Super Bowl XLI Business News

Countdown to Kickoff – Super Bowl XLI is finally here

2007-02-04T00:04:00.000-05:00

At long last the Super Bowl game will be played tonight at Miami’s Dolphins Stadium. Earlier this week Forbes Magazine released their latest subjective sports list – “The World's Most Valuable Sporting Event Brands.” The Forbes list was based on the daily revenue generated by that event. Events like the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup may have a bigger overall economic valuation, but Forbes believes the Super Bowl is the biggest single day in the sports industry.

What was Forbes rationale for the decision they made: Commercial inventory for last year's game on ABC--owned by the Walt Disney Co. amounted to $154 million, based on a record $2.5 million commercial rate for 30 seconds of airtime. Sprint Nextel paid $12 million to sponsor halftime, a figure that is expected to be topped by PepsiCo. when the Colts play the Bears in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday. CBS sold their available commercial inventory for $2.6 million per spot and are expected to generate more than $163 million in advertising revenue from today’s game. Those are the spots that air during the actual game, not the spots that run during the six and a half hour of the pre game show.

The Super Bowl's licensing program generated a record $140 million, with the largest share coming from Reebok, owned by German apparel maker Adidas. And thanks to an average ticket price of $613, gate receipts provided $31 million in revenue (net of the 25% of the tickets the NFL gives to the media, sponsors and league affiliates). An average ticket price of $613 was based on the face value of tickets for Super Bowl XL (that doesn’t account for the thousands of dollars paid for tickets on the secondary ticket market).

But the big numbers only begin with what Forbes offered earlier this week in regard to the Super Bowl. The National Football League’s numbers, especially their Super Bowl numbers are mind boggling:

NFL games on broadcast TV (CBS, FOX and NBC) averaged 16.3 million viewers (up four percent from 2005). On cable, NFL games on ESPN averaged 12.3 million viewers (up 41 percent) and 4.1 million viewers on NFL Network.

Super Bowl XL is the second most-watched program ever (141.4 million total viewers).

The 13 most-watched programs in TV history are all Super Bowls.

Super Bowl XL was watched in record 234 countries and territories in a record 32 languages.

More women watched Super Bowl XL this year (40.0 million) than total viewers watched the 2006 Academy Awards (38.9 million).

Thirteen NFL games during the 2005 season had as many or more viewers than prime time’s five most-watched May 2006 season/series finales.

NFL games were the top-ranked program locally a record 80 percent of the time – up from 69.3 percent in 2005 and surpassing the previous record of 73 percent set in 2003.
And a list of the NFL’s corporate partnerships over the last several years reads like a who’s who of corporate America:

December 2000 – NFL signs 10-year deal with Reebok to manufacture and sell NFL licensed merchandise, including uniforms, sideline apparel, footwear and the NFL Equipment apparel line.
July 2001-NFL signs a 5-year deal internet deal with AOL Time Warner, Viacom (CBS) and CBS
Sportsline.
November 2002: NFL signs a 5-year extension with Motorola
March 2002: NFL signs a 5-year deal with Coors
March 2002: NFL signs a 5-year deal with Pepsi
October 2002: NFL signs a multi-year deal with Masterfoods (Snickers)
December 2002: NFL signs a 5-year extension with DIRECTV for satellite exclusivity for distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket
July 2003: NFL signs a multi-year deal with Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline
July 2003: NFL signs a multi-year deal with IBM
September 2003: NFL signs a 6-year extension with MBNA for credit card rewards program
December 2003: NFL signs 5-year extension with Footlocker.com to produce NFL Shop site/catalog
December 2003: NFL signs 7-year deal with Sirius (satellite radio package)
January 2004: NFL signs 6-year extension with Visa
February 2004: NFL signs 8-year extension with Gatorade
April 2004: NFL signs 7-year extension with Pepsi
April 2004: NFL signs 3-year extension with Campbell’s
August 2004: NFL signs 3-year extension with Canon
August 2004: NFL signs 3-year extension with Southwest Airlines
October 2004: NFL signs with Ameriquest Mortgage Company
May 2005: NFL signs multi year deal with Burger King
July 2005: NFL signs multi-year deal Proctor & Gamble’s Prilosec
August 2005: NFL signs 5-year wireless content & sponsorship deal with Sprint
September 2005: NFL signs multi-year extension with Coors
October 2005: NFL signs 2-year deal with Samsung (official HDTV)
September 2006: NFL signs 5-year extension with Motorola
October 2006: NFL signs 2-year sponsorship deal with State Farm
January 2007: NFL signs multi-year sponsorship deal with The Home Depot

And Super Bowl Sunday always produces its share of ‘amusing’ sports business related statistical information:

More people watched Super Bowl XL (141.4 million viewers) than voted in the 2004 Presidential election or went out to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
There are 7.5 million parties on Super Bowl Sunday, with 43.9 million party-goers (National Retail Federation)
1.5 million TV sets will be sold the week leading up to Super Bowl (National Retail Federation)
Sales of big screen TVs show fivefold increase during Super Bowl week (National Electronic Dealers Association)
Super Bowl is top at-home party event of year, ahead of New Year’s Eve (Hallmark Cards, Inc.)
Average Number of Attendees for a Super Bowl party is 17 (Hallmark)
Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest day of food consumption behind Thanksgiving
(American Institute of Food Distribution)
On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans consume 8 million pounds of guacamole (California
Avocado Commission)
Antacid sales increase 20 percent the day after Super Bowl (7-11 stores)
Super Bowl weekend is the slowest weekend for weddings (multiple sources)
Estimated 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn eaten on Super Bowl Sunday (multiple)
Following Paul McCartney’s Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show, “products bearing his name were flying off the shelves at Amazon.com." Sales ranks for his CDs’ “All the Best” and “Wingspan” jumped from 3,115 to 331 and 1,060 to 144, respectively

There were more than 2,000 media accredited for Super Bowl XLI. Most will be leaving Miami today doing their best to ‘get out of town’ before the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports are packed later tonight and all day Monday. Most of the media were in Miami to cover the events leading up to today’s game. By tonight’s 6:30 PM kickoff those who focus their attention on covering actual football games throughout the NFL season will do just that.

The media for the most part loves the Super Bowl, especially the access associated with the event as they have reported over the years:

“Today’s world will not shrink the Super Bowl, but it has shrunk the stature of conceivable competitors –and the will of advertisers to match event-TV with event-ads as they do in the first week of February.” – (Business Week, 1/15/07)
“No competitive endeavor, not even women's figure skating once every four Februarys, can overtake the NFL Playoffs.” – (Washington Post, 1/9/07)
“In an age of limitless distractions and short attention spans, the seemingly endless desire for anything pertaining to professional football has reached obsessive heights...used to be people went to the movies to escape reality, to be entertained for a few hours. Now they watch football.” – (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 9/19/06)
“According to USA Today, ticket sales for movies in the U.S. declined sharply on NFL Kickoff Weekend, falling 45% from the previous weekend and 30% from the same weekend last year. "The opening weekend of the National Football League season typically is a tough one for studios," the newspaper wrote.” (USA Today, 9/11/06)
“We are Bored Sports Nation. Other than football, nothing can keep our attention” – (Philadelphia Daily News, 2/17/06)

“When it comes to corporate entertaining, the Super Bowl is in a league of its own” – Craig Erlich, president of Star Trax Corporate, a Southfield. Mich. event planning and entertainment company (Detroit News, 1/15/06)

“The Super Bowl is a huge, rocket shot of creativity for a day with a tremendous amount of viewership.” – Bill Cella, CEO of Magna Global, which buys advertising time (USA Today, 1/6/06)
“The Super Bowl in the end has an engagement value that is second to none.” – Ed Erhardt, ad sales president for ESPN and ABC Sports (USA Today, 1/6/06)
“You have to have a product or a service that scales to the constituents. The Super Bowl is one of those properties that do a very important thing in capturing the population and the imagination all in one. It scales, it has lean-forward interest, it’s a sought-after event. And the advertising is as heralded as the game itself. It’s an experiential marketing event.” – OMD East Managing Director Mark Stewart (Ad Age, 12/9/05)

“I think the game in some ways sums up the American experience. I think a lot of people see their daily lives and the history of the country in the NFL because the game is also linked to the personality and attitude of the country. There’s a high degree of teamwork, an emphasis on toughness,” said Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports and now a sports TV consultant. (Washington Post, 9/8/05)
“The Super Bowl is the only event that can take over any city and stop everything that is going on. It’s going to be nonstop action. It’s going to be like no other event,” said Robert Tuchman, President of TSE Sports & Entertainment, a New York-based event planner. (Detroit Free Press, 9/8/05)

“As the old television universe disintegrates into hundreds of channels, and viewers shift time slots and skip commercials at will, the Super Bowl is one event that still puts the mass in mass marketing.” (Wall Street Journal, 1/24/05)
“There is no more mainstream advertising vehicle in the United States than the Super Bowl." – Matt Ferguson, Careerbuilder.com chief executive (Wall Street Journal, 1/17/05)

“The Super Bowl is bigger than television,” said Ray Warren, managing director of Omnicom Group’s OMD, typically the largest buyer of ad time which bought 20% of the game. “The game is a national holiday. It’s the only place to put 100 million people in front of a commercial.” (Advertising Age, 1/12/04)
“They understand that they're in the event and entertainment business," said David Carter, principal of the Los Angeles-based Sports Business Group. "It just so happens that what they're producing is a football game. They make every game a happening. They have managed to brilliantly weave in pop culture. Brands at that level that don't constantly refine their approach to business have someone catch up with them.” (Orange County Register, 11/2/03)
Tom McGovern, director for sports marketing at OMD in New York, a unit of the
Omnicom Group: "The beauty of the Super Bowl is that it hasn't been impacted by the erosion of viewership and ratings that has affected the rest of television. The ability to reach half the population at one time is still there." (New York Times, 11/3/03)
News Corp. President of Sales John Nesvig: “No product sells itself, but time on NFL games comes close.” (Bloomberg News, 7/31)
“The NFL is the most recession-proof of major sports,” said John Mansell, a senior analyst at market researcher Kagan World Media. “The American public has an insatiable appetite for football.” (Bloomberg News, 7/31)

“The Super Bowl is for the big and those just hitting it big,” said Michael Sievert, AT&T Wireless CMO.

“We have very few events that transcend most of the fragmenting parts of the world. The Super Bowl is one of them.” Dr. Jay Coakley, professor of sociology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
“It’s interesting how important football, and specifically the Super Bowl, has become to our society.” Dr. Jay Coakley
“People all over the world are attracted to events that endorse a sense of ‘we-ness.’ We love big events like the Super Bowl. We are constantly looking for a connection with each other based on the notion of nationhood. It is an opportunity for us to gather as one.”
Dr. Jay Coakley

Historically as most know Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Coliseum didn’t sell out. Tickets were priced at $6 and $12. The late NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle flew back to New York from Los Angeles the day after the first Super Bowl and turned to Don Weiss (the man who organized many Super Bowl’s for the NFL) and told Weiss the following year’s game was going to sellout. Rozelle didn’t care how Weiss and his team accomplished that task but he told Weiss the Super Bowl II was going to sellout.
Weiss accomplished that feat and indirectly set the direction for sports sponsorship packaging that began with Super Bowl II in Miami and today is a cornerstone of every sports sponsorship agreement. Not only Super Bowl sponsorships, not only NFL sponsorships, not only sports sponsorship but every sports/entertainment sponsorships that are negotiated.

Weiss believed if he was going to sellout Super Bowl II he had to marry the sponsorship agreements the NFL had with the Detroit automobile industry to the Super Bowl. Weiss offered tickets to the NFL’s automobile sponsors, packaging NFL advertising and commercial opportunities with Super Bowl tickets. Weiss believed an event held in a warm weather city (Super Bowl II and Super Bowl III) were both played at Miami’s Orange Bowl. Weiss sold automobile executives on the concept they could create sweepstakes opportunities, employee sales incentive programs and an opportunity to use a trip to Miami in the dead of winter to entertain their biggest customers. It was Rozelle’s vision and Weiss ability to deliver that created what the Super Bowl has grown into.

The Super Bowl started as a football game most sports fans weren’t interested in. After Super Bowl III and Joe Namath’s "guaranteed" victory on the Thursday before the game, the Super Bowl became an event sports fans everywhere wanted to watch. Over the last 41 years the Super Bowl has evolved from a football game to a sports event, to the biggest sports event in any given year to a national holiday that happens to feature a sports event. Super Bowl Sunday remains the single greatest guarantee for television advertisers annually. Super Bowl Sunday is an event that long ago transcended sports, it’s the one sports event during a year when families get together and enjoy experiencing a moment in time watching a football game. Enjoy the game!!

For Sports Business News.com this is Howard Bloom

Countdown to Kickoff – Roger Goodell shines on the Super Bowl XLI stage

2007-02-03T00:48:00.000-05:00

Roger Goodell offered his first “state of the National Football League” to the assembled media at Super Bowl XLI. Showing the poise and confidence that belied his rookie appearance on center-stage Goodell made it clear to the media that he’s at the helm of the National Football League and all is well with the good ship NFL.

Much has been made of the shining moment that will take place Sunday during Super Bowl XLI when Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy become the first African Americans to lead their teams’ as head coaches in a Super Bowl game. Earlier Friday, Smith and Dungy shared another Super Bowl first earlier Friday, they became the first two head coaches to be photographed together with the Vince Lombardi Trophy days before one of the two men will hoist the trophy as Super Bowl winning head coach Sunday evening.

“We’re proud of Tony (Dungy) and Lovie (Smith) as great football coaches. They have meant a great deal to the NFL. They're people of incredibly high character, and to see the success they're having on the field as NFL coaches is very rewarding for all of us. It is obviously of particular note that they are African Americans, and the success that they are having on the field is something that we're very proud of. And I know they're proud of it as African Americans, but I know they want to be remembered and thought of as great football coaches, and they are, I think, in the NFL's minds.

”I think it will lead to greater opportunities, because the whole basis of the Rooney Rule was to make sure we had the best possible people in those positions. And whether it's coaching for an office or anything associated with the NFL, we want to have a sophisticated process that is open and diverse that will find the best possible candidate for those positions. These are two great examples and it's happening across the league and we're proud of it.” Goodell told the media.

One issue Goodell was grilled on, his reaction to the problems the NFL continues to face off the field. From Chicago Bears defensive lineman’s Tank Johnson’s house arrest, to nine members of the Cincinnati Bengals facing legal issues during their teams current NFL season. Goodell and NFL officials are well aware the image of the league has taken a tremendous hit throughout the 2006 NFL season.

“Well, we have to do something about it. I think it's an incredibly important issue. One incident is too many, in my book. I think we need to reevaluate all of our programs. We have a tremendous number of programs that I think have been quite successful to help our players. But I think we've got to do more. We are going to start that process, one, by evaluating our policies; but two, Gene and I are going to put together a group of players we're going to meet with in the next several weeks to give us their perspective on what's really happening and what are the issues, so we can try to learn something first.

“But I think our focus has to be on reevaluating our policies, make sure we educate our players to what's out there. We continually tell our players and our coaches that we are raised to a higher standard in the NFL and we have to exceed that standard. I firmly believe that and I think Gene does, also.
“We have to make sure our players are more accountable, but I think also our clubs have to be more accountable and we will be reevaluating our position to see if there are ways we should make our clubs more accountable in the offseason.” Goodell said.

It’s next to impossible for Goodell to address the behavior of NFL players away from the football field under the current collective bargaining agreement. At the same time, Goodell is well aware the league’s image is under fire because of the criminal activity of far too many NFL players.

“I see it differently. I don't see it in droves. I think there are very few. But a few is too many in my book. I think when you have the outstanding athletes that we have, and we have two of them here today, that won the Walter Payton Award, Drew Brees and LT (LaDainian Tomlinson). These are two of the finest people I know. Not just football players, but outstanding people.

“We're proud of our players. We recognize that at times some of our players don't do what we would hope they do. When that happens we will be very aggressive in dealing with that and we have stepped up our discipline this year, and I intend to continue to do that, “Goodell offered in a glass is half full view of the problem.

That didn’t stop Goodell from narrowing in on the problems with the Bengals. Nine different players have been arrested in the last 13 months, an ungodly number even for the National Football League.

“I think we all take it personally. I think it's something we have to address. From our standpoint we have talked with Mike on several occasions. We have offered services and he has taken those services to try to address these issues. It's part of what Gene and I are going to be talking about with the players in the next several weeks to understand a little bit what's happening in these particular markets.

