In recent years, though, many have found that a love of sports can be combined with the skills gained in ad agencies, design firms, and other creative endeavors, in the field of sports marketing. Although you won't get the opportunity to go one on one with Michael Jordan, there is a possibility you can still be on his team.
The field of sports marketing is growing, with a number of major corporations establishing sports marketing divisions and major ad agencies developing sports marketing components. If you have a background in a creative pursuit, the field may have a place for you. Says John Lupton, president of Sportz International, a sports marketing firm, "Sports marketing is a big business opportunity for people with all kinds of talents."
Sports marketing is a relatively young field. While athletes have taken advantage of their fame and cashed in with endorsements for over 100 years, the intense involvement of corporate sponsors and the use of sports to market products and services in the current manner can be traced back to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Where previous Games had been big money losers, the organizers of the L.A. Olympics turned to the corporate world for support, selling sponsorships to help underwrite their efforts. This led to a $250 million
surplus and the recognition that sports sponsorships were a good way for companies to reach target markets, and better promote themselves and their products.
Since then, it's rare that a major sports league or event has not been tied-in with a host of corporate sponsors. Such companies as Coca-Cola, Kodak, Nike, and UPS have become leaders in this field, often finding imaginative and creative ways to position themselves as organizations that embrace the ideals, lifestyle, and top-caliber achievement that define sports.
"Sports is one of the most targeted vehicles a company can use to get to a specific demographic audience," Lupton explains. "There's a very active group of people who really get behind these sports and the products and services used within them."
A number of athletes have also embraced sports marketing, leveraging their fame on the playing field to gain wealth and greater renown. It's arguable that Michael Jordan might be regarded as not only basketball's greatest player, but also as one of the greatest icons in advertising.
"There is a tremendous star power associated with the athletes," says Evan Levy, senior account executive with Fitzgerald & Co., the ad shop that handles such accounts as the Braves, the Hawks, and the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. "We're drawn to them not only for their exceptional athletic ability, which many aspire to, but also as entertainers and personalities. We've discovered that sports stars can provide the same kind of marketing cachet as an actor or actress. Our kids look up to many of them. As adults, we're drawn to their ability to act as heroes."
Since sports marketing is such a recent development, the definition of what exactly it constitutes is still being written. "In the broad sense," says Ardy Arani, managing director of the sports management firm Championship Group/Atlanta, "Sports marketing is the process of using lifestyle activities like sports to communicate with people. Sports marketing tries to involve people emotionally and communicate to them on that level." Eva Goss, president of ELG Creative Services, who handles public relations for athletes and sporting goods' manufacturers, defines sports marketing as, "Taking an individual or a product and gearing it to a very specific group of people. With any other form of public relations or marketing, you're not working on as specific an audience as you are with sports marketing. You're looking for men and women with a very specific interest, usually within a specific sport."
From a creative point of view, Charly Palmer, a principal of TP Design, defines it as a "Consumer-driven direction. There are more decisions based on what the consumer thinks they'll buy, not a committee decision based on what to sell."
This thinking often dictates the kind of designs Palmer will devise for a sports-related client, whether it's a sports organization or a company looking to establish a sports tie-in. "With sports marketing, we're designing something that will be geared for a mass market," he explains. "Sports tend to focus on bright colors. It has to be exciting and eye-catching and will draw attention of people purchasing the product."
The look of sports-related advertising also differs from other forms of advertising. Sports fanatics demand that the gear they purchase be the same as the equipment used by their heroes, and the visual information they're receiving be relevant and on the money.
"When we venture into the world of sports," says B.A. Albert, principal in Match, Inc., an ad agency which has handled sports-related accounts, "we need to be positively, absolutely sure that we get the details right. People who are avid participants in that sport know if you do anything that's not right."
People are drawn to sports for a number of reasons, both as fans and increasingly, as participants. "People don't sit around bars anymore," says Albert. "People go to places like Piedmont Park to roller blade, or to a country club to play tennis. It's almost an obsession with one's self. It's baby boomers coming of age and discovering they like their body too much to abuse it."
The growth of such communications media as cable television and satellite broadcasting has led to the explosion of sports on a worldwide level. When sports are available around the clock, from a number of sources, the interest in sports in general can't help but grow.
"People are being exposed to sports they never knew about," says Goss. "When they have an opportunity to gain knowledge and find out more about other opportunities, they create a demand for it."
