Lesson 11.4 – Integrating Publicity Copyright © 2014 by Sports Career Consulting, LLC

Lesson 11.4 –

Integrating Publicity

Copyright © 2014 by Sports Career Consulting, LLC

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications


Discussion Topic

Do you think publicity has any impact on other sports and entertainment business activities? How?

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Publicity affects many other areas of the business

Promotion

Sponsorship

Marketing

Sales



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Overall Revenue

“(The Sports & Entertainment Communications staff’s) assignment is to sell fans the illusion that the outcome of a game is so important that they are willing to support their faith with dollars”


- Melvin Helitzer in the book The Dream Job: Sports Publicity, Promotion & Marketing


LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Ticket Sales

The presence of negative publicity historically results in slumping sales while positive publicity can result in a significant uptick in sales

Statistically, consumers have shown a decline in willingness to support organizations who demonstrate an inability to effectively control or manage their image



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Ticket Sales

A combination of poor on-field performance and consistent negative publicity off the field resulted in an almost 8,000 fans per game drop in attendance for the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers for the season



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Ticket Sales



Under new ownership and a resurgence on the field, the Dodgers attendance rebounded in 2012, increasing by nearly 5,000 fans per game by the all-star break, and by 2013, the team was leading the league in attendance

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Ticket Sales



The highly anticipated 2013 summer Johnny Depp film, “The Lone Ranger", had a disappointing debut at the box office, a result Depp and producer Jerry Bruckheimer blamed on critics, with Bruckheimer saying "It's one of those movies that whatever critics missed in it this time, they'll review it in a few years and see that they made a mistake."

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Ticket Sales



Taylor Swift, who lost out to Daft Punk for Album of the Year, actually got a bigger boost for her album Red, which increased in sales by 105 percent week-over-week. And Kendrick Lamar, who had a rousing performance with Imagine Dragons but lost in several categories, saw sales of his debut LP good kid, m.A.A.d. city jump 63 percent week-over-week and streams of his Spotify catalogue jump 99 percent the day after the show.

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Sponsorship & Endorsement

Corporations do not want an affiliation with an organization with image problems

Existing sponsors become unhappy customers and difficult to effectively service when they are

disenfranchised with the organization they are sponsoring



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications




In 2013, rappers Lil’ Wayne and Rick Ross were both dropped by sponsors (Pepsi dropped Lil’ Wayne and Reebok dropped Rick Ross) after lyrics in their song were deemed offensive

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications




In 2013, celebrity chef Paula Deen was dropped by Smithfield, her primary sponsor (and a significant factor in the growth of her brand), and her contract with the Food Network was not renewed after admitting to having used a racial slur at one of her restaurants

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications




Just one year after a hype-filled re-branding of Sporting KC’s MLS stadium, the name “Livestrong” was removed as a naming rights sponsor as part of Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace.

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Promotions

Some promotions can be offensive to some consumers

Promotions may become too “gimmicky” and turn fans off to the product or backfire in a way that creates negative publicity



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Promotions

In an effort to capture the spirit of the last World Cup, the Florida (now Miami) Marlins hosted a World Cup promotion in which they passed out vuvuzelas (loud horns which create an incessant buzzing sound) to the first 15,000 fans through the gates

Dan Uggla, Marlins’ second baseman, called the promotion “The worst handout or giveaway I’ve ever been a part of in baseball.”



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Promotions

In 2012, actor Woody Harrelson participated in one of Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) threads, but the actor's answers infuriated the website's users as he attempted to promote his film, "Rampart." After Harrelson grew frustrated with fan questions and left the discussion, users called it "the worst AMA of all time" and an "epic fail by Woody Harrelson's PR machine."



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Promotions

Publicity can help generate revenue in other ways through the implementation of creative promotions

Kid’s clubs are an effective tool by generating additional revenue as well as enhancing the team’s image

Kid’s clubs also enable the organization to begin building brand loyalty at a grass roots level



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Promotions

The University of Notre Dame offers membership opportunities for kids 14 and younger to join “Clancy’s Kids Club” for an annual fee of $15.

Members receive, among other things, free admission to more than 100 Notre Dame athletic events each year, a newsletter, t-shirts, coupons and invitations to special kid’s club events



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Game Operations

Game entertainment can become a source of negative publicity for a sports franchise

Game entertainment can also be a valuable source of positive word-of-mouth advertising



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Merchandise

Sales of team, player, or celebrity related merchandise tends to slump in the wake of negative publicity

Sales of Kobe Bryant jerseys, perennially a top seller world-wide, dropped out of the top 50 in the wake of his off-court troubles



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Merchandise

Positive publicity or associations can help increase merchandise sales.

By 2010 (according to the NBA’s website), Kobe's Lakers jersey was the top seller at the NBA Store and nba.com (he was 3rd last season behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant despite missing most of the season due to injury).



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Merchandise



The Golden State Warriors’ decision in 2013 to switch to a sleeved uniform generated a lot of publicity, ultimately providing a significant jump in merchandise sales (overall jersey sales were up 23% from the previous season while the new look sleeved jerseys accounted for more than half of total jersey sales)

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Merchandise



(The hype surrounding the Brooklyn Nets new logo (designed by Jay-Z) led to merchandise sales records in 2012. On the first two days Brooklyn Nets gear was available, the franchise sold ten times the volume of gear that the team would normally sell in an entire year

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Television Audience/Ratings



In 2013, thanks to a winning record and the buzz generated by rookie sensation Yasiel Puig, “Puig Mania” helped deliver the highest television ratings for the LA Dodgers in four years

After unexpectedly surging into the playoff picture, the Kansas City Royals began setting record television ratings in 2013, up 65% over last year’s audience

PODCAST: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/puig-mania-hits-dodger-stadium-are-advertisers-ready

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Internal and External Communications

The organization must exercise the mentality that each employee is the face of the organization

The staff must realize that they are representatives of the organization at all times



LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications

Employees in every department should be on the same page

The workforce should be not only informed, but also involved

Employees should be aware and contributing



Internal and External Communications

Blank Slide Available

for Teacher Edits

LESSON 11.4

SEM Communications


Sports & Entertainment Communications

LESSON 11.4 REVIEW (ANSWERS)LESSON 11.4 REVIEW (ANSWERS)

1) Explain how publicity impacts other areas of sports and entertainment business

Publicity affects many components of business, including ticket sales, sponsorship, promotion, game operations and merchandise.

Ultimately, publicity impacts overall organization revenues as a correlation exists between positive publicity and increased sales while negative publicity will adversely affect sales.


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Lesson 11.4 – Integrating Publicity Copyright © 2014 by Sports Career Consulting, LLC