“Why is it happening in one market versus another market? What it is that players need as support or what they need as education? And we'll do that very aggressively over the next several months. But I don't know the answer to that, but we want to find it and we're going to find it.”

Goodell wasn’t asked a great deal about the NFL Network, other than the availability of games and the anger football fans have about the lack of cable carriers offering the NFL Network.

“First off we're very proud of the NFL Network. It has been extremely high quality programming. We think it's been terrific in giving fans another perspective of football that they wouldn't ordinarily see, because it's 365 days, 24 hours a day. That's what we're trying to build is giving fans an opportunity to experience football in ways that they haven't been able to do in the past. We think it's going to be extremely successful.

“I think I'd point out for the fans that it's part of our building process, but we show every one of our football games on live, free television. And that's important. And we will continue to make sure that that's an emphasis going forward.” Goodell commented.

While Goodell wasn’t asked if the NFL will consider adding more games to the NFL Network in the future, it’s clear unless and until the NFL Network has more leverage with cable carriers the network will be unable to grow its subscriber base. It makes perfect sense for the NFL to consider a full Thursday and Saturday night schedule of games when the current television contracts run out in six years. For that to take place the NFL will have to expand by two teams. The NFL will need to expand by two franchises to preserve the integrity of their Sunday schedule. If the NFL hopes to continue to generate $3.75 billion annually in television rights fees and add more games to the NFL Network, expansion has to take place in the next six years.

Goodell addressed not only if the NFL is looking at expansion into Los Angeles, but addressed the future of the San Diego Chargers at the same time.

“In San Diego I've been in close touch with Mr. Spanos and his management team. I was out there for the playoff game. I have not met with any of the local officials. I have offered to do that if I can be of any help.
“But from the NFL standpoint, we want to do whatever we can to support the team in that market. They are working hard to stay in that market. They have, for several years, been focused on various stadium alternatives that they think will work for the stadium and the team. My hat's off for him. I'm happy to play any role in doing that.
“On your second question in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, again, we need to find a solution in Los Angeles that works for both the community and the NFL. It's important to us to be in Los Angeles long-term, but we have survived quite well without Los Angeles, Los Angeles has survived quite well without the NFL. But I think we would be better together. I want to find a way to do that that would be best for all parties.”

Along with Los Angeles the only other city brought up in regard to NFL expansion was Toronto. Recently retired NFL commissioner usually mocked the annual Toronto expansion NFL franchise question during his Super Bowl press conference. Goodell didn’t come out and say Toronto would be getting an NFL franchise, in fact Goodell made it clear he has tremendous respect for the Toronto market and what it represents to the NFL’s future plans not only for expansion, but for the NFL’s upcoming series of international regular season games the league will begin next year in London.

“We've had a great deal of interest from Toronto to host a regular season game. We agreed with the officials in Toronto and the CFL, because they have a Grey Cup. We've had a long-standing relationship with the CFL and hope to continue that. They are a part of the history and tradition.
“We're not in an expansion mode right now. We're making sure our 32 teams succeed at the highest-possible level at their current markets. And Toronto is a great city and would be a great host if they had an NFL team. But that's for another day.”

Goodell was asked if the NFL has any future in Las Vegas. Given the NBA is taking their All-Star Weekend to Las Vegas in two weeks time, and basketball’s Tournament of the Americas will be played in Las Vegas in late August, is the NFL softening its stance on Las Vegas?

“I feel strongly about keeping a very strong line between the NFL and sports gambling, and sports betting. I think it's a real issue. I have my personal views about gambling and I don't think it's in the best interests of the NFL to have any association with sports betting. I think we are working hard with all of our franchises now to stay where they are, to stay competitive and successful in those communities and make those communities even better. I do not, from my standpoint, have any dialogue with anybody about that -- that hypothetical, but we're going to work hard to try to keep our teams where they are.”

Goodell took the opportunity Friday to announce the two teams who will play a regular season game in London, England on October 28 will be the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins, with the Dolphins giving up a home game at Dolphins Stadium. While that didn’t come as much of a surprise, Goodell was asked why the 2007 NFL international regular season game didn’t end up in Germany. Germany is home to five of the six NFL Europa franchises, the last time England was home to an NFL Europe franchise was in 1999.

“I just met with the Lord Mayor of Dusseldorf just last week and he has a tremendous amount of interest from doing this game. We also do it from Berlin and Frankfurt.
We understand the growing popularity of the game on a global basis. But we think this has to be done on a limited basis. We have tremendous fans here in the States also, that it's difficult to take a game away from a home team. So we're doing that on a very small basis out of concern for our fans here in the States.
“On the other hand, I think there are new technologies developing or new technologies where we can share our game with fans throughout the globe. And hope to get too many of your readers in Germany.”

And what about Mexico City, is Mexico City part of the NFL’s current plans for one or two games annually through the 2011 season being played on foreign soil?

“It actually was considered. We have had, as you know, we've played our first regular season game in our history in Mexico City last year. It was a great success and it led, frankly, to the fact that our ownership would approve playing regular season games on a more limited basis annually.
“We love Mexico. We have a great fan base there. It's growing every day. We are very interested in going back. And we hope to be dealing with the various officials in Mexico to try to get that done for the 2008 season,” Goodell said.

Goodell was asked a very pointed question relating to the current NFL CBA. There have been suggestions that the players will look at opting out of the CBA after the 2008 season, there are issues with revenue sharing and NFL big and small market NFL owners are not enamored with the current CBA.

“I think the first thing we have to do is do a great deal of analysis. We've had a great system with the Players Association for a long period of time. We have a new agreement we're operating under. It obviously has new mechanisms; it has new aspects of the deal we have to evaluate to make sure they're working, not only to the NFL but also for the players.

“I think, from our standpoint, I know there's some concern about the cost of the deal. But we have to do that evaluation. So I would urge all of us to be patient, to understand it, do the evaluation. It is our job, our responsibility with the players to strike a reasonable agreement that works for all parties. And we are assured, at least, that we will have labor peace through 2010. So we will have a lot of work to do. We will be in great contact with Gene and his team. But I feel confident that we will be able to address the issues as we go forward, because we have a responsibility to do that.”

The National Football League continues to raise the bar in terms of helping franchises build stadiums. The NFL’s G-3 Fund allows teams to borrow against future stadium generated revenues to help finance their portion of whatever stadium agreement they reach with their local and state governments. In the last year alone the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Giants/Jets stadium projects have all benefited from the G-3 Fund. With the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49’ers looking for their share of the G-3 pie, and with the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders playing in facilities that no longer offer the revenue generating features newer stadiums have, where is the NFL’s G-3 Fund and how many more teams can go to the well before it runs dry? Goodell delivered the bad news Friday.

“The G-3 Fund has been exhausted. We used that on our last three facilities, Kansas City and -- two facilities, two New York teams in New York and the Kansas City facility. And that represents a huge investment by the league in trying to get these done.

“We have always had a league-wide stadium funding mechanism. I anticipate we will. But this has to be considered within the context of our labor agreement and revenue sharing with the Players Association. They were cooperative and worked with us on the New York stadium and we appreciate that.
“But I think there's a much broader, deeper issue that we're going to have to get to, to be able to continue to have the kind of funding mechanisms we've had on the league level. And we look forward to having those conversations. We'll continue to work with the California authorities to see what we can do to work for both the community and the NFL.”

It has been a great year for the NFL. Record attendance, the first eleven weeks of the schedule completely sold out, the best television ratings in years, there are many challenges ahead for Goodell but overall it’s steady as she goes for the good ship NFL. Sunday night when either the Indianapolis Colts or Chicago Bears get to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in a sea of confetti, Roger Goodell’s first year will come to an end. Monday morning the many challenges for year two begin in earnest.

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom.

Women like the ads more than the Super Bowl game

2007-02-03T00:45:00.000-05:00

comScore Networks, a leader in the measuring the digital age, today released the results of a survey of more than 1,500 Americans' attitudes and opinions related to Super Bowl XLI. The survey was conducted among consumers who plan to watch this year's Super Bowl, and respondents were evenly divided between men and women. The study revealed differences in expectations for the Super Bowl along gender lines, with women more likely than men to look forward to watching the ads, including this year's line-up of consumer generated commercials.

Men Watch Super Bowl for the Game, Women Watch for the Ads

Although the Super Bowl will be watched by a wide majority of Americans, men and women reported substantial differences in the aspects of the game they most enjoy. Men overwhelmingly responded that "watching the game" (64 percent) was the most enjoyable part of the festivities, while fewer than half of women responded in kind (31 percent). Conversely, women were more than twice as likely as men to say they enjoyed watching the ads (36 percent vs. 17 percent). Women were also more likely to respond that their favorite aspect was spending time with friends or family (22 percent vs. 13 percent) and the half-time show (9 percent vs. 4 percent).

Q: "Which aspect of the Super Bowl do you enjoy most?"

Source: comScore Networks, Pre-Super Bowl Survey
N = 1,530
Males Females
Watching the game 64% 31%
Watching the ads 17% 36%
Spending time with friends or family 13% 22%
Half-time show 4% 9%
Other 2% 2%

Consumer Generated Commercials Attract Pre-Game Interest

During this year's Super Bowl, some brands will be joining the consumer generated content bandwagon by airing commercials created, filmed, and produced by members of the general public. Among the brands intending to air these commercials are Doritos, Chevrolet, and the NFL. In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, Doritos promoted consumer generated ads for its brand at http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/ , where people could view and vote for their favorite submissions. From January 1st through January 28th, the site attracted 227,000 unique visitors, which demonstrates the broadening appeal of the consumer generated content phenomenon.

In fact, when asked about their expectations for these commercials, more than twice as many respondents (27 percent) said they thought the consumer generated commercials would be more entertaining than thought the professionally-produced commercials would be (13 percent). Women had even higher expectations for the consumer generated commercials, with 32 percent believing these spots would be more entertaining, and just 10 percent favoring the professionally-produced commercials.

Doritos' effective promotion of the consumer generated commercial concept appears to be influencing consumer opinions. Thirty-three percent of respondents said that they were looking forward to seeing the Doritos ads, ranking the brand second only to perennially popular Super Bowl advertiser Anheuser-Busch (66 percent) in terms of consumer anticipation. Fed Ex, Pizza Hut, and GoDaddy.com each benefited from noteworthy ads during the 2006 Super Bowl, with more than 20 percent of respondents saying they were looking forward to this year's spots.

Q: "During this year's Super Bowl, which of the following company's ads are you most looking forward to?"

Source: comScore Networks, Pre-Super Bowl Survey
N = 1,530
Percent of Respondents
Anheuser-Busch 66%
Doritos 33%
Fed Ex 26%
Pizza Hut 24%
GoDaddy.com 21%
Snickers 19%
Chevrolet 16%

Internet Usage an Important Part of Game Day

Of those planning to log onto the Internet on the day of the game, many will do so for Super Bowl-related reasons. Fifteen percent plan to log on to monitor Super Bowl stats and stories, while 13 percent will look for recipe and party ideas. Super Bowl advertisements are also likely to spur Internet usage on game day, with 11 percent of those surveyed intending to watch ads online and 10 percent planning to visit Web sites of Super Bowl advertisers.

Q: "For which of the following activities do you plan to use the Internet on game day?"

Source: comScore Networks, Pre-Super Bowl Survey
N = 1,240
Percent of Respondents
To monitor stats and stories related
to the players and the game 15%
For recipe and party ideas 13%
To watch ads or video clips 11%
To visit Web sites of Super Bowl advertisers 10%
To forward ads or video clips to friends 5%
To download ads or video clips 5%
To place or follow bets on the game 4%
To play fantasy sports 4%
To buy NFL/Super Bowl merchandise 3%

Fans Predict Colts to Win, Manning to be Named as MVP

Indianapolis registered as the slight Super Bowl favorites, with 53 percent predicting that the Colts would walk away with this year's Lombardi Trophy. Prognosticators also indicated that the quarterback position will be especially pivotal to the game's outcome, as both teams' quarterbacks were selected as the most likely candidates to win Super Bowl MVP. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was selected as the most likely MVP with 37 percent of the vote, while Rex Grossman was the top choice on the Chicago Bears with 13 percent, edging out teammate and All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher with 12 percent.

Survey Says we watch the Super Bowl spots

2007-02-03T00:41:00.000-05:00

A new survey commissioned by Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants and conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. shows that more than half of U.S. adults (56%) watching the Super Bowl on Sunday will be doing so as much or more for the commercials as for the game itself.

The survey, which is aimed to quantify the appeal of Super Bowl commercials, indicates that 20% of viewers will be watching the game mainly for the commercials, while 37% said they watch equally for the commercials and the game itself. Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants' survey confirms the game's enduring draw, finding that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults (70%) plan to watch Super Bowl XLI.

"The new data show that Super Bowl advertising is increasingly vying for supremacy with the game itself," said Bill McKendry, Founder/Chief Creative Officer for Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants. "Our survey confirms that the Super Bowl is as much or more a 'must-see' media event as it is a sporting event."

With capitalized billings of over $50 million posted last year, Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants is a leading Midwest-based advertising agency/branding firm. The firm's recent work includes a Rayovac Batteries campaign featuring Brett Favre, which is scheduled to air during Sunday's Super Bowl in targeted markets nationwide.

Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants' new survey sheds additional light on the preferences of America's Super Bowl audience. Among the findings:

* The game ads are more likely to appeal to younger viewers: 61 percent
of viewers ages 18 to 34 watch as much or more for the commercials,
versus 48 percent for viewers ages 55 and older.
* Women said they are more likely than men to watch the Super Bowl for the
ads: Among those who plan to watch the game, more than 10% more women
(27%) than men (13%) plan to watch exclusively or predominantly for the
commercials.

For more information regarding the survey, please call Lambert, Edwards &
Associates at (616) 233-0500.

Countdown to Kickoff – Super Bowl XLI tickets are dropping in price

2007-02-02T00:31:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XLI was the perfect ticket storm. The Chicago Bears, who haven’t appeared in a Super Bowl in 21 years and a team from the second biggest American market with a rabid fan following, are set to meet the Indianapolis Colts in their first Super Bowl. Face value for Super Bowl tickets are $600 and $700. The good news if you’re looking for tickets to the game in the remaining two days before Sunday night’s kickoff, the free market system is working to the advantage of the consumer. Thursday evening prices which days ago stood at $4,100 for end zone seats at Dolphins Stadium have dropped to $1,800 per ticket. The bad news, if you purchased tickets earlier this week you’ve learnt a very expensive lesson in why it pays to be patient.

Dolphins Stadium holds about 75,000. The Bears and Colts each received 17.5 percent of the available tickets. After each team dealt with their own needs (key sponsors, owners and others) they each held ticket lotteries to distribute the remaining tickets to their season ticket holders. Usually Super Bowl teams weight the lottery based on the number of years someone has been a season ticket holder. The Dolphins received five percent for hosting the game. The other 29 NFL teams split 34.8 percent of the tickets. Most tickets allotted to individual teams are shared with corporate sponsors and season-ticket holders. The NFL offices retained 25.2 percent of the seats, most of which end up with sponsors and league officials. The 1,000 tickets made available to the public come out of the league's share.

Over the last few years the Internet has afforded many “entrepreneurs” to use the power of the Internet to drive and create businesses. The secondary ticket market has exploded and the Super Bowl presented the perfect storm for the likes of Stubhub.com, Razorgator.com and Tickets.com.

The National Association of Ticket Brokers reports that there are more than 650 ticket brokers nationwide, virtually 100 percent doing most of their business online. The days of buying two tickets from street scalpers outside an arena or a stadium have long since passed. You can be very sure of one thing Sunday, football fans won’t be walking around Dolphins Stadium with thousands of dollars burning a hole in their pockets ready to hand that money over to a complete stranger hoping they’re buying legitimate (non-counterfeit) Super Bowl tickets.

Indianapolis Colts fans are notorious for selling their tickets to key games at the RCA Dome.

"Colts fans are known for selling their tickets and taking the money," Jeff McDonald of Riverfront Choice Tickets in Cincinnati, who has almost 25 years in the ticket broker business told The Indianapolis Star days before the Colts met the New England Patriots days before the January 21 AFC title game at the RCA Dome. "It's pretty common knowledge."

For years, Colts fans have lamented packs of "enemy" fans invading the RCA Dome, particularly for big games, diluting the home field advantage with their colors and vocal cords. At the 2006 AFC title game there were more Pittsburgh Steelers fans in the RCA Dome than Colts fans.

"It seems that for every big game there's a disproportionate number of fans for the other team," said Tom Salentine Jr., a Colts suite holder. "Contrast that with Baltimore (where the Colts played their second round AFC playoff game). Did you see any pockets of Colts fans in Baltimore's stadium?"

