Posts Tagged ‘NFL’

As marketers, we are often figuring out how to deliver multi-platform, cross-property, integrated marketing programs that are cohesive and deliver a singular message.  Well, this month, I have seen this come to life quite well in support of the 25th Anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Without seeing one single TV commercial promoting NBCAM (or at least recalling it), I have been moved from awareness to interest to purchases, strictly to support the movement.  The power of integrated marketing at its best.

While I’m certain NBCAM has delivered a number of components to which I have not yet been exposed, the elements of the program that I’ve experienced have been well orchestrated (for the most part).

So, here’s the scoop … through my consumer lens.  It started with me on a Delta Air Lines flight heading home from Engauge’s headquarters in Columbus, OH.  I was greeted on the plane by the Captain and Flight Attendant adorned in a stylish and vibrant pink wrap dress and shiny pink tie, respectively.

That would have been the end of my expectation of things … but it kept going with an announcement about Breast Cancer Awareness Month on the loud speaker, a special Minute Maid Pink lemonade available for purchase in flight with all proceeds going to the cause, and SKY Magazine dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness month, with a combination of articles, features, inserts and promo ads supporting the cause and featuring products available for purchase.  By the time I finished flipping through about half of SKY Magazine, I was moved from, “oh yeah…it is that time of year again (but wouldn’t otherwise make a purchase decision based on it)” to “sure, I’ll take a $2 Minute Maid to support the cause (in lieau of all the free drinks that represent the only remaining FREE perk on airlines these days).”  To put it into perspective, I was moved to action in only 45 minutes of sitting on a plane.  WOW!

So I was moved.  We do need to consider that I’m a marketer.  Perhaps I am a bit more conscious and attentive to what messages are going on around me.  But, my husband was moved to action, too!  My hubby, is a true “guys guy,” who pays very little attention to marketing unless it is absolutely hilarious (or perhaps a bit risqué). This weekend, he was watching NFL Football and was shocked to see the players and coaches adorned in … you guessed it … PINK.  Players and coaches alike sported various gear with vibrant pink accents, including  hats, cleats, shirts, etc.  He was so disrupted that he even called me during a game to tell me about it.  He proceeded to say, “is Breast Cancer something we contribute to?  We should shoot them something.”  Are you kidding me? That type of action from my husband is HUGE!  Seriously, you can’t get any more disruptive than watching a 200+ pound grown man sporting hot pink on the football field!

The concerted marketing effort by NBCAM continues with in-store and online focus areas across several retailers, including dedicated end caps and exit purchases at Publix and others.

This initiative represents the epitome of disruptive marketing that doesn’t interrupt.  The campaign catches attention to drive consumers quickly from awareness to consideration to action … without requiring TV commercials as the lead top of mind awareness driver.   I’m eager to see more of it unfold this month, and hear the results of funds raised in October.

As a student at The University of Georgia, I enjoy spending my Saturdays “between the hedges.” Back on September 12th, when Brandon Boykin ran a kickoff return for 100 yards to score a touchdown, the first thing I wanted to do (after cheering and high-fiving my fellow fans) was to post on Twitter. Seems simple enough, right? Well, if the Southeastern Conference had their way, this is something that I wouldn’t have been allowed to do. In August, the SEC proposed a ban on fans’ usage of social media during the game, because they feared it would compete with authorized media coverage of the event. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube would be banned for all the fans within any of the SEC’s 12 stadiums on gameday. Luckily, the SEC altered the policy to allow fans to use social media at the game, so long as the usage was not-for-profit and does not include video.

The SEC’s proposed ban on social media is a very small part of the controversy surrounding social media and sporting events. Athletes are under increasingly tighter restrictions regarding their personal use of social media. A few questionable tweets by members of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team encouraged coach Mike Leach to ban all team members from Twitter. Leach took it one step further by calling all Twitter uses “narcissists.” The NFL hasn’t banned its players from using social media, but it has implemented an extremely strict policy for athletes, officials, coaches, and team personnel. In the NFL, social media use is not only banned during the games, but also 90 minutes prior to and after the game.

Like that of the SEC, the NFL’s policy seems to be largely due to the desire to protect lucrative contracts with media outlets broadcasting the event. But, is there more to it? Chad Ochocinco (@OGOchoCinco), wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, was publically chastised by the NFL for his blatant claim that he would use Twitter on the bench during games, despite NFL policy. Ochocinco’s very public struggle with Twitter led to what the NFL viewed as a full-on PR crisis. To the NFL, athletes using Twitter opened up the possibility of league and team secrets being spread across the internet. Thus, the NFL ‘s strict social media policy was born. Following this, Ochocinco threatened to delete his Twitter account:

However, Ochocinco never deleted his account. Currently he is still tweeting (boasting 200,000 followers) and broadcasts “The Ocho Cinco Show” on Ustream almost daily. For Ochocinco, Twitter isn’t about defying the NFL anymore, it is about connecting with fans and letting them see the “real Chad.” Certainly, athletes can stand to build up a great deal of excitement and interest in the game by their pre- and post-game Twitter updates. Athletes that I personally follow, including Ochocinco and UGA football players Jeff Owens (@jeffowens95) and Mike Moore (@mikemoore82), really connect with their followers by posting travel updates, pictures, and discussing the latest game with fans.

What do you think about the policies that have been outlined in NFL and NCAA policy? Should athletes be able to use social media freely, or should there be restrictions? Given how social media has been restricted during football season, do you think that the NBA and NCAA will follow suit when basketball season arrives?

Today, the New York Times ran a story about Twitter and the NFL: “The N.F.L. Has Identified the Enemy and It Is Twitter.”  Seems that some teams in the NFL have gone so far as to fine their players if they tweet from camp or coaching sessions.

Why all of this worry? More than any other organization, the NFL is well-known for its team-based secrecy; from injuries to game strategies, information is withheld to give every advantage to teams and their players. It’s also no mystery that professional athlethes aren’t always the most media-savvy bunch. And we all know the media actively monitors Twitter; so the risk involved in the casual tweet turning into a leak is far too much. Bottom line, they can’t trust that players can handle it with responsibility.

What bothers me is the idea that if they stop players from using Twitter, that will solve the problem. The truth is that our life is going to be Twitterized by way more than Twitter. This is likely only the beginning. Perhaps an investment in media training would be wiser?

The funniest quote from the NYT article … “Twitter has become a source of fascination for the sports world…” I love that they call it a “fascination.”  Seriously? Why can’t they just “like” it, or “enjoy” that they can share with their fans, or “bring awarness” to the causes they support? Fascinated? Silly.

I think it’s great that people like Lance Armonstrong and Shaq are on Twitter, or film and music celebrties for that matter. For those that I follow (which are admittedly few), it allows me to peer into their personalities and see them as more than a bike rider, or a basketball player, or a singer. In Lance’s case, I see his passion shine through in his mission to fight cancer;  his gritiness about the strife between he and Contador in the Tour this year; and his soft side when he speaks of his family and his friends. Following Pink has allowed me to see just how funny – and at times, serious – she can be. That they are willing to share this with their fans makes them real, which in turn makes the connections with their fans stronger.

For arguments sake, let’s say that everyone who enjoys Twitter shares my sentiments, what does this do for their careers?  Seems possible to me that it might sell more tickets, or more CDs, and that it just might make atheletic sponsors really really happy.  Maybe if the NFL could see it this way, it would change their minds?

For the record, not all teams issued policies regarding Twitter, including the Giants and the Jets. That’s good news for followers of Jay Feely. The NYT points out that he “often sticks to a safer topic than football: politics.”

(Oh, and thanks to @lancearmstrong for pointing out this article )