Understanding the marketplace means more than setting up corporate sponsors with sports teams, it also means examining what fans that each sponsor should go after. Tom Cordova talks about some of the variables of working with sponsors and facilitating the needs of his clients with team inventory. Cordova talks about his time working for Disney Sports Marketing as well as the Houston Rockets & Oakland Athletics, combining marketing, broadcasting and integrated sports messaging.
Premium seating is the top of the podcast, as Kyle Shields discusses exactly why people want to pay more for better locations, status and distances to the field of play at an athletic facility. Georgia Tech just brought its new basketball facility online in 2012-13, so Shields talks about the school’s approach to selling out the courtside seating options, as well as factoring in what to do the increase the amount of luxury experience provided to each customer. Shields finishes with his thoughts on career development in the sports industry and what young administrators should focus on in order to move their career forward.
Franchises have moved before, but moving from within market but replacing the majority of the season tickets holders one year to the next has not been a common occurrence. Fred Magione talks about the franchise relocation from New Jersey to Brooklyn, where the team only retained 10-15 percent of its season ticket base, but managed to thrive as an “expansion” team in its new Barclay’s Center home. Magione talks about the influence of ownership, using the talents of Jay-Z as well as Mikhail Prokhorov, in order to build a championship contender in one of the Five Boroughs. Twitter: @FMangione
Mike Humes has helped developed sell-out strategies as part of the senior staff of five major league franchises, the American Hockey League, K2 Sports and the National Hockey League. Humes discusses the importance of the brand promise, especially being conveyed to a franchise’s sales staff, in order to build new revenue streams. And don’t even dare use the “D” word (discount) in his presence, as you won’t get past the first words of the conversation with him. Humes talks about true revenue generation and creation, as well as some of the future aspects that franchise management will face in the coming years. Twitter: @MikeHumes1
Career developing in college athletics is the cornerstop of NextLevel Sports. Senior Vice President Will Reece talks about some of the ways that young college administrators are gaining a foothold into learning more about the industry, including what mentorships are out there in order to build their resume. Reece expands on the various issues surrounding the idea of moving too quick or not quick enough and whether candidates gain a reputation for “dancing” with a hiring committee during a job search. Reece discusses the third annual AD Symposium held in Oct. in Chapel Hill by NextLevel and what attendees can expect from this year’s lineup. Twitter: @NextLevelReece
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg draws over 130,000 into the St. Petersburg downtown core to witness one of the most exciting U.S. races annually. Giles Dowden talks about presenting good B2B opportunities at that event, and his role in providing VIP, suite, loft engagement for some of the largest sponsors in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area for the Honda Grand Prix. Dowden discusses his career, working for two NFL teams, an NHL team, a NBA team, and MLB team, and how he got into sports by writing a letter to the athletic director at Washington State University Athletic Director Jim Livengood while he was an undergrad at WSU.
The world of franchise value is explored in this episode with Michael Rapkoch, who has clients in all four major leagues, consulting on the sports value of seven MLB, four NFL, eight NHL, eight NBA teams during his company’s ten years in business. Rapkoch has performed over 90 valuation engagements within professional sports, working directly with teams, leagues and potential investors. Rapkock talks about the issues surrounding a sale, what value can truly be, and how the price can be driven up by the media if interested buyers haven’t inquired enough yet.
Greg Coleman runs one of Mandalay Sports Entertainment’s baseball properties, the Erie Seawolves, and discusses the mindset of MSE in terms of its points of light mission statement. Coleman discusses the role of a president to push not only the brand, but continue selling, as well as mentoring young sports executives, and the importance of moving to further a sports career. Coleman talks about some of the larger issues in sports, as well as protecting the price point, even if it means walking away from relationships when the other side is getting everything for free. Twitter: @SeaWolvesGM
Fan Engagement in the NFL is becoming a larger priority for teams than ever before. Hussain Naqi talks about how the Jaquars are rethinking fan engagement, whether that be through community relations, secret shoppers, fan experience models or even WiFi in private lounges. Naqi also discusses his role in bringing the Super Bowl to Met Life Stadium, and as leader of the group, attacking the issues head-on such as traffic and weather, in order to bring the NFL’s largest game to one of the largest cities in the world despite cold weather, something never done before by the league. Twitter: @CornellHkyFan
The world of marketing, branding and whether or not we’re telling too many stories instead of actually activating products is discussed with Tom Hansen. Explored in this episode are how the relationships between brands and consumers matter, whether traditional media still holds relevance in consumer’s hearts as it had in the past (i.e. Mad Men era), and if the GEICO Caveman advertisements were harmed by the brand extending to an actual television sitcom. Hansen talks about starting the Kane County Cougars Baseball team in the heart of Chicago within the territory of the Cubs & White Sox, yet making it successful despite critical skepticism whether the venture would work. This episode goes far beyond sports, examining how sponsorship, marketing, branding and activation tie into each other to build a greater consumer product. Twitter: @THansen30