Athletes and Endorsements: A New Way of Doing Business
by Dean Fisk
06-26-2008
Even with the current economic downturn, business opportunities for professional athletes remain plentiful. And the truth is off-the-field success doesn’t just happen to “star” players. There are numerous examples of athletes with average-at-best playing stats that have secured lucrative endorsements and other post-career opportunities. Business success for these athletes is determined by the strength of their personal brand image and the size of their fan base. And while it’s fairly obvious that as an athlete you can maintain control of your own brand, you can also positively impact your fan following through creative Web marketing techniques.
In the business world, the terms “viral marketing” and “social marketing” are buzzwords used to describe methods of a reaching a broad number of people through very personal communications methods. These concepts, used by virtually all Fortune 500 companies, can also be used successfully by today’s athletes. The fact of the matter is today’s sports fan wants their information up to the minute and on demand. No longer is it acceptable to talk to target audiences from the top down. Today, you need to hold virtual conversations with your key audiences, which includes fans and potential sponsors. By doing so, you can not only increase the size of your fan following, but also create a stronger bond with those fans.
Contemporary ways to reach out to your fans include writing a blog, having your own Website, participating in social marketing sites such as Facebook and MySpace and posting videos on sites like YouTube. All can be successful and all can be essentially meaningless without a business plan in mind.
When developing your personal business plan, you need to start by asking three basic questions:
(1) What are the companies I should target as potential sponsors;
(2) Who are the consumers that these target companies care about; and,
(3) How do I best connect with these consumers?
When identifying potential sponsor companies a good starting point is to think about the things you are passionate about. This can include products that you use or activities that you enjoy. For example, a hardcore video game player may consider targeting the game makers and the manufacturers of the game consoles. In this scenario the consumers of interest are most likely young males in the 14- to 35-year-old range. Reaching these consumers may be best achieved through participating in gaming-related blogs and Websites, or by posting viral video clips that feature the athlete and appeal to the gaming community.
A player’s agent once told me the best way for his client to market himself was by playing well. I agree that performance on the field is vital to a player’s overall success. However, I ask you this – if you have two players with similar on-the-field achievements, who is a sponsor company more likely to contact, a player who rests on his stats or a player that finds ways to portray his positive image and already has established relationships with the fans the sponsor covets?
The mistake made all too often by today’s athletes is that they wait for opportunities to come to them. The better approach is to create the opportunity yourself, strengthen your fan following and present a “no-brainer” business proposition to the sponsor company.
As an athlete, you are given a “stage” that is viewed by many. However, the spotlight can quickly disappear once your playing days are over. Don’t let the opportunities slip away. Look at the new ways of doing business that can lead to better off-the-field success.
Dean Fisk is president of X Factor Sports Media and has over 17 years of experience developing communications programs that strengthen brand awareness for athletes, athletic organizations and Fortune 500 companies. X Factor Sports Media is a unique communications agency focused on helping athletes understand and benefit from the numerous opportunities offered by today's new media and social marketing outlets. Dean can be contacted at dean@xfactorsportsmedia.com.
Athletes and Endorsements: A New Way of Doing Business - AccessAthletes :: The Real Athlete Blog
Showing posts with label community relations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community relations. Show all posts
6.27.2008
3.12.2008
MWPRInsight: An Awesome Example of Community Relations
Photo Credits: Michael A. Clifton, USO
(1) Carolina's Mike Rucker, center, and San Diego's Luis Castillo, right, were among a contingent of NFL players on a mission to Afghanistan where they spent time with U.S. troops. (2) Bears lineman Tommie Harris, shown climbing a helicopter, said lending support to troops was a priority during the trip. "You don't want to talk," he said. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
(1) Carolina's Mike Rucker, center, and San Diego's Luis Castillo, right, were among a contingent of NFL players on a mission to Afghanistan where they spent time with U.S. troops. (2) Bears lineman Tommie Harris, shown climbing a helicopter, said lending support to troops was a priority during the trip. "You don't want to talk," he said. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
_______________________________________________________
The injured soldier eating homemade chocolate chip cookies in the hospital bed made the biggest impression on Mike Rucker.
The treats were sent to the medical unit in Afghanistan from an unknown well-wisher in the United States. And they were a sweet taste of home, a distraction from the dangers lurking for the American servicemen and women there.
Rucker, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, visited with troops on a 10-day NFL-USO trip. Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo joined him on the trip.
The players heard first-hand tales of wartime perils — snipers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), road-side mines and grenades landing near soldiers' feet. And the NFL crew was happy to serve as a distraction.
"You don't want to talk," Harris said from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan on Sunday. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States Afghanistan Bears San Diego Chargers Carolina Panthers Rex Grossman Luis Castillo Black Hawk Tommie Harris Mike Rucker Bagram Airbase
The conversation inevitably pointed toward the playing field. Harris joked he heard "about 60" inquiries regarding Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, whom the team benched for six starts last year before re-signing in February.
The popularity of the NFL stood out for Castillo. Soldiers told him of finishing up missions of 10 or 15 days with one major priority: game updates. "Once they get done with whatever was occupying them," the Chargers defender said, "they get on the radio and get an idea of what the score was or who won the playoff game.
"We provide a small distraction for them and provide some moment that's not life and death."
Camaraderie is key to the soldiers' sanity in the war zone, Castillo said. The players joined in for some late-night bonding and practical jokes that, when the visitors are gone, help to ease the tension of the dayside dangers.
