Work in Sports: 6 Tips to Get Ahead

by Darren Heitner | March 10th, 2010 | No Comments »

Canadian VeggieGraduating from your undergraduate institution in April or May and want to break into the business of sports (particularly in the representation of athletes) but have no idea where to start?  Here’s a list of options.  There is no “right”  path to success, but the following list provides some insight into ways that you can better prepare yourself for the life as a sports agent and possibly get your first foot through the door.

1. Don’t stop learning.  Have you taken the LSAT or GRE?  If not, it may be too late to take either standardized test in order to be admitted into a law school or masters program this Fall.  If you have taken one of the 2 tests, you may want to consider getting a graduate/law degree.  For one, the NFL requires that you have one if you wish to be certified by the players’ association.  But even if you just want to focus your practice on basketball, baseball, or some other sport, the knowledge, tools, and connections you will gain from a masters program or law school are very valuable in this field.  My own two cents – Go to law school and see if the school allows you to take some out-of-law classes like Sport Marketing.

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Sports Business Weekly Buzz

by Ben Sturner | February 19th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

AVP logo_vert_RGB2Time buy would move AVP to ESPN and ABC

By Terry Lefton & John Ourand
  • The AVP is close to finalizing a deal with ESPN, ending an association with NBC that dates to 1990.
  • As part of the time-buy agreement, ABC would carry four events, while ESPN2 will carry the rest of the AVP’s schedule, which has yet to be released.
(www.sportsbusinessjournal.com)

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Sports Marketing + Charity + Brands = Community ROI

by Lewis Howes | February 17th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Lorianne DiSabato(This is a guest article by Cord Pereira)

“On behalf of the Atlanta Hawks, I’d like to thank our ownership group for recognizing that for every dollar we give away, we get three in return!”‘

These were the honest words of an Atlanta Hawks spokesperson during an acceptance speech when the organization received the “Pro Team Community Award” from the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, back in the mid 90’s.  The Hawks, like all pro teams, work closely with their community charities in a multitude of ways.  After all, professional sports franchises are really quasi-public utilities that are emotionally owned by their communities, and therefore an organic platform to all kinds of community programs.

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How to Fix the NBA’s All-Star Dilemma

by Lewis Howes | February 16th, 2010 | 7 Comments »

sdk(This is a guest article by Stephen Lombardo)

For what seems like an eternity, the NBA has lost some of its appeal to its fans when it comes to All-Star weekend.  The game is the most entertaining part.  However, they don’t actually play basketball until the final five minutes of the game.  All-Star Saturday feels like it doesn’t even exist.  HORSE, the newest event of the weekend, showed its crucial flaw this week when they turned it into a three-point shoot out until someone was declared the winner.  The point guard time trials feel a bit lame, the shoot out is ok, but the slam dunk contest (the NBA’s marquis event) feels like less than a shell of its former self.  How do you save this event, and bring back the excitement there was in the 80’s and 90’s?

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Super Bowl Commercials & Domain Names

by Tim Evans | February 10th, 2010 | 5 Comments »

Jessep242Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with the art of making a good commercial.  Those who are marketers, I’m sure can appreciate this too, especially when a commercial makes an audience remember the brand and remember the product or service.

But with a record breaking audience of 106 million people, I was blown away at the lack of importance to the companies who spent $2.5-$2.8 million (not including the cost of production or compensation for the actors) for 30-seconds of airtime and either did not display their company website address or displayed it at the very end of the commercial in small font with only a few seconds left to display the domain name.

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The Sports Executives Association

by Lewis Howes | February 8th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Sports Executives AssociationThe Sports Executives Association is coming soon.  Many of you have asked for more information, and emailing me about the release date.  It’s coming soon, and I wanted to thank you for your patience.

I don’t want to spoil all of the goods by sharing with you every last detail, but I wanted to share with you this brief video to prepare you for the launch.

If you have not already signed up on the list to hear about the official launch date, make sure you sign up here and I will be sending out information over the next few weeks.

Sign up to receive more info for the Sports Executives Association here.

