Bat Parrot Blog

London 2012 Olympics introduce 'pay your age' tickets!

The London 2012 Olympics have released their ticketing prices for the Games, and they look great.

In summary, 75% of all tickets will be available to the general public, with the other 25% reserved for sponsors, Games officials, athletes etc.

Whilst the top-class ticket to the Opening Ceremony is priced at GBP 3,200, two-thirds of all general release tickets are available for GBP 50 or less. Ticket prices start from just GBP 20.

The most expensive event ticket is for the 100m men's athletics final.  Cleverly, seniors aged 60 and over pay a discounted price (from GBP 16), and they have introduced a 'pay your age' ticket for kids aged 16 and under. That is, if you are 9, your ticket will cost GBP 9, which I think is fantastic!

Some 2 million Brits have pre-registered their interest for Olympic Games tickets, and it seems from this very early stage, they have a good strategy in place to fill the stadiums.

For more information on the ticketing prices and strategy, see the London 2012 website.

I like the logo too!

AFL Legends Luncheon raises $67K for homeless youth

Bat Parrot has again organised a memorable and heart-warming Devine AFL Legends Luncheon event - a major fundraiser for the AFL Foundation's Ladder program for homeless youth, raising an enormous $67,000 for the charity.

This event just gets bigger and better. With a sold-out corporate audience of over 400 people in the Members Dining Room at the MCG, it was a 'goalkicking legends' theme, and guests were treated to the company of some of the game's absolute greats, the announcement of the 'Top 10 Goals of All-Time', plus entertainment from comedian Andrew Startin.

The star-studded panel comprised of Leigh Matthews, Wayne Carey, Peter Daicos, Malcolm Blight and Matthew Richardson. The host was Brian Taylor.

Each of the legends voted on their favourite goals from 30 contenders dating back to 1974, and Mick McGuane etched his name in history as the kicker of the greatest goal of all-time - his famous 7-bounce run from the centre square against Carlton in 1994 at the MCG. See final top 10 list below.

               

However the star of the show was Maddy, a courageous and inspiring 19-year-old (or so) girl living in the Ladder housing and life program. This is her story.

At 16, Maddy’s family were moving and she was not invited to move with them. Maddy thought it was a joke or simply not true, until the removals van arrived. Maddy was all of a sudden homeless with nowhere to go. Discarded onto the streets without a second thought, to fend for herself.

Maddy roamed the city, Swanston St / Flinders St in Melbourne for over a year in survival mode. "Scumming" cigarettes, money, food as best she could, and hanging with the wrong crowd getting into trouble. You've seen them. So have I, and I've never really stopped to think "I wonder how she came to be in this situation?" The story continues.

Maddy became extremely sick and took herself to hospital. She screamed  "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" She moved around, and within a year had lived in 19 different places, including a room (pretty much a tiny cell) that was rat infested, dark and cold. A terrible place to stay. I gather this is simply a 'holding pattern' at best and delays the inevitable with most kids.

Do you know that suicide is accountable for more deaths in Australia than road accidents? True.

After two years of being homeless, and faced with a decision to give up or fight, Maddy chose to fight. Maddy decided to move into a refuge in Fairfield as she was fed up and felt her luck was running out. She set herself goals. Her first goal was to eat three times a day. She had only managed to eat once a day at best for a long time now. This was a big decision, of her own making, and one that was not simple to achieve by any stretch. With sheer determination, and with the help and support of her boyfriend, Michael, Maddy was taking a positive step forward.

Maddy's progress was noticed and her case manager at the refuge told her about the Ladder program starting, and encouraged her to apply. She did and she was accepted. A massive lifeline, and a path to more dreams and a brighter future. I do wonder though how many kids applied. How many need this? There are only a dozen places at the moment....but thankfully, this will expand.

The Ladder program provides temporary housing units in Hoddle Street to around 12 homeless youths, plus life training, mentors and support. Many AFL footballers are actively involved as mentors. It's a shame you don't see Mitch Morton (Richmond) teaching kids to cook pasta on the 6pm news, or David Myers (Essendon) helping kids to repair bicycles, or Sarah Jamieson (Olympic 1500m runner) taking the kids to a day of lawn bowls. But that's what happens.

