Advertising in sports, just like sponsorships, are only worth the investment in two cases. First, Super Bowl ads are best at achieving awareness due to broad reach, making the CPM a great buy if that’s the objective. Introducing or establishing a new brand (like the monkey-based ads from Career Builders a few years back or Go-Daddy’s provocative ads) that draws from a large, diverse audience makes some sense. Similarly, ads for new movies and TV shows can make sense, as awareness is an important goal. But, the potential for ad waste is huge. What is the real target audience for each of these? I can tell you one thing, it isn’t everyone watching the Super Bowl. So, the real CPM brands should care about s what it costs to reach those in the target audience.

But, what about the rest of the brands we already know? Does Budweiser and Coke really need more awareness? The only real reason those brands should be in the Super Bowl (or any other sports & entertainment arena) is if the (a)venue provides an opportunity to transfer fan passion to the brand. Again, unless the target audience includes ardent football fans (and, particularly, fans of the two teams playing), the ad buy will represent monumental wasted coverage. Viewers might recall the ad and even like the ad, but it’s immaterial because they are not in the target market.

How does the transfer of fan passion to the brand work? Fans watching the game must do two things. First, they must make the attribution that the whole experience is better because of the ad sponsor. In other words, they need to think if it wasn’t for this brand, watching the game wouldn’t be as good. Would they be missed if not there? Second, viewers must make a concrete connection between the brand and the event. It’s one thing to say, “Ha, that was a hilarious ad.” It’s another to connect the brand in the ad directly with the object of the fan’s passion. Psychologically, the brand and the Super Bowl event must occupy the same space in the minds of fans. When they think of the Super Bowl, they should also think of the brand. When these two things–attribution and linkage–happen, fans will transfer their passion to the brand. That’s the way our brains work: If I like the event and this brand is inextricably tied to the event, then I like the brand. To do otherwise creates psychological tension.

Of course, the process can break down at the attribution stage: This brand has nothing to do with the event and does not occupy the same mental space. That’s the problem with throwing irrelevant products and brands into the mix that have nothing to do with sports & entertainment. Informational ads have virtually no chance of making this linkage. Fans will not associate information about a new car model with fun at the Super Bowl….unless the information is entertaining and somehow relates to the Super Bowl experience.

~Dr. W

Sports Marketing Textbook

Looking for a sports marketing book?

Team Sports Marketing is a sports marketing text containing material appropriate for high school, college, and graduate level courses in sports and entertainment. The book is written from a perspective of those seeking future careers in the field, as well as those working in the field of sports & entertainment. Academics and practitioners can appreciate the usefulness of a text based on marketing theory & research and extensive experience in the field. Students will enjoy the creative writing style aimed at their understanding and retaining the material.

Here are some quotes we are not making up:

• Team Sports Marketing is the best book I’ve found that covers in depth what teams really need to do, from beginning to end, to sell and market the team. ~Bill Boyce, President, Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)
• Team Sports Marketing sets the standard for sport marketing literature by providing a good overview of both basic and detailed sport marketing concepts and how they are applied to the sport product. With clear and concise real world examples based on extensive research, this book delivers a quality instructional and practical guide for both students in sport marketing as well as the serious sport manager. ~ David Peart, Vice President of Corporate Sales, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Team Sports Marketing represents the cutting edge in sports marketing knowledge and practice. Kirk’s extensive experience with professional sports teams at all levels and all types, coupled with well-founded theory and research, makes this a perfect book for sports marketing classes everywhere. ~ Scott Kelley, Professor of Marketing and Director of the UK Center for Sports Marketing, University of Kentucky
• You’re putting the book online? Wow, you are doing some awesome stuff! ~ Gregg Bennett, Director, Center for Sport Management Research and Education, Texas A&M University

Team Sports Marketing was originally published in hard-copy form in 2006. You may still buy it here.

Interact. In this revision, all chapter content is updated annually so instructors, students, and managers receive the latest best practices and insights into sports & entertainment marketing. The interactive nature of the online community  allows professors and professionals to offer input to the materials and insights available on the site. Students and professors may make comments on each chapter.  Since today’s learners always have their iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device in hand, the book is available 24/7.

Go Green. In an ecological and economic sense, you and your students save green using Team Sports Marketing in the classroom. First, no trees were killed in the production of this website. Second, the student subscription rate of $25 for six months offers great value compared to quickly out-dated hard copy textbooks. For those wanting a lifetime subscription, the $100 subscription still compares favorably with hard copy texts.

Contribute. Your work may already be cited in Team Sports Marketing. If not, we are always looking for published empirical studies that would add to our understanding! Please submit the citation reference, a PDF or link to the article, and your suggestion of where it fits to The Author.

