As the New England Patriots and their 18-0 record barreled into Phoenix to take on the New York Giants, high expectations were abound on many fronts, particularly for the business of the Super Bowl.  And, unlike the Patriots performance, those expectations were met.  Record revenues.  Record ratings.  Record crowds.  Not only was this a game for the ages ON the football field, this was a game for the ages for corporate America. 

Ahhhh, yes.  It is that time of the year again.  You know, the time of the year when corporate America flings millions of dollars in the direction of the NFL and its broadcast affiliates.  The time of the year when the creative minds of the ad agencies are truly put to the test.  The time of the year where new products are introduced, new brand campaigns launched and new companies attempt to establish a presence on the radar of consumer America.

This is also the time of the year where Monday morning quarterbacks prosper, placing each and every Super Bowl ad…

I don’t know how many of you have seen this ad circulating the Web already, but I certainly got a kick out of it.  This can be a fun way to illustrate to your students how marketing is all around us! 

The NBA’s Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh is an exceptionally talented basketball player.  Unfortunately for him, he plays for a team that manages to fly largely under the media radar, despite his team’s on-court success the past few seasons.  Bosh was named to the Olympic team and was an all-star last year, but for whatever reason he is lagging in…

The seven-time Tour de France winner is again leveraging his amazing sporting accolades to maximize his marketing power.  On the heels of one of the most successful brand campaigns, Lance Armstrong and company are pushing the LiveStrong brand as a means for raising more money for cancer research.  This time, however, the promotion is tied-in through a major sporting goods retailer (Dick’s Sporting Goods).  The partnership between Dick’s and Armstrong serves as an excellent example of cause marketing for all you teachers out there.  Proceeds from sales of the Livestrong/Nike branded merchandise will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a group formed…

A lot has been made in sports and entertainment circles about ratings of late.  Why?  Well, a number of factors have contributed, capped off by a few historic events that managed to capture the nation’s attention over the holidays.

Before delving into specifics, let us first address the concept of ratings.  Many automatically associate the term “tv ratings” with Nielsen.  This is understandable given Nielsen Media Research’s evolution as an American brand name, much like kleenex, band-aid, q-tip or scotch tape.  Nielsen has established its service as the industry expert when measuring the number of people watching television shows and makes its data available…

As the holiday season revs up, so does the sports marketing machine.  Of course, there is no better time to entice consumers to tap into holiday budgets and buy tickets and team gear as the perfect holiday gift.  Many promotions range from simple “holiday” ticket packages to combination gift packages that feature tickets, concessions AND merchandise.

This week’s post features a sampling of what types of promotions are being offered in the sports business world in an effort to generate revenue during the heaviest period of consumer spending in the calendar year.

RAYS HOLIDAY PACK

The Tampa Devil Rays (Major League Baseball) package…

I know we typically feature predominately sports business and marketing related stories on our blog, but at the request of many teachers, we will try to integrate more entertainment business and marketing news into our posts.  Here is one such example…

Starbucks announced last week that they partnered with Apple in a joint promotional effort.  Starbucks purchased 50 million downloads from the iTunes store and will be giving away free song downloads every day through early November.  The downloads will be available on a first come, first served basis in stores throughout the country (click here to view the complete…

Amid swirling accusations of animal cruelty and an indictment on dog fighting charges, Atlanta Falcons superstar quarterback Michael Vick’s endorsement potential is dropping faster than Enron’s stock price in 2001.  Any sports marketing executive can tell you that Vick’s existing sponsors are in for a rough ride as the controversy continues to escalate while Vick’s name remains under scrutiny in the public eye. 

How do you know when you’ve hit it big?  Well, if selling millions of copies of books, grossing millions at the box office and selling millions more in licensed merchandise didn’t provide your first, second and third clue, the announcement of a planned theme park might be a pretty good indication.  We’re not talking a special ride at a theme park…we’re talking a complete theme park…20 acres worth. 

Universal unveiled plans in late May that a Harry Potter theme park will open inside Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park (which already houses Marvel Super Heroes and Dr Seuss islands).  The “Wizarding World…

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 1:00 PM, Lewiston, Idaho

Today I am in Lewiston, Idaho.  Actually, as I write this, I am firmly entrenched in the bleachers of a dark gymnasium on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College…to be precise, I’m sitting in the “arena” that plays host to their basketball teams.  I know what a few of you may be thinking.  Who cares about Lewis-Clark State College? 

Considering we have readers from all over the country, many in major metropolitan areas or large college towns, I’d say that’s a fair question.  Well, this particular venue is significant for one reason as it relates to our education project…these…