Maddy now has other dreams and aspirations. She has completed studying a hospitality course, amd her biggest dreams now - to attain community housing, and then, to start her own cafe and be her own boss.

My money is on Maddy, and I believe she will do it.

The AFL Legends Luncheon will return next year,  in the first week of August at the MCG, and with another exciting 'legends' theme. Thanks to all attendees who made a difference by attending, and giving further on the day via the auction, raffle and donations.

Think we add some spice into next year's event - what about a 'Rough 'n Tough Legends' theme featuring Matthews (again), Mal Brown, Glenn Archer, Barry Hall, Jonathan Brown, and Brad Scott?

Maybe. We'll see.

View Event Photo Gallery

Top 10 Goals of All-Time, as voted by AFL goalkicking legends.

1. Mick McGuane (1994, Coll v Car) 7 bounce run from the centre square
2. Peter Daicos (1991, Coll v Rich) Famous checkside from the boundary at Vic Park
3. Malcolm Blight (1976, NM v Car) 80m torpedo kick after the siren to win
4. Cyril Rioli (2009, Haw v Ess) Ducking and weaving, totally elusive effort
5. Wayne Carey (1999, NM v Ess) Spills mark, recovers, kicks left-foot checkside from boundary
6. Phil Manassa (1977, Coll v NM) Famous run from the back-flank in GF replay
7. Peter Bosustow (1981, Car v Gee) Diving smother, recovers and snaps from tight in fwd pocket
8. Gary Ablett Snr (1989, Gee v Coll) Contests pack mark, swoops on loose ball, snaps from 50m
9. Michael Mitchell (1990, Rich v Syd) Runs the length of the ground, 7 bounces, goals
10. Lance Franklin (2010, Haw v Ess), Gathers on wing, 3 bounces at speed, goals from boundary

3AW People's Choice Award Winner: Malcolm Blight

Melbourne half-Hearted

With the new Hyundai A-League franchise, Melbourne Heart, stepping out for its first high profile hit-out last night against Everton, there seems to be a lot of groundswell behind the new team.

Just short of 20,000 people turned up at Etihad Stadium, midweek, on a wet and rainy night to see the practice match - which by all accounts is a very positive crowd figure. Sure, there would have been a lot of free tickets given away, as Heart have been visiting a lot of schools and local soccer clubs the past few months. And yes, the majority of the crowd was there to see Everton star, and national hero, Tim Cahill.

So, how will Melbourne sports fans embrace the Melbourne Heart?

I attended a corporate luncheon prior to the FIFA World Cup in Melbourne, The Irvine Club - a male dominated business networking group who are passionate about sports, and raising funds for charity. Representatives from the Heart were there, and a quick straw poll of over 400 guests taken.

Who follows the Victory? Hands go up.

Who will follow the Melbourne Heart? More hands go up. Very interesting. I'd say the split was 60/40 in favour of Melbourne Heart.

A radio poll taken last night on sports broadcaster, SEN, confirmed as much. 50% of callers will barrack for the Heart.

Why is Melbourne Heart such a credible alternative to the well-established, popular and very successful Melbourne Victory?

Victory have done such a great job in creating a powerful brand. It's supporters are enthusiastic, some fanatical, certainly soccer-mad, and very parochial. It should be noted, Victory have also done a great job encouraging families and women to their audience too.

I think given Victory's level of parochialism, it has in a sense made it a barrier for the 'general sports' fan, who enjoys soccer, to enter the realm of the Victory. So Victory may indeed 'own' the avid football fan, but the door is certainly open for the hearts (excuse pun) and minds of many other Melburnians, crazy about sport.

Melbourne Heart brings a certain level of nicety to its brand. It's possibly less intimidating, possibly more family-oriented, and represents an entry point for those fans wishing to now join in. Which is great.

Who will own the corporate audience?

