2003 to create an educational and idea-sharing resource for sports executives pursuing revenue-generating concepts. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.MigalaReport.com.

Is winning everything? When it comes to fan attendance and setting ticket prices, how much does winning matter? There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence and exceptions people like to throw out to prove the point one way or the other.  That’s what you do when you don’t really know. At least that’s what I do. But, since this is a research column, we thought we’d look at some data. And, who has more data than they know what to do with? Major League Baseball.

The real question isn’t really just about winning. We cannot look at winning and losing in isolation, because context matters.  What about the economy? What if the team has a new stadium? What if the team has a star player approaching a career milestone? What if there are other franchises in the same area?

Within the context of the factors listed below, which do you think has had the most influence on a team’s attendance for the past decade (2000-2009) in Major League Baseball?  Even though they  mirror the previous decade, the results might surprise you.

When we include all of these factors together to predict annual attendance in MLB, we find that the stadium has the strongest effect, followed by star players, and then the winning percentage in the current season. Last season’s performance also has an influence on this year’s attendance. Statistical analysis shows that the order of the size of the effect on predicting attendance is as follows:

1. Stadium quality
2. Star players
3. Current season’s winning percentage
4. Last season’s winning percentage
5. Population-related factors (SMA population, number of MLB and other professional franchises)
6. Ticket and concession prices
7. The economy (per capita income)

The surprise may be that winning has less influence on attendance than the stadium and players, but also interesting is the fact that population-related factors and ticket/concession prices are positively related to attendance.  Other economic studies have previously suggested that larger populations with more pro franchises hurt, not help, attendance in MLB. Further, because professional sports are more of a prestige good, higher ticket prices are associated with higher attendance. Also interesting is the fact that as much as we hear people blaming the economy, reduced earnings of consumers across MLB cities has a very minor effect. We’ll discuss each of these shortly, but let’s start with the strongest influence on attendance.

The Stadium. When analyzing the effect of the stadium, it’s important to account for the fact that vintage stadiums such as Fenway Park and Wrigley Field attract just as well as new stadiums.  One of the reasons that the stadium is so important to baseball is the length of the season.  With 81 home games, the potential amount of time spent at the game for season ticket holders is far greater than for basketball or hockey (41 home games), soccer, and, certainly, for football.  Other research shows that the facility is still important for those sports, but not as much as for baseball.

The advantage of investing in the sportscape is that it has a known, certain effect on attendance for at least ten years. Investing in players and managers, while obviously important, produce less certain outcomes. Investing in individual star players, however, may be worth it.

Star players. The reason that star players have such a strong effect on attendance is because fans identify with individual players on the team as much as with the team.  Fans build psychological bonds with star players that positively reinforce their own self images.  From management’s perspective, this suggests that signing key players with attractive leadership qualities is a critical part of building attendance.

Winning. For those that thought that winning now is everything, apparently it comes in third. The results show that winning during the current season should attendance. However, winning is unlikely to have a lasting effect without a good stadium and star players. The Florida Marlins proved this twice following World Series wins in 1997 and 2003. Fellow Floridians in Tampa Bay have witnessed similar problems.

The results from the MLB data show that last season’s performance has almost as much influence on attendance as the current year’s performance. Season tickets are sold primarily on the basis of the hope offered by last year’s performance on the field. So, teams that win from year to year are likely to sustain or maintain attendance.

Taken together, putting together a string of winning seasons should increase attendance. The problem is that compared to investing in the stadium and star players, winning is uncontrollable.  Of course, signing star players may help winning, but that’s also hard to predict.  From a marketer’s perspective, you are better off promoting what you can control and deliver—and winning is not one of them. If you’d like to read about some classic collapses by teams that thought they’d be big winners, see David Schoenfield’s article on ESPN.com.

Population and competition. Economists have studied these same factors in multiple studies dating prior to this past decade and have always shown that larger populations in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the Bay area with multiple teams have negative effects on attendance. Theoretically, teams located in these cities face more indirect and direct competition that might lure fan spending from MLB attendance. I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but almost all of the teams in those cities (Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/ Angels, Cubs/White Sox, and Giants) have strong attendance.  The only exception is Oakland. The stadium and lack of star players and winning explain why.

The reason these previous studies showed different results are likely due to two reasons. First, the introduction of AT&T Park in San Francisco and the repeated renovations to improve Cellular Field in Chicago have boosted attendance. It didn’t hurt that the White Sox won the World Series in 2005. Further, the new Citi Field will continue to help attendance for the Mets. Second, prior economic studies did not account for the fact that population size is correlated with having competing franchises in the same city and having multiple pro franchises across all sports. Statistically speaking, this causes errors in estimating attendance models that can produce misleading results.

In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have benefited from being the only game in town. But, these results from MLB indicate that having the in-town rivalries between the Cubs & White Sox, Yankees & Mets, Angels & Dodgers help attendance. Fans in these cities must intentionally choose allegiance to one of the teams, which should increase identification and passion for each team.

Ticket and concession prices. The results show that teams with higher attendance have higher ticket and concession prices. We also conducted additional analysis that shows that you can closely predict next year’s prices with this year’s attendance in MLB.  Increased demand for tickets of teams with good stadiums, star players, and winning teams in strong markets means higher prices. Put differently, teams with poor stadiums, no-name players, and losing teams are the ones that are forced to cut ticket prices.

The economy. For all the hand-wringing about the effects of the economy, we find that lower per capita income levels across MLB cities affect attendance, but much less so than the other factors we’ve discussed. In the end, the fan’s objection is not so much to price, but to the value offered by the team in terms of the stadium experience, the players on the team, and the performance on the field.

Dr. Kirk Wakefield is the Executive Director at Baylor University’s Center for Sports Sponsorship & Sales, and serves as editor of The Migala Report published by the Center.

- Click here for David Shoenfield’s ESPN article on “Baseball’s all-time train-wreck seasons.”
- Click here to go Dr. Wakefield’s TeamSportsMarketing.com website to read more research and sports marketing tips.

It’s very easy to get caught up in all the technology options we have today when it comes to how we communicate with our customers. Whether it’s via the web, email, mobile, social media or all of the above, we have no shortage of ways to interact digitally. However, we cannot forget that this technology may not be as exciting or natural to use for many of our customers, and as such, it’s up to us to make sure that we do not overlook these individuals or provide a lower level of service to them.

The term “digital immigrants” was coined to identify people that have not grown up with technology (as compared to “digital natives”), and in turn, their comfort level with it will vary dramatically. Some people will refuse to learn at all and can get along quite comfortably without ever using a computer. Others will recognize the value of these digital services and attempt to teach themselves how to use them, but even in these cases, they often prefer to use more traditional means of communication.

Here are some ideas to make sure your digital immigrants receive the same level of service as your other tech-savvy customers:

• Make sure your customer service phone number is prominently displayed in all communications, both digital and print.
• Always provide the option to receive invoices and other important communications by mail or fax. We all want to be “greener” and more cost effective, but not at the expense of customer satisfaction.
• As you identify customers that don’t have email addresses, add them to a list and make sure that list receives phone calls from your service department after important notices are sent. This should include items that the customer finds important (pre-sales, on-sales, special events), not just payment information.
• Don’t assume that just because you sent an email that the customer actually received it or read it. Even those customers that you do have an email address for may not check it regularly enough (that’s why we don’t have 100% open rates on emails).
• Use a “robo-call” service as an option for important customer communications (opt-in only!).
• Where technology is absolutely required (e.g. listing tickets for resale online), create easy-to-follow video instruction and a video tutorial to try and make the experience as simple as possible.
• When surveying customers, don’t overlook those that don’t have an email. These customers could receive the option of completing the survey over the phone or by paper copy.
• Have regular walk-up hours at your box office, including at least one day per week with extended hours.

On my drive home last night, I was thinking about the differences between the visibility and marketability of NBA vs. NHL players.  At first, I thought there were enough similarities between them that NHL players should get more name recognition about casual fans than they currently do, especially compared to the recognition that NBA players have.  Let’s take a look at some of those similarities, then I’d like to highlight one particular item that I think the NHL’s media partners can help with.

Similarities:

• Time of year – both start in the fall and finish in late spring
• Season length – both have around 80 games per season with similar playoff structures
• Venue – both have similar capacities and most arenas are designed to host both sports
• Markets – the NHL has more Canadian presence, but most major U.S. markets are represented
• Players in action – both sports are 5 on 5 (plus goalies for hockey), which should be an advantage compared to baseball (9 on 9) and football (11 on 11)
• Uniforms – both feature the players’ last names and numbers prominently across the back
• Action – both games feature a constant flow of action for about the same length of time

Differences:

• TV Coverage – while the NHL’s coverage is increasing, the NBA has more network and cable coverage
• Grassroots – there are many more basketball courts across the country than hockey rinks, leading to more familiarity and interest
• Scoring – there’s a big difference between a 3-2 final score and a 104-96 final score
• Roster size – hockey rosters are about double the size of basketball

If I keep drilling into more details, I can list out more similarities and differences, but there’s one more difference that I want to focus us…line changes. Unlike basketball, where you have a lot of continuity with the players on the court, hockey has a constant stream of player changes that makes it very difficult for a casual fan to know who exactly is on the ice at any given time. Combine that with the lack of scoring (in basketball, every basket provides a chance to share the name of the player that scored), and the amount of exposure that the players gets throughout the course of a game is limited.

With this in mind, I have a simple suggestion for the NHL’s media partners that can help… an “on-the-ice” bar at the bottom of the screen that lets the viewers know what players are currently on the ice.  I know the idea of putting more things on the screen takes away the amount of space available for the game, but with the popularity of widescreen televisions, I feel that two thin bars at the bottom of the screen could easily be added in the same place you’d see a score ticker.  Seeing the names of the players involved in the action and updating them with each line change could have a huge impact in building awareness for these athletes, which will benefit both the players and the league.

