Guest Lectures at Long Beach State

This week, I had the honor of speaking with multiple marketing classes at CSULB.  Taking over the week for Professor Tomlin, I set about to engage the students with real-life case studies and examples of successful marketing activations.  Deploying the same philosophy I utilize in other speaking engagements and in the The Surfer's Guide To Marketing book, I strongly believe that my objective should be to educate, motivate, and entertain the next generation of marketing minds.

Lecturing to the class with video and even some POP show-and-tell

Focusing on some of my favorite cases throughout my career and discussing award-winning marketing efforts with brands like FX, NFL, ESPN, ABC and others, I showcased the promotional spots, POP, and collateral materials to allow the students to better comprehend the strategy, activation, and ROI each of these campaign bring.

The last element of the class was to have the students break into smaller groups and create a strategy for ESPN's Monday Night Football campaign and follow it up with brief presentations of their concepts.  Following their presentations, we showed our version of the Legends of Monday sweepstakes with four Hall of Famers including Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen, Lawrence Taylor and Tony Dorsett, and the fully engaged class was more than enthused to see our version of their assignment come to fruition.

Working with breakout groups on their ESPN case assignment

In all, the students of CSULB were engaging, eager, and more than up for the challenge of becoming the next wave of marketing greats.  And it was my privilege to hopefully enlighten the classes and motivate them to pursue the world of sports and entertainment marketing as a career opportunity.

TWITTER AND THE NFL ARE BIG FREE AGENCY WINNERS

With Roger Goodell tweeting about the deal between the NFL and Twitter to broadcast Thursday Night Football, it looks like the next generation of consuming sports content is in full swing.  While the two players already had a working relationship, there are several reasons to be even more excited about the teaming of two blue-chip draft picks.

ALL-PRO PLAYERS
One thing we know is that the NFL is a juggernaut that doesn't make distribution or partnership decisions without significant strategy and foresight.  By all accounts, Twitter was not the highest offer and other teams (including Amazon, Yahoo, Verizon, etc) all bid between 30-50% more.  The partnership between the social media platform and the NFL was based more about opportunity than just plain revenue.  Like a veteran player accepting less money to play for a Super Bowl contender, the league made a strategic versus financial move.  And with Twitter's 350M users, it makes sense for the NFL to sure-up its roster by covering digital/social media with one of the top players out there.

SALARY CAP
Simply put, this is a win-win deal.  As much as the NFL wins with the ability to add a popular distribution channel, Twitter is also a big victor as they practically steal the rights.  $10M to broadcast the Nation's number one sport equates to a small OTA attendance clause in a QB's contract. By comparison, the NFL will get a total of approximately $450 Million from CBS and NBC for the rights to broadcast 10 games in 2016 and 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Based on those deals, Twitter would have still scored a decent contract at $10M PER GAME! 

At only one million dollars per week, which the social media platform must easily spend in weekly marketing/SEO, they are able to become a destination hub on Thursdays.  Its a fantastic deal and also allows for the creation of more shoulder programming with Periscope, in-game highlights, live Tweets, etc.  Aligning with the NFL and having the most valued commodity in the world of content (NBC's Sunday Night Football was the highest rated series in America) makes this deal unbeatable.

OFFENSIVE GAMEPLAN
Like Sean Payton in film study, the NFL explores every angle and the best way to strategically position 'the shield'.  The league sees where there might be holes in the distribution secondary and they attack those areas to strengthen their game plan.  While its no secret that the league wants to be ahead of the curve for the next generation of 'cord-cutting' fans, the right platform is indeed key.    The NFL is well-covered on television with deals for that same Thursday Night Football package split between CBS, NBC, and their own NFL Network.  And with larger deals for broadcast rights with partners including ESPN, NBC, Verizon, DIRECTV, etc., there is no shortage of players on the traditional (and mobile) platforms.  So shoring up the OTT/digital special teams solidifies their roster.  This move was a no-brainer and inevitable.  We just didn't know what the name on the jersey would ultimately be.

FINAL SCORE
While only time will tell if this is a Super Bowl winning deal, it looks like both parties have scored.  They each addressed a free agent need and teamed up to provide desirable content across one of the most powerful social media platforms.   This is no Hershel Walker trade where only the Cowboys won big.  Its a true win-win with a big-time QB adding an All-Pro receiver to the offense.  Now let's see if the scoreboard will light up, in real time, at 140 characters per score!

CTAM Think Event

It's never been a more exciting time to be in the world of entertainment marketing.  Along with the creative forces that develop desirable content, the world of technology has landed front and center in the platforms with which consumers get their content.

I preach about passion brands.  Those brands like Apple, NFL, ESPN, and others that evoke instant response.  They drive enthusiasm for their users and elevate their status over their competition.  And with the advances with technology, the debate about providing those hungry viewers with the best vehicle to consume the content they crave  has become significant in the industry.  Terms like TVE, OTT, VOD, and other acronyms that describe how you will "watch TV" in the future make for an exciting time.