That may have been true for other Colts games, but the Super Bowl is regarded as a once in lifetime opportunity for fans to attend. The Colts and the Bears each received 13,000 tickets to Sunday’s game and with each teams lottery based on longevity statistically more than 90 percent of those fans who are lucky enough to win their teams’ lottery attend the game. And here’s the real impact the Super Bowl has on the secondary ticket market. Ticket brokers have to buy tickets from ticket holders, ticket holders who paid a face value of between $600 and $700 for the right to buy the ticket. Anyone interested in selling their tickets is well aware of the market place. A fortunate ticket broker might be fortunate enough to buy a ticket for $1,500, more likely at least $2,000 per ticket. The scarcity of available tickets, the face value of the tickets and the demand for tickets all push Super Bowl secondary ticket market price forward.

"The street business has really died," said Don Vaccaro, who has been selling tickets since 1979 and is the founder and chief executive of Vernon, Conn.-based TicketLiquidator.com in an Associated Press report. "The old-time brokers are saying, 'Look, you got a bunch of geeks selling tickets now.' It's really a lot more brains going in now."

"It used to be, buy a ticket, triple your profit," Vaccaro said. "Now it's buy a ticket and you're lucky if you get 20 percent."

One “ingenious” method online brokers have developed to increase their profit margins adding a 10 t0 15 percent processing fee to the cost of tickets. Given that anyone interested in tickets to Super Bowl XLI is likely in Miami an additional $640 processing fee is nothing more than creative scalping.

StubHub which was purchased last month by eBay reportedly sold eight tickets for more than $10,000 apiece, with an average price of about $4,500, and the cheapest seat going for $2,424. Similarly, RazorGator is reporting an $8,000 price tag for some of the tickets it has sold and an average price of $4,400.

Mike Janes, senior vice president of StubHub, told CNNmoney.com its so-called studies of ticket prices in other states such as Illinois show ticket prices dropping after price caps and restrictions are removed.

SeatSmart.com CEO Larry Kokoszka consistent with Economics 101, more supply means lower prices," said Janes. "The demand doesn't change based on the law, it changes based on how popular the team is."

David Lord, president of RazorGator Experiences, the unit of the company that handles not only ticket sales but travel packages to big events, told CNNmoney.com that the market is far more transparent than it was in the past.

"The common consumer is the dominant provider of this market. It's no longer a broker-led marketplace. There's no back-alley acquisition of tickets the way there was 10-20 years ago. Those days are gone."

The explosive growth of online ticket sales, up to an estimated $3 billion annually according to Forrester Research, has led to 250 percent annual revenue growth at StubHub since it started in 2000. That meant eBay had to bid $310 million for the service.
"I've seen it reported as anywhere from a six to $10-billion industry," said Jennifer Swanson, spokeswoman for TicketsNow.com which, along with StubHub.com, was named to Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing companies in a Los Angeles Times report. "People aren't waiting in line for tickets anymore, they are waiting online. This is just another resource to get the seats that were once unavailable to average buyers into their hands."

SeatSmart.com CEO Larry Kokoszka told The Los Angeles Times the price for Super Bowl XLI tickets peaked on January 21, the day after the AFC and NFC Championship games. Most of the winners of each teams’ lottery knew either before their teams qualified for the Super Bowl if they had tickets to the game, and those wanting to go to Miami needed as much time to arrange all of the additional aspects of their Super Bowl travel plans.

"The changes we're seeing in the numbers today mean ticket holders are beginning to unload their tickets so they can be sure to have a buyer come Sunday," Kokoszka said. "It's not consistent with the principles of supply and demand, but it's great news for fans who waited until the last minute to purchase tickets."Many of the hundreds of online ticket sites are selling more than Super Bowl tickets. The parties that surround the big game also have been drawing interest, with tickets available for everything from the annual Playboy Party (selling for up to $2,915) to Tony Siragusa's Cheerleader Party ($285 or less if you use the $100 coupon). Razorgator.com is offering parties Sunday priced from $341 per ticket at the Seminole Hard Rock Paradise in Hollywood (Florida). 80’s rock group Kansas will appear.

You can also buy parking at Dolphins Stadium for $90. If you have a limo and you want to have it at Dolphins Stadium you can buy parking for your limonene for $670 if you visit the good folks at gotickets.com. At totaltickets.com you could purchase everything from hotel rooms to tickets for last night’s EA Sports Madden Bowl Party. The same online broker which claims to be able to secure tickets to everything from Friday night’s Commissioner’s Party to Leigh Steinberg’s Super Bowl party (although the event is listed but totaltickets.com doesn’t show any available inventory for these and most of the events they have listed, are selling Super Bowl NFL Tailgate Party tickets for $975 each). Whatever that event is, according to totaltickets.com is scheduled for Dolphins Stadium Sunday.

VIPsuperbowltickets.com seem to have a business plan similar to gotickets.com They list every possible Super Bowl event, do not appear to have an inventory for many of those events, but claim their ‘army’ of employees will find the events tickets you need for Super Bowl XLI events.

If totaltickets.com is listing events they don’t appear to have any tickets for, that pales in comparison to the Super Bowl page for onlineseats.com. That home page features images and information from Super Bowl XXXIX, the game that was held two years ago in Jacksonville. However if you click onto the sites buy Super Bowl tickets you find tickets for Super Bowl XLI. How much consumer confidence would anyone have in a website that featured content that was two years old? Not exactly a recipe for success.

Forbes Magazine issued a report Wednesday that listed the Super Bowl as the “world’s’ most valuable sports brand”. Forbes subjective list suggests the Super Bowl has a value of $379 million. Forbes based their list on how they saw the value for each day of an event. The two week Olympics, Forbes believes generates revenues of $176 million per day. Over the 17 days of an Olympic Games that’s $2.9 billion.

The Super Bowl is no longer an event for sports fans; it’s an event that sports fans long ago haven’t been a part of. At a face value of $600 and $700 per ticket, adding in airfare, hotel and spending money a no frills trip to Super Bowl XLI will easily cost the average sports fans more than $3,500 for a weekend. When was the last time the average sports fan spent $3,500 on any experience, let alone what is billed as an once-in-a-lifetime experience? That isn’t the world football fans have been a part of for a very long time.

The Super Bowl is also a perfect opportunity for online abuse. Congressional leaders and the Justice Department have done their best to eliminate the online gambling industry. Gambling may be a victimless crime to some, but one of the biggest concerns lawmakers have had regarding online gambling with all of the online gambling sites located ‘off-shore’ consumers weren’t offered any protection. If that rationale was in least partially used to create the online gambling ban why haven’t the same lawmakers attempted to enforce consumer safeguards for online ticketing?

The Bears and the Colts are two of eight NFL franchises who have a partnership agreement with StubHub. The other six teams: Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins. While there is no accounting for how StubHub secured their Super Bowl XLI ticket inventory, given that both the Bears and the Colts each received 13,000 tickets and a fair percentage of each teams’ tickets went to their corporate partners, and StubHub is a corporate partner with each team, its reasonable to assume a percentage of StubHub’s Super Bowl ticket supply was delivered directly from the two competing teams. “Joe Sports Fan” can’t compete with the power of a seven figure sports sponsorship.

The Washington Post reported that StubHub pays the Redskins $5 million annually for their sponsorship. StubHub retains all of the revenue from the resale of Redskins tickets. A $5 million sponsorship fee is very important to the Redskins, but given the Patriots lawsuit against StubHub is a real potential problem.

For whatever reason sports leagues and teams seem to believe there are no rules when it relates to dealing with the secondary ticket marketplace, and at the end of the day the National Football League continues to risk their sterling reputation.

Would the National Football League ever seriously consider a league wide sponsorship with a secondary ticket operator? Never, it wouldn’t make sense to potentially taint the NFL’s brand with the perception of being directly linked to anyone selling NFL tickets for more than face value. Leave that to other sports leagues; leave that to those ‘desperate’ enough to accept money from anyone.

But in ignoring the various local and/or team operated secondary ticketing agreements; the NFL may indeed be making a big mistake. For a business so focused on delivering a unified message on everything, the NFL is setting itself up for embarrassment when it comes to the optics of how their member’s teams are dealing with the secondary ticket marketplace.

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited in this Insider Report: Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times

Westwood One's National Broadcast of Super Bowl XLI to Air on More Than 600 Radio Stations

2007-02-02T00:29:00.000-05:00

Westwood One, the exclusive national radio of the National Football League (NFL), announced today that it's coverage of Super Bowl XLI will be heard on more than 600 stations nationwide, in every one of the top 100 US markets. Super Bowl XLI airs live from Dolphin Stadium in Miami on Sunday, February 4, 2007. Pre-game coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET, followed by kickoff at approximately 6:25 p.m. ET. Fans seeking to find an affiliate radio station in their home markets/cities are directed to log on to SUPERBOWLSTATIONS.COM.

"We look forward to having our play-by-play reverberate from the speakers of millions of radios," said David Halberstam, EVP/GM of Westwood One Sports. "In their homes, cars, or wherever they are, countless fans will be able to tune in to stations in virtually every corner of the country."

Westwood One's Monday Night NFL commentators Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason will provide complete play-by-play coverage with John Dockery and Bonnie Bernstein reporting from the sidelines. Jim Gray will host the pre game and halftime shows as well as provide interviews and insight from athletes and celebrities in attendance. Our special pre game coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET, with "Super Bowl Preview," followed at 4:00 p.m. ET by "Super Sunday," a one-hour special that reflects on past Super Bowls and previews the upcoming game, both hosted by Tommy Tighe.

Super Bowl XLI will also be heard on American Forces Radio Network, which provides programming to America's military forces around the globe. The American Forces Radio Network serves over one million men and women in uniform, Department of Defense personnel, American Embassies and Consulates in over 180 countries and territories as well as U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command ships at sea

Toyota Goes Local, Gets Back to Basics to Market the All-New Tundra

2007-02-02T00:27:00.000-05:00

Toyota will support the launch of its all-new full-size pickup truck, the Tundra, with a grassroots marketing campaign designed to win over the most loyal vehicle owners in the U.S. To help meet this challenge, Toyota is going local and getting down to basics with a focus on product demonstrations and, in the creative campaign, the "guts" of the product. The multi-media effort consisting of TV, print, out of home, newspaper, radio, interactive, and events is designed to deliver 11 billion impressions, the largest in Toyota's history, for both the general and Hispanic consumer markets. The Tundra campaign officially begins with two new spots in Super Bowl XLI on February 4.

"Our Tundra launch will concentrate on five key categories that interest truck buyers, including hunting and fishing, NASCAR, construction and building, country music, and sports," said Jim Farley, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. marketing group vice president. "While national marketing is important to the launch of the new Tundra, the heart of the marketing plan is the discovery of our product in person at the grassroots level."

Local support will come through significant grassroots efforts by area Toyota dealers in all key categories critical to connecting with Tundra's target buyer. On the regional level Tundra will be featured in TV spots, outdoor ads, local newspapers, sponsorships, and auto shows. On the national level, Tundra will be promoted in prime network and cable TV ads, sports programming, heavy print and interactive media, and 1-to-1 marketing including a large direct marketing campaign.

Toyota will have a presence at hundreds of grassroots events designed to engage consumers and demonstrate the capabilities of the new 2007 Tundra. The programs include BASS tournaments, BASS Pro Shops grand openings and Fall/Spring/Winter events, 84 Lumber grand opening events, Brooks & Dunn concert series, Tractor Supply Co. retail events, Toyota Outdoor Tour (a national consumer engagement tour), Toyota Tundra Prove It! (a national ride & drive program), Field & Stream Heroes of Conservation event and promotions, the Toyota Professional Angler Team competing at PAA BASS events, as well as hundreds of regional dealer supported grassroots events that include fishing, rodeos, chili cook-offs and more.

"The success of the new Tundra will involve more than making a great truck. It will require selling the Toyota brand," said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. executive vice president. "We need to reach truck buyers who previously never considered a Toyota product. This will be particularly important in America's heartland and among Latinos, where Toyota has not penetrated the market as strongly as other regions and where trucks are an integral tool in the daily lives of many."

One particular group of truck buyers, dubbed "True Truckers," are the primary target buyer in the Tundra marketing plan. These are the full-size pickup owners who depend on their trucks day in and day out. Although they will account for more than one-fourth of all full-size truck sales, their importance extends far beyond their purchasing power. They are the true opinion leaders among full-size owners and are highly credible because they use, punish, and demand the most out of the pickups they buy.

The launch of the 2007 Tundra marks Toyota's the most extensive effort to date in connecting with Latino consumers and its largest presence ever in high-profile properties across top Hispanic broadcast and cable networks. The campaign target of 650 million impressions among this vital and growing segment more than doubles that of any previous product launch. The centerpiece of the integrated initiative is a national engagement marketing program that features the Tundra at more than 70 Hispanic consumer events in four categories:

* Sports -- including sponsorships of the Copa America and Copa Toyota
Libertadores soccer tournaments.

* Music -- a multi-city music tour featuring Mexican regional music.

* Construction -- sponsorship of several industry events to connect with
decision makers and "true" truck users.

* Charreadas (traditional Mexican-style rodeos) -- sponsorship of
multiple "charros" competitions across the nation.

The advertising campaign will showcase the new Tundra's styling, size, ruggedness, power, and built-in legendary Toyota brand quality. The campaign platform is "The new Tundra is a full size 1/2 ton with the guts of a 3/4 ton." Individual ads will highlight braking, towing, payload, acceleration and other capabilities. The creative is anchored in moments of truth, those key situations where the truck buyer must be given the solid facts about why they should consider Tundra -- at the job site, in the barrooms, at the Sunday tailgate. "Ultimately our hope is to spark debate among all of our target customers," said Farley. "At the very least we'd like them to be skeptical, but interested, in our product."

Emerald Takes Its 2007 Super Bowl Campaign Online

2007-02-02T00:22:00.000-05:00

Emerald, the snack brand of Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND) today announced its pre-game online campaign leading up to Super Bowl XLI, which airs on Sunday, February 4, 2007. Leveraging Robert Goulet's ominous presence in the upcoming commercial and Emerald's current focus on nuts being an excellent source of natural energy during the time of day that people need it the most, Emeraldnuts.com has initiated the first stage of its robust online initiative that spans before, during and after the Super Bowl.

Among the online content are "victim testimonial" videos regarding unexplained missing or destroyed items, literature regarding Robert Goulet's secret dark side, an email alert system to warn others about the dangers of low energy in the office, and numerous pro-natural energy/anti-Goulet banner ads. These components are all part of a long-term strategy that was mapped out before the commercial was even filmed.

"The growing popularity of broadband entertainment has had a major impact on how our Super Bowl ad was approached," said Andrew Burke, vice president of marketing for Diamond Foods. "In the past, a commercial was filmed and then we determined if there was a component that could be leveraged for additional exposure. Now an expanded campaign was part of the up front planning for our Emerald nuts spot. By viewing it as more than a 30-second ad, we proactively planned to capture specific additional footage for creative purposes. As a result, we are rolling out an expansive online campaign that will run all the way through the game and beyond."

After the commercial airs on Sunday, new elements related to the campaign will surface, including a number of interactive and audio components that will be available on Emeraldnuts.com. In addition, Emerald has purchased space on a leading video streaming site to ensure prominent visibility for the ad after it debuts.

Developed by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners of San Francisco, Emerald's national 30-second Super Bowl commercial will air in the third quarter and introduce the snack brand's new approach in offering consumers a healthy source of energy to keep them going through the midday slump.

For more information about Emerald snack products and to obtain screenshots to accompany coverage of the Super Bowl ad, visit the Press Center at www.emeraldnuts.com .

Miami Beach Unveils New Marketing Initiative During Super Bowl Week

2007-02-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

With the eyes of the nation focused on Super Bowl XLI this Sunday, the City of Miami Beach plans to welcome thousands of fans, media and corporate sponsors with a new marketing initiative – “Miami Beach 25/7. So much to do, you’ll need the extra hour.”

“Our objective is to communicate that Miami Beach offers more than meets the eye for everyone – from residents to visitors to business people,” said Miami Beach Assistant City Manager Hilda Fernandez. “There simply is no other tropical city in the country that offers this ‘live, work, play’ trifecta, forcing you to beg for a 25th hour in the day to experience it all.”

The 25/7 message will be placed on everything from T-shirts to branded energy drinks and aerial banners during the days preceding the Super Bowl, complemented with a variety of public relations efforts.