Today’s post is an excerpt from an interview with Ken Stefanov, CFO for the Indians, conducted by Peter Alpern from BusinessFinance (businessfinancemag.com).

Anguish isn’t just part of the Cleveland sports fan’s culture; it becomes part of its very identity, seemingly embedded in the city’s very DNA. It is this tidal force that franchises such as the Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavaliers come up against each season.

Ken Stefanov, CFO for the Indians, has to combat this on two ends: providing the financial and organizational foundation to build a winning team on the field while addressing the sober economic reality of competing in a market that draws roughly a fifth of the annual revenue of the New York Yankees.

As the calendar turned to June in this, the Indians 111th season in the American League, the Indians have become baseball’s biggest secret, racing to the top of the Central Division. But that success hasn’t equated to the turnstiles: Less than half of the seats at Cleveland’s Progressive Field are full and season-ticket sales are at their lowest since the Indians moved into their current stadium in 1994.

Stefanov discussed with Business Finance how the Indians, with all the organization’s small-market challenges, is really not unlike any other corporation: financial rigor and strategic insight need to be tightly linked; uncertainty demands flexible strategies and the development of alternatives for growth.

Business Finance: From a financial perspective, tell me a little bit about the economic landscape you’re working with and how that translates on the field and running the business?

Ken Stefanov: The local economy, obviously, is quite different from the one we were operating in during the 1990s and it’s quite different from even five to 10 years ago. The competition isn’t just with the local sports teams, like the Cavs and Browns. We’re an entertainment business and people have options.

We work based off where the team is in relation to the business cycle. You ramp up, develop players and hopefully make a charge on top of the business cycle for competitiveness on the field. Then, the way the economics of baseball work is that you’ve got to be fiscally responsible and maybe take it down because players leave for bigger contracts you can’t afford. So you learn to deal with the business cycle, and you learn to budget accordingly.

BF: Where is the team within that business cycle right now?

KS: The state of the [Indians] franchise is good. I say that in light of the whole Dodgers situation. We have to be very realistic about where the team is at and what the market will bear. While it appears we may be in the midst of a recovery economically, we have some very serious concerns about the Northeast Ohio economy and where it’s going. Statistically, we’ve seen unemployment is down. It’s dropped to 9.3% in Northeast Ohio. Last year, it was up 1.5%. So there are some glimmers of hope. But it’s my job to be realistic and take the emotion out of the baseball side of things.

BF: Where do you see the role of finance contributing to the success of a ballclub?

KS: Well, for us, the big picture here is, as an organization, to win a World Series. We’re also here to make the fans—the focus of our attention—entertained. We want to reinvest in our ballpark, and we want to have a positive impact on our community. Those are our four goals.

To do that, though, we have to be creative, especially in finance. There may be very little difference between the finance departments at the Indians and the Yankees and a Fortune 500 company. But I think it’s my charge to make sure that the little difference that there is counts for a significant influence on the operations of the company.

BF: Within the confines of the finance department, how do you overcome that competitive disadvantage?

KS: We have to be that much sharper in our decision-making process day to day. We have to spend wisely. And it’s that pressure to be smarter that I think will make a smaller-market team successful or not successful.

One of the things we have made an investment in as a small-market team is in my IT department—which I oversee—we have developed our own proprietary software applications. We do not share these with other teams. One [application] focuses on scouting, another identifies metrics and trends and then another is a video coaching system for adjusting mechanics for the players.

This is where small-market teams really have to separate themselves. Maybe the Yankees have a comparable system, and maybe they don’t. But because our margin is so thin, we have to excel in other areas because we’ll never win the outbidding game.

To continue reading the full interview, visit www.businessfinancemag.com. Thanks again to Peter Alpern for sharing this interview with us!

Of all the leagues that I receive email from, I have to say that MLS does some of the best work in providing sponsor value via this important communication channel (and this is an area that I’ve criticized other organizations about in the past). Take a look at some of the examples below that I think you can learn from:

Home Depot – Drives participation in their Community MVP program, which is a key component in how Home Depot activates around MLS, and rewards entrants with a chance to win.

American Airlines – Great integration between the idea of being a soccer fan and traveling the world (look at the names on the departure board), driving valuable opt-ins for both organizations.

Castol – Back to the basics with an email that directly encourages Castol product sales and rewards MLS fans with a valuable incentive.

I also love the simple, clean and effective footers they use in their emails to drive more engagement via social media outlets. These are great examples to follow when driving sponsor value with your email communications.

Today’s post is from guest blogger Travis Yost, an Arizona State University graduate with his B.S. in Business Management. In the past, Travis has covered the World Series of Poker for BLUFF Magazine and acted as a contributor to the likes of Deadspin, KuklasKorner, and MSN FoxSports. Currently, he covers the Ottawa Senators for HockeyBuzz.com.

Just last week, NBC was able to extent its partnership with the Olympic Games through the year 2020, forking over a hefty $4.4B sum in exchange for broadcasting exclusivity.

Exact terms of the contract are not yet known, but one certainty is that the Olympics will remain on NBC for the next four games, starting with the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and ending with the 2020 Summer Games in a locale still to be determined.

Obviously, NBC’s been pretty forthright and open about making the Olympics their proverbial bread and butter, but it does beg the question of whether or not spending such massive amounts of money for a competition that’s waned in popularity over the past couple of decades is truly a smart business decision.

When Dick Ebersol decided to step down as Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, many expected the business plan for the network to change. As a sports entity, NBC’s primarily targeted two fronts – the National Hockey League and the Olympics – in an attempt to stay ahead of the curve and build on the potential for growth in unsaturated markets.

For that reason alone, it wasn’t entirely surprising to hear that NBC and Comcast managed to strike a deal with the National Hockey League a month ago. NBC’s been fairly adamant that the National Hockey League, by and large, will continue to grow over the next decade.

The success the league’s had since the devastating lockout in 2004-2005 is quantifiable, so when NBC handed the NHL $2B for exclusivity and broadcasting rights over the next ten years, many praised the network for it’s focus on building in both the short and long-term. With the deal, NBC and the soon-to-be renamed Versus will offer a much more enviable product line, one that’s going to deliver the game of hockey on a daily(as opposed to weekly) basis.

Dick Ebersol – now Mark Lazarus – and NBC’s other business venture in the Olympic Games has been far more treacherous. When reports surfaced back in 2010 that NBC Universal would lose almost $200M on the Vancouver Games alone and continue their hemorrhaging in the 2012 London Games, many expected the network to shy away from a massive overpayment at the very least, and in all probability, back out of a bidding war with other network conglomerates.

That wasn’t the case.

The $4.4B bid NBC put forward crushed the opposition. For a benchmark, ESPN had offered just $1.4B for the 2014 and 2016 games, putting an average at $700M per. NBC’s deal is 1.5 times that. Said ESPN in a public statement:  ”To go any further would not have made good business sense for us,” ESPN said in a statement. “We put our best foot forward with a compelling offer that included the enthusiastic participation of all of The Walt Disney Co.’s considerable assets.”

For whatever reason(s), it’s pretty apparent that NBC thinks the American public will begin to buy figurative stock of the Olympic Games and tune in with regularity, but considering recent trends, I’m not sure the general public is as confident.

Again, the deal makes fiscal sense if the Peacock Network can change how they deliver their product and make it once again appeal to men and women of all ages. NBC took a royal beating from media types for their ‘tape delay’ broadcasts of the 2010 Olympic Games, but that now seems like a thing of the past. In this day and age, there’s really no excuse for tape delay in the first place, especially when you consider how readily available information is through the internet. After the merger with Comcast,  NBC is changing its tune and remains confident that they’ll be able to broadcast all events live, meaning an almost certain ratings jump across the board.

One problem, though – the United States is approximately 14 hours behind Russia(host of the 2014 Summer Games), meaning that the appeal of ‘live events’ rapidly diminishes. Aside from a very select few sports – basketball, soccer, and hockey come to mind – there aren’t a whole lot of events that will have Americans staying up during all hours of the night.

Another problem includes general availability when it comes to broadcasting. As per USA Today, NBC is strongly considering using internet web streams as one of their primary ways of delivering live content. Again, there seems to be a certain disconnect between NBC’s aspirations and the reality amongst the general public. For many, if it’s not on television, it’s not worth tuning into, period. And, that’s without even mentioning the fact that many still do not have consistent high-speed internet access to follow the Olympic Games online.

There’s no question that NBC and the Olympic Games remain optimistic about creating and sustaining a profitable relationship, but the reality is this deal – coined ‘egregiously large’ by some – is of the high-risk, high-reward nature. You have to admire NBC’s courage and faith in their forecasting, but another contract that sees the hemorrhaging of funds for years to come could mean the downfall of one of America’s largest commercial broadcasting television network.

Today’s post is from guest blogger Brian Gainor, founder of Partnership Activation, a leading resource in sports business that showcases sports marketing and sponsorship trends, best practices, and creative activation tactics. Brian has also been featured as a guest writer for Darren Rovell’s CNBC SportsBiz column.

Sports leagues and organizations are turning to Facebook to offer fans more content, access, and interactivity than ever before. As sports entities begin to fully understand the value of social media, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become critical channels in the marketing mix to promote messaging, drive participation and interest, and engage fans on a 24/7, 365 basis.

Teams can no longer rely on Wall posts, photos, and shareable videos to drive consumers to frequently visit their Facebook pages and stay for awhile. As a result, it’s important that teams identify and share best practices in the social media space both internally and externally.