Victory has done a great job in building it's corporate network, through a special business group called 'Victory in Business'. Traditionally, soccer is a very hard 'sell' to Australian corporate organisations wanting to entertain clients and guests. Unless Australia is playing Uruguay in a World Cup Qualifier. So it will be interesting to see whether the Heart can crack this nut. Having Westpac as a major sponsor is a great start.

So I watch with interest how the Club continues to unfold, and whether the early interest in Melbourne Heart will translate into memberships, strong attendances and corporate support.

And I can't wait for the 'derby'.

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Steps Up!

I really like what I have seen from the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race!

Are we about to see this event take its rightful place as one of the great events in Australia, and possibly the best yacht race in the world? I hope so!

Its a tried and tested formula for making a great event - it begins with getting the very best talent, add a celebrity angle, and engage the major TV networks.

The 2009 Sydney Hobart event took a significant step forward in this regard by assembling a field of maxi yachts unrivalled and not before seen anywhere in the world. What a difference it makes!

A record eight maxi yachts took to the start on Boxing Day, with high profile entrants from Australia, New Zealand, UK and US, with world-renowned skippers and crew. Simply, it was the best 'big' fleet ever assembled, with favourites Wild Oats XI, Alfa Romeo and ICAP Leopard. This created much more intrigue and interest in the event, and many more interesting media angles than in previous years.

Australians would likely watch a ferret race, if and only if, these were the very best ferrets in all the world! Oh, and it was broadcast on free-to-air, on Boxing Day.

Then, there was 'the celebrity yacht', Investec LOYAL, which boasted Danny Green (boxing), Grant Hackett (swimming), Phil Kearns (rugby union), Phil Waugh (rugby union) and Larry Emdur (TV) on the decks. Celebrities have sailed before in the race, but not to this extent. Through this vehicle, the LOYAL Foundation aims to raise $1m for struggling charities. Another good story to tell.

TV broadcaster, Network Seven, increased its coverage and exposure. The start was broadcast nationally for 90 minutes, on TV and on the net (for the second year running), and there seemed to be additional 'race updates' for the 2-3 days following, and regular news updates and 'crosses'.

Seven leveraged its involvement further by sponsoring major race contenders to promote its new 'Seven Two' station (see logo on the Alfa Romeo headsail). Station star Larry emdur also carried a handycam and recorded some brilliant footage onboard LOYAL, and this was aired on Seven's 'Sunrise' program.

 

If you think about it, there's a good degree of similarity here with the Emirates Melbourne Cup strategy - arguably Australia's most successful event. VRC scouts travel the world and extend invites to likely horses / stables from all parts of the world. Coupled with a high profile 'fashion' angle, these are the two cornerstones for a successful event at Flemington.

So I hope that this is a firm and planned strategy for the Rolex Sydney Hobart event. With a top-class field next year, there will be even more interest and more exposure, and more lead-up coverage. From there it snowballs, just like The Melbourne Cup. More sponsors. An increased value in TV rights. More innovation. More coverage, and then who knows?

What's the next extension? Here's a few ideas, for what its worth...a quick brainstorm...

• A 'reality yacht', backed by a TV series giving up-and-coming sailors the opportunity for a place on a leading yacht. Cameras of course on board to document the race experience first-hand.
• Build up the 'nation v nation' angle, or Australia v the International Raiders. I can see a pre-race press liftout / formguide now! A good way to raise the profile of the sports stars.
• Work with betting agencies to offer a more exotic range of betting options to add interest and revenue return (eg: winner, place, each-way, first out of the harbour, boats to start, boats to finish, winner's time, handicap winner, last boat to finish etc)
• Partner with other leading international 'big boat' races to establish a formal 'World Series' of racing, with points awarded, cash bonuses etc. This will give 'year-round' exposure and also encourage more international entrants.
• Build up a more formal 'lead-in' regatta on Sydney Harbour pre-Christmas and increase its exposure, culminating in the Sydney Hobart race
• Create a more formal 'race owned' charity angle, such as a Christmas Charity fund, and call it the 'Boxing Day Sail'.
• Build up the Hobart arrival experience, and partner with travel operators to sell packages
• Add-on a New Year's Eve party event in Hobart, with music, food, wine etc on the docks

What is the most popular desktop calendar program?