Today, the City opens the “Miami Beach Loves You Back” media spa, outside the Miami Beach Convention Center. Members of the media will be given an entry pass to enjoy a short break from the stress of covering the game and its related stories, while being provided a Miami Beach 25/7 T-shirt, with a customized tagline (“So much to cover, you’ll need the extra hour”), a Miami Beach 25/7 energy drink “for the 25th hour,” and a list of possible sidebar stories.

At the Miami Beach Golf Club, corporate players will receive a custom-designed golf towel and information about the city’s excellent business environment, delivered continuously on the GPS system found in every golf cart.

Beginning Friday and through the weekend, Miami Beach will have a concierge in their entry foyer suite at the Sprint Style Villa, a two-story glass hospitality house for corporate VIPs, visiting dignitaries, athletes and celebrities, located on the beach. Visitors will receive a specially-designed bag featuring the Miami Beach 25/7 logo and branded t-shirt.

The City selected local public relations firm, The Treister Murry Agency, and branding agency, Cre8tiv Juice Group, last summer to develop a campaign that focuses on establishing Miami Beach as a city that competes in the world marketplace with its cuisine, cultural offerings, business opportunities, high-end shopping and recreational amenities that extend beyond its beautiful beaches.

“With so many visitors in town, including journalists, who may be experiencing Miami Beach for the first time, we wanted to make sure they walked away with a new, more complete vision of what the city has to offer,” said Lisa Treister of The Treister Murry Agency.

Added Mauricio Giammettei of Cre8tiv Juice: “For the Super Bowl we wanted a simple message that conveys the city’s unstoppable energy. Our efforts this week are about getting that message to the thousands of visitors who will be in our area.”

Additional marketing and public relations initiatives will be rolled out during key special events throughout the year to emphasize the Miami Beach brand.

Consumers Expected to Buy Much More Than Just Chips and Dip This Super Bowl Weekend, According to Visa USA Data

2007-02-02T00:18:00.000-05:00

Visa USA, a leading payment brand and the nation’s largest payment system, reported today that Americans are likely to stock up on much more than just food, beverages and electronics this Super Bowl weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). According to historical Visa data, jewelry and floral retailers also are likely to experience large increases in consumer spending.

"We expected that supermarkets and electronics stores would see the largest increases in spending as consumers stock up on chips, dips, beer and flat-screen TVs," said Wayne Best, senior vice president, business and economic analysis, Visa USA. "What's interesting is the rather dramatic rise in spending in the jewelry and floral retail categories. That may suggest consumers are trying to get an early jump on shopping for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, or perhaps they're feeling guilty about spending a lot of time watching football and are planning peace offerings to their loved ones."

According to a review of historic Visa data, jewelry stores and florists experienced more than a 30 percent increase during Super Bowl weekends in 2005 and 2006 compared with other weekends. Traditionally, consumers have been known to spend more at supermarkets, wholesale club warehouses and electronics stores on Super Bowl weekend than they do on other weekends before and after the big game.

Purchase Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) in the United States totaled more than $7.2 trillion in calendar year 2006, with general-purpose payment cards capturing about one-third of that total. Spending on Visa-branded credit, debit and prepaid products represented nearly 17 percent of total Purchase PCE. That means $17 out of every $100 spent by consumers was on a Visa-branded card.

Visa has been a proud sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) since 1995, actively engaging in consumer, member bank and merchant activation programs. Through NFL and team partner relationships, Visa has implemented national advertising and promotions, product and event marketing, and a national tour to promote financial literacy among high school students.

Fast Food Chains Banking on Their Own Score This Super Bowl

2007-02-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

Quick service restaurants are gearing up for the anticipated “Super Bowl surge” this February. But, some will be more prepared than others to handle additional customer transactions, all because of a relatively new, but growing, guest-service technique that has the industry a-buzz: Let guests handle their own orders.

EMN8 Inc. is a leading developer of the latest evolution of self-service kiosks, replacing the sterile, one-dimension “pong-esque” kiosks of the past with vibrant, cinema-quality graphics, 3-D animation and user-friendly interfaces. These graphic advancements not only make the ordering process more fun and entertaining, but reflect the actual personality of a brand.

“Self-service is everywhere these days. Implementing a self-service option in our restaurants came naturally,” said a major fast food restaurant franchisee. “We chose EMN8 because of their ability to integrate with our systems and support our customers paying by either cash or credit. The great graphics make ordering easy and fun – they really capture our brand.”

Even more important to quick-service restaurant owners are the results, which come in the form of faster service, line reduction and, best of all, an estimated 15- to 30-percent increase on per-ticket sales. The potential is evident, especially when you consider that fast-service dining sales are expected to reach $180 billion in 2007. High periods such as Super Bowl Weekend can make the difference between a good year and great year.

According to Stephen M. Donly, EMN8’s chief executive officer and president, it’s events like the Super Bowl that best showcase the company’s industry-leading kiosk design.

“Initially, people are a little intimidated when seeing a service kiosk, said Donly. “But – especially if there’s a line – our fun, friendly interface draws them in and they give it a try. More often than not, they’re instantly hooked. Think of how many people now use ATM machines – it didn’t use to be that way,” explained Donly. “People like kiosks because they’re faster, easier and more convenient. We’re now seeing that same trend in the quick service area, only with more animated and enjoyable self-service technology.”

Industry statistics confirm Donly’s assessment. According to IHL Consulting, a global research firm for technology, self-service transactions will reach $450 billion by 2008. And, according to Forrester Research, consumers who frequently buy food and beverages from quick service restaurants and coffee houses “want the latest high-tech conveniences.”

“It’s a more personal experience where people can order what they want, change their order if they want, pay with cash or credit; whatever they choose to do. It’s their way, all the time. That means they’re happy and more likely to return. And that means the restaurant owner’s happy.”

Countdown to Kickoff – a date with destiny

2007-02-01T00:04:00.000-05:00

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. Sunday, Super Bowl XLI two head coaches, the Indianapolis Colts Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, will become the first two African American men to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. Black History Month 2007 will in large part focus on Super Bowl Sunday.

Black History Month often sparks a debate about the continued usefulness of a designated month dedicated to the history of one skin color.

On a December 18, 2005 episode of 60 Minutes, actor Morgan Freeman criticized Black History Month as inadequate, noting that there is no White History Month. "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." Freeman believes that racism will persist as long as individuals continue to identify themselves by their skin color.

Carter G. Woodson, creator of Negro History Week (in 1926), hoped that the week would eventually be eliminated, when African-American history would be fully integrated with American history. Later on in 1976, as the nation reached its bicentennial, the week was expanded into an entire month.

Freeman the acclaimed Academy Award winning actor is very correct in how he sees Black History Month and hopefully Back History Month will be a distant memory in the near future, but that shouldn’t stop America from recognizing what will take place Sunday at Dolphins Stadium.

The Rooney Rule, which the NFL enacted in 2002, requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for a head coaching opportunity. The rule is named for Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the chairman of the league's diversity committee, and is often cited as an example of affirmative action.

In 2003, the NFL fined the Detroit Lions $200,000 for failure to interview minority candidates for the team's vacant head coaching job. After Marty Mornhinweg was fired, the Lions immediately hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci to replace him without interviewing any other candidates. The Lions claimed they attempted to interview other candidates but that the minority candidates withdrew from interviews, believing Mariucci's hiring was inevitable.

Since the Rooney Rule was established, several NFL franchises have hired minority head coaches, although the policy is still debated. No team has stated whether the Rooney Rule contributed to the hiring of a minority. The results speak for themselves. During the so called ‘modern NFL era’ (for argument sake we’ll use 1950 as the start of the NFL’s modern era) six NFL franchises hired an African-American as their head coach: Art Shell Raiders 1989, Dennis Green Vikings 1992, Ray Rhodes Eagles 1995, Tony Dungy Bucs 1996, Ray Rhodes Packers 1999 and Herman Edwards Jets 2001. In the five years the Rooney Rule has been in place eight men have been hired as NFL head coaches: Tony Dungy Colts 2002, Marvin Lewis Bengals 2003, Lovie Smith Bears 2004, Dennis Green Cardinals 2004, Romeo Crennel Browns 2005, Herman Edwards Chiefs 2006, Art Shell Raiders 2006 and Mike Tomlin Steelers 2007. Six in 52 years, eight in five years – the Rooney Rule has afforded African American football coaches the opportunity they had long ago earned.

Art Shell the first African-American coach hired by the Raiders in 1989 told The Boston Globe he believes Supper Bowl XLI will be an important day in National Football League history.

"I spoke with both of them and told them how very proud I am of them," Shell said. "I'm proud of how well they've done and of the way they handle themselves.

"Their being in the Super Bowl will open the door a little wider for minority coaches the same way Doug Williams opened the door for black quarterbacks. After he did what he did, guys after him were looked upon as quarterbacks, not just as great athletes.
"When I came into the league in 1968, they thought a black guy couldn't be the quarterback. You could play tackle but a black guy couldn't play center or guard. Those positions weren't for blacks. They were thinking man's positions. Same was true of coaches.

"I have no doubt that if I failed, it would have retarded the process for a lot of us. The night before my first game as Raiders coach, I remember sitting with Terry Robiskie [a former teammate who became an assistant under Shell] around 3 a.m.

"I couldn't sleep. I told him, 'I have to have success at this. I've got to win. If I don't, it will set us all back many years.' If we hadn't won in Oakland, a lot of people would have said, 'There. See that. They can't do it.'

"That's why having Tony and Lovie on the sidelines coaching in the Super Bowl is so important. Visual proof is very important. For black kids to see that there's a black face on the biggest stage and he's in charge of the team is important. It shows you that no matter where you were rated or where you were slated, if you fight, work hard, get organized, and believe in yourself, you have a chance to be successful."

Doug Williams played an essential role in African American men recognition and acceptance in leadership roles on a NFL field. Williams led the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988. In one of the Super Bowl's superlative displays of passing, Washington's Doug Williams led a second-quarter offensive explosion that clinched a 42-10 victory over Denver. Williams completed 18-of-29 passes for a Super Bowl record 340 yards. He tied a Super Bowl record with four touchdown passes, all of which came in the second quarter.

"Doug Williams said to me at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, 'Rooney not only talks the talk, he wants the walk,' " said NFL Players Association head Gene Upshaw in a Boston Globe report. "What he did with Tomlin spoke volumes (Mike Tomlin hired to replace Bill Cowher). He could have said he had two loyal guys who have been with him a long time and with whom he won a Super Bowl, but he looked beyond that and hired the best guy. If we didn't have that Rooney Rule, guys like Tomlin don't even get interviewed."

"I would like to think owners would hire the best coach," Ray Sherman, 55, the Titans' wide receivers coach who has 19 years of NFL offensive coaching experience with seven teams, including the 49ers told The San Francisco Chronicle, "but I am here because of the Rooney Rule. I definitely think we need to keep it in place."

"All I've ever asked for is the opportunity to interview," Sherman said. "Right now, the trend is for the younger guys, I guess. Maybe the Rooney Rule came too late for me."

What most football fans don’t remember is that the NFL was pushed into the Rooney Rule. Famed attorney the late Johnnie Cochran and Washington lawyer Cyrus Mehri threatened to sue the NFL unless the league changed its hiring practices.

On September 30, 2002, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. and Cyrus Mehri issued a ground-breaking report - Black Coaches in the National Football League: Superior Performance, Inferior Opportunities - revealing that black NFL head coaches are held to a higher standard than their white counterparts, and are consequently denied a fair chance to compete for head coaching jobs.

The report opened the NFL's eyes to its teams' unfair hiring processes. One month later, on October 31, 2002, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced the formation of a diversity committee, headed by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, to address the NFL's minority-hiring practices. Within two months, the League announced a diversity plan, which included the requirement that each team interview at least one minority candidate prior to selecting a head coach. The Rooney Rule has already positively impacted the League. On March 10, 2003, the Fritz Pollard Alliance was formed as an affinity group of NFL minority coaches, scouts and front office personnel. During the last couple of years the FPA has worked with the NFL to develop hiring guidelines for front office and scouting positions as well as talent development programs. The FPA advocates for policy changes in the NFL hiring practices and working in partnership with the NFL to create opportunities for minority candidates.

"I think you have to look at it as a great success," said Mehri, general counsel of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, the group formed to promote minority hiring at all levels of the NFL in a Boston Globe report. "You know it's a great success when it matters to the owners. From a process point of view, they're doing everything we've asked them to do. Now, does that mean we've eradicated bias in the NFL? No. It's part of America. But we've made great strides. We couldn't have written a better script."

"It couldn't have happened to two finer people and two finer coaches," Mehri said. "We're on cloud nine. We couldn't be happier. We came into this to change America's game. . . . Sunday gives us a chance to have America's game change America's consciousness."

"If there was no Rooney Rule, Lovie Smith would not be the head coach of the Chicago Bears," said John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance in a Washington Post report. "Believe me. . . . This fills me with a great sense of pride.""Everything we're doing has exceeded our best expectations," Mehri said. "We really have had a cultural change. We don't win every time. We shouldn't win every time. But everyone is following the process."

Gale Sayers, the youngest player to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame (as a member of the Chicago Bears) remembers all too well the days before the Rooney Rule. After retiring with the Bears in 1972 Sayers tried to stay in football looking for a front office opportunity. Instead, he earned a master's degree in education administration and was one of the first African-Americans to be a college athletic director.

Yet in 1983 when he wrote to all 28 NFL teams looking for a job, he said he got only one response: a rejection letter from the Los Angeles Raiders.

''We should be talking to our children -- going to high schools, going to colleges and talking to them about this day,'' Sayers, 63, said in the suburban Chicago headquarters of his computer systems company, Sayers Group LLC in a Bloomberg News report. ''It knocks down all these rednecks out there who say that blacks cannot win, or cannot play quarterback or cannot be a head coach.''

''I think you're starting to see the fruits of many years of labor,'' said Javier Loya, a part owner of the Houston Texans and member of the NFL's diversity committee. ''There's some assistant GMs, heads of personnel, different guys starting to move up the pipeline.''

And how do Sunday’s Super Bowl head coaches feel about their moment when they’ll be center-stage?

"There were black coaches who were exceptional back then but they never got to do what we've done," Colts head coach Tony Dungy told The Boston Globe. "They could have taken a team to the Super Bowl but they never got the chance.

"My generation of kids who watched the Super Bowl never saw African-American coaches. You could be a player. You couldn't necessarily be the quarterback. Then you saw Doug Williams play and win a Super Bowl at quarterback [in January 1988] and they thought they could be a quarterback.

"Now maybe a young kid will watch this game and think, 'Maybe I can be the coach one day.' That's special. We're all a product of our environment and our past."

"That day is coming," Smith said, "but we're talking about it now, so it's not here now. Each year we've taken a step. That's all we're looking for. You look for steps that you take in your progress. We've taken another step by Tony and I having our teams in the Super Bowl. In years to come, it won't be talked about. I'll look forward to that day."

"For a long time, you hadn't seen a lot of African-American coaches, so owners had to go with what they knew," said Dungy, who first became a head coach in Tampa in 1996 in a Boston Globe report. "I think everybody wants to win. They just don't always know everyone who's available. What the Rooney Rule did was say, 'There may be another category of people to look at.'

"I remember when I first started interviewing for head coaching jobs, a guy asked me, 'How many black coaches are you going to have on your staff?' It startled you a little bit. When I was 28 or 29, I had a general manager tell me I had to shave my beard because people were looking for a certain style. I asked Coach Noll about it and he said for me not to worry about that.

"The only token interview I think I ever had was the second one. It was with the Green Bay Packers. I asked them what they were looking for in a head coach, and they said, 'An offensive guy with head coaching experience.' I just scratched my head. I didn't know where I fit there. I never did walk out of an interview, but after a couple of them were over, I felt I should have."

And the 84 men suiting up to play on the ultimate Sunday know all to well history will be made Sunday at Dolphins Stadium

"It just shows how far we've come as a society to have black coaches even be in a position to coach in the Super Bowl," said Bears fullback Jason McKie. "As a black man, it makes you feel proud."

CBS, the NFL and Big Brothers Big Sisters have joined forces to create a 15-second public service announcement highlighting the importance of mentoring to debut during Super Bowl XLI airing on CBS Network Sunday, Feb. 4th. In a Super Bowl first, the in-game PSA will feature the two coaches whose teams are competing in the game. The roughly 90 million viewers who tune in to watch the game will see Indianapolis Colts' Coach Tony Dungy and Coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears underscore the importance of mentoring by referencing their real-life mentoring relationship.