Here are 50 creative ways that teams are engaging fans on Facebook outside the traditional elements:

1. Fans Map – FC Barcelona (Find FC Barcelona fans across the world)

2. Real Madrid Avatars – Real Madrid (Fans can create their own virtual avatar)

3. Arsenal “Like the Players” – Arsenal FC (Fans can easily like all the players on the team)

4. Spread the Word - Manchester United (Fans can easily invite their friends to join the Manchester United Facebook Page

5. Fountain Tire Shootout – Vancouver Canucks (Fans can play a virtual hockey game to win prizes and coupon vouchers)

6. 3-Point Play – Boston Celtics (Fans can compete in an interactive stats-related game to earn points)

7. Summer Salute – Team Lowe’s Racing (Fans can post a military salute or message to troops overseas)

8. Polls / Quizzes – NASCAR (Fans can test their NASCAR IQ via a number of quizzes and polls)

9. NBA Ball of Fame – NBA (Fans can click on basketballs to relive famous moments from the NBA Finals)

10. NBA Turnstile - NBA (Fans can “check-in” to NBA games on Facebook to chat with fans, win tickets and merchandise, and earn badges)

11. Support Your Team on Facebook! – NFL (Fans can scroll through an interactive tab to see where their favorite team ranks in popularity and intensity amongst all teams and within conference/division).

12. Shopping – Liverpool FC (Fans can quickly scroll through ultimate shopping ideas and can get easy access to the team’s mobile application)

13. JetBlue FaceOff – Boston Bruins (Fans can access game information, play games, win prizes, and more)

14. Mavs Spirit Photo Upload – Dallas Mavericks (Fans can submit their best photo wearing Mavericks gear for the chance to have it featured on the team’s Facebook page)

15. Fan Zone - New England Patriots (Fans can interact with polls, listen to live broadcasts, post comments, share virtual gifts, play trivia, and more)

16. Share Your Story – San Francisco 49ers (Fans can share why they are a Faithful Fan for the chance to be featured on 2011 season tickets or in a team commercial)

17. Tickets & Promotions – Philadelphia 76ers (Fans can closely follow current ticket specials and promotions using a tab integrated into the team Facebook page)

18. A Date with SFC – Seattle Sounders (Fans can watch video dating profiles of different players on Seattle Sounders FC and partake in a date auction via Ebay.

19. Guess the Kit – Tottenham Hotspur (Fans have to correctly guess what the team’s new kit (uniform) will look like)

20. Broadcast Schedule – Portland Timbers (Fans can easily see which networks will be carrying the team’s upcoming soccer matches)

21. Locker Room – Los Angeles Lakers (Fans can take a virtual tour of the Lakers locker room)

22. Flickr - Milwaukee Bucks (Fans can scroll through photos of the Bucks’ gameday experience posted on their Official Flickr page)

23. U-Stream – Golden State Warriors (Fans can watch a live webcast with a Warriors player each day during Training Camp

24. Trailblazers.tv – Portland Trail Blazers (Fans can watch exclusive interviews, shows, highlights, pre- and post-game shows, and more)

25. AC Milan Jersey – A.C. Milan (Fans can create their own virtual A.C. Milan Jersey (with a custom name and number) and share it on their Facebook wall)

26. Fantasy Manager – A.C. Milan (Fans can create and manage a virtual team of players and compete against friends for the chance to win team prizes)

27. Ice Dancers – Florida Panthers (Fans could vote on their favorite Ice Dancers in a bracket competition that gave away a free cruise!)

28. Stars Text Alerts – Dallas Stars (Fans can easily sign up to receive basic text alerts or student rush text alerts)

29. Leafs on YouTube – Toronto Maple Leafs (Fans can watch a series of YouTube clips directly within a tab on the team’s Facebook page

30. Photo Pick-Up – Phoenix Suns (Fans can have their picture taken by Suns personnel at a game and retrieve it for free on the team’s Facebook page)

31. Match of the Week – Sporting KC (Fans can receive in-depth information about a premier MLS game each week)

32. Meet the Team – Denver Nuggets (Fans can vote for their favorite players on the Nuggets by “liking” them on the interactive Facebook tab)

33. Letter to Fans – Buffalo Sabres (Fans can read a letter sent from the team’s owner Terrence M. Pegula thanking them for their support)

34. Which Cap Are You Like? – Washington Capitals (Fans can take a quiz to see what Washington Capitals player they are the most like and win an autographed jersey)

35. Foursquare – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Fans can view the team’s Foursquare profile and access tips and insights on whose checked-in at Raymond James Stadium)

36. Draft Party Sweepstakes – Charlotte Bobcats (Fans can sign up on Facebook to win a VIP experience at the Bobcats Draft Party courtesy of Donatos Pizza)

37. Fan Forum – Dallas Cowboys (Fans can participate in an interactive forum where they can participate in a live discussion board)

38. Showcase – Sacramento Kings (Fans can scroll through to see all of the Kings’ hottest merchandise in their online team store up close)

39. Host UpClose Contest – Indianapolis Colts (Fans can upload a video of themselves hosting a sports segment for the chance to fly to Indianapolis and host a segment on Colts UpClose)

40. Scarf Yourself! – New York Red Bulls (Fans can add an official New York Red Bulls scarf to their profile picture and feature it on the team Facebook page)

41. Support – Atlanta Falcons (Fans can post questions/ideas/problems that they have and a Falcons customer representative addresses them for all fans to see on a live discussion board)

42. Give Your All – All Blacks (Fans can watch a series of vignettes where the All Blacks players talk about giving everything they’ve got when they enter the pitch)

43. Fan of the Week – Chicago Bears (Fans can submit a message/photo detailing why they are the biggest fan for the chance to be featured online)

44. A’s Kids Club – Oakland A’s (Fans can sign up for an Oakland A’s Kids Club Membership directly through the team’s Facebook page)

45. WTA Extra – WTA (Fans can easily scroll through high-res images of the top WTA players and also see information about their world ranking and Twitter feed)

46. Giving – Tampa Bay Rays (Fans can read about the Rays Baseball Foundation and make a donation)

47. Fanographies – Cleveland Browns (Fans can submit their Browns story for the chance to win 2011 season tickets)

48. Bulldog Club – University of Georgia Athletics (Fans can read about the Bulldog Club, make donations, invest in educational opportunities, and more)

49. Charity – PGA (Fans can read about the PGA’s new partnership with Darius Rucker and download a song which benefits PGA Tour Charities, Inc.)

50. UStream Live – Colorado Avalanche (Fans can watch broadcasts throughout the season and sign up to receive email alerts every time they take place)

This is an excerpt from an interview with Carol Sawdye, CFO of the NBA, conducted by Peter Alpern from BusinessFinance (businessfinancemag.com).

From the pure power of LeBron James, to the artistry of Dwayne Wade and understated stardom of Dirk Nowitzki, the NBA Finals represents a climactic two weeks of fan interest to celebrate a staggeringly successful year.

With viewership of all four rounds of the playoffs up double digits, along with sharp upswings in attendance and merchandise sales, the NBA is enjoying a cultural boom not seen since its Golden Age of Michael, Magic and Larry.

But Carol Sawdye, who was hired as the new CFO for the NBA a year ago, recognizes the harsh realities facing the $4 billion industry. There is a rapidly approaching labor war between players and owners on tap this summer, along with alarming growth in the percentage of expenses. According to league commissioner David Stern, 22 of 30 clubs are losing money.

In an exclusive interview with Business Finance, Sawdye shared the fiscal perspective of the NBA as a business, the managing of risk amid bustling gate receipts and the role finance plays in creating a winning product.

Business Finance: As the 65th season of the NBA wraps up, how does the landscape from a financial perspective compare to what you saw earlier in the decade?

Carol Sawdye: Despite the state of the economy, the 2010/11 season has been very successful in terms of fan response to our teams, players and the game.

Overall revenues are at the highest they have ever been with gate receipts up significantly and team sponsorship sales at an all time high. We are on pace to have our most-watched season ever on TV. Subscriber growth has increased dramatically on NBA TV to 55 million homes in the U.S. We are experiencing double-digit revenue growth this year both in the digital business and internationally.

However, in order to achieve the revenue growth that we have experienced over the last decade, we have had to spend much more to generate the same $1 of revenue than we had to in decades past. As a result, the league overall has been experiencing significant net losses now, which wasn’t the case back in the mid 1990s.

BF: What does the office of finance do to contribute to the success of the league as a product?

CS: Finance is responsible to the commissioner and the owners for assisting business units in maximizing the financial results of the league and managing the financial risks associated with running this business.

The Finance department is involved in the financial aspects of all transactions, including ensuring league-wide financing is available at competitive rates and supporting financial analysis for significant business agreements and team sales transactions. Although much of these activities are invisible to the fans, they are all critical to delivering a consistently successful product for them.

BF: What were some of the steps you’ve initiated since you came onboard as CFO?

CS: My principal area of focus has been on expanding our capabilities in connection with financial reporting on and analysis of the results of our teams and the league as a whole.

We also have a growing business to support. Much of that growth is coming internationally and has required a lot of my focus on planning for profitable growth and managing the financial risks of operating in so many different tax, regulatory and labor environments.

BF: When you stepped into this role as CFO, what have been some of the organizational changes that you made to help finance become more effective?

CS: The single biggest change I have made is to expand our resources and interaction with the teams. This allows us to provide better combined financial information for use in all aspects of our business, ensuring that we are running a more effective and efficient business in general.

BF: What is your philosophy of finance and what kind of job have you wanted to create?

CS: The CFO should be a trusted adviser to the CEO and all business leaders and a critical member of the senior management team of any business enterprise.