So, what is the most popular desktop calendar program today?

A decade ago, through the popularity (rather dependence) of Microsoft Office and the dominance of PC's over Mac, MS Outlook was simply part of the 'Office' package and considered the default desktop calendar program. Just five years ago, Microsoft would estimate that around 85-90% of Australian computer users had access to MS Outlook. However, this is all changing.

With the rise of 'free' mail accounts such as Hotmail and Google, and their extension into other products such as calendar programs (Windows Live Calendar, Google Calendar) and browsers (now, Google Chrome), coupled with the popularity of Mac over PC, there has been a shift.

So, here are the most popular desktop calendar programs across a broad selection of E-DIARY users in Australia, New Zealand, US, UK, South Africa mainly.

    

MS Outlook (65.2%), Google Calendar (7.8%), Windows Vista Calendar (7.7%), Windows Live Calendar (6.0%), iCal (5.5%), Lotus Notes (2.1%), Other Calendars (5.7%).

Etihad Stadium Style Guide. "Brilliant."

I love a good style guide, to be honest I kind of find them exciting...is that wierd?!!

Anyhoo, I like Etihad Stadium's Style Guide. In a word its "Brilliant".

Etihad Airlines have assumed naming rights of the previously named Telstra Dome, a 55,000-seat boutique sports / entertainment stadium in Melbourne, with a retractable roof and located on the Docklands, right next to the city. Naming rights for Etihad kicked in on the 1st March.

Before being known as Telstra Dome, it was Colonial Stadium. It's sometimes difficult to effectively re-brand a stadium, but it's a high-power 'awareness' strategy if done well. This begins with first defining your objectives, your positioning and brand strategy. It's from there that you can build a meaningful, thorough and effective Style Guide. It's 'change management' on a very large scale...and brand is just so so important. Everything must be "singing from the same songbook"!

The new logo and it's tagline reinforce a clever new positioning strategy. "Get inside the experience. Brilliant." Come to think of it...what was the positioning of 'Telstra Dome'? Not sure there was one.

I like this. Instantly we think of the stadium's key points of difference....it's an 'indoor' stadium, it's more than just a sports venue, and it's "brilliant" - helping to reinforce the heightened atmosphere inside the venue, the faster speed of play, and the closer view of the action on-field.

There is no other product or service that I can think of using the word "brilliant" in Australia. So that's a good find. It's a word that has a broad degree of appeal.

The arch on the logo also reinforces the shape of the venue, a depiction of the arch of the roof at Etihad Stadium, a unique feature. Again, a direct association to the venue.

So what goes into a good style guide? It's actually termed a "Brand Identity Guide", such is the importance of first defining brand and positioning strategy. The welcome page states: 

"These guidelines control the tangible aspects of the Etihad Stadium brand, reflecting its objectives and enabling the consistent and accurate application of the Etihad Stadium brand logos, graphic devices, typefaces and colours on all brand collateral."

The guide covers: What creates a brilliant experience; Brand essence and positioning; Venue strategic business plan; Brand essence chart; Brand loyalty pyramid; Marketing slogan; Tone of voice; Power words and phrases; Visual identity; Brand marks; Clearspace; Embroidery; Minimum size; Colour palette; Correct use; Incorrect use; Brand typefaces; Visual brand graphics and devices; Uniforms; Signage system; Accessing files; File naming convention. 

As you would expect, a range of logos have been created for all uses and membership types in the guide (eg: Medallion Club). It extends further to all signage, and to include primary colours, secondary colours and even "Tone of Voice" and "Power words and phrases".

Here are some of the "Power words and phrases" you can expect to hear in the promotion of Etihad Stadium: Brilliant; exciting; close to the action; friendly, fund and safe; spectacular playing surface; under one roof; dynamic; one of the world's great stadiums. 