I am proud to be discussing the marketing approach for the next wave of technology and how, in particular, millennials will consume content in the future.  The CTAM Think panel held at the FOX studios lot this week will be a great dialog for the future.  Both content providers and operators (the cable and telco folks who currently supply you with your networks) will discuss how we, as marketers, communicate the future of how consumers view their favorite show.

ESPN's 30 For 30 - Eddie Aikau

Tonight, ESPN's award-winning 30 For 30 documentary series is featuring surf legend Eddie Aikau.  In "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing," we discuss the legendary life and legend of the Hawaiian surf icon.

In the Chapter on Puffer Fish, or becoming a strong, powerful brand when you don't have the resources to actually get there, we talk about attitude and fear.  Utilizing Eddie's legendary courage and willingness to put it all on the line is the ultimate example of how marketers and surfers must summon courage to be daring.  Please enjoy the excerpt from the book in honor of tonight's documentary on the legend that is Eddie Aikau...

"Eddie Aikau was a legendary surfer from Hawaii.  In 1978, Aikau was a member of the crew that ran into trouble in the Pacific when their boat began to sink.  In need of help, Eddie took his surfboard and set off in an attempt to paddle to Lanai to get help.  Unfortunately, he was never seen again.  But his attitude, confidence, and flat out heroism spawned the mantra “Eddie Would Go”.  I’m not saying that marketers should risk life and limb but you must also have the wholehearted belief that you can and will succeed based on your abilities.

One of the biggest flaws in business is self-doubt.  Not providing the support, resources, or fortitude necessary to truly support a campaign, initiative, or new idea.  While some people like your boss or CEO may sign off on the budget or give the green light, are they truly putting their wholehearted confidence behind the effort?  Show me a surfer who drops in at Pipeline with 50% effort on a big day and I will show you a surfer who is going to wipe out 100% of the time.

The attitude of the Puffer Fish is exactly that; if you think you are big, you can be big.  If you think you have the strategy, creativity, hustle, common sense, or just better offerings than the next guy, you need to exude confidence in that belief.  While the saying “fake it ‘till you make it” comes to mind, I would suggest that we refer to being a smaller fish as our ability to hunt like a great white while trapped in the body of a minnow.  (And hope we never get trapped inside the body of great white!)  It’s not the size of the fish in the fight, but the size of the fight in the fish.  I’d put those mean little Bettas that live in Dixie cup-sized containers at the pet store up against fish ten times their size.  If you believe you are big, and have the ability to perform well beyond your current capabilities, then you are indeed a prime candidate to act like a Puffer Fish."

Eddie Would Go.  Would you?

Radio Interview On The MO SHOW

Here's the latest interview with author Randy Rovegno.  Click on the link and simply play the clip.  Randy comes in at the 20 minute mark.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moradioshow/2013/09/04/mo-radio-show-on-sports

The Surfer's Guide To Marketing Press Release

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING DELIVERS HUMOROUS INSIGHTS FROM 20-YEAR INDUSTRY PRO

Breezy and Instructive, Book Offers Case Studies, Tactics and Tales

From Across the Marketing Waterfront

REDONDO BEACH – July 13 – THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING, the innovative new book by marketing pro Randy Rovegno, combines the rollicking worlds of marketing and surfing to do for brand promotion what “Freakonomics” did for economics. 

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING offers case-study interviews with innovative business leaders at ZICO Coconut Water, Body Glove and 20th Century Fox, and charismatic pro athletes such as football great Drew Brees and surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton. This entertaining book provides practical tactics for everyone from students to senior staff and is designed for use by small-business owners and corporate executive alike—even if they have never stepped foot in the ocean.

“Randy uses surfing as a great teacher and provides interesting analogies to communicate his marketing philosophies,” writes Hamilton in the book’s introductory chapter.

Rovegno is an award-winning marketing executive who has worked with internationally known brands such as ABC, AT&T, ESPN, NBC, NFL and 20^th Century Fox. THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING connects surfing anecdotes with marketing insights as naturally as a leash to a longboard.  Rovegno's humorous style and industry expertise carries the reader through dynamic principles and real-world examples in an approach that is at once educational, motivational and entertaining.

About THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING is an entertaining guide to marketing strategies in today’s fluid business landscape.  Available in paperback or electronically from retailers including Amazon and CreateSpace.com, THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING crushes boring textbook rhetoric like a barrel at North Shore, using easy-going humor and real-world perspective to encourage fresh thinking and positive attitudes. For more information, visit these sites:  

www.facebook.com/TheSurfersGuideToMarketing

thesurfersguidetomarketing.blogspot.com

###

Media contact:

Carl DiOrio

Bob Gold & Associates

310-320-2010; 

carl@bobgoldpr.com