"If they thought about it solely as life-and-death situations," Castillo said, "I don't know how they'd be able to do their jobs.
"They joke to make it easier for them to deal with."
Rucker and Castillo toured a small area of the Afghanistan terrain in a Black Hawk helicopter. Though the players were limited to areas that posed little danger, they still wore bullet-proof vests. Rucker was surprised by how uncomfortable the vests fit, and said his NFL brethren would be hard-pressed to operate with similar agility.
"I had to tip my hat," Rucker said. "It's not like these guys are giants. They're guys (that) in the football world might be a kicker. And here they are carrying an 80-pound backpack and a weapon for a long period of time."
The trip to Afghanistan, which took roughly 40 hours in each direction, concluded Sunday. And what was the one guilty pleasure soldiers said they missed most? A beer, according to Harris.
"It's a dry campus out here," he said.
Visit with troops in war zone humbles NFL linemen - USATODAY.com
The treats were sent to the medical unit in Afghanistan from an unknown well-wisher in the United States. And they were a sweet taste of home, a distraction from the dangers lurking for the American servicemen and women there.
Rucker, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, visited with troops on a 10-day NFL-USO trip. Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo joined him on the trip.
The players heard first-hand tales of wartime perils — snipers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), road-side mines and grenades landing near soldiers' feet. And the NFL crew was happy to serve as a distraction.
"You don't want to talk," Harris said from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan on Sunday. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States Afghanistan Bears San Diego Chargers Carolina Panthers Rex Grossman Luis Castillo Black Hawk Tommie Harris Mike Rucker Bagram Airbase
The conversation inevitably pointed toward the playing field. Harris joked he heard "about 60" inquiries regarding Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, whom the team benched for six starts last year before re-signing in February.
The popularity of the NFL stood out for Castillo. Soldiers told him of finishing up missions of 10 or 15 days with one major priority: game updates. "Once they get done with whatever was occupying them," the Chargers defender said, "they get on the radio and get an idea of what the score was or who won the playoff game.
"We provide a small distraction for them and provide some moment that's not life and death."
Camaraderie is key to the soldiers' sanity in the war zone, Castillo said. The players joined in for some late-night bonding and practical jokes that, when the visitors are gone, help to ease the tension of the dayside dangers.
"If they thought about it solely as life-and-death situations," Castillo said, "I don't know how they'd be able to do their jobs.
"They joke to make it easier for them to deal with."
Rucker and Castillo toured a small area of the Afghanistan terrain in a Black Hawk helicopter. Though the players were limited to areas that posed little danger, they still wore bullet-proof vests. Rucker was surprised by how uncomfortable the vests fit, and said his NFL brethren would be hard-pressed to operate with similar agility.
"I had to tip my hat," Rucker said. "It's not like these guys are giants. They're guys (that) in the football world might be a kicker. And here they are carrying an 80-pound backpack and a weapon for a long period of time."
The trip to Afghanistan, which took roughly 40 hours in each direction, concluded Sunday. And what was the one guilty pleasure soldiers said they missed most? A beer, according to Harris.
"It's a dry campus out here," he said.
Visit with troops in war zone humbles NFL linemen - USATODAY.com
3.05.2008
MWPRInsight: Great Community Relations Initiative
Change what they see. Influence how they think. Impact what they do!Tied to Greatness Advances Eleven- City Tour to Charlotte
Groundbreaking Teen Program Inspires Young Men to Improve and Value Their Personal Image
Author and Image Authority, Alex Ellis advances to Charlotte, NC with Eleven-city tour Tied to Greatness; an image program designed to empower young men to make quality decisions regarding their personal image from the inside out. Since the February 1st New York launch over 900 teens have been captivated with a fresh vision of healthy image using the power of positive male role models, inspiring entertainment, and principle based instruction. An additional 300 young men are expected at Midwood High School on Friday, March 7th at 9:00am, joined by a congruent army of men from the Charlotte area.
At the heart of planned event is the TIE-TYING CEREMONY. Every man in attendance will personally teach a younger man how to tie a tie commemorating this rite of passage with a symbol of manhood. Men’s Wearhouse has donated fashionable ties and each young man will also receive a free copy of Ellis’ award-winning book, “Restoring the Male Image: A Look from the Inside Out.” “The character and integrity of a man should coincide with an impeccable outward appearance. We are calling on men to sense the weight of responsibility and urgency for our nation’s inner city young men,” states Ellis. “We can’t afford to sit by and watch another generation deteriorate. Mediocrity is not an option. Their greatness must be realized!”
The Charlotte tour date has garnered the confirmation of notable celebrities who were moved by the programs principles and have pledged to share insight and personal testimonies on “Image & Greatness.” Atlanta Falcons Players (Former) Keion Carpenter, Award winning author Omar Tyree, and the President of Urban League (Central Charlotte) Patrick Graham are just a few of the expected celebrities that will be in attendance.
The day’s event will culminate with Oprah Winfrey’s scholarship and three-time Showtime at the Apollo winner, Messiah delivering a poignant Spoken Word expression through the voice of this generation. Finally, Tied to Greatness Founder, Ellis will follow; delivering a stirring address from his award-winning book, Restoring the Male Image: A Look from the Inside Out.
Tied to Greatness will continue tour stops in cities such as Dallas, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Newark, NJ.
To learn more about Tied to Greatness log onto http://www.tiedtogreatness.com/.
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