In the NBA’s case, this extends to the owners and team management as well. The entire finance department should view itself as a critical service provider to all departments throughout the organization and, in our case, to all of the teams as well. The league office and our 30 teams are only as strong as our weakest link so we always have to serve with a view that support to any one team or department will raise the bar for all of us.

To continue reading the full interview, visit www.businessfinancemag.com. Thanks again to Peter Alpern for sharing this interview with us!

Today’s post is from guest blogger David Holland, Senior VP, Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco.

When Dr. James Naismith was trying to keep his gym class active during a rainy day in 1891, and invented a game with two hoops and a ball, no one outside that gym was able to watch this game (later named) basketball.

When the Boston American League baseball club was pitted against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1903 World Series, many fans had to wait until the following morning to learn from their local newspaper which team had come out on top.

When the first Super Bowl aired on television in January of 1967 from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, if you were away from your television set – you were completely removed from all of the action. Checking the score on the Internet or watching a video clip on your phone, were simply not possible.

Our lives today are evolving in almost every aspect, and technology is helping lead the way – from changing the way we work, to how we access information, communicate and interact. This is also true in the world of sports, where technology is having a profound impact on the way we play. Coaches, for example, use the latest video, training and visualization tools to improve their teams’ skills; referees depend on replay technologies to help them make the right calls; and off the field fans now expect ubiquitous connectivity to their sport’s most up-to-the-minute information – with no hassle.

An increasing number of today’s fans have not only become immersed with the sports information machine, but they also help drive it – from downloading applications on their mobile device to getting the latest score, to watching live streaming video of the hottest matchup – and debating it via social media. Fans live and breathe sports. Technology innovation not only has to keep pace with demands of sports fans, but increasingly is delivering new fan experiences that they may have never imagined possible.

With fan expectations rising, new and existing venues across the globe are upping their game in terms of delivering a memorable in-person experience – and this goes beyond what happens on the field of play. Venues in some ways are competing with ‘the couch’ for viewers. Fans today have a wide array of viewing options to choose from in the comfort of their home. High definition TV, digital video recorders, computers, and now even smart phones, tablets and other Wi-Fi devices provide viewers with high video quality, interactive information about the game, and in some cases more choice over viewing angles, etc.

To get more ‘butts in seats’ and provide fans with more intense sporting experiences, teams and leagues see to the imperative for upgrading the in-venue fan experience. They aim to bring fans closer than ever to all of the action and to have them benefit from real time, relevant information and promotions that make a great game even more memorable.

This next generation fan experience is not only creating and attracting a more loyal fan following, it also has tangible business benefits. Through customized promotional, marketing and branding capabilities, stadiums and arenas can increase profitability by attracting new business opportunities and adding new sources of revenue.

For example, technology today allows sports operators to host more and more varied events. With a few clicks, a stadium can change its entire look and feel on strategically placed digital screens – converting itself from a sporting venue during the day to a rock concert in the evening, to perhaps a trade show a few days down the road. From venue entrances to concourse displays to the clubs and all points of sale (i.e. concession), immersive video and other network-based amenities are delighting fans, and enhancing sports and enhancing the business of sports and entertainment.

The legacy of live sports and entertainment must also be protected. In other words, technology must be built into the fabric of the venue, in such a way that it doesn’t get in in the way of the live performance. Whether we are talking about uses of video, networking, fan security, or Wi-Fi connectivity, a successful technology provider works hand in hand with venue owners and operators to make their offerings integrated with the live experience, user friendly and complementary.

Looking into the horizon, fans expectations will continue to evolve. Technology will find even more ways to harness fans desires to be part of sports and entertainment communities. We can’t foresee every fan requirement today, but we know having a solid technology platform to drive this evolution is critical. Connected fans will decide what they want. Sports and entertainment properties must be ready to deliver it!

Sports have come a long way. Were he with us today Dr. Naismith would surely be amazed – and hopefully delighted – to see how his game with two hoops and a ball is having its impact on so many today.

David Holland serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Sports and Entertainment Solutions Group (SESG) at Cisco. In his role, Holland has overall responsibility for accelerating development and adoption of Cisco solutions in the Sports and Entertainment market. Cisco has targeted the Sports and Entertainment industry as a $1B market opportunity, and it is one of the company’s top Market Adjacencies.

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blooger Jamie Acks.

It’s playoff time in the NBA and the buzz is stronger than ever. Will “The Big Three” be victorious or will a long shot steal the crown?

For the past five years Clevelanders had the pleasure of rooting on their beloved Cavaliers. But, this year was different and Cavaliers fans have now taken on a very different role. The role became to root for whomever “El Heat” faced in each round. Throughout the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the 76ers, Celtics, Bulls and Mavericks have become something to all Cleveland fans.

Recently, I was sent a website that asked me to become a “Cavs for Mavs” fan. Cavs for Mavs (@CavsforMavs) and it’s creator have sparked some hype and the emotions of NBA fans across the U.S. Within just hours the Twitter handle had over 1,000 followers and as of this morning has reached over 5,900.

The moniker is coupled with a logo and even “Cavs for Mavs” limited edition t-shirts. Cleveland fans have tagged the team with the names Cavericks and Mavaliers and over the past few days the chatter has been something else – even The Heat are talking about it.

The platform brings a new component to the 2011 Playoffs. Without the campaign an entire region of fans may have dropped off from watching or listening to the games and news.

In my mind, this is innovative and has caught the attention from a wide audience, so “what’s not to like?”

Jamie Acks recently graduated from the Ohio University MBA / Master of Sports Administration program. She accepted a position with Genesco Sports Enterprises, based in Dallas, TX.

In the past, I’ve written about some poor email-based sponsorship solicitation tactics that I’ve seen, and how they can do better (see “How NOT to Solicit a Sponsorship”). However, this email takes the cake – I don’t think there’s any saving this one. Hope this brightens up your Friday!

Hello we have two monster trucks that run for monster jam . And many other shows as well as over seas . As u know times r harder now we have new stuff as well as a new semi . We would love to letter that trailer up with ur name or any kind of sponcer help we do 25-30 shows a year as well as over seas . We would love to work with you thank you for ur time or info
Mk-motorsports.net website

Wow…

After much tough deliberation and discussions with other trusted peers, I’m excited to announce the winners for the 2nd annual The Business of Sports Awards!

Best Sports Business Blog

• Winner:  Partnership Activation – Another year of tremendous work by Brian Gainor, who consistently seeks out and shares the best practices in sports sponsorship, activation and marketing tactics. In particular, Brian does an excellent job seeking out emerging trends and new ideas, giving his readers the change to stay ahead of the curve. His site is a must-read for any sports marketer.
• Runner-Up:  Sports Marketing and PR Roundup – Joe Favorito was one of the first to get into the sports business blogging world and he continues to produce incredibly valuable content across a wide range of industry topics. Whether the topic is PR, marketing, sponsorships, ticket sales or more, Joe uses his wealth of experience to keep us all informed.

Best Sports Business Twitter Account

• Winner:  J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw) – Beyond being a go-to sports business expert on Twitter, J.W. is one of the most honest and direct professionals out there, always willing to share new ideas and personal opinions. You can learn a lot from his tweets!
• Runner-up:  Liz Mullen (@sbjlizmullen) – Of all the individual SBJ contributors, Liz has the most followers and that can be attributed to the incredible amount of interaction she offers. She has a wonderful talent for mixing personality and enthusiasm with valuable sports business content.

Best Sports Business Content – Company

• Winner:  CNBC – Darren Rovell continues to be arguably the most prominent sports business contributor, and in turn, making CNBC into a top industry news resource. Whether it’s his regular blog posts, video segments or his steady stream of tweets (steady may be an understatement), you will always stay up to date on sports business news through Rovell and CNBC.
• Runner-up:  IEG – Runner-up in this category last year as well,  IEG continues to share their industry insights across multiple channels. Their bloggers at Sponsorship.com provide a wide-range of perspectives and in-depth expertise and their line-up of active Twitter users is always engaging with the online community on almost any sponsorship-related topic.

Best Sports Business Up and Comer

• Winner:  Tariq Ahmad - In a short time, Tariq has made his name known as a top sports and social media expert, highlighed by his session at SXSW on social media and the NBA. Tariq is a very active participant on Twitter, both in sharing his own views and in seeking out other valuable resources that we can all learn from.
• Runner-up:  Joshua Boren – Also featured as a Rising Star by Partnership Activation, Joshua has accomplished a lot in a very short time in the field of venue design and fan experience and his contributions in the digital sports business conversation cover a wide range of topics. I know that he will be a valuable resource for a long time.

Best Alternative Sports Business Content

• Winner:  #SBChat – The creation of Lou Imbriano and J.W. Cannon, #SBChat has become a wonderful way for industry professionals of all backgrounds to come together. Whether the topic is current best practices in sponsorship activation or advice on building a career in sports, this weekly Twitter chat provides quality insights for all participants.
• Runner-up:  The Row Show – Runner-up now in back to back years, the Row Show is a fun, creative and entertaining way to learn about the latest trends in sports and technology. Their show provides a great balance of discussing current events and sharing best practices and useful tips.

Best International Sports Business Contributor

• Winner:  Daniel McLaren – Daniel is the man behind TheUKSportsNetwork.com, a great resource covering a variety of sports business and digital marketing topics from the United Kingdom. Beyond the UK and Euro-specific content, the insights that Daniel provides, particularly when it comes to fan engagement and social media, apply to any sports organization across the globe.
• Runner-up:  Cedric Grundler – Cedric is the created of LeMarketingSportif.com, a French sports business blog covering global sports marketing, sponsorship and communications. While you may need Google Translate for this one, it’s definitely worth it. And for those who are fluent in French, he’s recently started an in-depth podcast interview series (wish I could enjoy those too!)