This exposure and appeal make sports a good promotional vehicle. "You have to understand the product you're offering and the people you want to attract to it," says Jim Babcock, media relations manager for Weber Public Relations Worldwide. "Sports is a very approachable product. It's still challenging, but it allows you to be more generic in your approach."
Although some companies get involved in sports marketing because the CEO is a golf fanatic, or the company feels some tenuous tie to a local sports team, Lupton believes a successful sports marketing application is tied into sound business practices, and not the chance to hang out with jocks. The thrill of the involvement often outweighs any measurable return on money invested.
"Seven out of ten companies that spend $1 million or more don't really know what they're getting out of it," Lupton explains. "It's such a new business that many of the measurement tools aren't there. The successful sports marketer sets up their program so they're getting a measurable return. They know exactly how many products or services they're selling to a target demographic profile. They make sure the licensing agreement, or event they're getting involved in, meets the objectives and requirements the company is trying to obtain."
Arani says that a wise corporation should strive to use its sponsorship of an event, or involvement with a sporting entity, as a medium to launch a communication platform, which will enable it to further business relations. Unlike other sponsorship opportunities in the arts or community related causes, sports events tend to be higher profile. "Companies realize they are getting a much more flexible tool in terms of how they can structure promotions around the sponsorship," he explains.
For example, Arani says that if a company's goals are to reach a youthful market, their best bet might be to acquire sponsorship in something like the "X Games," which appeals strongly to those categorized as belonging to "Generation X." But, if the target is broader, more Main Street, the company might seek involvement in figure skating, or one of the major team sports.
"The more mainstream a sport is," he explains, "the less likely that fans will be hard-core enthusiasts. But, if reaching the mainstream is your goal, something like figure skating may be a more efficient way of reaching your goal."
While some may think that sports marketing is a one-size-fits-all concept, in fact, sports marketing principals from one area might be a disaster if applied elsewhere. An established team or product requires different strategies than up-and-coming entities.
"Just like any other product or brand, different sports products are marketed in different ways," Levy explains. "Each property, each team, is at a different point in its life, and you need to analyze where it is, and where it needs to go from a marketing standpoint. The most fascinating thing about sports teams is the fact they change. That's one of the things that makes sports marketing such an exciting venture. From one season to the next, you have different kinds of challenges and goals. There's nothing static about the sports marketing product."
Sports marketing opens up a number of creative opportunities for those who design or contribute to the look of a campaign. It seems that the essence of sports can be used to illustrate other concepts.
Palmer says that past experience in sports-related work helps bring in sports assignments. "Teams and sports organizations have come to us because they've seen some of the work we've done for soft drinks and fast food companies," he explains. "Or, soft drink and fast food companies come to us when they've done co-ops with professional teams."
"You need to have experience in the networking side of it," says Lupton, who comes from an ad agency background. "It's a small community and you need to know who the players are, and how the process works. It's a highly political business with government intervention on different levels."
Nonetheless, Lupton feels that creatives can play a large role in sports marketing. "The wave of the future is to control the image of an athlete, and to a certain degree, an event," he explains. "The athletes and their agents will seek to create and control the athlete's image and marketing."
"Sports presents metaphors for a number of things," says photographer Chris Hamilton. "Corporations like to use them to portray other concepts."
Indeed, for manufacturers like Nike and Reebok, to sponsors like NationsBank and Coca-Cola, sports imagery is a surefire way to attract attention. For photographers, there's a huge market for sports-related photographs and video needed to illustrate sports marketing advertising.
Jeff Blauvelt, of Threshhold Productions, has been involved in providing video footage for both editorial and marketing purposes. He says there are specific things for which to look when on an assignment at a game or sporting event.
"You need to be aware of signage and sponsor identification in the shots," Blauvelt states. "You always want to frame your shot so the client's logo is visible. If there is signage at the track or arena, you want to make sure you carefully position it in the shot because it enhances the impact on the viewer."
Photographer Greg Foster credits Nike for its impact not only on sports visuals, but also on imagery in general advertising as well. "Their style of advertising has been very cutting edge and has had a great influence," he explains. "Sports imagery has become hipper and more funky through Nike and the efforts of people trying to keep up with them."
Foster says that a shooter doesn't necessarily need an athletic background to sell photos to sports' marketers. "People see a need to keep abreast of visual trends, and they hire photographers who do photography that's on the edge," he explains.