The strategy of Etihad to use stadia (worldwide) as a key brand awareness strategy in its new travel markets is reinforced with other integrated promotion. Here's a tram spotted running alongside the stadium in the lead up to the 1st March. I have also since heard radio ads, seen TV ads, a billboard on the way to the airport, and received a direct email. Nothing..eh-hem...NOTHING beats an integrated marketing campaign in building a better brand.

 

Time will be the judge of how effective the campaign has been, but it is off to a good start! Look out for the new '2009 Etihad Stadium e-diary' we will be launching soon too!!

Coldplay deliver and prove less is more

Coldplay have arrived in Melbourne! No need for any pre-publicity appearances on 'Rove' or 'So You Think You Can Dance' or anything like that. Last night, their music and their show did the talking.

The concert last night at Rod Laver Arena, their first of three Melbourne shows, played out with minimal fuss, minimal distraction, with no meaningless banter, no messages on poverty, no planet-saving, no water saving...in fact the only message was a sincere thank you to the crowd for coming to the show from wherever they had come from, including bushfire areas. This showed an understanding and a genuine sincerity. And so the party played on.

Coldplay belted out all their recent hits. Lead singer Chris Martin, whose birthday it was the day before (and was believed to have celebrated the occasion with friends at the Gin Palace) gave his all. The sound was brilliant, songs tight but still fluid and raw. The beauty of live music played well.

It was only a few days ago Bono (U2....and planet-saving fame) publicly criticised Martin as arrogant and casting him as, well...not a great person. There was no mention of any of this by Martin at the concert. Why would he? His band was there to entertain. Not save the world.

The stage was relatively simple but the production brilliant - and proved, like Martin that less is more. Amazing beams of light moved through the arena. A huge screen with clever imagery provided the backdrop, and four large illuminated globes hung from above the crowd. These globes were amazing, displaying a close-up feed of the concert under a variety of filters...including even a 'cartoon-like' filter!

 

The highlight was for the song 'Yellow'. Out of the roof fell a field of large yellow balloons, in a variety of sizes, they bounced around the arena, pushed by the fans throughout the whole of the stadium.

One was popped and the crowd then discovered that each of the balloons were filled with coloured paper. There were splashes of colour and surprise throughout.

Another memorable moment was when the band ran off the stage, into the crowd, and to the upper section. There was of course some microphones and leads waiting, and they played a semi-acoustic song with 'the people'. Nice and entertaining.

It was a production and a concert that had a clever 360-degree mindset, and importantly there was never too much going on at the one time. It remained focussed. It wasn't too long, and there was just one encore. I never really understand having two encores (if this in fact makes any sense!).

What did I see from a product marketing perspective? Take a look at this photo below taken after the concert. Quick quiz: Which company has the soft drink rights at Rod Laver Arena? 

 

My (very) Australia Day at the picnic races: Event marketing basics!

I had a VERY "Australian" Australia Day this year by attending picnic races at Balnarring....and it was brilliant! Horse racing on Australia Day? How very Australian is that...!

Balnarring is a tiny place on the Mornington Peninsula in between Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay in Victoria, about an hour's drive south from Melbourne.

Upon entry to the course, I asked "how many people do you think you'll get here today?" (there was a fair line of cars at that stage, 20 minutes before the first race). "Bloody heaps" said the man dressed in the local fire suit, the Club was set for an historic day. "We are now parking cars in the middle of the course can you believe!"

After the first race, the PA crackled....."I have an important announcement, we are now starting our fourth raffle. Our FOUTH raffle. This is unprecedented for the Club. Tickets are $5, maximum 200 to be sold. $500 first prize. Thank you for your patience." Nice.

Well, I wasn't surprised to hear the PA spark again some 20 minutes later "we are now starting our FIFTH raffle, this is amazing. Tickets can be purchased at....".

It surely was a big day for the Club, due in part to some very basic event marketing principles in play...here's just some more of what I saw! (pictures courtesy 'Picture Gallery to Picnic Racing' website...yes, check it out).

Event Basic 1: "Go local for support, and your half way there!"

Promote locally, in local hotels, businesses, at-venue signage, shops, window fliers..'word of mouth' spreads from there.