Best Sports Business Email Newsletter

• Winners:  Sports Business Daily (Paid Subscription) / Sports Marketing and PR Pros (Free) – For this category, we ultimately decided to have two winners, recognizing the best paid and free newsletters available. Every day, in fact multiple time per day, Sports Business Daily keeps their subscribers up to date on every piece of breaking sports business news available, making them a must-purchase subscription for anyone in sports. Meanwhile, Joe Favorito has built up his free weekly newsletter to over 22,000 members. Every Sunday, he shares links to valuable news stories, books, networking events, brands looking to connect and job openings, providing a valuable service to all his subscribers
• Runner-up:  Partnership Activation 2.0 – Every month, Brian Gainor manages to put together a detailed and engaging list of best practices, emerging trends, case studies and rising professionals. While the main focus is around corporate sponsorships, he also includes information on ticketing, social media, brand management and communications. Every example is supported with links and vivid photos to really drive home the value of each tip and tactic.

Best Sports Business Book

• Winner:  Moneyball by Michael Lewis – Not surprising to see this book as the top choice. Moneyball is a rare book that covers both the on-field and off-field aspects of sports business in way that is intriguing and education for fans and industry professionals alike. I don’t think any other sports book of the past 20 years has shifted the landscape of the industry the way Moneyball has.
• Runner-up:  Veeck as in Wreck by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn – While this might not be a sports business book by definition, you can learn a great deal about the industry through the life of Bill Veeck. Veeck was always willing to push the envelope in a constant effort to create a memorable fan experience, an admirable goal that we all should share.

People’s Choice – Sports Business Social Media Contributor of the Year

• Winner:  Darren Rovell - The people have spoken (819 total voters) and with 48% of the vote (394 votes), Darren Rovell is the winner of the 2011 People’s Choice – Sports Business Social Media Contributor of the Year. There is little doubt that Darren has the most extensive reach in creating and sharing sports business content, as demonstrated by his 83,000+ Twitter followers and who-knows how many blog readers. When you combine the quality of his insights, the quantity of posts/tweets/etc, his industry knowledge and his tremendous reach, it’s clear that Darren has created quite an impressive brand for himself in the sports and social media landscape.
• Runner-up:  Brian Gainor – This year’s winner for Best Sports Business Blog and runner-up for Best Newsletter, Brian consistently uses multiple social media channels (his blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and more) to share his industry knowledge with all of us. Brian came in 2nd with 20% of the vote (164 votes), and it’s clear from the response and my conversations with others that he’s a respected and appreciated voice when it comes to educating and engaging with those working in sports.

Thank you to everyone who sent in nominations and voted in the People’s Choice poll. This process is very challenging with so many great sports business contributors out there. And of course, congratulations to all of our winners. Make sure you continue to follow them and all of this year’s nominees to learn from their wonderful industry resources.

I know I write about email marketing a lot, but it is an important way of communicating with your fans. Even with the constant increase in social media usage, email marketing is still the most effective way to reach your customer base with targeted messaging. One way to make those messages stand out even more is to use personalization.

When I mention personalization, most people think about using the customer’s name, such as starting your email with “Dear Russell” or including the customer’s name in the subject line. Both of these can be effective options for increasing open and click-thru rates. However, sometimes the best way to personalize is to use other information you know about the individual receiving the email.

Take a look at this example from the NHL (viewed from my Gmail account):

The important think to note here is the subject line – ‘Vote for “THE CAPTAIN’S GUARANTEE” as the greatest Stanley Cup Playoffs moment in history.’ From my NHL.com preferences, they know that I am a New York Rangers fan, and Mark Messier’s famous guarantee from the 1994 playoffs was an incredible moment for all Rangers fans. This subject line resonates with me in a very personal way, increasing the likelihood that I’m going to open the email and vote for this moment. I’m sure that Bruins, Canadiens and Penguins fans received a very different subject line to encourage them to vote the historic moment that they care most about.

Think of it this way – imagine you are a Rangers fan. Which email would you want to open?

- Subject 1: Vote for “THE CAPTAIN’S GUARANTEE” as the greatest Stanley Cup Playoffs moment in history
- Subject 2: Russell, vote for the greatest Stanley Cup Playoffs moment in history

In this case, personalizing with my name would seem flat. There’s nothing about adding my name that makes me more interested in opening the email and voting. On the other hand, referencing a historic moment that brings back wonderful memories as a Rangers fans drives much more interest in opening this email. In general, I believe that name-based personalization is a much better approach for customer service related communications, while interest-based personalization can have more impact on sales and marketing communications.

Major League Soccer’s National Sales Center (MLSNSC), which I wrote about almost eight months ago, recently sent their fifth set of graduates into the difficult environment of selling soccer tickets in a down economy. To refresh your memory, the MLSNSC is (and I quote from their official website) “a highly selective 45 day sales training program, this experience provides a one-of-kind learning environment and exposure to the fundamentals of MLS ticket selling. Trainees will have the opportunity to apply what they are learning to actual selling of season, group and mini plan ticket inventory for different MLS clubs during the program. At the conclusion of the session, those trainees earning specific benchmarks throughout the program will have the opportunity to interview for sales positions at MLS clubs.”

Bryant Pfeiffer, Vice President of Club Services for MLS, commented on the changes that were made over the course of the first five sessions. “Initially we were thinking we would try to facilitate close to 6-7 sessions in 2011,” commented Pfeiffer. “After getting a better handle on both recruiting and placement flow in 2010 we felt it worked better to run four total sessions in 2011 that were more spaced out in between them.”

In terms of placement for the first four sessions, 40 candidates went through the program with 39 of those securing employment with an MLS club. Many of those graduates continue to keep tabs on each other. Jacob Hanselman, a graduate of Session IV, was hired by the Chicago Fire in March 2011. “Since we have been out at teams we keep an email chain that we are able to share stories with the entire group about different situations that have occurred or tips on questions some people have,” said Hansleman. “We grew to be very close and there hasn’t been a week were you won’t get a phone call from someone in the session or talk on Facebook comparing numbers and how everyone has been successful. I wouldn’t have been able to have the success that I have had thus far without any of the other 10 people that were in session IV not having a profound impact on me.”

One of the most valuable tools in the program is the instant feedback each candidate gets regarding their techniques. The feedback is not based solely on whether a sale was made or not. Pfeiffer mentioned, “We have added much more emphasis on video and audio recording of sales calls as an instant feedback tool. Trainees have consistently highly rated the impact this technology has on their development.” For Hanselman, the feedback was invaluable. “The most challenging part of the session for me was the refining of the sales process,” commented Hanselman. “Every one of our calls at the MLSNSC was taped, so even when you did make what you thought was a good call, we could go back and analyze and break it down; much like watching game tape. After each one you would see that we still had a lot of room for improvement.”

It’s easy to see after the first five sessions that the MLSNSC is going strong. “Fourteen MLS clubs have either hired or interviewed National Sales Center graduates,” said Pfeiffer. “Dallas and Houston have both hired six graduates so far.” With the blessing of the MLS head office, and strong recommendations from it’s previous graduates, MLSNSC will begin it’s sixth session on July 25th.

A successful candidate will “show a strong to desire to keep improving themselves, a strong competitive spirit, and refuse to be outworked wherever they are.” If that describes you, you can apply by visiting the MLSNSC website, scrolling to the bottom and clicking ‘Apply now.’

I normally don’t post job openings on the blog, but in this case, I had to make an exception because…I used to hold this position! Comcast-Spectactor (the parent company for the Philadelphia Flyers, 76ers, Wings and more) is hiring for a CRM & Technology Analyst. This is a unique opportunity for anyone with an analytical marketing background and a passion for the sports industry.

In general, CRM and other technology and analytics-based marketing programs are becoming more and more valuable for sports organizations, and people with this type of experience are in more demand across the industry. The knowledge and experience you would gain from this position is tremendous, and I am speaking from personal experience. My career would not be where it is today without the time I spent at Comcast-Spectacor.

Take a look at the posting below, and if you have the background and interest in this area, I encourage you to apply right away.

Summary: This entry level / experienced position resides in the Technology Solutions department at Comcast-Spectacor. This position will be aligned to Sales, Marketing and Customer Service departments of the entities inside Comcast-Spectacor to assist them in fostering and developing new and existing business through analysis of the CRM data and other sales and marketing technologies. This position will be the leader and expert in Comcast-Spectacor’s CRM and marketing automation systems (sales, service, and marketing) and will also measure the effectiveness of these and other technologies and campaigns that drive through these organizations.

Responsibilities Include:

• Develop a yearly business plan for this role and the ability to measure the results
• Configure the CRM and marketing automation systems to help achieve ongoing business goals for ticket sales, customer service, and marketing
• Mine the CRM system to create targeted list for emails, mailings, and other marketing campaigns
• Configure, support, measure and report on innovative sales and marketing campaigns to support the various assigned entities and departments
• Create targeted direct marketing campaigns for ticket sales using direct mail, emarketing, hypersites, PURLs, and call campaigns
• Create and manage campaigns to increase entities database and newsletter subscriptions
• Track monthly, quarterly and yearly count of entity newsletter sends and subscriptions
• Work with ticket sales and marketing to acquire new lead lists through various means
• Provide training and support for ticket sales, customer service, and marketing on sales and marketing systems and other technology products and solutions introduced to the business
• Utilize web traffic reporting and tools to generate opportunities for advertising and ticketing sales
• Occasionally work with the ticketing service provider to best maximize the use of the ticketing, auctions, and marketplace sites to integrate with entities’ respective websites
• Keep up to date on the latest technologies and work to keep respective entities ahead of the curve
• Work with the respective Leagues and member clubs to best maximize tools available to generate leads and sales opportunities
• Familiarity with SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and online advertising campaigns

Qualifications – Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work comfortably with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook

Qualifications – Preferred:

• One to two (1 – 2) years of experience in business operations of a professional sports organization, preferably in marketing, sales or technology
• Experience with Salesforce.com and / or Eloqua
• Working knowledge of HTML, JAVA and Photoshop
• Experience with database applications such as SQL / MS Access

Click here for the full job posting and to apply.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to interview Barry Kahn, CEO of the dynamic ticket pricing company Qcue. Barry was recently named to Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2011. We discussed what exactly dynamic pricing is and some of the impact it can have on the sports industry.

