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!
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