ppt on marketing, int to mktg, social mktg,

1. Sports Public Relations Overview
SPOR
TS
P
R
SPOR
TS
P
R

2. Sports PublicRelations Professionals
Public relations is the distinctive management function which helps establish and
maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation
between a team, athlete, league, organization, company and brand and its respective
publics by:
• Preparing media kits
• Writing player bios
• Compiling stacks of statistics
• ‘Wining and dining’ sports
reporters
• Maintaining the press box
• Arranging media interviews
• Booking player appearances on
television & radio sports shows
• Handling crises when players run
afoul of the law
• Maintaining the team website &
blog
• Providing constant updates for fans
on Facebook and followers on twitter

3. History
● “The San Francisco Giants hosted the first baseball game focused on raising
awareness and money in the fight against AIDS. The Giants donated a portion of
game proceeds to the cause ($1 per ticket), and time before the game to invoke the
significance of the disease and the need to fight
it” (Schaaf, 1995, p. 106).
● This event was announced on the radio and more people showed up to the game
to fight AIDs after the radio broadcast happened
● Radio was a technology that helped sports PR specialists spread the word faster
● 1950s and 1960s: growth of college sports on television
● 1960s: NFL owes much of its history to the PR.
● The industry of sports PR changed drastically in the 1980’s when ESPN was
spawned1920’s-
Present
1895-‐
Prese
nt

4. History Continued
● Social Media has lead to a growth in the amount of information and
content fans receive.
○ Los Angeles Lakers (LAL) star Kobe Bryant “lashed out at a referee with
a curse word and a homophobic slur” (Akil, 2011).
○ This lead to the “LAL organization and the league”
■ Not only did the LAL separate itself from Bryant, it assured the public
that it would “look forward to work with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) to help educate itself and its fans to
help keep homophobic language out of the game” (ESPN, 2011).
○ These statements and actions through the use of the media occurred
immediately after the situation, showing that sports PR has grown and
flourished throughout history into a fast-enacting, crisis-averting form of
management.
Present
Day

5. Sports publicity is an effective marketing strategy that successfully combines
sports with the products that sporting teams promote.
Sports as an industry can be promoted and weekend athletes are frequent
consumers of products that are advertised through sports publicity.

6. Sports Publicity and How to Advertise
A promotion for a certain associated product can be advertised along with a
particular athlete or sports team.
A form of street marketing is used along with marketing through billboards and
through an urban element.
Large events bring in certain crowd types and advertising to a group is an
inexpensive method of promoting a product.

7. Athletes and Brand Loyalty
Athletes who sponsor products tend to produce brand loyalty.
Athletes sign contracts with certain brand manufacturers to wear or use their
products during a game or event.

8. How Sports PR is Valued
• Athlete endorsements are frequently used as a product promotional strategy.
• Sports fans tend to be loyal to their teams and to the star athletes on these
teams.
• Stadium tickets are sold through mass media advertising and through
stadium naming rights.
• Television advertising can bring in impulse buys and new memberships.
• Television network deals are a successful form of sports marketing revenue.
• Signs and brochures can be used to bring in ready to buy customers for a
product or service.
• This type of niche marketing is directed at those ready to buy patrons and
are directed towards this specific and targeted audience which is the fan
base.

9. Advantages
• Exposure to high-profile athletes and sports executives
• Generate Revenue
• Capability to develop and build a brand
• Example: Nike, Gatorade, Jordan
• Credibility
• Abundant influence on the media
“A sport publicist’s biggest asset is the ability to “formulate a plan and
match it with the right media outlet”

10. Disadvantages
• Power
• Crisis Management
“40% of players in the NBA and 21% of players in the NFL have been
charged with a crime” (Oakes, 2006).
• Stressful work environment
• Long hours (no specific schedule)
• Lots of travel
• Works on weekends
• Considered part of Sport Marketing
• Negative Portrayal of profession
• Associated with “spin” or “flack”

11. What Is a Stakeholder in Sports?
A stakeholder in sport is an individual or organization whose attitudes and
actions influence the success of a sports team, sports participant or an entire
sport. It Includes:
Participants
Spectators
Governing Bodies
Financial Stakeholder
Community

12. The Strategic Roles of Public Relations
Practice
Work top Down
Cultivate Relationships
Segment Audience

13. Similarities and Differences
Similarities
Community
Relations
PR
Differences
Government
PR
Investor
Relations
PR

14. • Sports PR encompasses most if not all
aspects of PR, but varies in specifics
pertaining to the field and its conditions
• Practice media relations, drafting news
releases, creating promotional materials,
coordinating special events
• Crisis Communications, News
Conferences, Press Releases, Events
Similarities

15. • Intertwine with one another to bring the sports
organization and the community together.
• Athletes, teams and organizations are constantly working to
improve their community relations through PR
• “Community relations programs have emerged as a strategum
that sport organizations use to deliver outreach-type programs.
The aim of such programs is to achieve corporate public
relations objectives related to enhancing public understanding
and gaining public approval and acceptance, and hopefully
leading to public support” (Mullin, 2000, p. 320).
Community Relations PR

16. • Many sports organizations “are highly regulated by
federal, state, and local laws” (Stoldt, Dittmore, 2012,
p.18).
• Most stadiums are built with tax dollars. Sport
organizations need to keep a close relationship
with government for public support
• The NCAA, NAIA, or other collegiate organizations
“commonly lobby their regulators for the
implementation of maintenance for a particular policy
deemed desirable by the organization”(Stoldt,
Dittmore, 2012, p. 18).
Government Relations

17. Investor Relations
• Although many sport organizations are not
publicly owned, many sporting good
manufactures are.
• Must keep stockholders informed as to the
financial position of the company.
• Investor relations want “to convince them that the
investment in the organization continues to be a
sound financial strategy” (Stoldt, Dittmore, 2012, p.
17).

18. Differences
• Much heavier focus on social responsibility
• Media relations and player relations are also
heavily emphasized.
• Crisis can be considered as trade rumors,
athlete and organizational scandal, team
losses and individual failure.
• Staging news conferences and send out
media advisories

19. Salary
Title specific job descriptions do not exist for sports.
2012 Data:
• Entry-level public relations specialist: $54,170
• Advertising, promotions and PR professional in spectator
sports: $66,910
• Promotions/PR professional in arts/entertainment/sports sector:
$106,710
• According to PR Week, the median salary for PR professional in the
entertainment industry is $90,000 annually

20. Future/ Growth
The future for sports public relations looks promising.
• Growth of the industry has a whole
• PR has an expected growth rate of 22% by 2020
• Sport specific revenues are a billion dollar industry
globally
• Sports are becoming increasingly global
• Growth in developing nations is leading to a rising
middle class
• No substitute for sports public relations.

21. Social Media
• Social media has completely revolutionized the
sports industry.
• New opportunities for pitching stories, branding, and
earning reputation
• More touchpoints with every sector of the industry from
companies to agencies to athletes
• More opportunities for conversation, communication, and
crisis

22. The End