American Marketing Association Boston hosted a panel on sports marketing on Thursday. Participants included representatives from EMC2, Fenway Sports Group, SBLI, Dunkin' Donuts, and the Boston Bruins.The panelists spoke about their experiences with sports marketing from the perspectives of a company, a team, and a marketing agency.
The world of sports marketing has changed. "What sponsorship used to be was signage," said Amy Latimer of the Boston Bruins, "That's not the case anymore. It's the charitable sponsorships and activating the market. The sponsorship activation in this market is incredible."
Activation, in the jargon of marketing gurus, attempts to engage the consumer on a level more substantive than a sign or poster alone would. For example, SBLI's Stolen Base Learning Initiative donates a sum of money to education charities for every base the Red Sox steal in a game.
John Wolf of EMC2 spoke of the experience his company had this year when the Red Sox played their season opener in Japan. Due to the close relationship the two organizations had fostered, EMC2 was able to purchase the rights to a patch on the Red Sox jersey sleeve. The patch appeared on the players' jerseys and on every jersey sold in Japan.
TD Banknorth sponsors the Celtics and Bruins, as well as the building they play in, the Garden. TD Banknorth's marketing team took advantage of the opportunity created by Bank of America's takeover of Fleet, which coincided with the end of its 10-year naming rights. TD Banknorth jumped at the chance, and named the building the TD Banknorth Garden. "Bringing back the Garden was huge for us. The people of Boston love their Garden and wanted it back," said John Ratoff of TD Banknorth.
There was then an opening for the Celtics sponsorship, which the company seized. "It just made sense to join all the organizations together and sponsor the Celtics. We saw it the same way as buying stocks: When a company has a good management and can come back, you buy it," Ratoff said.
Dunkin' Donuts also saw the advantages of affiliating with a sports team. Part of the company's success has stemmed from its affiliation with identifiable athletes, especially its well-known partnership with the Red Sox. "I'm not going to tell you every time a customer goes to Fenway Park and sees the sign they are going to go buy a cup of coffee, but they associate the team with our product," said Bill Galatis, co-owner of the downtown Boston franchise.
The franchise also works with the Red Sox, collaborating with the team for mutual benefit, holding promotions and events supporting both the team and the company. Just as familiar to the fans as the gigantic Dunkin' Donuts sign next to the screen is the Dunkin' Dugout. Every game, the franchise pays for young children in the area to attend the game, and sit in a row of seats under the Dunkin' Dugout sign.
Dunkin' Donuts also capitalizes on the Red Sox's success. The day after a winning game, fans are rewarded with a free iced coffee or tea with the purchase of a flatbread sandwich or personal pizza. Galatis said the sandwich had just been introduced recently, and this new promotion not only celebrates the team's win but also helps to bring customers to the new product.
SBLI, a life insurance agency, also finds that its customers often happen to be sports fans. "Sports … [is] an opportunity to reach out to our ideal targets, who are concerned about the well-being of the family," said Bill Gaffney, senior vice president of SBLI. The company sponsors various smaller sporting events and leagues, including the Colonial Conference, minor league baseball, Boston College, and the Bay State Games. For major sports teams such as the Red Sox and the Patriots, it also uses creative advertisements in which the company associates its name with a sports player by sponsoring a "no-nonsense player of the game."
The company also sponsors one player in particular, Tedy Bruschi, a 34-year-old Patriots linebacker who suffered from a stroke in 2005. After discovering Bruschi, the company decided to sponsor him as a player and the Patriots as a team. "Tedy Bruschi has a story to tell: Regardless of who you are, you need to be prepared. You do not expect to die in your 30s, and he almost did," Gaffney said.
SBLI uses Bruschi in its advertisements both inside and outside of New England. In the Patriots' fan range, they focus on his role as Patriots football player, using images on him in games. Outside of New England, where sports fans may be less receptive to the Patriots fandom, they concentrate on Bruschi's role as a father, portraying him with his kids. The tagline in many of the advertisements, "Life hits you hard," serves as a reminder of both Bruschi's brush with death and his role as linebacker.
While professional sports teams attract many advertisers, Mark Lev of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said that there were many opportunities among loyal fan bases at different levels. FSG works with many popular teams, including BC. "BC is a tremendous opportunity. All the games are sold out, and there is a large alumni base," Lev said. "Everyone mentions the four major teams in Boston, but we are on the campus of another big sports arena. There is a national champion team here." He said that smaller companies didn't need to feel pressured to try to affiliate professional teams. "Don't be afraid to look elsewhere than professionals."
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