First off, thanks for taking the time to discuss dynamic pricing with my readers. For those that might not be familiar with the topic, can you give us a quick synopsis of what dynamic pricing means?

Barry Kahn: Dynamic pricing is all about finding the right value for a ticket and recognizing that the value often changes between the time it goes on sale until it is purchased. Prior to dynamic pricing, teams would set prices months before the season and then were forced to stick with them. With dynamic pricing, teams now have flexibility to adjust prices throughout the season. We apply advanced analysis to adjust prices based on sales and other measures of shifting demand. The result is better scaling throughout the house and better variable pricing.

While the idea of maximizing the value of premium games seems great, I think some companies are afraid that dynamic pricing could undervalue other games. How is this handled within the structure of dynamic pricing?

BK: Most teams face an internal debate – price for a sell out or price to maximize sales? I like to view dynamic pricing as giving a team the flexibility to balance these priorities. They can price to fill the venue while retaining the opportunity to take advantage of a high demand situation. While this may mean some lower prices for low demand games, dynamic pricing isn’t about dropping prices to sell at any cost. It’s about setting prices more accurately to sell at the right cost. That typically means maintaining price integrity. You have to take into account all games – all sections – season ticket holders, group sales, promotions, etc. Our software does this. In addition to real time data covering all of these categories, we also pull in historical data to provide a complete picture. We look closely at every section in the stadium and all upcoming games to ensure that price changes in one section or for one game, do not negatively impact a different section or game. We have seen clients increase revenue in both high and low demand situations.

How does dynamic pricing in the primary market (purchasing directly from teams) impact sales in the secondary market?

BK: There will always be a secondary market, we aren’t changing that. What we are doing is helping the teams compete with the secondary market by providing them with the flexibility to change prices as the market dictates. People that scoop up tickets only to resell them at a high markup may be impacted, however in the case of season ticket holders, all teams that we work with have taken great care to protect this group and ensure they get the lowest prices available. Dynamic pricing will actually help this group price their tickets more accurately for resale.

What types of insights can teams gather from dynamic pricing?

BK: With dynamic pricing, teams gain a better understanding of what drives sales using variables such as real-time sales, day of the week, opponents, etc. to set more accurate prices from the onset and maximize demand across the house. We compare dozens of price factors throughout a season, across venues and between ticket sections and provide teams with flexible business views of past price performance, current sales activity and future sales projections. But the real power of dynamic pricing is its ability to take all of this data and provide specific price recommendations that can be made in real-time, across all points of sale.

If a team wanted to go down this road, what is the best way for them to proceed?

BK: Call us! In all seriousness, dynamic pricing is a sophisticated process. Some teams may try a do-it-yourself approach, but there is tremendous value in using a proven software solution. For example, in the case of Major League Baseball, you are looking at 81 games and 20+ sections. Analyzing the data and changing prices could be someone’s full time job, whereas by using an existing dynamic pricing solution, teams can change thousands of prices in minutes.

Barry Kahn is CEO and founder of Qcue, the most widely deployed dynamic pricing solution on the market. He works closely with professional sports organizations across MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL and NASCAR to optimize revenue while providing the best value to fans. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in economics from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in applied engineering physics from Cornell University.

Last month, I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of “The House That Ruth Built” by Robert Weintraub. The book chronicles the Yankees’ 1923 championship season, their crosstown rivalry with the New York Giants and the construction of Yankee Stadium. It’s an excellent book for any Yankees or baseball fan, but beyond that, I really enjoyed the sports business aspects to the story, particularly around the team’s ownership, the local media and the stadium construction.

Robert was kind enough to share some of his time for an email interview to provide additional insights from his research about these sports business topics of the day. In addition, after the interview you can read an excerpt from the book’s preface that helps set the backdrop of his story.

- Robert, most Yankee fans know the name Jacob Ruppert, former team owner when the stadium was built, but not many recognize Cap Huston. Yet, as co-owner of the team in 1922, he was instrumental in the construction of Yankee Stadium. How do you think things would have been different if Cap Huston wasn’t involved and should he have a bigger legacy in Yankee history?

Robert Weintraub: I definitely think Til should be better remembered today. His engineering background and knowledge of ballpark construction and the ways to increase revenue by preparing for multi-sport utility was a key element to the iconic nature of the Stadium through the years. Certainly, had he not been on the scene, Ruppert alone would have found a way to build a Stadium–it was his dream to have a park full of thirsty fans drinking the beer that his brewery churned out–but it wouldn’t have been the epic edifice it became.

- It’s always interesting to see how the media treated athletes differently in earlier eras, almost protecting them from the public and hiding some of their “inappropriate” behavior. What impact did the media’s protection have in shaping Ruth’s legacy?

RW: One of the great surprises I discovered in researching the book was just how hard the press was on Ruth for his on-field failings, contrary to the myth. As for his off-field endeavors, we are accustomed to talking today about a “different era” when stars weren’t dissected like today, and that’s true to a point–many of Ruth’s more notorious scandals were obscured or flat out ignored by writers that didn’t want to endanger their meal ticket in any way. But the idea that Ruth drank, ate, gambled, and whored to excess was certainly a part of the coverage, and his popularity, even at the time. But the fact that there was still some more room to go with the Babe was key in terms of his legacy. Many of the writers wound up writing memoirs or histories that enumerated Ruth’s scandalous adventures that went well beyond what had already been reported, and thus the legend that exists to this day was born.

- What parallels did you see between the construction of Yankee Stadium in 1922 to the construction of new facilities in the past 5-10 years?

RW: Not much, frankly. The trend today is to go smaller, to be sport-specific, and to be built with as much public funding as possible. None of that was true with the Yankee Stadium. Building such a huge, lasting arena in a mere 284 days is another aspect of the construction project that cannot be matched in modern times. Certainly the current trend is to build where the people are, not away from the masses like with the Stadium. The Bronx rose in prominence thanks to the Stadium. That hasn’t happened with modern stadia. No one flocked to live in Auburn Hills, Michigan or Landover, Maryland.

- In covering the 1923 season for the Yankees, the New York Giants played a very visible role as an opponent and business rival. If the Yankees and Yankee Stadium weren’t as immediately successful, do you feel that local popularity would have shifted back to the Giants, and would they have ended up staying in New York?

RW: Yes to the first part–the Giants were negatively impacted by Ruth’s and the Yankees’ success, and were it not for the slugger winning championships in the new Stadium would have remained top dogs in New York–but only if they continued winning as well. Remember, it wasn’t only that the Yankees got good. After 1924, the Giants didn’t win another pennant for a decade (1933). Then, the Giants regained some of their old glory. They get obscured by the mythology that surrounds the glory years of the Yankees and Dodgers, but the Giants with Willie Mays were quite popular in New York. Their move to California was less about declining popularity then following the money (and the Dodgers) out west–it wasn’t a direct line from the time they were supplanted by Ruth’s Yankees.

- What was the most surprising thing you learned about the behind-the-scenes dealings that allowed for Yankee Stadium to be built?

RW: Probably the involvement of Arnold Rothstein, aka “The Big Bankroll,” in the suspicious delays that held up the construction project, so that it wasn’t ready until 1923. Rothstein was an investor in the Giants, his insurance company underwrote the Polo Grounds, and he was tight with John McGraw and Charles Stoneham, the principal owners of the Giants. He was often seen in box seats at Giants games. The Yankees needed two small streets in the South Bronx to be closed in order for building to begin. They expected the city to OK the closings as matter of routine. Instead, thanks most likely to Rothstein’s influence with the Tammany machine that dominated New York politics, the waivers were lost in the bureaucratic haze for months. As a result, the Yanks had to crawl back to the Polo Grounds and play there in 1922, at an increased rent. There was profit in dollars and in the humiliation of the Yankees for Rothstein, McGraw, and Stoneham. The boys in the Bronx had the last laugh, however.

Thanks again to Robert for his insights.  Please click the link below to enjoy some of the book, or visit Amazon.com to pick up a copy!

Excerpt from the Preface of The House That Ruth Build by Robert Weintraub

The center of New York power, then, as now, remained downtown, in the Financial District. But uptown had the Giants, for the past two decades the nation’s most potent sporting brand. These two critical elements of New York’s cultural engine— sports and money—were merging rapidly. The ad salesmen at the big newspapers had taken it as gospel that baseball fans — an unserious rabble with little taste, in their eyes— didn’t constitute the buying public, but that changed in the ‘20s. Literary Digest noticed the new climate: “We have no hesitation in declaring that if an accurate poll were taken of the attendance at any big-?league ball game the ratio would be around 80 per cent of business officials, office employees and men of leisure to 20 per cent of the actual ‘laboring class.’” A little relaxation at the ballpark was expected after a day spent frantically selling or dealing in the rarefied air of high finance.

