Don’t Miss the Upcoming Webinar “The Business of Sports”

Webinar moderator Jake Toplitt

The pressure is on. You have been put in charge of getting coverage for a top sports brand.  You begin your press campaign by writing a compelling release which you promptly distribute, patiently waiting for signs of interest.  You want a journalist that will sing praises about your brand or maybe a mere mention. But instead you find silence. What went wrong? Wouldn’t it be great to learn from someone on the inside who can share insights on the business side of a major sports outlet?

Danny Ecker, Reporter/Producer (Sports Business), Crain’s Chicago Business

On June 12, Business Wire is giving PR professionals the opportunity to learn everything from sports-oriented product pitches and endorsements to coverage of the biggest news in professional and collegiate athletics with a webinar titled “The Business of Sports.” The webinar will feature a panel of leading journalists from the world of broadcast and print.

“So many story pitches that show up in my inbox are generic. I am constantly deleting emails from PR people that are so obviously casting a wide net and trying to get a reporter to bite,” said Danny Ecker, who writes for Crain’s Chicago Business and will be speaking on the panel. “Covering sports business often requires looking at the world of sports the way most people don’t and highlighting everything except what’s happening on the main stage.”

Hugo Balta, Coordinating Producer, ESPN

Another speaker is Hugo Balta, a coordinating producer for ESPN. Balta has mentioned on many occasions the importance of doing your homework when pursuing a journalist or outlet. His philosophy is to research the outlet so you can begin to understand what they’re trying to achieve. Then you can tailor your client to what specifically meets the needs of the journalist.

Kristi A. Dosh, Esq., Sports Business Analyst, Public Relations Exec.& College Sports Consultant

The panel also includes Kristi Dosh, who is a Sports Business Analyst, Public Relations Exec. & College Sports Consultant. Moderating the event is sports marketing professional Jake Toplitt, Account Supervisor for Matter Inc. All of the panelists bring years of experience working for sports outlets and will effectively reveal powerful pitching tips and advice for reaching sports journalists and influential outlets.

Sign up and be prepared to learn about unexplored opportunities for coverage from leading professionals working in the field.

Register Now

Tap Into the Hispanic Sports Market With Ease

— by Nikelle Feimster and Pilar Portela, Media Relations Specialists, Business Wire

Nikelle Feimster

Pilar Portela

On April 7, 2010, strategic planners, PR agency thought leaders, and brand and product managers convened at the 2010 LatinVision Sports & Networking Conference in New York to learn about the evolving Hispanic demographic in the US, and how to reach the Hispanic audience using sports as a platform.

The panelists were comprised of marketing experts and top executives who shared insight and best practices on how businesses can leverage Latinos’ passion for soccer and other sports. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Soccer United Marketing each use grassroots campaigns across the country to garner support for their sports, FOX and ESPN use branded media events to target the Latino community, and the NBA and NFL have increased the content available in Spanish on their websites.

According to Mario Flores, managing director of Sportivo, the right marketing mix is key to success. You have to harness the power of editorial media coverage for added exposure.

Don’t pass up opportunities to engage the Latino market. The 2010 US Census is expected to find that Hispanics number more than 50 million in the US and command $1 trillion in buying power. Unfortunately, the reality is that even though Latinos make powerful consumers, half of the U.S. advertisers are not including them in their marketing efforts.

A recent MediaPost column by Jack Loechner highlights a new Hispanic marketing trends survey by the Orcí agency that shows Hispanics are tech savvy, young trend setters with incredible spending power and yet 82% of its survey’s respondents have no plans to begin or increase existing efforts aimed at US Hispanics in the next 12 months.

Here are some key reasons why you should consider including US Hispanics in your next marketing and advertising campaign.

• 89% believe Latinos will somewhat impact American taste in foods in the next five years.
• 87% believe Latinos will impact fashion and beauty.
• 82% expect Hispanics to impact entertainment.
• 78% believe Hispanics will impact technology/communications.

The Orcí survey also found that 78% of respondents do not use social media to engage Latinos despite the fact that Hispanics are the heaviest users of wireless access through mobile phones and laptops than any other ethnic group.

Today’s brand leaders can and should actively engage with Latino customers, and Business Wire can help. By utilizing our LatinoWire product line, in conjunction with SportsWire, companies can bolster their print and Web marketing campaigns. With LatinoWire, your press release reaches the leading Spanish-language news and information outlets throughout the U.S., including more than 1,200 Hispanic print and broadcast media outlets. Our SportsWire distribution sends your news to sports reporters, columnists, syndicates and television programs as well as newspapers and other local media in your specified geographic circuit area.