These extraordinary role models, the first African-American head coaches to bring their teams to the NFL's biggest game of the year, exemplify the power of mentoring. Dungy, who waited more than 10 years for an opportunity to be a head coach, was the person who gave Smith his first NFL job. Smith considers Dungy his mentor and they speak to each other every Monday morning.

"We are thrilled to be partnering through CBS Cares with the NFL and Big Brothers Big Sisters to bring the year's largest television audience a positive message about mentoring" said Martin Franks, Executive Vice President, Planning, Policy & Government Affairs, CBS Corporation. "We had long ago decided we wanted to showcase mentoring, and ideally do so with the team coaches during the Super Bowl, so we felt like we won the lottery – or in this case, the Super Bowl, given the actual mentoring connection these coaches share."

"It is truly exciting to work with the NFL and CBS to highlight the tremendous need for African-American and Hispanic mentors for the many boys who are waiting and to provide information to viewers on how to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters," said Judy Vredenburgh, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters. "The Super Bowl coaches are a terrific example of how mentoring can change a person's life," she continued, "and we appreciate their endorsement."

The time will come in the not too distant future that a man’s worth as a football coach will not be judged by the color of his skin but rather his ability to lead other men into battle on a football field. However for that important day to take place, special days and men like Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy have to show the National Football League how to get there.

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited in this Insider Report: The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and Bloomberg News

Countdown to Kickoff --- Super Bowl XLI will be Peyton’s Place

2007-01-31T00:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday’s Super Bowl will be all about Peyton Manning. If the Indianapolis Colts win Super Bowl XLI Manning will have finally won the big game, led his team to a championship. If the Colts lose the game the biggest story after the game will be how Peyton Manning can’t win the big game. His series of “failures” in high school, at Tennessee and in his eight previous seasons with the Colts will come full circle. There may be 83 other players suiting up Sunday, but when all is said and done Super Bowl XLI is all about one player and one player along – Peyton Manning.

Manning earned more than $11.5 million in endorsements last year from a half dozen companies that included, Sony, Reebok, Sprint, DirecTV, ESPN, MasterCard and PepsiCo's Gatorade brand. Manning also was the spokesman for Xbox's NFL Fever 2002 and 2003 and 2004, and was featured on the cover of all three games.

He earns more from endorsements than any other football player. Having turned 30 physically Manning is nearing the peak of his athletic career. At $14 million his salary made him one of the highest paid players on the field in 2006. But more than one of the best quarterbacks in a generation, Manning is the prototype athlete of the 22nd century. He’s become the face of the National Football League, at ease in one of his many commercials or on a football field leading the Colts.

"From a marketing standpoint, his upside is a little bit limited," David Carter, the executive director of the University of Southern California's Sports Business Institute, said of Manning in a globesports.com report. "He's already pretty much the gold standard for the NFL endorser. He really can't get much higher."

None of companies Manning currently endorses have plans to be a part of CBS’s Super Bowl XLI coverage Sunday, but you had better believe once the game ends, if the Colts win and especially if Manning is the MVP there will be an avalanche of Manning commercials early next week. Manning seems to love the camera. From his series of MasterCard commercials that parody Manning praising everyday people doing their jobs to Peyton fooling around with his brother Eli (the quarterback of the New York Giants). Peyton Manning is a natural and very much at ease in front of a camera when a commercial is being filmed.

"The fact is the guy's a good actor," said Bob Dorfman, vice president of Pickett Advertising and the creator of the Sports Marketers' Scouting Report, which tracks athletes and their endorsements. "The MasterCard spots are very good. He's persuasive, he's funny and he delivers a line very well. The only question is what categories are left for him to pursue."

Chris Jogis, vice president of U.S. brand marketing for MasterCard, told CNNmoney.com’s Chris Isidore that while Manning’s current advertising campaigns with MasterCard focus on sports programming that could change if Manning and the Colts win Sunday.

"The advertising and marketing to date has been focused on the more avid football fan," said Jogis. Jogis said his appearance in the Super Bowl only adds to his appeal to sponsors, no matter the final score.

"He'll be better known to more people," he said.

Jogis said MasterCard, one of Manning's first national campaigns, isn't worried about his deals with other sponsors.

"His personality and sense of humor really resonates with people," said Jogis. "As with someone like Michael Jordan, people can't get enough of him."

There are those who believe too much Peyton Manning isn’t a good thing (present company not included)

"There is such a thing as too exposed, and he's close," said Matt Delzell, senior client manager for Davie Brown Talent, who negotiates with athletes on behalf of sponsors. "There's a lot of clutter. At the end of the spot, if you can say, 'I don't know which of the seven it was,' that's a problem."

That may be somewhat true but if you look at the athletes who dominate endorsement opportunities they all share in their ability to sell themselves and whatever products are linked to their name. Tiger Woods and LeBron James both generate more money annually than Manning. The three men present themselves well and each excels on their respective playing field. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady earns about $9 million annually in endorsements (second in the NFL to Manning).

The NFL has been refereed to as the National Felons League from time to time, a moniker well deserved. During the Chicago Bears media opportunity Tuesday at Dolphins Stadium as part of Super Bowl XLI media day Tank Johnson attracted the most attention. Nine members of the Cincinnati Bengals were arrested during the teams’ recently completed season. Manning and Brady offer a safe secure image that companies seek. The greatest fear companies have in working with NFL players on endorsement contracts is that they’ll have to enforce the morality clause included in their contracts. There isn’t much chance Peyton, son of Archie Manning, is going to embarrass himself, the Indianapolis Colts, the National Football League or any of the seven companies he works with. If Manning is overexposed it’s due at least in part to the players who have done damage and harm to the reputation of the National Football League. Peyton’s Place is a safe place for any company to be, as are Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

"He represents what's good in sports," said Ben Sturner, president of Leverage Sports Agency, which has offices in New York, Phoenix and Charlotte.

"Brands are making a significant investment in guys like Peyton Manning," said Bill Glenn, who helped create the Davie Brown Index and is vice president of Dallas-based The Marketing Arm in a USA Today report. "First and foremost they want people to recognize him without needing help."

According to CNNmoney.com Marketing Evaluations, which surveys consumers to create the Q-score ratings used by advertisers to judge the appeal of celebrities, and Davie Brown Talent, which has a comparable survey, both put Manning's awareness in the general population a bit above 50 percent, well below the 85 to 95 percent recognition for Tiger Woods.

Bob Garfield, a columnist for Advertising Age (the single best source for Super Bowl advertising information) wrote a column in December on Manning suggesting, that Manning is "the greatest sports endorser ever. Not the most successful; Michael Jordan, after all. But his delivery, poise and comic timing make Michael look, comparatively, like an extra on 'CSI.' "

Sony who worked first with Jordan believe in the power of Manning to deliver key and important market demographic, men aged 30 to 40 a key age group for Sony’s high end electronic product line.

"When we first asked Peyton to join our team he was second only to Jordan in consumer recognition of athletes," said Kevin Berman, senior marketing manager for Sony Electronics, which uses Manning to pitch high-definition televisions in a Los Angeles Times report. "That's a nice camp to be in."

"We really don't need to tell him much or brief him. He seems to be ready for everything coming at him," said Todd Krinsky, a vice president for Reebok.

Manning is known to think on his feet during commercial shoots. "If you're asking if he calls audibles during the process, yes he does," Berman told The Los Angeles Times.

"He transcends football," Jogis said. "He has a great sense of humor, he's really down to earth for such a great athlete and people can relate to that."

Two and a half years ago Manning did an interview with Business Week that focused on his relationship with IMG (his agents at the time). One interesting question Manning was asked, was if the business side of his career (the commercial endorsement opportunities) are in anyway a distraction from what his football career?

“Some guys lose their focus. They get caught up in the business deals or the endorsements, and they lose their focus. For me, it's always about football. I've never lost sight of what's making all these other things happen.

“IMG has done a good job of letting me concentrate on what's important. I don't do appearances during the season. On Tuesdays, some guys are jumping on a plane. I'm trying to meet with coaches or lift weights or work on my game. That's what matters. And IMG respects that.” Manning told Business Week in July 2004.

Manning is represented by Tom Condon, who has been named the most powerful agent in football by Sporting News, heads the Football Division of Creative Artists Agency with fellow super-agent Ben Dogra. CAA represents over 120 NFL players, including Peyton Manning, Matt Leinart, Marvin Harrison, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tony Gonzalez, Steve Hutchinson, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Chad Pennington, Alex Smith, Marc Bulger, Chris Simms and Byron Leftwich.

Manning for his part told the USA Today in November he loves the chance to show everyone that he’s much more than just a football player.

"Some people have this impression of me: 'Boy, he's always so serious on the field. Football. Football. Football,' " Manning said. "I'd like people to understand that I do have some personality. It's a commercial, not an Oliver Stone movie."

And if football fans bump into Manning, they’ll often recite word for word the lines used in the MasterCard spots.

At the end of one popular MasterCard spot, Manning asks a grocery clerk to autograph a loaf of bread for his younger brother, Eli. MasterCard's advertising agency had written another line, but Manning decided to mention his brother. "It was his impromptu idea on the set," said Chris Jogis, MasterCard's vice president for U.S. brand development. "It ended up being one of the best lines in the spot. He definitely has a good sense for what's humorous."

"That one's ingrained in people's minds," Manning said. "And the sequel was, 'Will you sign this loaf of bread? ... Sign this melon for my little brother?' Eli was mad because he didn't get any royalties off that spot."

Peyton Manning is someone people not only seem to like but they also trust. CNBC’s Darren Rovell reported that a polling company called E-Poll said their stats on Brady vs. Manning. 20% saw Manning as a sincere person versus 15% for Brady. Say whatever you want about being recognized, at the end of the day if you’re trusted and respected you can build a long term relationship with a solid group of companies. As big as Peyton Manning is four days before Super Bowl XLI, if Dolphins Stadium becomes Peyton’s Place Sunday his endorsement potential will head into a new stratosphere

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited in this Insider Report: globesports.com, CNNmoney.com and The Los Angeles Times

ISI Unveils Hooters-Themed Sports Betting Kiosks in Time for Super Bowl Sunday

2007-01-31T00:50:00.000-05:00

Leroy’s Race and Sports Book and ISI, Ltd. (ISI) officials announced today their sports gaming kiosks (the iSports Stand) are now on the gaming floor of Hooters Casino Hotel, offering bettors a faster, more convenient method to place sports bets.

The two orange iSports Stands, which display a photo of Michelle Nunes – Miss Hooters International and a blackjack dealer at Hooters Casino Hotel – are the first specially designed kiosks in Las Vegas. The iSports Stands are expected to be fully operational in time for the busiest sports book day of the year – Super Bowl Sunday.

“Hooters is a unique, world-famous brand with a very loyal following,” said Bill Stearns, president of ISI. “We designed the kiosks to attract curious guests to take a look and try this new technology. It’s very simple to place bets, and the kiosk can be open practically 24 hours.”
Stearns compares the machines to using the ATM at a bank instead of dealing with the teller.

“We believe once legal bettors experience the additional features like receiving special offers from our advertisers, checking weather during events, obtaining advice from a professional sports handicapper, booking show tickets or making golf reservations, they will prefer the kiosks,” he said.

ISI co-developed the iSports Stand with AWI Manufacturing, Inc. (AWIM). Acting as a stand-alone sports book, the iSports Stand provides the same services as an in-casino sports book.

Also unique is the ability for local and national businesses to advertise on the kiosk’s video screen, side panels and through on-screen banner ads. This is the first time companies and products outside of the casino can reach guests on the gaming floor.

Countdown to Kickoff -- At $2.6 million, there had better be a big bang for your Super Bowl buck

2007-01-30T00:24:00.000-05:00

CBS has been selling 30 second commercial spots for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLI for $2.6 million. If CBS managed to sell their complete commercial inventory for the game (47 minutes or 96 spots) CBS would generate $244.4 million.

It’s not quite as easy as it would appear. Firstly CBS commits a fair percentage to promote their network programming (in a typical Super Bowl, one-fourth of all commercial time is a plug by the network for its own programming. The value of that air time in 2006 alone exceeded $52 million), there’s the commitment to local programming and CBS has yet to sell out their available inventory. Nonetheless Super Bowl Sunday remains the biggest single advertising day of the year. And why? In an increasingly cluttered media universe, the Super Bowl remains the highest rated TV program every year and more importantly the offers the highest guarantee in the industry, you’ll reach an audience.

The average cost of a commercial for the 2000 Super Bowl cost between $2.1 and $2.2 million. It may have been seven years ago, but the 2000 Super Bowl represented the beginning of the end for the tech boom (at least the first internet driven economy). Among the dot.com’s that rolled their financial future on a 30 second Super Bowl spot: Monster.com, HotJobs.com, Pets.com, OurBeginning.com, Oxygen Media, Kforce.com and Computer.com. Online brokerage firm E*Trade sponsored the half-time show and purchased numerous spots during the game.

OurBeginning.com's chief executive Michael Budowski (the website and Mr. Budowski are no longer online) told the media seven years ago that he was spending about $4 million of his $15 million 2000 marketing budget on the Super Bowl.

"If we wanted to catapult ourselves to the forefront and shorten the branding curve, the Super Bowl represents the ultimate opportunity," Budowski said. "We researched different media buys, and we realized that the Super Bowl is really the only media buy throughout the year."

Given that OurBeginning.com, Oxygen Media, Kforce.com, Lifeminders.com and Computer.com (and that’s just a few) are no longer operating, the 2000 Super Bowl was an advertising disaster of Titanic proportion. 17 dot.com’s advertised during Super Bowl 2000 a clear understanding of what was wrong with the first dot.com boom – those involved didn’t understand the industry they were a part of.

"People are in a different place with their Internet experience and understanding of the dot com world," said Anne Hollows, senior vice president of global brand strategies at Monster.com seven years ago. Her company saw its traffic spike about 450 percent after the game last year. "I would be surprised if we see that kind of a surge this year--the novelty has worn off," she said.

Monster.com is still around, but no longer a part of Super Bowl Sunday. As of Monday night only one dot.com, careerbuilder.com will be a part of Super Bowl XLI. Careerbulder.com have purchased two thirty-second spots one in the second quarter and the other in the third quarter. Godaddy.com is back once again this time with three spots and salegenie.com will be a first time advertiser at Super Bowl XLI.

The historical numbers linked to Super Bowl advertising is mind-boggling. According to TNS Media Intelligence, advertising during the Super Bowl game has accounted for 682 minutes – over 11 full hours – of commercial time throughout the past 20 years (1987-2006). Those 11 hours represent 221 different advertisers, more than 1,400 commercial announcements and translate into $1.72 billion of network advertising sales.

The top five Super Bowl advertisers of the past 20 years have spent $613.4 million on advertising during the game, accounting for 35 percent of total advertising dollars spent in the game. Anheuser Busch and Pepsico, advertisers in every Super Bowl game since 1987, continue to lead the pack, followed by General Motors and Time Warner.

While last year’s report (covering 1986-2005) listed FedEx Corporation as the fifth top advertiser, the company was replaced in this year’s report (covering 1987-2006) by Walt Disney. This is especially interesting as FedEx Corporation has advertised with the Super Bowl for 19 years, while Walt Disney has only advertised with the Super Bowl for the past seven years.

Each year, about 62 percent of the network TV ad money invested in the game comes from incumbent marketers who ran commercials the previous year. The major exception to that was the 2000 Super Bowl

“While that’s a very high retention rate, it’s actually lower than the comparable rate for two other showcase TV events. Over the past 10 years, the average dollar retention rate has been 78 percent for the Academy Awards and 67 percent for the World Series,” said Jon Swallen, senior vice president of Research at TNS Media Intelligence.

The cost of an advertisement in the Super Bowl has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years, reaching $2.5 million in 2006 for a 30-second unit. For the 2007 game, CBS is reportedly fetching over $2.6 million for each 30-second spot.

The biggest single advertiser for Super Bowl XLI is Anheuser-Busch. The beer company has purchased 5 minutes or 10 spots. If AB didn’t get a discount for buying as many spots as they did, they’ll be writing CBS a check for $26 million.

"It's fragmentation-proof, or least fragmentation-resistant," said Jason Maltby, president of national broadcast for MindShare, a media-buying firm owned by WPP Group. "You are reaching almost 1 out of every 2 Americans. Nothing else in any media even comes close."

In addition, "there is a much higher level of attention and engagement with the commercials," he added in a marketwatch.com report

The real question remains – does it make sense to invest in a Super Bowl spot?

"It's a much, much bigger risk than it is reward pay-out," Julie Roehm, the former communication's chief at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York.