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Find a Job in Sports: Be Your Own PR Agent

by Gail Sideman | January 26th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

a natural soundI’ve decided to take a detour from writing about current issues and events surrounding sports public relations to provide some simple tips to young people entering the business.

I recently read a query from a college-age man who is set to graduate this spring. He asked for advice from the panel about how to get a job in sports the sports industry. I asked myself, “What took you so long to ask?”

My post today is an effort to help people who are preparing for this stage of education not have to ask that question. You’re read it right – as a second-semester senior in college, you will hopefully not have to ask how to break into your field of choice because you’ll have already done your research, laid a foundation for your own brand and even completed an internship or two. In essence, you must create your own public relations campaign and pitch yourself.

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Are Super Bowl Ads Still Worth It?

by Sam Taggart | January 25th, 2010 | 3 Comments »

logo_2010-Super-BowlSuper Bowl advertisements have long been one of the best ways to get your brand exposure and eyeballs. Take Go Daddy for example. The company, known for its racy advertising, began airing 30-second commercial spots during the Super Bowl in 2005. Since then, Go Daddy has become the largest certified domain registrar in the world, with more than 36 million domains under its management.

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched television events on a yearly basis, with somewhere between 40 – 43% of households watching (98 million viewers in 2009). Two days ago, Nielsen released survey results that stated just over half of the audience that tunes into the Super Bowl enjoys the commercials more than the actual game. “This survey reinforces the value of the Super Bowl as a marketing bonanza, featuring one of the most receptive TV audiences in the world,” said Randall Beard, executive vice president of Nielsen IAG. “With so many viewers waiting for the pitch, the pressure is on advertisers to create and place ads that will have a lasting impact.”

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Tim Tebow’s Marketing Potential

by Darren Heitner | January 4th, 2010 | 6 Comments »

OPEN SportsI am tired of hearing “football experts” opinion that Tim Tebow does not have the make-up to be an NFL quarterback.  “He’s too heavy.” “He starts his throwing motion too close to the ground.” “He takes too long to release the ball.” “He does not find the open receiver.” “His build is more suited for a fullback or tight-end.”  Tebow recently stated that all he wants is a chance to prove himself as a quarterback at the next level.  He will be given that chance, but even if he does not succeed in that position, he will still make enough money to support his lifestyle for the rest of his life.

As an agent, I have not involved myself in the sport of football as much as in my other divisions.  Sometimes I cannot stand the characters involved.  I am generalizing here, but football agents at times care less about ethics and the players often lack any sense of loyalty.  Tim Tebow is the type of player who would make me forget that and instead be wishing he was a client of my agency.

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Will Social Media Become Ambush Marketing’s Favorite New Ammo?

by Kris Mathis | December 29th, 2009 | 3 Comments »

riacaleAs we turn the page and look ahead to 2010, let us address a topic most marketers have a strong opinion on: ambush.  Whether you believe ambush marketing of official events is creative and cost-efficient or an unethical and illegal mortal marketing sin, the fact is 2010 will see more of it than many marketers care to envision.  Global events such as the Olympics and World Cup will fuel the fire, as they have in the past, but this time the battleground may be waged on a relatively new frontier: social media.

Sure, some will attempt to solve ambush with legal claims such as trademark infringement and unfair competition. Last week Major League Soccer filed a lawsuit against Black and Decker for their Dewalt promotion around exhibition matches (competitor, Makita, is the official sponsor of MLS). However, ambush marketers – and their legal teams – will likely find new ways to skirt IP issues with the Olympics, especially in an environment without precedent like social media. When you’re spending 100 million for an official deal, both property and sponsor should probably be proactively identifying ways to mitigate ambush rather than (or at least as well as) relying on reactive legal remedies. Consider this, Coke spent an estimated $70 million to be one of the top 12 Olympic sponsors — and $5 million to $15 million more on the torch relay, but according to at least one study, up to 60% of consumers believed Pepsi was the official sponsor in Beijing. Scary stuff for CMO’s and properties.

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