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Sports Business Weekly Buzz

Peacekeeping - MINUSTAHHaiti In Rubble: Marketers, Aid Groups Rush To Help

By Karl Greenbery
  • Coca-Cola has pledged $1 million through the Coca-Cola Foundation to the American Red Cross for disaster-relief efforts in Haiti. The company says it is also providing bottled water and other products through its bottler in the adjacent Dominican Republic.
  • The General Motors Foundation has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross relief fund to help Haiti. GM also has provided a direct web-link that its employees can use to contribute personally to the Red Cross disaster fund. The company says its 10-year-old GM Global Aid has facilitated over $15 million in donations for disaster relief worldwide.
  • Wireless customers of AT&T can send $10 donations to the Red Cross International Relief Fund from their mobile devices by typing the word HAITI and sending it to 90999. AT&T says all money donated will be passed on to the Red Cross.
  • ConAgra has donated $100,000 to the ARC. The gift is in addition to ConAgra’s membership in the ARC’s Annual Disaster Giving Program, a commitment of $1 million over five years, per the ARC.
  • TD Bank is donating $100,000 to the Red Cross to support the earthquake-relief efforts. Kraft has given $25,000 to the ARC.
(www.mediapost.com)

McPherson: ABC Will Push New ‘Kimmel’ Marketing

By Wayne Friedman
  • ABC’s Stephen McPherson didn’t enter the fray regarding NBC’s Jay Leno-Conan O’Brien controversy — but he said there would be new marketing efforts for “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” especially with regard to the network’s new comedy hit shows.
  • “It’s really important we tie Jimmy to ABC, to our shows,” he said. “It’s really nice when we have that “Dancing [with the Stars”] connection with those people going on his show. Now that we have comedy [on] Wednesday. his comedy brand could be part of that as well.”
  • ABC will also be more visible on its airwaves for “Kimmel” — in terms of promotion. “We are going to launch a new strategic marketing plan [for “Kimmel”],” he said.
(www.mediapost.com)

New Jersey Nets Partner With Rite Aid

NJ NetsBy Karl Greenberg
  • The New Jersey Nets NBA basketball team has launched a strategic alliance with Rite Aid Pharmacy, the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast, which will include the promotion of Nets Basketball and the marketing of Nets tickets in 65 stores in the New York metropolitan area.
  • The alliance will promote the Nets through circulars and in-store signage. It will also include retail promotions at its participating metropolitan area stores.
(www.mediapost.com)

Papa’s In The House: Papa John’s To Be Official Pizza Of Super Bowl

akuban

By  Terry Lefton
  • Papa John’s Pizza has signed a short-term NFL sponsorship deal making it the “official pizza sponsor” of Super Bowl XLIV.
  • Papa John’s, the country’s third-largest pizza chain behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s, will use its new NFL rights to market a Super Bowl XLIV pizza, an extra-large pie with up to four toppings priced at $11.99 and available at its 2,700 domestic locations from January 15-February 15.
  • A sweepstakes overlay, part of what Papa John’s is calling “National Football Month,” will offer tickets and accommodations for two at the upcoming NFL title game in South Florida to the winner.
  • The move is one of the first big marketing initiatives for Andrew Varga, named Papa John’s CMO in late August. Varga said Super Bowl Sunday is already one of the chain’s five busiest days of the year.
(www.sportsbusinessdaily.com)

FIFA Sponsors Turn To Social Networks For World Cup Advertising

  • FIFA sponsors are “turning away from traditional TV and billboard campaigns and using social networking sites to make their pitch to fans” ahead of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.
  • Sony Ericsson using social media as large part of World Cup marketing.
(www.sportsbusinessdaily.com)

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One Response to Sports Business Weekly Buzz

  1. Alan Cassinelli January 17, 2010 at 1:19 pm #

    Sports organizations have a unique opportunity to help the Haiti relief because they gather so many people at one place.
    The Portland Trail Blazers and their fans Friday helped raise more than $65,000 to assist the Haiti earthquake response. Fans donated $49,000 and the Blazers matched the first $16,000.

    All teams should be doing this

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