The Yankees, Diddy, UCLA and the Celebrity Marketing Machine – Part 3

Once again, the world of sports and using celebrity to market your business gives us subjects to talk about and relate back to our own marketing. Keeping in mind that your story – the things people can relate to about your company – is an important intangible in your success, the New York Yankees and the University of California Los Angeles had recent opportunities to use celebrity to market their “business” and improve the narrative that is their tradition.
On the second day of the Major League Baseball draft, the New York Yankees had a chance to get their fan base excited by using celebrity to market their team by drafting and signing Mariano Rivera Jr, the son of Hall of Famer-to-be Mariano Rivera to play in pinstripes. In the 4th round of the draft, the Washington Nationals took the ex-Bronx Bomber’s pitching prodigy, losing the opportunity to continue the Rivera line in New York.
His father said that there was “No disappointment. This is business. We treat it like that.”
In the past few years, teams promoting their prospects bubbling up through the minor leagues is one of the ways they sell tickets. Lots of tickets. Having The Sandman’s son in the fold and on the way, would build the legacy of the storied baseball team.
How does that relate to our businesses?
Let me use events as an example. My Chamber of Commerce has held an annual street faire for 28 years. The story of how it came about and that neighbors look forward to it is part of the story of the neighborhood. Some local commercial realtors promote the 3 block footprint of the event to business owners who are looking to relocate to the area.
Similarly, our Promotionally Minded Marketing Days has become a part of our company’s story. I am introduced all the time to people as the marketing person in the Chamber who puts on events designed to help entrepreneurs with their marketing. People I meet also say to me “I know you, you’re the one who does those Ok Late Night Facebookers questions every night on facebook.”
From the marketing point of view, the New York Yankees failed.

In other sports marketing news, let’s head over to the west Los Angeles campus of UCLA –

It appears that P. Diddy is not going to be charged with a felony after ALLEGEDLY confronting UCLA strength coach Sal Alosi and a member of the UCLA staff with a kettlebell work out weight.
From the Los Angeles Times: Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, said prosecutors declined to file felony charges related to his June 22 arrest. The case was referred to the Los Angeles city attorney to decide whether Combs’ conduct amounts to a misdemeanor. The prosecutors received the case Tuesday.
From the marketing world: when I first discussed Diddy’s son getting a football scholarship, I said it was of no consequence if the kid was a starter as long as the team got photos of his dad wearing UCLA gear to promote to the world.

This is the photo that, if I was a UCLA football coach, I would include in EVERY PACKAGE that got sent out to a high school prospect. The message? COME TO UCLA – HANG WITH DIDDY. Oh, and did we mention? You’ll probably meet SNOOP DOG, too!

Does this little… what word to use here… dust up… with a coach make a difference? Nope. The kid is a Junior and barely playing so it’s not going to affect team chemistry. And here is another photo for the UCLA marketing machine.
The lesson? Get pictures of your product with famous people Get attached to them. Use that celebrity to promote YOUR business. So in this case, from the marketing point of view, UCLA is still on the positive side.
Let me share two examples of this lesson.
The first is with our radio show. We have been on the air for 6 months now – and are getting the hang of it. Since we have enough experience, we are beginning to search out ways to use celebrity to market our brand on that show. I can’t share all of the upcoming guests, but we are excited. A few weeks ago we had Larry Broughton, owner of the Broughton hotel chain and a television celebrity in his own right on the show. He was an incredible guest.
The second way we are going to be able to use celebrity to market our brand comes in September of this year. Sharyn and I will be filming a miniseries called Live Your List. The big headliner is Brian Tracy and the target market are entrepreneurs who own their own businesses and should enjoy the freedom of crossing things off their bucket list. When we were asked to participate in this event, the only possible answer was “YES!” Especially when we were allowed to begin promoting the series prior to it’s filming. Sometimes it is luck that makes these things happen for you, but it amazes me that how much more “Lady Luck” likes you when you are doing the right things to promote your business and help those around you.
For help in doing that, give us a call at (800)705-4265.