Stock and real estate speculation was the Big Thing on Wall Street, and the deal making continued in the Polo Grounds grandstand. As one player said, “I’d go to the ballpark and get stock tips from turnstile men and bootblacks and peanut butchers and newspapermen. Everybody was going to be a millionaire. It was a little confusing.” The Giants started home games at three thirty p.m. in order to better allow the moneymen to travel north after a day of wheeling and dealing to watch McGraw and his team dominate the National League.

But today’s contest was starting earlier, at two p.m., and it most certainly wasn’t a home game for the Giants. As McGraw turned toward the water on the 155th Street Viaduct, passing over the Harlem River Speedway, built for horse and carriage but now crammed with automobiles, the enemy’s fortress came into view. McGraw scowled. The building in front of him, just across the river in the Bronx, would be the scene of today’s game and the cause of much of the manager’s agita— the brand-?new Yankee Stadium.

Despite its proximity to Manhattan, the Bronx definitely had an outerborough feel to it (expressed neatly in a headline in that morning’s Daily News: “Bronx Landlords Count Dogs as Added Tenants”). Under ordinary circumstances, a sneering McGraw would have paid as much attention to a Bronx baseball park and its American League occupants, the Yankees, as he would to something stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

But this was no ordinary time. Thanks to the deep pockets of the men who had bought the team in a deal brokered by McGraw himself, the Yankees had emerged as dangerous rivals to the Giants for the hearts and minds of New York baseball fans. And thanks to the team’s superstar— to McGraw, a mighty ape with intellect to match—the Yankees had not only challenged the Giants on the field but outstripped them at their own gate. Since 1912, the two teams had shared the Polo Grounds, with the Yankees as tenant and the Giants as landlord, so this development hit the Giants and McGraw, who owned roughly a quarter of the team, right in the wallet. But it was a situation McGraw and Giants majority owner Charles Stoneham had thought they could rectify— by evicting the Yankees.

They did, kicking the Yanks out of the Polo Grounds and essentially forcing them (daring them) to build a home of their own. So the bickering Yankees owners, Jacob Ruppert and Til “Cap” Huston, responded by going all?in. They put aside their own differences long enough to construct this gigantic palace of sport within shouting distance of the Polo Grounds. It had opened six months earlier on April 18, to enormous fanfare and great critical and popular reception.

Money was at the heart of this competition, and the Yankees suddenly had more of it — and with the Stadium they now had the means to increase revenue exponentially. But McGraw and the Giants could still win where it counted most— on the field.

Separated by a thin slice of the Harlem River, Manhattan and the South Bronx look like jigsaw pieces left slightly apart. At 155^th Street, McGraw traversed the gap by means of the four-?hundred-?foot swing span of the Macombs Dam Bridge. And as he made landfall in the Bronx, the boisterous crowds hoping to attend the first World Series game ever at the Yankee Stadium came into view. This new monstrosity held an enormous number of fans, upwards of sixty thousand, and it seemed like twice that number were milling outside the Stadium on 161st Street, on River Avenue, and on the unpaved section of Doughty Street (to be renamed Ruppert Place in 1933) near the Elevated train, hoping to buy tickets. McGraw despaired momentarily, wondering how he would get through the logjam, when a policeman recognized him and organized a flying wedge, leading McGraw to a side entrance.

Once inside, McGraw wrinkled his nose and stepped into the visiting clubhouse. His players were inside, quietly awaiting batting practice. Unused lockers surrounded the team— and they’d remain empty. Such was McGraw’s distaste for the Yankees and their new home that he had refused to allow the Giants to change inside the Stadium. Thus the team had met at the Polo Grounds, put on their uniforms, and headed over the river. McGraw might have to play the World Series here, but he didn’t have to spend any more time as guests of the Yankees than absolutely necessary.

Much has changed on the Manhattan side since the days when McGraw strolled through the area. Next door to the former site of the Giants home field is Rucker Park, where the fabled summertime Rucker Tournament attracts the best playground basketball players in the city and beyond. One Hundred Fifty-?fifth Street abuts the northern edge of another park, one named for a New York baseball player— Jackie Robinson, who played in Brooklyn! Eighth Avenue today in this stretch of Harlem is now called Frederick Douglass Boulevard. But perhaps the greatest change, at least from a baseball perspective, is that the Polo Grounds no longer exists. A large public housing project stands where the diamond and seats once did, and the entire area is in thrall to the great new Yankee Stadium across the river. Everywhere one turns in the summer months, the familiar Yankees “Top Hat and Bat” emblem (which didn’t exist in 1923) winks out from memorabilia stores, makeshift parking lots, and pre-?and postgame watering holes. It is a turn of events that would have eaten at John McGraw.

The New York Yankees are the preeminent sports franchise in the United States, if not the world, and the club’s resume is well known to most fans — twenty-?seven World Championships (as of 2010), by far the most of any team in any sport. But in 1923 this dominance didn’t yet exist. As that year’s World Series opened, the Yankees had yet to win a single championship. And in the previous two seasons, it had lost the Series, decisively, to its mighty rival—the New York Giants.

As you can see from the image below, I’m probably about 90 minutes early in writing this post, but even though the Wizards haven’t “officially” announce their new look, I think it’s ok to start discussing it now.

This morning, the Wizards are going to officially change their colors back to the traditional red, white and blue that the old Washington Bullets used to use. This color change will also go along with new marks, logos and jerseys. Personally, I think this is a great idea – any team in the nation’s capital would do well to feature red, white and blue as their primary colors. It should provide a strong fit to their regional brand (the name “Wizards” might not fit, but that’s a discussion for a different time).

This choice to return to a “classic” theme is quite emblematic of an approach that several teams have taken over the past few years. Both the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons had recently reverted back to traditional colors and logos after a period of time with a more modern look. The Cleveland Cavaliers also seem to feature their vintage uniforms quite often.

In the 1990′s, it seemed like the popular thing to do was to modernize a team’s look, but just a decade later, these teams are going back to their original style. I wonder if this is because the more traditional color and logo theme was a better brand fit, or is the idea of a vintage look just as much of a trend as the modern look was 10-15 years ago? It is very costly for a team to change their brand in this way – everything in the team facilities must be changed, all merchandise must be turned over and any other materials with the old colors become instantly useless. Considering these costs, I think its safe to say that these teams have decided that their classic branding offers the best long-term strategic approach.

For a bit of record-keeping, here is a screen shot from the Wizards website before and after today’s announcement, so you can see the instant change in look that the team is pursuing:

This is a big time of year for the NBA when it comes to season ticket sales. Most teams are finishing up their current season ticket holder renewals and ramping up for new business. Last week, I wrote a bit about a unique positioning the Golden State Warriors were using to help sell and renew season tickets, but every team has their own approach to season ticket sales. So here are a few more fun examples from other NBA teams:

Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets – Pay the Pick Pricing Plans:

Detroit Pistons – Renewal Website, featuring benefits based on tenure and payment date, including:

• Free Parking and Piston jersey (potentially with autograph)
• $50 to $150 in Palace Gift Cards
• Complimentary club passes and a suite for a game
• Referral rewards equal to 3% of the new season ticket holder’s purchase

Charlotte Bobcats – Buy 2 Get 2 Free

Memphis Grizzlies – Playoff Access for This Season

• While playoff access is always a benefit for season ticket holders, the Grizzlies are capitalizing on this year’s surprise run by limiting access to this year’s playoff tickets to current or future season ticket holders (30% deposit required).
• This type of offer was used by the New Orleans Hornets (and most likely other playoff teams as well).

Toronto Raptors – Raptors Plus You

• The Raptors build an interactive microsite tied to their “Raptors + You” marketing campaign, complete with video highlights, letter from the GM, benefits, payment plans, and information on new dynamic pricing for next season.
• In addition, they are guaranteeing their ticket prices for the 2012-13 season as well.

Early Bird Programs – Many teams’ early-bird programs have probably ended by now, but a few teams still have them going, including:

• New Jersey Nets (features additional 10% savings for early renewal and matrix of additional benefits)
• Sacramento Kings (features the chance to get free parking, team store vouchers and extra free tickets)
• Washington Wizards (features a 3 year price freeze, replica jersey and 12-month payment plan)

Last week, my good friend Isaac sent me a very interesting season ticket sales promotion that the Golden State Warriors are offering. They are calling it the “first official contract between a professional sports team and its fans.” While that may or may not be true, the “contract” itself is quite interesting. Take a look at the image below from their website (or click to visit the site).

The first thing you notice are their four main promises: reaching the playoffs, having an all-star on the team, winning 25+ games at home and a risk-free renewal with 5% interest (this relates to the risk of games being cancelled because of labor issues). Of course, there’s fine print on this agreement, but in this case, the team wants their fans to read the fine print, which reviews a series of incentives that all season ticket holders would receive if the team fails to meet any of their promises. These incentives would be in addition to the other incentives that they are offering regardless of team performance.

If you break this down, it is a pretty standard set of benefits to offer your season ticket holders (a potential price freeze, drawing for a free trip and private autograph session). However, combining these potential benefits with a “guarantee” of team performance is an interesting way to position it. They can simultaneously sell on-court success and unique season ticket holder experiences in one platform.

I’m excited to announce the nominees for the 2011 The Business of Sports Awards! Every spring, we will take a look back to reward the best content and contributors from the sports business community over the past year.

Unlike other sports business awards that recognize the people working within specific organizations, the goal for these awards is to recognize those individuals, companies and websites that create and share the best sports business content and provide the most benefit for the rest of the sports industry. Also, in an attempt to spread the recognition a bit, last year’s winner in each category cannot win again this year.

