Paul Swangard
Paul Swangard
athletic category companies growth lifestyle looks realize
Companies realize there's a growth possibility in the lifestyle category ? not necessarily for athletic use, but because it looks good.
building good paramount people remind
It's paramount that they get people back in the building to remind them how good the sport is.
bit nfl playing
Globally, the NFL is playing a little bit of catch-up.
brings college expertise helps level perspective sports teams
That helps from a budget-planning perspective and brings expertise to the college level that professional sports teams have had in-house for decades.
good kobe rather rebuild seen worldly
Kobe was seen as this non-controversial, rather worldly good guy. He can rebuild his image, but it's never going to be the same that it was.
bad notion olympics pay willing
The notion of what it represented is not a bad idea in 2006. This idea that someone is willing to pay for the Olympics when they want it, how they want it.
anyone audience core counts drives fallen hard holds image last message mother nobody perception performance product purse seen shoe target tried urban
Nobody we've seen in the last 10 years has fallen as hard and tried to come back at this level. It makes sense to come back with a product that focuses on the court, where his performance message counts most. The core target audience here may be urban youth, but his image is still relevant, for example, to the mother of the shoe buyer, or anyone who holds the purse strings. Perception is what drives the market.
athletes best emerging feeling general industry learning market measure number remember retired return selective success trend trying whom
The general feeling is that firms are trying to be more selective about the number of athletes with whom they have relationships. You have to remember that, for the most part, the industry is young and learning how to measure success and get the best return on its investment. The emerging trend is the use of entertainers and retired athletes to market these products.
accept last sort sure takes willing
While not unprecedented, it takes us into a potentially new era. It's sort of the last bastion in American sports. We haven't been willing to accept it. I'm not sure if that's right or wrong, it's just not been done.
awareness channels flipping interest marketers offense sunday team
When you're flipping the channels on a Sunday and see his team on offense with him in the backfield or in the slot, you're going to stop. That awareness and interest is what marketers will covet.
bring core fans hopes market product until
Until the product is back on the shelf, you can't say what the market is going to be. The NHL hopes its core fans are the first to come back -- and that they bring a friend.
absolutely cares game marketing nfl taught teams turn
What the NFL taught us . . . is that I can take an absolutely meaningless game between two teams that no one cares about, take them to Mexico, and turn it into an international marketing platform.
attach brands categories family name
There are still categories that are probably not going to want to attach their name to Kobe. Family-consumer brands like McDonald's and Sprite are probably still a little reticent to come back into the fold.
field open success
Ultimately, his success on the field would open some new doors.