To make the multi-million dollar commercials worthwhile, marketers need to look to tie-in advertisements, such as using the same character or theme on an Internet campaign.

"It's not worth it if you just look at the numbers," said Jon Bond, Co-Chairman of advertising agency Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners. "You've got to have something I'll call the 'X factor'."

Joann Ross, president of network sales for CBS (hosting this years ago and knowing they’ll be televising the game in three years time again) needless to say is a big believer in the power of Super Bowl advertising.

"The Super Bowl is the one event where people do pay ... more attention to the commercials," she said. "The recall of the commercials is greater than spots that don't run in the Super Bowl."

Ryan Schinman, CEO of Platinum-Rye Entertainment agreed.

"I look at the Super Bowl as a big, almost, premier," Schinman said. "The Super Bowl, like the Academy Awards, is something special."

The Super Bowl is the one event that transcends sports. Ross is correct in suggesting it’s the one event people take the time to watch the commercials. One interesting feature to this years’ cavalcade of Super Bowl spots – most if not all of the spots will be available at youtube.com immediately following the game Sunday night. Ironically while the biggest disaster in Super Bowl advertising history was the dot.com 2000 Super Bowl debacle, seven years later the internet offers Super Bowl XLI advertisers an opportunity to leverage their $2.6 million 30 second investment.

As well Doritos and the NFL Network are among the advertisers who are actually allowing their customers to create what ad will run. A total of four Super Bowl XLI spots collectively worth $10.4 million will air Sunday.

"User-generated content is the hottest concept in marketing today," said Fran Kelly, president of ad agency Arnold Worldwide. "Trying an idea that people are going to talk about and look forward to seeing during the game is using the Super Bowl the right way."

"You're trying to get people engaged, and it's hard to argue that they're not engaged if they're actively involved in the making of the commercial," said John Condon, chief creative officer of ad agency Leo Burnett USA in a Cnet.com report

Amateur advertising videos have been around for a couple of years. Shoe company Converse was the first to run television ads created by customers. The concept was developed in 2004 by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, the Sausalito ad agency. The 24-second Converse videos were exhibited on www.conversegallery.com, in addition to television.

"What marketers are increasingly finding is that they can't control it,'' Stern said.”And, in fact, letting go and ceding absolute control is a major part of this new marketing model.''

And at the end of the day what matters most – regardless of whether or not your ad has been put together as part of Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour (an old TV program) or offers the creativity of some of the legendary Super Bowl spots of yesteryear, the spots better stand and deliver.

"You have to create spots especially for the game and that can double the price. You have to pay $2.6 million or so to get in the game and to produce a spot could easily cost you another million or two," said Fran Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Arnold Worldwide, a leading advertising agency. "It is a challenge for marketers. If you wind up with one of the poorly rated commercials you wonder if it's worth the money."

Anheuser-Busch’s will focus on fun and entertainment this year, moving away from their series of post 9/11 spots that featured ads with a patriotic theme. AB will also be using the internet to help get their message out. With 10 different spots on Sunday’s telecast AB will allow fans to vote for their favorite Anheuser-Busch spot on the companies website and encourage fans to use their cell phones to text message their favorite.

“What you have to recognize is where the consumer’s going,” said Robert Lachky, executive vice president for global industry development and chief creative officer at the Anheuser-Busch division of Anheuser-Busch in a New York Times report.

“Half the people in the United States watch the Super Bowl, but half don’t,” said Steven R. Schreibman, vice president for advertising and brand management at Nationwide Financial. “How do you reach them?”

“The Super Bowl is the only media property where the advertising is as big a story as the content of the show,” he added, “so you want to see how much you can leverage it.”

Garmin, a maker of G.P.S. navigation devices made it clear to The New York Times they couldn’t be more excited about their first chance to be a part of a Super Bowl game. There 30 seconds of fame is set for the second quarter.

“To look at the Super Bowl as ‘30 seconds and gone’ was never a part of the plan,” said Jon Cassat, director for marketing communications at Garmin. “We think a great audience out there responds to traditional media like television,” he added, “and we think there is a great audience out there we will reach through viral means.”

“It’s not right for everyone,” said Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“Some of them, you scratch your head,” he added. “In the hype of the Super Bowl, they get carried away.”

But for “the right marketer, the Super Bowl makes wonderful sense if you think of it as a springboard to other things,” Professor Calkins said, adding: “Put the ads on the Internet. Get all the P.R. you can. Make the most of your media investment.”

Several of the websites who plan on streaming the Super Bowl commercial inventory immediately after the game ends are selling sponsorships for their post game Super Bowl connection.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal; USA Today's Web site and Viacom Inc.'s IFilm site have both sold pre-roll ads on their Super Bowl poll pages, while Time Warner Inc.'s AOL has sold advertising for its viewer poll. Google Inc.'s YouTube, which is mounting a Super Bowl poll for the first time this year, is offering advertisers in the big game the chance to buy marketing packages aimed at reinforcing the message of their Super Bowl spots on the video-sharing site.

"Super Bowl ads have taken on a life of their own," says Neal Scarbrough, editor and general manager of AOL Sports. "When folks see these big numbers, they go, 'You know, you think we can advertise there.' "

For example, traffic to IFilm increased 157% during the week after the Super Bowl to 2.6 million unique visitors from 1 million the week before, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, a Web monitoring company.

"Ten years ago you looked at Nielsen numbers and then day-after recall," said Kate Sirkin, exec VP-global research director, Starcom Mediavest Group. But now it's about more than just eyeballs. "You can look at online buzz, online traffic, people talking about your brand and searching online."

And that is the bottom line;’ if you’re spending $2.6 million for a 30 second commercial spot not only had that commercial be outstanding but it’s essential that you look to leverage that opportunity in as many different ways as possible. Advertising remains what it has always been, you’re selling an intangible, and you hope you’ll reach an audience but you’re never quite sure.

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited in this Insider Report: The New York Times, CNNmoney.com, AdAge and Marketwatch

Super Bowl XLI Week Kicks Off With a Game of 'Financial Football'

2007-01-30T00:23:00.000-05:00

Visa USA Monday announced it is releasing a free, first-of-its-kind cell phone game that helps teens learn how to manage money wisely. Developed in conjunction with the NFL and PLAYERS INC, "Financial Football" equips parents with an innovative tool to help their children learn important financial life lessons.

"Cell phones are the screen of choice for today's teenagers and parents know all too well just how much time their children spend talking, texting and playing games on their cells," said Michael Rolnick, director, Visa USA. "Creating a financial management cell phone game allows parents and educators to harness the popularity of the cell phone and put it to good use in teaching the vital life skill of money management."

Demonstrating the connection teenagers have with their cell phones and the growing popularity of gaming on mobile devices, a new study of parents released by Visa USA shows that 38% of teenagers play a cell phone game more than once a week. The survey also showed that 10% of teenagers are "super cell gamers," playing games on their cell phone five times a day or more.

Sprint and Cingular customers can access the game by texting the word VISA to 24421. Unlike many other cell phone games, which can cost up to $20, Visa is not charging a fee to download "Financial Football." Additional information on the game is available at http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/CellFootball.

Before being developed for cell phones, "Financial Football" already scored points with parents, teachers and teenagers as a computer-based video game. At the Super Bowl XLI NFL Media Center, Visa USA was joined by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown to help coach students from Miami Beach High School in a game of "Financial Football."

"It takes the combined efforts of parents, teachers, and mentors within the community to give young adults a strong background in personal financial management," said New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. "A few months ago, I joined Visa in bringing this message to students in Louisiana. Now I have the chance to coach another game of 'Financial Football' here in Miami and to tell these students how imperative it will be for them to learn how to make good, smart, informed money decisions, as they plan for college and beyond."

"Teaching the fundamentals of money management in school gives young people a real advantage in today's financially diverse society," said Ronnie Brown of the hometown Miami Dolphins. "I'm glad for the opportunity to teach these Miami Beach students how to manage their money because it is such a vital life skill."

"Financial Football" puts students' fiscal knowledge to the test by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. To score points, a player needs to answer various money management questions correctly. Wrong answers and penalties can cost a player yardage.

The free, computer-based version of "Financial Football" has already been downloaded and played over 100,000 times. The game and corresponding financial education curriculum are the centerpiece of a major educational initiative, now in its second season, between Visa, the NFL and PLAYERS INC, to get young people engaged and excited about their financial futures.

In addition to being a game, "Financial Football" is also part of a one- week, five-part financial literacy program designed for high school instruction. In December, Visa teamed up with West Virginia State Treasurer John D. Perdue to announce the first-ever statewide roll out of "Financial Football" that brings the computer-based game to every high school and library in the state. West Virginia is one of a growing number of states making financial education a mandatory high school graduation requirement.

"Financial Football" is part of Practical Money Skills for Life (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/), a comprehensive financial literacy program -- available in English, Spanish and Chinese -- that teaches young adults personal finance skills.

This free, educational resource provides teachers with lesson plans (kindergarten through college) mapped to their state education requirements. For students, there are interactive games and calculators designed to teach responsibility and important concepts such as earning, saving and budgeting money.

"As part of Visa's longstanding commitment to financial education, we are constantly developing new and creative ways to get students to learn how to budget, invest and save for their futures," said Rolnick. "Cell phones are the perfect way to reach teenagers and have them learn about financial responsibility."

Snickers Offers a 'Sneak Peek' at New Super Bowl Ad

2007-01-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

SNICKERS(R) announced today that the brand is leaping into the Super Bowl fray with an ad that's sure to satisfy fans' desire for laughter and being a part of the action. In the ad, two mechanics share a Snickers Bar that will change both of them forever. Consumers can preview the first portion of the spot at http://www.snickerssatisfies.com/ , and then see the full ad on Super Bowl Sunday, February 4.

The spot, which was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, will air during the first half of Super Bowl XLI on CBS. The ad represents Snickers' return to the "big advertising game" for the first time since 2001.
After the story unfolds during the Super Bowl, consumers can log on to http://www.snickerssatisfies.com/ to see the full ad and three alternative endings that were created for the spot. Fans can cast their vote for their most satisfying ending, and the resulting favorite ad will be the next version to air.

The advertising has been closely guarded by the Snickers team. The only "outsiders" who have previewed the ad -- and the alternative endings -- are select players from the Chicago Bears including Rex Grossman, Robbie Gould, Desmond Clark, Alex Brown and Muhsin Muhammad; plus Indianapolis Colts players Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Joseph Addai and Cato June. Their reactions speak for themselves:

-- "In this commercial there is a significant 'bam' that's the moment.
People are going to scream and laugh!" - Rex Grossman, quarterback,
Chicago Bears
-- "This commercial is gonna catch you off-guard." - Muhsin Muhammad,
wide receiver, Chicago Bears
-- "Definitely one to talk about the next day." - Marvin Harrison, wide
receiver, Indianapolis Colts
-- "Definitely something you'll always remember. I mean, you've seen
nothing like this anywhere!" - Dwight Freeney, defensive end,
Indianapolis Colts
-- "You're definitely crowding the line, it's one of those that's gonna
be remembered!" - Cato June, linebacker, Indianapolis Colts

"The players never get the opportunity to see the ads because they're on the field," said Michele Kessler, vice president of marketing at Masterfoods USA. "So we thought it would be fun to preview the spot and the endings with some of them. Their reaction was exactly what we anticipate on game night -- lots of laughs and a lot of people seeking the satisfaction of a Snickers bar!"

"The Super Bowl is the perfect environment for Snickers and for this spot because of the brand's icon status and its relationship with the NFL. We wanted something that would get people talking during -- and after -- the game," said Gerry Graf, executive creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York.

USDA Offers Food Safety and Nutrition Advice for Your Super Bowl Party

2007-01-30T00:17:00.000-05:00

U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing consumers with food safety and healthy eating recommendations in anticipation of Super Bowl parties that will held around the country.

Super Bowl Sunday is often recognized as the second biggest single day of food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving. Like other holidays where food plays a prominent role, food safety should be a prime consideration to ensure that gatherings are healthy and happy events.

“Football, food and friends are great American traditions and the Super Bowl brings them together on one day,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard A. Raymond. “Whenever you combine large amounts of food with a large gathering of people, there are some important items for the host and guests to remember.”

Because Super Bowl parties can last for several hours, certain foods left at room temperature for too long enter the so called "Danger Zone," between 40°F and 140°F. Raymond noted that the “Danger Zone” is the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to grow and multiply.

To combat the risk of foodborne illness, Raymond encouraged those who are hosting parties to learn the four key messages that are part of USDA’s Be Food Safe campaign:

Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often
Separate - Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods.
Cook - Use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. Steaks should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 145°F, ground beef should be cooked to 160°F and all poultry should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Also remember to keep hot foods hot. If hot food has been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours, do not eat it.
Chill - Refrigerate or freeze promptly. Keep cold foods cold. If cold foods have been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours, do not eat it.
USDA is also encouraging football fans to make sure there are healthful and nutritious foods on the menu. While a one day splurge isn’t likely to have long-term negative health consequences, USDA reminds consumers that a healthy diet and regular exercise are the keys to good health.

“You can have a great Super Bowl Party while eating foods that are healthful, nutritious and strike the right balance,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services Nancy Montanez Johner. “What is important is to choose the foods and physical activities that are right for you.”

Montanez Johner encouraged consumers to learn more about healthful diet and exercise by visiting www.mypyramid.gov. Here you can get a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat and the amount of physical activity you need to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Sun, Sand and Soup Bring All-Star Quarterbacks to Miami for Super Bowl XLI

2007-01-30T00:10:00.000-05:00

All-Star quarterbacks Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles and Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks are known as “Campbell’s Chunky” soup “Hungry Boys” for their determination and drive on the field and their “big-hearted” spirit off the field. McNabb and Hasselbeck will be joined by their moms in Miami to announce a soup-er donation on behalf of the “Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger” program – one million cans of soup to food banks nationwide! As a part of “Chunky” soup’s ongoing commitment to tackle hunger in NFL communities, Campbell will also donate 1,000 cans of “Campbell’s Chunky” soup on behalf of the Miami Dolphins to the Daily Bread Food Bank in Miami.

Super Bowl XLI marks the completion of the ninth season that Campbell and the NFL have partnered together to raise awareness about the ongoing issue of hunger in America and make direct donations to food banks across the country.

“We are honored to have Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselbeck, and their moms, represent the ‘Chunky’ soup brand to help make a difference in the fight against hunger and finally get to do a little tackling of their own, for a good cause,” said Doug Johns, Senior Brand Manager, “Chunky” soup. “These players truly exemplify the Chunky brand - bigger-than-life, hard-working guys who are always looking out for others, especially their moms.”

The “Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger” program’s road to the Super Bowl began in April at the NFL Draft, where 1,000 cans of soup were donated to Bread of Life, Inc. in Houston on behalf of Mario Williams, the first overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. During the regular season, “Campbell’s Chunky” soup donated 1,000 cans of soup on behalf of each NFL team to a food bank in each NFL city across the country.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia weighed in, literally, to help raise important food donations for their local communities. Ben Roethlisberger and Max Starks of the Pittsburgh Steelers took part in the “Campbell’s Chunky” Soup Spoon Weigh-In with their moms, where they were all weighed in soup on an oversized soup spoon-shaped scale to benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Darwin Walker and Philadelphia Eagles team mascot, SWOOP, also hopped on the scale in Philadelphia to generate donations for Philabundance. Both of these organizations are affiliated with America’s Second Harvest, which receives corporate support from Campbell.

“Campbell’s Chunky” soup also sponsored an on-line competition, “Click for Cans,” which enabled NFL fans nationwide to join in the hunger relief effort and help make a difference in their local community by casting votes for their favorite team on www.chunky.com. Green Bay Packers’ fans were crowned the “Chunky” soup “Click for Cans” champions for the fifth consecutive year, generating a soup-er win for Wisconsin area food banks – a donation of the official roster’s total weight in “Chunky” soup. The Indianapolis Colts continued their winning ways online, grabbing the “Most Improved Clicks” title and 2,006 cans of “Chunky” soup for Gleaner’s Food Bank in Indianapolis.

Hunger continues to be a very serious problem in the United States, affecting more than 38 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Since 1997, Campbell and the NFL have partnered together through the Campbell’s Chunky/NFL “Tackling Hunger” program to help fight hunger in America by generating much needed food donations. Now in its ninth season, the “Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger” program remains committed to battling hunger and has donated more than 34 million cans of soup to hunger relief since its inception.