Although Hamilton shoots both sports editorial work and assignments for sports' marketers, he says the mindset changes from one to the other. "With editorial," he explains, "I'm trying to record what's happening and capture the compelling moment of the event. For a marketing assignment, I want to capture something that when it's in print, it captures the eye; or if it's a shot of merchandise it adds to the product and captures the buyer's eye."
Hamilton says, however, that it's somewhat more difficult for shooters trying to establish themselves in the sports area than it used to be. "It's harder to get in events and shoot on your own any more because of the legal guidelines," he says.
In addition, Hamilton cites the NBA as an organization that has come to realize the value of its imagery. He says the basketball league has become, in effect, a stock photo agency, licensing imagery to authorized parties. He says that photographers submit their photos to the league, which then markets them.
"They want more control over them, and they want a bigger piece of the pie," Hamilton explains. He says the NBA arrangement has its advantages and disadvantages. "Once I shoot [a photo], I don't have to worry about it," he explains. "But, there's also only one place to go with it. More and more of the major sports are going with that."
It's not just the leagues that have come to realize the value of the athlete's image and identity. Many marketers believe that an athlete's involvement with their product is a benefit that translates to greater consumer awareness.
"People in marketing feel that an endorsement by an athlete of their product is a validation of the value of that product," says Blauvelt. "The consumer can feel he, or she, is within the aura of the athlete by wearing clothes or consuming food products endorsed by the athlete. The fan feels a greater connection."
The athlete, however, must establish himself, or herself, in action before seeking the big dollars from endorsements. The neophyte superstar who signs a big dollar sneaker contract and then spends time riding the bench doesn't help himself, or his corporate backers.
"I think we're seeing a backlash when it comes to selling someone before they have the skills to pay the bills," says Babcock. "You have to do it between the lines before you do it on Madison Avenue."
Sports organizations differ in the degree of effective sports marketing. Experts point out that it took an incredible home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa before baseball could come back from its disastrous labor troubles in 1994. Others say the NFL, despite record television revenues, is clueless on how to promote itself and its stars and is heading for a problem down the road. The NBA is lauded as the organization that set the standards for sports marketing, but is facing trouble because of its current labor strife.
The majority of observers agree that the organization that currently sets the pace in sports marketing is NASCAR. The sport of stock car racing has grown in recent years from a regional phenomenon to a national one, drawing in fans from not only all around the country, but also from prime demographic groups.
The NASCAR experience is a sports marketer's dream. From the signage in the tracks to the cars themselves, which are practically rolling billboards, to the caps and suits worn by the drivers, sponsor's logos are quite evident and extremely visible. The sport is also known for intense fan involvement, which translates into a prime opportunity for marketers.
"NASCAR fans are very loyal to brands on the car," says Blauvelt. "They'll go out and buy a brand of detergent because they see it on their favorite driver's car."
"NASCAR has an advantage over some other sports in that it doesn't have the problem of poor public image," says Matt Garvey, national account manager for Primedia, Inc. and part of NASCAR's public relations team. "You don't have the public perception of whiny, millionaire athletes that you have elsewhere. NASCAR is trying to gear itself to a family market. It's been around for 50 years and has a reputation for doing things the right way, and it will always do it that way."
Garvey says that driver accessibility is one of the keys to the sport's success. With the right kind of credential, a fan can gain access to the pit area and be close to the action.
"The drivers are available to the fans, and in turn are more real to the fans," Garvey explains. The sponsors can get into that, and what's good for the fans is good for the sponsors."
With its hosting the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and other big events, Atlanta has a good reputation as a sports venue. But does that necessarily translate to acclaim as a sports marketing center? There seems to be varying opinions on that subject.
"It's not happening as fast as some of us in the field wish it would," says Palmer. "Slowly but surely, Atlanta will get the respect it deserves."
Admitting that Atlanta is not a center for sports marketing, Arani adds, "I don't think that any city is a center for sports marketing. Sports have become so international in scope that you go where the action is. There's a lot of it happening here, but there's a lot happening in other places around the world."
Says Levy, "A lot of people consider Atlanta to be more of a sports town than they used to. I think the Olympics helped in that respect, but it is a growing sports market. I don't, however, think we've seen the full potential of that growth yet. The more sports there are in a market, the more challenging it is to be noticed in a crowd. The lucky thing is we have a big city and a lot of fan support to go around."