 

Event Basic 2: "Create a theme, something to promote.."

Australia Day, that was an obvious...but play on the fact and reinforce the theme with ongoing promotions such as national anthems, theme songs, dress, activities, competitions...or even jockey silks....

 

Event Basic 3: "Look after the kids and families, and provide a reason to go"

Appeal to families and you've just doubled your audience...with face painting, pony rides, music and so on...

 

Event Basic 4: "Promise a lot but ALWAYS deliver more"

Ensure customer expectations are met. Purely and simply, a person's expectations determine their day. Exceed them with additional promotions and offerings like food stalls, bars, market stalls, raffles, competitions and on-the-day promotions...Balnarring Picnic Club had organised the current AFL Premiership Cup to be on-course for photo opportunities, brilliant...and (relatively) simple...

Event Basic 5: "Involve the media and get something for nothing"

Increase awareness and exposure via local media including press, radio, TV...this was the first time Balnarring had an Outside Broadcast (OB) from a local radio station...this gains you at least a month's free on-air pre-promotion...happy chaps...

 

Event Basic 6: "Great product, great communications, good repeat visits"

Ensure repeat visits with adequate security, positive communications on-the-day and a simple reminder about your next event coming up...like fliers upon leaving (with a '2 for 1' offer), bluetooth mobile marketing if your savvy...and a great day will be had by all!

2009 Australian Tennis Open: A Major Corporate Strategy Watch

On the eve of this year's tennis open championship at Rod Laver in Melbourne, there is an understandable concern brewing over ticket prices, particularly corporate. This year's prices were set in mid-2008, well before the US financial crisis hit, and well before the readjusted downturn in both China's and Australia's economic growth / activity / consumer confidence forecasts.

The tennis open has been riding a (seemingly unstoppable) wave of consumer support for years, with attendance records broken year-after-year. It's a great event, no doubt.

2009 will be interesting to watch, and may be the first real gauge to the anticipated dips in corporate spending for the year ahead.

General seating tickets have risen 9% - 29% from 2008 ($59.90 - $289.90). Ground passes remain unchanged ($19 - $29), but there are add-ons for entry to the new  'Spiegelworld' for 'Absinthe', 'Concerts', 'Family Circus' and 'A Day on the Baseline' ($19.90 each).

From a corporate point-of-view, prices have risen by up to 25%. It's expensive going in this current climate, and sales are not good. The main corporate tickets include Bronze ($3,990 each), Silver ($4,990), Silver Premium ($9,450), Gold ($5,990) and Gold Premium ($10,450). Basically, the 'Premium' options include buffet dining for all 25 sessions, the others don't, just the lower-tier padded seat for all 25 sessions and access to purchase dining from The Oval or Australian Open Dining Restaurant.

The problem has been compounded by a new trend being followed by the major sports - to assign a select number of authorised 'on-sellers' to sell their corporate packages. The AFL, VRC, and the Australian Grand Prix Corp  have been the instigators. These major sports are believed to meet regularly about "strategic marketing" initiatives.

Whilst there are obvious merits to this strategy - to control brand, control pricing, control distribution, and reduce fraud, this augurs well for a free-spending economic climate. In such a climate, demand for these tickets has outweighed supply.

In 2009, things could be different - a select number of appointed 'on-sellers' (there are three for the tennis this year) may simply not have the reach to sell all the tickets. So what then?

Well, two things possibly. One - you'll see some lower tier sections of Rod Laver Arena empty. Two - you'll see some corporate tickets for sale at a reduced price, this is already happening.

The strategy to limit corporate packages to authorised 'on-sellers' is a good one, but it is not working properly.

The AFL appoint three or so 'on-sellers' (plus their AFL Clubs) to sell their highly-priced 'Centre Square' function for the AFL Grand Final. Tickets are "set" at $1,995 pp. The lowest offered price for the 2008 Grand Final was believed to be as low as $700.

Interestingly, a move by the AFL to take control of more of the Club's allocation of Grand Final tickets for 2009 is set to be delayed for a year...due to the current conomic climate. Hmm, shouldn't they actually be picking up the slack for Clubs in such a climate (save that for another blog!)??!!

