Against the Grain: Media Buying

Sports. They're a part of the landscape of Americana. The biggest events are de facto national holidays and, while most television programs are declining in viewership, college football Saturdays and pro football Sundays are stronger than ever. It follows, then, that sports marketing is becoming an increasingly large part of the marketing mix for consumer and b-to-b marketers alike.

Sports marketing is traditionally associated with game-time media buys (radio, television, stadium signage, etc.). But the creativity of marketers and business-friendly attitudes of the teams is bringing other, just as important, opportunities to the forefront.

In-Game Entertainment Sponsorships
We've all seen them... two couples compete in a blindfolded tricycle race at half-court for cash and prizes. These in-game promotions can feature your product or service as a prize, your staff as the host or even put your product front and center for an entire arena of fans.

Appearances
Your affiliation with the team may very well open the door to player, coach, mascot or cheerleader appearances at your corporate event or grand opening.

Press Coverage
When you work with a sports team, you not only get access to the in-stadium fans and the broadcast audience, you get coverage-by-association everywhere the team does — newspapers, television news, etc. — extending your reach beyond the hardcore sports fan.

Ticket Opportunities
Your affiliation with the team should also earn you discounted tickets or access to hard-to-get tickets/games. Use them to reward employees or entertain clients, or as give-aways to local charity groups.

Team Apparel Sponsorship
Team sports are often underwritten by a sponsor whose logo adorns team jerseys and other gear. It's commonplace in European soccer leagues and after-work softball leagues, but has only recently been brought to the world of American professional sports. See the sidebar for a quick story about how one WNBA franchise is making this happen.

These and other sports marketing opportunities are a great way to round out your marketing mix and reach a captive audience by associating with an organization they're fiercely passionate about. And by no means are you limited to the big budget world of sports marketing with big market, big money teams. Minor leagues, niche sports (e.g. lacrosse, rodeo, extreme sports, etc.), college and even high school teams have become viable sports marketing opportunities. In addition, marathon, "fun runs" and other amateur events are also effective sports marketing opportunities.

To learn more about making sports marketing a part of your mix, drop us a line. We'd be happy to sit down and talk with you about getting involved.

“Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.”

Imagine this: You go into your doctor’s office with a mild cough and fever. After waiting patiently in the treatment room, the doctor comes in, introduces himself, takes a cursory look at you and immediately orders open heart surgery.

You’ve got a problem, right? Right.

All too often, business people jump to conclusions and start to either solve a problem that doesn’t actually exist, or to solve a problem without considering the full range of treatment options. This is often the case with marketers.

Ideally, every marketing tactic (and business decision, for that matter) should be a response to a specific objective. But we routinely encounter marketers — agencies and clients alike — who, in their rush to “do something,” jump to a tactical level (“Lets run national radio”) without solid goals and strategic objectives.

This is often a case of “having seen this before” or assuming that just because Client A and Client B have the same symptom that they have the same disease. Resisting this impulse can often yield some surprising results that reap huge rewards.

So consider approaching it this way...

STEP 1: Begin by finding a marketing partner that fits your company’s unique needs.

STEP 2: That partner should conduct a complete assessment of all customer and distribution channel touch points. By looking closely at each contact point, they should be able to gain a solid understanding of what’s working, what isn’t and where any holes in the process might exist.

STEP 3: Work together to diagnose your issues and opportunities.

STEP 4: Recommend treatment. This usually includes marketing strategies and tactics, but may expand to include accounting practices, sales model changes, etc. “Often times, we have to look a client in the eye and call their baby ugly,” said Heather Weaverling, Trilix Media Director. “It’s not always a comfortable conversation, but we feel it’s our responsibility to give them the good news and the bad.”

After completing this short process, you can confidently move forward. And even if your initial assumptions were proven out, they’re often colored with some small but profound details you learned throughout the process.

By not rushing to tactics, we’re confident you’ll make more informed decisions, have a better understanding of how and why you’re spending marketing dollars, and transform the way your team thinks about business.

After all, that’s the key. Thinking first. Doing second.