Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the University of Michigan spring football game.  It was a great experience to be a part of the fifty-some thousand people that were there to sing "The Victors" and see the new look Wolverines prepare for the upcoming season.  Being that this was only an exhibition, and the crowd totals were only about half of what they will typically be in September, but this did not keep marketers away.  As we were walking in, people were passing out and promoting the movie "Wolverine" which comes out in May.  I thought it was very interesting the way they incorportated the word Wolverine with the U of M Wolverines.  Throughout the game they had a variety of promotional events going on in conjunction with the game.  Each of these promotions had local endorsements and sponsorships.  Some of the promotions they had were kicking a field goal for free books, sponsored by the M Club and having fans text in what plays they want to see next on the field, sponsored by one of the local cell phone companies.

From this experience, I learned two things: a) the Michigan defense has more holes in it then Bernie Madoff's testimony, and b) marketers don't have an off-season.  Even at seemingly meaningless events like Spring Football games rely heavily on sponsorships and promotions in order to provide a desirable product.  

Predictions for the 2009-2010 season: 9-3, 2nd place in the Big Ten, Rose Bowl Victory over UCLA.  Call me ambitious, I call it true fanhood.

God Bless the Maize and Blue

Giving Back

I recently read an article on ESPN.com by Rick Reilley about the Arizona Diamondbacks. This season, the Arizona Diamond Backs are giving back to their fans. Last season, Jeff Moorad, Diamondback's CEO met a fan who told him about her life. She told him how she had lost everything, including her car, but another fan gave her season tickets and offered to drive her to and from the ballpark. Moorad was so moved by this story that he decided that the organization would give out season tickets to worthy individuals. The team received applications and heard many sad stories from very deserving individuals and families. This season, they gave away 41 season tickets totaling nearly $100,000 to mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and children, all with their own stories.
In an economy such as ours, complete with multi-million dollar cheaters (i.e. Alex Rodriguez and Bernie Madoff) it is refreshing to see an organization do something to give back. Sometimes, the smallest gestures, that often go unnoticed, yet even more often make the biggest difference in someone's life. People are pinching pennies to make ends meet, and the thought of taking a family to a MLB baseball game is often unrealistic, but if more organizations would take the initiative of the Diamondbacks to give back to those who have so little, the world may become a better place for everyone.
From a purely marketing stand point, this move is genius. The organization is getting national publicity by being a featured article on ESPN.com by a well-known author, Rick Reilley. It also shows a softer side of the CEO and the organization as a whole. Good PR can translate into larger profit margins in the near future for this organization. If it is a success, we may begin to see even more organizations partake in similar gimmicks and give away promotions.

God Bless.

Opening Day 2009

Ah yes...the MLB 2009 season is upon us. From now until October, the focus of many American sports fans will be on the 30 MLB teams competing for the ultimate prize, a World Series Championship. With the beginning of any new season comes change. The MLB is no exception. 14 teams have cut their opening day payrolls by at least $10 Million. Yes, that even includes those Damn Yankees. The state of the national economy has trickled down into some of the wealthiest organizations in the country. Teams are going to struggle to put people in the seats even more so than usual in many of the smaller market cities especially. Sacrifices need to be made in the forms of more promotions, ticket discounts, etc. if some of these teams hope to have a somewhat fiscally productive year. Because baseball has been around for years, marketers must be able to swtich their approach from convincing people to come to games to convincing people that the experience is worth the price of admission. Value is becoming a hot topic, even more so than in the past. Value drives profits in an entertainment industry like this one.