Partner Benefits. Subscribers to Team Sports Marketing obtain a special student rate of $25 with our partner publication, The Migala Report. Instructors receive free subscriptions when at least 10 students subscribe. The Migala Report is an online educational monthly newsletter of best practices in sports sales and marketing, written by a staff of over 20 executives from the NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL,  NASCAR and nationally-recognized sports marketing agencies. Each issue contains a fresh perspective on how-to implement sports marketing strategies with respect to the areas of:

• Sponsorships
• Ticket Sales
• Sales Management
• Interactive/Social Media
• Research Insights
• Career Management

In addition, subscribers may search the archives from the past seven years to research best practices in sports marketing, as compiled by Dan Migala. For a free 14-day trial now, click here.

Preview. Instructors or organizational buyers wishing to review the text may email The Author for free access to the text and instructor’s materials.  For each chapter, Team Sports Marketing includes (a) PowerPoint slides containing class exercises and discussion (b) list of key terms & chapter essay question, and (c) multiple choice test bank questions.

The text begins with, What is sports marketing?, including the framework for the chapters. You may sample Chapter 1, Antecedents to Fan Identification and Passion or Chapter 9, on Managing the Sportscape without subscribing.  An overview of each section of the book can also be viewed for each of the sections in the text:  The Fan, Marketing Management, and Sponsorships.  The Marketing Management section contains the majority of the chapters–and that overview page contains an overview of each of these chapters. To read more you may subscribe to gain access.

Credit. Many of the ideas and content in this text can be credited to learning from the best, our advisory board members of Baylor’s Sports Sponsorship & Sales program:

TEAMS (Executives on advisory board)

1. NBA Office: Murray Cohn, Jeremy Walls, Scott Mayo
2. Atlanta Hawks/Thrashers: Corey Breton
3. Charlotte Bobcats: Flavil Hampsten
4. Dallas Mavericks: George Killebrew, George Prokos, Eric Ferrell
5. Houston Rockets: Cris Garthe, Gretchen Shierr
6. New Orleans Hornets: Bryan Ross, Paul Epstein, Marc Johnson
7. New York Knicks/MSG: Lois Friedman
8. Oklahoma City Thunder: Wayne Guymon, Matt Bowman
9. Orlando Magic: Joe Andrade, Karen Rundle, Katie Stocz
10. Phoenix Suns: Jeff Ianello, Nick Forro
11. San Antonio Spurs: Frank Miceli, Lawrence Payne, Joe Clark, Tim Salier
12. Washington Wizards: Jake Reynolds
13. Texas Legends: Bill Boyce, Drew Mitchell
14. Arizona Diamondbacks: Jason Howard
15. Chicago Cubs: Colin Faulkner
16. Cleveland Indians: Eric McKenzie
17. Florida Marlins: Andrew Silverman
18. Houston Astros: Bill Goren, Shane Hildreth
19. Texas Rangers: Jay Miller, Jason Fortune
20. San Diego Padres: Tyler Epp
21. Dallas Cowboys: Robin Woith, Jason Koettel, Jennifer Surgalski
22. Denver Broncos: Chris Faulkner
23. Houston Texans: Greg Grissom, Brian George
24. San Francisco 49ers: John Vidalin
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ben Milsom
26. Tennessee Titans: Stuart Spears
27. Chicago Blackhawks: Steve Waight, Chris Werner
28. Circuit of the Americas: Geoff Moore
29. LA Kings/Galaxy: Chris McGowan, Kelly Cheeseman
30. Pittsburgh Penguins: David Peart
31. FC Dallas: Kris Katseanes
32. Houston Dynamo: Bryan Krahm, Rocky Harris, Marcus Madlock
33. Feld Motor Sports: Ryan McSpadden
34. Homestead Miami Speedway: Shawn McGee, Bethany Tiffin
35. Shell Houston Open: Steve Timms
36. Temple University (IMG): Todd Pollock
37. Air Force Academy (IMG): Doug Holtzman

CORPORATIONS (Executive, Company, Category)

1. Dan Migala, Property Consulting Group
2. Eric Fernandez, MediaLink, Interactive Media
3. Dawn Turner, American Airlines, Airlines
4. Tom Hughes, Reliant, Energy
5. Stuart Selig, State Farm, Insurance
6. Jason Simpson and Bill Moseley, AT&T, Telecom
7. Angie Tipton, HP, Electronics
8. Lynda Carrier Metz, Pizza Hut, Restaurants
9. Bill Spicer, Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, Soft Drink/Bottled Water
10. David Nottoli, General Motors, Automobiles
11. Curtis Partain, American Airlines Center, Venue
12. Kelly Roddy, Focus Brands (Schlotsky’s, Cinnabon, Carvel), FSR
13. Robert Dedmon and Tom Coughlin, Daktronics, Scoreboard/Video
14. Jon Heidtke and John Burnett, Fox Sports, Media
15. Bill Glenn, The Marketing Arm, Sports Marketing Agency
16. Merrill Dubrow, M/A/R/C Research, Market Research
17. John Dillon, Denny’s, Full-Service Restaurant
18. David Katz, Sportsfanlive.com, Social media
19. Dave Cagianello, The Richards Group, Advertising