With all that said, the nominees are…

Best Sports Business Blog: Last year’s winner was SportsBiz with Darren Rovell. This year’s nominees are…

• Athletics Development Frontier
• The Biz of Baseball
• Partnership Activation
• Relationship Architecture
• SponsorPitch Blog
• Sports Agent Blog
• Sports Info 101
• Sports Marketing and PR Roundup

Best Sports Business Twitter Account: Last year’s winner was Kathleen Hessert (@kathleenhessert). This year’s nominees are…

• Brian Gainor (@briangainor)
• J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw)
• Kristi Dosh (@sportsbizmiss)
• Liz Mullen (@sbjlizmullen)
• Lou Imbriano (@louimbriano)
• Maury Brown (@bizballmaury)
• Michele Steele (@michelesteele)
• Paul Hemingway (@paulhemingway)
• Rob Katz (@robkatz)

Best Sports Business Content – Company: Last year’s winner was Sports Business Journal. This year’s nominees are…

• Activ8Social (Website, blog and Twitter accounts)
• Coyle Media (Sports Marketing 2.0, Sports Fan Graph, @sports20, Digital Fan Marketing Summits)
• CNBC (Darren Rovell’s blog, Twitter and video content)
• Forbes (SportsMoney website and blog)
• IEG (Sponsorship.com blog and individual Twitter contributors)
• GMR Marketing (Industry blog and multiple Twitter accounts)

Best Sports Business Up and Comer: Last year’s winner was Peter Amador. This year’s nominees are…

• Brittany Gilman
• Deandra Duggans
• Jared Casden
• Jonathan Norman
• Joshua Boren
• Sean O’Hara
• Tariq Ahmad
• Tim McGarry

Best Alternative Sports Business Content: Last year’s winner was Sports Business Radio. This year’s nominees are…

• #SBChat (Weekly Twitter-based sports business chat)
• #SportsPRChat (Weekly Twitter-based sports PR chat)
• Be Your Own Fan TV by the Goldklang Group (Bi-weekly web video)
• The Migala Report (Monthly web publication)
• The Row Show (Weekly web video broadcast)
• The Sports Business Exchange (Quarterly online journal)

Best International Sports Business Contributor (New Category):

• Ash Read
• Anthony Alsop
• Cedric Grunder
• Daniel McLaren
• Hubert Munyazikwiye
• Jonathan Müller
• Lourdes Turconi
• Shane Harmon

Best Sports Business Email Newsletter (New Category):

• Brian Gainor’s Partnershp Activation 2.0 Monthly Newsletter
• Howard Bloom’s SBN Daily Dose
• Joe Favorito’s Sports Marketing and PR Pros Newsletter
  
• National Sports Forum’s “Selling It” Bi-Monthly Newsletter
• Street and Smith’s Sports Business Daily
• Sponsorship Insights Monthly Newsletter

Best Sports Business Book (New Category):

• Ice to the Eskimos by Jon Spoelstra
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis
• Sports, Inc. by Phil Schaaf
• The Business of Sports by Scott Rosner and Kenneth Shropshire
• The Elusive Fan by Irving Rein, Philip Kotler and Ben Shields
• Veeck as in Wreck by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn

People’s Choice – Sports Business Social Media Contributor of the Year:

• Brian Gainor
• Darren Heitner
• Darren Rovell
• Joe Favorito
• Kristi Dosh
• Lou Imbriano
• Maury Brown
• Pat Coyle

The voting for the People’s Choice award (on the top right of the page) will run through May 15. All of the winners will be announced the following week.

Please Note: The only award that you can currently vote on is the People’s Choice award. However, I encourage you all to leave comments about who you think should win in the other categories. These comments will be considered when deciding on the winners. Thanks!

By now, you’ve probably already seen the news that Major League Baseball has taken control of  day to day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers away from current team owner Frank McCourt. If not, you can read more about it over at ESPN.com and on Darren Rovell’s SportsBiz blog.

Instead of trying to weigh in on whether MLB’s decision in this case was right or wrong and what McCourt should or shouldn’t do, I’d like to take a philosophical look at the concept of a league-owned or league-operated franchise. This situation has come up a few times in professional sports over the past decade, including the Texas Rangers, the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, the New Orleans Hornets, the Phoenix Coyotes and now the Dodgers. While the circumstance behind each situation is different, there are some fundamental issues at hand any time a league steps in to manage an individual franchise.

If a league owns or operates an individual franchise, in essence the other 30+ owners within that league are now in charge of that team, since the league itself is owned equally by all of the separate team owners. While each owner is primarily concerned with their own franchise, even having a 1/30th stake in another team is a significant investment. This additional “ownership” can represent a unique conflict of interest for those put in charge of the team’s operations.

The owners want this franchise to be run profitably, but what is the best way to do that? Often times, the best way to generate a short-term profit is through reducing costs, whereas long term profit is more sustainable via investing in the team’s operations. If the other owners care more about the short-term, which could easily be the case since they theoretically won’t own the team for long, then those in charge may be forced to cut costs. In addition, the specific approaches the team takes in their operations could be dictated by that league’s revenue sharing system. If more revenue is shared from ticket sales that local media, will those in charge be forced to focus more on that specific revenue stream to the detriment of the other.

This problem is even more significant when looking at the on-field operations of the team. Those in charge should theoretically continue to do what they can to help the team win, since that will in turn lead to more revenue. However, if that team wins more games, logic dictates that other teams will lose more games, which can decrease revenue for those team owners. This question came up last year with the Texas Rangers. The team was doing well, but until new ownership was in place, the team seemed unlikely to make any roster changes. A more recent example took place this year with the Hornets, when those in charge of the team did make a significant trade in an attempt to improve the team. Mark Cuban spoke out vehemently against this trade in particular because the team took on additional salary, which mean as a partial owner of the Hornets, Cuban could end up losing more money. He didn’t seem upset about the team’s attempt to improve (he said that he wouldn’t mind the trade if they hadn’t taken on additional salary), but I wouldn’t be surprised if behind the scenes, other owners were angry about this aspect as well.

Finally, you also need to look at the context under which the league steps in. One of the most unusual arrangements was when MLB decided not only to “purchase” the Expos, but also arrange for the sale of the Marlins to former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria, and in turn the sale of the Red Sox to former Marlins owner John Henry. While I will not attempt to analyze the various motivating factors behind these deals (how often do you see owners “trade” their team?), there’s no doubt that Henry and Loria benefited greatly from the situation, while the “rest” of the league ends up owning the orphaned Expos, which surely had a negative cash flow until the time they were sold as the Nationals. Again, there does seem to be some conflict of interest when other owners end up having to support the operations of an additional team as part of another owner’s franchise purchase and sale.

Even putting that unique situation aside, other events will continue to arise where a league has no choice but to step in and own or operate a franchise. It is clearly in the best interest of any professional sports league to make sure all of its teams can operate successfully. The conflicts that these situations present are real, and must be delicately managed by all parties involved until operations can be turned back over to the team, hopefully as quickly as possible.

Over the past few weeks, the Arizona State Sun Devils athletic department has been releasing videos and teasers about a big announcement they had planned for April 12, 2011.  Before we actually review what happened, we should start by taking a look at what they did to create anticipation and excitement among their fans and alumni:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSYYgGHrTd8

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U13DaBHLzkY

Clearly, something big was coming, but no official announcements were made until April 12, so fans had to wait. I love how the videos covered the full history of their athletic program, successfully mixing nostalgia and historic moments to more recent highlights and successes. This allowed the videos to resonate with a wide age range of fans, which is very important when you have alumni from age 22 to 102.

When the time came, we finally learned that the Sun Devils were undergoing a complete rebranding, transitioning away from the traditional “Sparky” logo to a new pitchfork-based logo and updating their official colors and fonts. Here is the official “Time to Fear the Fork” video that went along with the announcement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQxHr4xplzE

Behind the scenes, Nike was working with Arizona State for over a year on the rebranding process, which involved changes to all the colors and marks across all sports at the school.  The logo itself was the most significant change, but the introduction of black as an important color for the school’s brand was also very important. For more on Nike’s role in the process, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhnfE10B7YQ

Here is an official statement on the new brand from the school’s weekly “Devil’s Insider” email newsletter:

“The rebranding of Sun Devil Athletics includes adding two colors to the athletics color palette: copper, for its prominence in Arizona history, and black, a long-anticipated return to the Sun Devil attitude. This fall will not be the first time our Arizona State football squads have worn black helmets, as we previously wore black helmets in the 1950s.  We now have a custom athletic font exclusive to Sun Devil Athletics. The font, called Sun Devil Bold, incorporates unique characteristics intended to represent my horns or my pitchfork. Speaking of pitchforks, the official logo of Sun Devil Athletics is now the pitchfork… This exclusive and contemporary mark will be used consistently across all of our Sun Devil teams. Anytime someone sees this logo, they will instantly recognize it as Sun Devil Athletics.”

Putting aside that I’m a bit biased when it comes to Arizona State (I went there for my MBA and worked in the athletic department), I think this is a great move for them. While Sparky has a long history at the school, it wasn’t the greatest logo to build the brand around. They wanted to have a strong, intense brand, but at the same time, Sparky was also their mascot and was very family friendly, which created a conflicting message in their brand. Now, they can continue to use Sparky in the mascot role, where he’s always been a great fit, but their athletic program can be better marketed under the new colors and pitchfork logo. This change should contribute to improvements in merchandise sales, brand awareness,  ticket sales and hopefully alumni contributions.

The decision to rebrand any sports organization is very complicated, as the decision makers need to balance the affinity that their fans have to the current brand against the long-term value of what the new brand could represent. It seems like the Sun Devils really used their time productively not only to decide on what the new brand will be, but in how to create excitement about it and communicate the changes to their fans.