Countdown to Kickoff – the Great Super Bowl Economic misnomer

2007-01-29T00:36:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XLI is six days away, the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears is set for Sunday evening at Miami’s Dolphins Stadium. HB’s Insider Report along with Sports Business News will focus the shift of our content this week to the Super Bowl. We’ll remain on top of all the latest sports business news, but this week the world will be looking towards South Florida. Just how big an economic impact will Super Bowl XLI have on South Florida businesses? If you have NFL officials they’ll suggest a Super Bowl game generally has a financial impact of $350 million on the local economy. If you ask an economist, they’ll make one issue clear regarding the economic impact – if you ask event organizers they’ll suggest money is falling from heaven.

More than 120,000 visitors are expected to head to South Florida this week and the NFL is sticking to their stance the game will generate more than $350 million to South Florida. True but mostly false. South Florida, the last week of January, first week of February – South Florida is pretty well filled with snowbirds and tourists fleeing northern communities for the warmth of South Florida. In simplistic terms – if South Florida can’t generate close to $350 million in tourist income during the same period each year regardless of whether or not the Super Bowl is in town, there are much bigger issues in South Florida. Most hotel rooms, restaurants and tourism related businesses will be full next year during the same dates when Super Bowl XLII will be held in Phoenix.

"If you move that $400 million estimate and you move the decimal point one place to the left you're much closer to what it is that it actually provides," said Robert Baade, an economics professor at Lake Forest College in Chicago who has looked at the financial impact of Super Bowls, Olympics and World Series in an Associated Press report

"A lot of people who might frequent, let's say, hotel areas where they know Super Bowl fans are going to be staying are going to avoid the chaos, the congestion, the peak utilization of sidewalks and roads," Baade said.

And those who don’t agree with economists like Baade and are working on behalf of various Super Bowl host or organizing committees offer this retort.

"I guarantee you that 99 percent of these economists have never been to a Super Bowl and never collected data on the ground," said Kathleen Davis, executive director of the Sport Management Research Institute, who was hired by the host committee to study Super Bowl XLI's economic impact. "They're not capturing the local spending habits and they focus on whatever factors will justify their arguments."

Thursday, PricewaterhouseCoopers released an economic study that indicated (PwC) estimates that Super Bowl XLI will generate approximately $195 million in direct spending for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. This excludes the so-called “multiplier effect,” which past studies have suggested can up to double the direct dollars by accounting for "indirect" impacts, such as a concession company's purchase of goods from local producers and manufacturers, and "induced" impacts which occur when the income levels of residents rise as a result of increased economic activity and a portion of the increased income is re-spent within the local economy.

The Super Bowl continues to act as a significant generator of economic activity for its host communities. Over the past 10 years, the game itself and a variety of additional special events and related activities (including approximately six months of pre-game planning) have generated $1.5 billion in local spending.

"The success of Miami and the entire South Florida region in realizing a greater level of economic impact from the Super Bowl reflects several factors including the attraction of South Florida as a destination, the diversity of venues available for hospitality and special events, and the higher cost of hotel rooms and other goods and services,” said Robert Canton, a director in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Advisory practice focused on sports, conventions, and tourism. "Although any destination will experience a significant increase in local economic activity associated with hosting a Super Bowl, tourist destinations like Miami, San Diego, Phoenix, and New Orleans provide a unique atmosphere that is conducive to a comparatively higher level of spending and extended lengths of stay."

While some analysts have suggested that a "let-down" following the event can have a negative impact on a region's hotel performance in the week following the game, research conducted by PwC in markets that have hosted the past six Super Bowls indicates this is not typical. According to Mr. Canton: "We evaluated hotel occupancy and rates in the five weeks surrounding the game and found that the two-week period following the Super Bowl performed equally well or better than the two-week period prior to the week of the game."

According to PwC, while tourist destinations such as Miami generate higher impacts than non-tourist destinations, others including Detroit last year also realize significant impacts from the Super Bowl and invest heavily to attract the game.

“While few events measure up to magnitude of the Super Bowl, Indianapolis has a great history of hosting major sporting events, including Final Fours and the annual Indianapolis 500, and with its new Lucas Oil Stadium, expanded Convention Center, and visitor-friendly downtown, it should have a real opportunity to compete for the Super Bowl event in 2011” explains Mr. Canton. “To successfully attract the Super Bowl, a destination must not only be capable of providing the venues, hotel rooms, transportation, and entertainment environment, but must also be willing to invest millions of dollars on items including public health and safety, hosting special events, recruiting and training volunteers, clean-up, and other items. Indianapolis has a history of strong commitment by its leaders to create and sustain a tourism environment based largely on major sporting events and conventions.”

The last three Super Bowls where held in Houston, Jacksonville and Detroit respectively. None are considered warm weather tourism destinations. Miami is the perfect Super Bowl city, but again a destination that is filled with tourists from early December until late April.

Jacksonville, host of Super Bowl XXXIX, organized more than 120 special events over a 10-day period culminating with their Super Bowl on February 6, 2005. NFL officials believed Jacksonville’s Super Bowl would generate over $300 million in economic impact for Florida’s First Coast region. But the rationale for Jacksonville organizers was simple – they believed hosting a Super Bowl would validate Jacksonville as a legitimate major league/mega event city.

The host committee raised more than $12 million in private funds and the city kicked in close to $3 million, as well, with $5 million in additional revenues that came back in sales tax and hotel surcharge revenue alone. Security expenses in Jacksonville topped $6 million, with those costs split between various local, county and state governments.

In 2000, Jacksonville voters approved a $2.2 billion growth management plan that helped change the face of downtown. Among the civic improvements made in the years leading up to Super Bowl XXIX: a 16,000-seat arena and minor league baseball park were built, along with a new three-mile river walking/biking/jogging trail, a library, courthouse, equestrian center, and major improvements at the zoo.

Jacksonville didn’t have enough hotel rooms within the immediate area to accommodate the 100,000 people who traveled to the city two years ago. The Jacksonville Super Bowl organizing committee charted six ocean liners and turned the rooms in the luxury liners into the additional hotel rooms they needed. The organizing committee leveraged the cruise ships by selling dinner and overnight packages on the cruise ships to local residents on Wednesday, the day before the ships were turned over to the NFL. The cost of dinner was $239 per person; overnight is $599 a couple.

Exploiting every possible money-making opportunity, the host committee sold sponsorships to stages at the downtown SuperFest, as well as naming rights to a transportation hub.

The host committee absorbed about $1.5-million to create a downtown entertainment district to make up for the scarcity of Jacksonville’s nightlife. The rationale was easy to understand – if you’re going to spend tens of millions of dollars in hosting a Super Bowl investing an additional $1.5 million in enhancing your cities night life makes perfect sense.

The 2002 Super Bowl played in New Orleans represented a serious of monumental challenges to the organizing committee and the National Football League. The first major global sports event that followed the terrible events of September 11, 2001 forced NFL officials to move the game forward one week ahead from its scheduled date. The NFL made the change after postponing their games the Sunday following Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

The NFL swapped dates with another major convention -- the National Automobile Dealers Association -- paying $7.5 million (plus an additional $500,000 to the auto dealers’ charity) to move the 30,000-person convention and its 16,000 hotel room commitments (a week ahead, the original Super Bowl dates). The league even paid $5,000 each to 11 parade clubs so they could celebrate Mardi Gras a week earlier. The league also paid to move a monster truck show and several minor league hockey games.

Zenophon Abraham of Sports Business Simulations, was in Houston for Super Bowl XXXVIII, said "The Super Bowl changes that. If the viewer comes to Houston, that's an economic impact in addition to the mention of the name in the media, but is caused by that action. It's safe to say that Houston will receive about $25 million in economic impact from this source – media exposure – alone because of the two-week Super Bowl period. Add that estimate to the base estimate of $240 million, and that's a $265 million economic impact. Media marketing is about 10 percent of that total."

Dr. Bruce Seaman of Georgia State University estimated the total impact of the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta to be $292 million, which is the combination of the direct and indirect impacts of the spending attributed to the event.
Seaman estimated that the average out-of-town visitor to Atlanta stayed for 3.7 days, arriving on Friday and leaving the Monday after the game.

According to Seaman, each visitor to Atlanta spent an average of $350 per day, or about $375 in 2003 dollars. In Atlanta, corporations spent approximately $11.2 million. The 2004 Houston Super Bowl Host Committee anticipated corporations spent approximately $10 million. Seaman estimated media expenditures of approximately $6.5 million in Atlanta.

If the numbers from Seaman's study are adjusted to reflect differences between Houston and Atlanta and inflation during that four year period, the direct economic impact of the 2004 Super Bowl would have been $156 million. This, combined with the indirect impacts (using Seaman's 1.08 multiplier) implies a total economic impact of $324 million.

This is only 3.5 percent less than the $336 million estimate offered by the 2004 HSHC. Therefore, the HSHC's position may not be terribly overstated.

The estimated impact of the 2004 Super Bowl sounds impressive and, for some, might justify the approximately $450 million public expenditure on Reliant Stadium. However, caution is in order.

The main determinants of the estimated impact of the Super Bowl in Seaman's calculation (aside from the multiplier's value) are the length of the average visit and the per diem of the average tourist. A small change in either can cause a large change in the estimated economic impact of the Super Bowl. And that goes back to the premise made at the start of this Insider Report – South Florida would be filled with tourists this week regardless of whether or not a football game was being played Sunday at Dolphins Stadium.

That isn’t stopping some hotels from taking advantage of the opportunity. According to ESPN.com swank South Beach, the Delano Hotel is getting $1,200 to $1,875 a night for rooms, and the Setai Hotel wants $950 to $9,000 a night for suites. Spokesmen say these are their usual popular prices but acknowledge hefty minimum-stay requirements -- five nights at the Delano and seven nights at the Setai. It's becoming as much a South Florida tradition as Uzis -- the Art Basel crowd also cried "price-gouging" -- and the NFL is not amused.

The league has sued three hotels, alleging they reneged on contracts to provide the league rooms at a certain rate to pursue higher-rate customers. "There are those who see a chance to do a year's worth of business in a weekend and would like to take a shot at stepping away [from their contract]," says Frank Supovitz, who as the NFL's senior vice president for events is the league's Super Bowl honcho.

To Supovitz, it isn't so much that business execs passed up Detroit altogether, but that they passed less time there. "They came, but not necessarily for four days," he says. "A number of corporate clients came in just for the day." (One day as opposed to four dramatically has a negative affect on the economic impact).

Robert Tuchman, whose TSE Sports & Entertainment has sold about 1,000 Super Bowl XLI packages, after only selling 350 packages for Detroit’s Super Bowl XL.

"The blue-chip companies that cut back after 9/11 are starting to do more again," he says. "There's also been a revival on Wall Street, which has driven a lot of our business."

Economists Robert Baade and Victor Matheson told The Miami Herald estimates of the Super Bowl's benefits are almost hopelessly overstated. The men studied Super Bowls from 1970-2001.

Their conclusion: ''Evidence from host cities from 1970-2001 indicates the Super Bowl contributes approximately one-quarter of what the boosters have promised.''

In Miami, it was even lower. Super Bowl XXXIII (or 33) produced one-tenth the anticipated economic gain, they found.

Of course, there are non-monetary benefits. For instance, the host committee notes that much of its projected economic impact comes from ''exposure that leads to increased tourism and business relocation.''

Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society in Boston, told the Associated Press he believes the estimates relating to the Super Bowl’s economic impact are probably somewhat inflated "because people are trying to justify why they want to bring that particular event to the city." However, Roby stills calls the event a "major economic catalyst" that could provide benefits for the community and charities.

Organizers want to say, "Not only did we put our full face out to the public to see, but we used some of the revenue from this event to benefit some of those things," Roby said.

Is it worthwhile to host a Super Bowl, that’s a rhetorical question. Of course it’s great to host a Super Bowl event but it’s important to appreciate when a Chamber of Commerce or a local Super Bowl Host Committee extols the financial benefits of hosting a Super Bowl. It’s essential to consider all of the financial variables in determining the true economic impact of events like the Super Bowl.

For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited and used in this Insider Report: ESPN.com, the Associated Press and The Miami Herald

New Survey Reveals Men’s Super Bowl Rituals

2007-01-29T00:34:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XLI is just around the corner and from coast to coast, men are in the final days of preparation and training – getting ready to take the field. But it’s not just the players who are preparing. According to a new Coors Light survey of more than 2,500 adult male football fans, preparing for Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most important priorities of the year. Survey results show that a large percentage (44 percent) of men put more time and energy into making Super Bowl plans than making Valentine’s Day plans. The survey also shows that more than 30 percent of survey respondents would rather see their favorite team win the Super Bowl than win a date with a supermodel, win a year’s supply of beer or win their fantasy football league for three years in a row.

The survey also revealed that the winner of the game isn’t the only thing on men’s minds – beer is also a top priority on Super Bowl Sunday. While roughly 35 percent of those surveyed said their male friends are the ideal Super Bowl companions, 24 percent said all they need is an ice cold beer, preferably at a temperature as cold as the Rocky Mountains (45 percent).

The creative ways football fans chill their beer prior to the big game include putting it in the snow outside, floating it in a stream and filling their washing machines or bathtubs with ice.

“Coors Light's sponsorship of the National Football League allows us to be part of adult fans’ football rituals from the Super Bowl to the NFL Draft to the season kickoff,” said Sara Mirelez, Coors Light brand director, Coors Brewing Company. “This survey shows that one of the most important parts of an adult fan's Super Bowl ritual is ice cold beer. With products like the Plastic Bottle Cooler Box, Coors Light makes it easy for guys to enjoy refreshing cold beer without missing a minute of the game."

In addition to revealing football fans’ feelings about the Super Bowl, the Coors Light survey also exposed respondents’ Super Bowl rituals such as playing a touch football game prior to the game, watching the commercials and voting on the best ads, wearing team colors and taking the next day off work.

Other findings from the survey include:

More than 83 percent of men cheer for the underdog if their team is not in the Super Bowl.
Football fans rarely get off the couch during the game and when they do it is only to use the restroom (67 percent), get something to eat (55 percent) or get an ice cold beer (35 percent).

If respondents must tear their eyes away from the television set, 65 percent would rather miss the commercials than the actual game.

William “The Refrigerator” Perry Sacks Las Vegas for Super Bowl

2007-01-29T00:32:00.000-05:00

On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, former Chicago Bear William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Carfax are bringing an all-out blitz on Las Vegas to raise funds for Opportunity Village. While the Bears are in Miami for Super Bowl XLI, Mr. Perry will be at the Las Vegas Convention Center with Carfax from 11:00am – 2pm. The event takes place in conjunction with the 90th Annual National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) Convention and Exposition.

“Opportunity Village contributes so much to this community and this is our way of giving something back to our gracious hosts – the city of Las Vegas,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “And with the Bears in the Super Bowl, having The Fridge join us definitely raises the level of anticipation for this event. We hope it’s a sure touchdown.”

Opportunity Village serves people with intellectual disabilities by providing them with vocational training, community employment and social recreation services that make their lives more productive and interesting. Since its inception in 1954, Opportunity Village has grown to become Nevada’s largest private, not-for-profit community rehabilitation program, serving more than 3,000 people annually.

William “The Refrigerator” Perry was a key member of the 1985 Chicago Bears team that won Super Bowl XX and also helped record the infamous “Super Bowl Shuffle”. Mr. Perry will be available for interviews immediately following the fundraising event. To schedule an interview, please contact Christopher Basso at (703) 934-2664.

Cingular Wireless Beefs Up Network for Super Bowl XLI

2007-01-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears aren't the only ones preparing for Super Bowl XLI. Cingular Wireless, now a part of the new AT&T, has spent the past six months planning for the big event.

"A huge event like the Super Bowl, where nearly 100,000 people converge onto an area the size of a few city blocks, requires monumental efforts," said Rich Guidotti, vice president and general manager for AT&T's South Florida wireless operations. "Our network team has gone above and beyond to ensure our customers have the best wireless experience possible under the circumstances."

Typically, most carriers only use a portion of their spectrum in geographical areas. But AT&T's wireless unit is using its entire South Florida 70 megahertz spectrum in Dolphin Stadium and the surrounding areas, where the company anticipates a spike in network traffic. The company's network team has set up two cell sites on wheels, or "COWs", in the stadium parking lot; added dozens of voice channels to its two cell sites located inside the stadium; and maximized its high-speed 3G (third generation) capacity in the area, making it possible to process thousands of calls and data sessions with peak data speeds above three megabits per second. Capacity also has been added at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel and along Ocean Drive in South Beach where some of the Super Bowl week activities will be held.

Additionally, AT&T's wireless unit will have network personnel on site for game day to monitor the network and manually balance traffic on the cell sites at the stadium in order to maximize the ability for customers to make calls.