The VRC have a similar strategy to their famous Melbourne Cup Carnival event. They appoint around 15 authorised 'on-sellers'. This is a more sensible number - it's a big market and there are a lot of genuine 'on-sellers' that contribute well to this market.

It is wise to enforce control of your product, that's for sure. Unwise to limit your reach. Companies that are asked to take an unreasonably high level of exposure to sell your product will either go bust, look to engage other 'on-sellers' on their behalf, or be forced to sell tickets at a discount in order to minimise the loss.

The problem with the Corporate Hospitality industry is there is no such industry, no association exists, there is no self-regulation or membership. There has been talk amongst major on-sellers for one such association to be established, and I believe the 'Australian Corporate Hospitality Association' as a company has been registered.

This is the first step towards creating a more trusted Corporate Hospitality industry, where hospitality companies will have to qualify to earn association accreditation. The industry will become self-regulating, and then more proactive and useful discusions can take place between the rights holders and Corporate Hospitality Association members, for a more sensible strategy on corporate ticketing. Each needs the other in order to be successful. This is more the case now in such an uncertain economic climate.

Holiday Reading

Well it’s time to take a breather (I hope!), go to Borders, head to the coast, on to the balcony, feet up and catch up on some holiday reading. If only the sun would come to the party.

 

I’ve flicked and sorted and here are some good mags and articles I think are worth reading to keep up to date with the latest in sports / digital marketing. I hope they are informative and help reignite the creative juices.

 

SportBusiness International (Issue No. 141, Dec 08)

If you don’t already subscribe to this magazine, it’s a good idea. Although it is expensive (it’s a UK magazine). In any case, you can subscribe to their free ‘Newslines’ weekly email.

 

International Focus Feature: Middle East

An interesting feature on the Middle East. We would all love to tap into the wealth in the UAE and their focus on establishing a tourism-based economy (from events) for what they believe to be their future growth strategy.

 

This feature gives a good insight into each of the provinces, what they each stand for, and what is required to do business in the UAE. In short, you need to be ‘on the ground’, you need to understand the culture and heritage, and you seemingly still need to convince the major sports / government organisations they actually need to spend money on contracting a dedicated agency for sponsorship / marketing / promotional leveraging.

 

The feature also gives a good account of the investments being made by the provinces to reinforce their brand and reach…via sponsorships mainly of stadia, soccer teams etc. In these economic times, such deals are proving a ‘smart buy’ (eg: the recent Telstra Dome naming rights being bought out by Etihad, the new airline out of Abu Dahbi).

 

Also a great look at four of the world’s biggest sports cities in ‘venues of the future’ – Aspire Dome (Qatar), Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports (US), Dubai Sports City and Singapore Sports Hub.

 

Australian Anthill (Issue #31, Dec 08 / Jan 09)

A great magazine, it does try to be innovative and different. This edition is ‘The Magazine 2.0 Experiment’, and there’s a lot of ‘user-generated’ content gained from their blog. A great idea, and an interesting read.

 

A good example of the importance of online and also how different media can be mixed and integrated to enhance the reader experience.

 

A recent issue of the magazine used QR Codes throughout the magazine, enabling readers to access additional content, offers and features via their mobile phone (eg: to watch a video interview). You will see more of this, and more QR Code campaigns in 2009.

 

Fast Company (Issue Dec 08 / Jan 09)

A US magazine – the US is still ahead in the innovation stakes. This is probably the best magazine for identifying innovation trends and latest gadgets. A good read.

 

In this edition, the new NY Jets (NFL) training facility is reviewed. There’s a full-sized indoor training facility, a medical centre “like a mini-hospital” to diminish the chances of players contracting a “superbug” strain, and more. Check it out.

 

You should also check out their website, a great site and worth becoming involved and setting up a profile yourself.

 

Nett (Issue Jan 09)

This is a ‘holiday issue’ with a review of good books to read itself. There’s also a fair assessment of ‘Business Coaches’, if that interests you.

 

Have a great holiday!