"We saw a 30 percent increase in usage on our Jacksonville network last year during the week of Super Bowl XL, which resulted in about six million additional minutes of usage on the network," said Mark Austin, executive director of AT&T's South Florida wireless network. "We anticipate a similar experience here in Miami."

AT&T invested $165 million in its South Florida wireless network last year -- $400 million statewide -- upgrading and expanding service, which included the rollout of its high-speed 3G (third generation) network. The company's 3G network allows customers to download at average data speeds between 400-700 Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink, with bursts to more than a megabit per second.

Salesgenie.com buys into Super Bowl XLI

2007-01-27T00:31:00.000-05:00

infoUSA® a provider of sales leads and mailing lists, today announced a multi-million dollar advertising campaign launching its new Salesgenie.com service during television's biggest event of the year -- Super Bowl XLI, which will be broadcast on Sunday, February 4 on the CBS Television Network. The deal includes a 30 second spot to air during the first half of the game, as well as being the presenting sponsor of the pre-game broadcast: THE SUPER BOWL TODAY PRESENTED BY SALESGENIE.COM, which will air from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

The Salesgenie.com campaign marks the first time infoUSA has used the Super Bowl to advertise, and guarantees the new product -- a subscription service providing salespeople and small businesses unlimited access to sales leads, mailing lists and business credit reports -- exposure to more than 140 million viewers who watch the game each year.

"There is no bigger audience available to an advertiser today than the Super Bowl, and we're using this incredible platform to launch Salesgenie.com to a huge portion of the sales and small business community who will be watching the game," said Vin Gupta, infoUSA Chairman and CEO. "While we're employing a bold, creative strategy in buying time during the Super Bowl, we've got a simple and clear message that will resonate with every business owner, sales executive or entrepreneur. We're incredibly excited to be part of this national pastime, and we believe the exposure we'll get more than pays for itself."

The commercial was conceived and produced in-house, and can be seen online at www.salesgenie.com/tv. Visitors to the site can also take advantage of trial offers and discounted pricing for the Salesgenie.com service, as well as submit ideas for its next Super Bowl commercial, and the winning idea will receive a prize.

"I will read every Super Bowl idea," says Gupta.

Salesgenie.com is a subscription service providing salespeople and small businesses unlimited access to sales leads, mailing lists and business credit reports in order to find more customers and increase sales. Users can search infoUSA's 12 databases to build targeted prospecting lists, preview the names, download, create direct mail campaigns, and get driving directions and maps. In addition, they can use the built-in contact manager to store names, set reminders and manage the sales pipeline.

The must attend Playboy Super Bowl XLI party

2007-01-27T00:26:00.000-05:00

For the eighth consecutive year, Playboy will throw the most exclusive party in town during Miami's highly-anticipated Super Bowl weekend. "P.M.: Playboy Miami After Dark" will be held at the American Airlines Arena on Saturday, February 3, 2007. The annual Super Saturday Night event will be hosted by "The King of Crunk" Lil Jon and 30 Playboy Bedtime Bunnies, and promises to be the sexiest soiree in South Florida.

Celebrities, athletes and VIPs will be treated to a dream-filled evening as Beverly Bond and DJ Reach spin the tunes on a dance floor surrounded by cabanas. Partygoers' sexiest dreams will come to life with after dark surprises that include a seductive aerialist, a stargazing lounge, midnight munchies, a bedtime story area filled with pillow-fighting models, a stiletto seduction bar, and more.

Sponsors for Playboy's Super Saturday Night event include Miller Lite(R), the great tasting, less filling, original light beer; Cuervo Black(R), a new signature blend of Tequila perfect for mixing with cola or drinking on the rocks; and PlayStation(R)3, this year's hottest computer entertainment system from Sony Computer Entertainment America. Additional sponsors include Dodge, Vonage, and Greater Fort Lauderdale. Partygoers will have a chance to challenge Playboy Playmates to a selection of PlayStation3 games while enjoying Cuervo Black beverages and Miller Lite beers. VIP guests will arrive at the after dark event in vehicles provided by Dodge. All sponsors will be integrated into the event through creative and unique decor elements.

For the sixth consecutive year, the evening will feature a silent auction to raise money for charity. Two organizations will benefit from this year's auction, sponsored by TicketCity.com: Athletes Helping Kids, a charity that funds programs with a direct impact on the well-being of our country's youth and focuses on the importance of education and substance abuse awareness; and A Touch of Braille, Inc., an organization that promotes the role of communication skills, especially knowledge of Braille, in increasing the independence and the successful employment potential of people who are blind or visually impaired. Items for this year's auction include tickets to Hugh Hefner's Midsummer Night's Dream Party at the Playboy Mansion, a spectacular array of autographed sports memorabilia from various superstars, tickets to the 2007 Florida State v. Florida game, and much more.

Last year's Super Saturday Night silent auction raised more than $100,000 for Athlete's Helping Kids and the Kanye West Foundation. Celebrities and athletes such as Kanye West, Usher, Jaime Pressly, Adrian Grenier, Niki Taylor, Marcus Allen, Matt Leinart, Champ Bailey, and Julius Jones attended Playboy's aviation-themed bash, "Eight Mile High Club," in Detroit last February.

Coca-Cola back in the Super Bowl for the first time in a long time

2007-01-27T00:20:00.000-05:00

Big ads deserve big audiences. In an unprecedented move, the newest commercials for Coca-Cola are airing on two of television's most watched programs -- the broadcast of Super Bowl XLI on CBS and AMERICAN IDOL on FOX.

Two "Coke Side of Life" commercials, "Video Game" and "Happiness Factory," will join the ranks of television's most anticipated advertising broadcast as millions tune in to watch the telecast of Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, February 4 on CBS. "Video Game" first aired on the season premiere of AMERICAN IDOL on FOX and "Happiness Factory" makes its debut on tonight's episode of the popular show. Last week's season opener was the highest rated premiere in AMERICAN IDOL's six seasons.

A new Coca-Cola ad developed specifically for football's biggest game will also air during the broadcast.

"Both 'Video Game' and 'Happiness Factory' are larger-than-life ads, so we think it's only fitting that we share them with the massive viewing audiences that make the Super Bowl and AMERICAN IDOL television's ultimate appointment programming," said Sandy Douglas, president, Coca-Cola North America. "We also look forward to surprising viewers with a special new ad that will debut during the game."

"Video Game" offers a positive twist on traditional video game plots which often feature characters causing mayhem. In this ad, the hero spreads happiness and optimism by passing out Coca-Cola to people he encounters as he moves through the city streets. "Happiness Factory" provides a fanciful glimpse inside a Coca-Cola vending machine and follows a bottle of Coke on its surprising journey to the vendor's exit door. Both ads remind people that Coca-Cola is the world's most delicious and refreshing beverage.

"Coca-Cola belongs to consumers everywhere, and if we can make watching the world's favorite entertainment and sports broadcasts a little bit more fun with the world's favorite brand, then we will be there," said Katie Bayne, senior vice president, Coca-Cola brands, Coca-Cola North America.

Immediately after the broadcast of Super Bowl XLI on CBS, all Coca-Cola ads that aired during the game will be available for viewing on cbssportsline.com and on the homepage of mycokerewards.com.

Before their "small screen" launches on AMERICAN IDOL, both ads made their "big screen" debut in theaters across the U.S. "Happiness Factory" has also been posted online on peer-to-peer content sharing websites, generating impressive awareness in some unusual places. As an example, according to proprietary Coca-Cola research, the ad has an 11% awareness score among Belgian teens -- even though the ad has not aired in Belgium.

Both commercials will also be part of a fully integrated marketing program designed to extend their themes to the digital world. Special rewards based on imagery from each ad will be offered through My Coke Rewards, the popular online mega-rewards program. Some rewards will also connect mycokerewards.com with Mycoke.com, the online environment where Coca-Cola drinkers hang out, socialize, play games, and create their own virtual worlds in Coke Studios.

By constantly expanding the rewards pool and offering exclusive items tied to programs like AMERICAN IDOL, NCAA basketball, the Academy Awards and now new advertising, to date almost 3.5 million members have claimed more than 1.6 million rewards at mycokerewards.com.

She's back for a Pizza Hut Super Bowl spot

2007-01-27T00:07:00.000-05:00

America’s Favorite Pizza, announced the reuniting of two stars - Jessica Simpson and Cheesy Bites Pizza®. The innovative pizza sensation returns with 28 pullable, poppable cheese-filled bites that form the pull-apart crust of a large pizza. Jessica Simpson will reprise her role in a Pizza Hut pre-game commercial on Feb. 4 to celebrate the pizza’s comeback.

Cheesy Bites Pizza was first introduced in February 2006 and became an instant fan hit. During its limited promotion, Cheesy Bites Pizza produced record sales for the world's largest pizza restaurant, making it the most successful new product introduction in the company’s history.

Pizza Hut fans voiced their desire to bring Cheesy Bites Pizza back and the creative pizza will make its comeback this year. Cheesy Bites Pizza will once again be available for a limited time, just in time for football fans to share and enjoy during the big game.

“Cheesy Bites Pizza was such a huge hit last year with customers of all ages, so we wanted to give everyone another chance to enjoy the pullable, poppable fun,” said Bill Ogle, Pizza Hut chief marketing officer. "The big game is the perfect time to enjoy our innovative pizza with friends and family, and we’re excited to have Jessica Simpson help us bring the pizza back. Pizza Hut - America's Favorite Pizza - is dedicated to giving pizza fans more of what they want."

Big Game Blitz

Throughout the day on Sunday, February 4, Pizza Hut will air two new ads that feature the return of Cheesy Bites Pizza. In the first spot, people hear a popping sound signaling the beloved pizza is back and form a herd running through the streets in pursuit of the Cheesy Bites Pizza.

The companion spot features the herd passing Jessica Simpson on the red carpet at a movie premiere. The new spots, created by BBDO, will air pre-game giving customers the chance to call in their orders before the football action begins.

Additionally, viewers can look for a hidden code in both ads for a chance to win prizes, such as a new car, an entertainment package or pizza for a year. Once the code is spotted in the ad, viewers use their cell phones to text the code to “THEHUT” (843488) and they’ll be entered for a chance to win.

Cheesy Bites Pizza - Incredibly Irresistible

The Cheesy Bites Pizza is designed to give customers the experience of pulling and popping the irresistible cheese-filled bites into their mouths before digging into the pizza slices. The 28 cheesy bites are individually wrapped in dough and lightly seasoned with garlic butter flavor on the outside, then baked to a golden brown. The cheese bites are connected to surround the pizza and take the place of a traditional crust edge.

For a limited time, Cheesy Bites Pizza is available for $11.99 for a large one-topping pizza. Customers can order Cheesy Bites Pizza as of January 29 at participating Pizza Hut locations with advertising beginning on Sunday, February 4.

Snapple heading to the Super Bowl for the first time

2007-01-27T00:05:00.000-05:00

Snapple, maker of the Best Stuff on Earth, will showcase the metabolism-boosting powers of its Green Tea in a 30-second spot airing during the biggest game on Earth -- Super Bowl XLI. The ad is Snapple's first to air during the Super Bowl and celebrates its new super premium line of Red, White, Green and Black teas.

The commercial, created by Cliff Freeman & Partners, follows a tea-loving pilgrim on his quest for metabolic enlightenment, and highlights EGCG, the natural antioxidant in Snapple Green Tea which has been proven to help boost metabolism. It will air during the fourth quarter of the game.

"We're using this opportunity as a first-time Super Bowl advertiser to deliver the 'good for you' message in a humorous way," said Bryan Mazur, VP of Marketing for Snapple. "Consumers want teas with authentic taste, pure ingredients and real, functional benefits. Even our approach to advertising is real -- we didn't shoot our commercials on a back lot in Hollywood -- this Green Tea spot was shot on location in China, and we traveled to Thailand and Africa for our White and Red Tea spots."

Snapple is the leader in the ready-to-drink tea category, and is known for its extensive variety of delicious flavors. The new super premium line of Snapple teas brings together great taste and health benefits. Snapple Green Tea deliciously complements the Super Bowl smorgasbord by boosting metabolism. Snapple White Tea, the Lightest Tea on Earth, offers a delicate, refreshing flavor thanks to the baby tea leaves from which it is made. Snapple Red Tea, naturally caffeine-free and made from the Rooibos plant, contains protective antioxidants and Vitamin C, which contributes to a healthy immune system -- especially helpful in cold climes like Chicago and Indianapolis. Building on the success of these premium teas, the company plans to launch a new line of classic black teas in March.

"Snapple created the ready-to-drink iced tea category as it is known today," said Mazur. "Snapple super premium teas reflect current consumer desires for natural beverages with real quality and real benefits."

Snapple's super premium line of White, Green and Red Teas is available at major retailers, grocery and convenience stores nationwide in a 17.5 ounce bottle for a suggested retail price of $1.39. Green Tea flavors include regular and diet Original, Mango and Asian Pear; Red Tea flavors include Mixed Berry, Peach Pomegranate and Mandarin Tangerine; and White Tea is available in Green Apple, Nectarine and Raspberry flavors. To learn more about Snapple visit www.snapple.com.

Super Bowl in Miami May Draw Record $195 Million in Spending

2007-01-26T01:34:00.000-05:00

South Florida businesses can expect to see a record amount of spending by the National Football League (NFL), businesses, visitors, and the media on area lodging, transportation, food and beverage, entertainment, business services, and other hospitality activities according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). PwC estimates that Super Bowl XLI will generate approximately $195 million in direct spending for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. This excludes the so-called “multiplier effect,” which past studies have suggested can up to double the direct dollars by accounting for "indirect" impacts, such as a concession company's purchase of goods from local producers and manufacturers, and "induced" impacts which occur when the income levels of residents rise as a result of increased economic activity and a portion of the increased income is re-spent within the local economy.

The Super Bowl continues to act as a significant generator of economic activity for its host communities. Over the past 10 years, the game itself and a variety of additional special events and related activities (including approximately six months of pre-game planning) have generated $1.5 billion in local spending.

The following graphic illustrates the direct spending associated with the event, dating back to the 1998 Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego. Unlike Houston, Jacksonville and Detroit, which experienced declining direct spending due primarily to lower hotel room rates and/or limited room supply as well as a shorter overall length-of-stay per visitor, South Florida's appeal as a destination and established hotel market is expected to contribute to a rebound in direct spending.This year's event is estimated to generate a level of spending more consistent with prior Super Bowls in San Diego, Tampa, New Orleans, and the region's last game in 1999.

"The success of Miami and the entire South Florida region in realizing a greater level of economic impact from the Super Bowl reflects several factors including the attraction of South Florida as a destination, the diversity of venues available for hospitality and special events, and the higher cost of hotel rooms and other goods and services,” said Robert Canton, a director in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Advisory practice focused on sports, conventions, and tourism. "Although any destination will experience a significant increase in local economic activity associated with hosting a Super Bowl, tourist destinations like Miami, San Diego, Phoenix, and New Orleans provide a unique atmosphere that is conducive to a comparatively higher level of spending and extended lengths of stay."

While some analysts have suggested that a "let-down" following the event can have a negative impact on a region's hotel performance in the week following the game, research conducted by PwC in markets that have hosted the past six Super Bowls indicates this is not typical. According to Mr. Canton: "We evaluated hotel occupancy and rates in the five weeks surrounding the game and found that the two-week period following the Super Bowl performed equally well or better than the two-week period prior to the week of the game."

According to PwC, while tourist destinations such as Miami generate higher impacts than non-tourist destinations, others including Detroit last year also realize significant impacts from the Super Bowl and invest heavily to attract the game.

“While few events measure up to magnitude of the Super Bowl, Indianapolis has a great history of hosting major sporting events, including Final Fours and the annual Indianapolis 500, and with its new Lucas Oil Stadium, expanded Convention Center, and visitor-friendly downtown, it should have a real opportunity to compete for the Super Bowl event in 2011” explains Mr. Canton. “To successfully attract the Super Bowl, a destination must not only be capable of providing the venues, hotel rooms, transportation, and entertainment environment, but must also be willing to invest millions of dollars on items including public health and safety, hosting special events, recruiting and training volunteers, clean-up, and other items. Indianapolis has a history of strong commitment by its leaders to create and sustain a tourism environment based largely on major sporting events and conventions.”

If Indianapolis is successful in securing the event in 2011, an analysis of the potential economic impact of the Super Bowl indicates that the region would attract approximately 98,000 visitors and experience direct spending of approximately $131 million. Assuming the "multiplier effect" from past studies, this would result in a total economic impact to the region of up to approximately $262 million.