Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the Super Bowl is always played the week after the conference championship games.
One nasty streak has been bothering Minnesota Golden Gopher fans for some time: 20 losses in a row by the mens' basketball team to Illinois. There have been some vicious heartbreakers in that stretch, including a last-second, snatch-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory loss in 2002 that kept the Gophers from winning a share of the Big 10 title and clinching an NCAA berth. Ugh.
For perspective, the last time the Gophers beat Illinois...
--Bill Clinton was still our President, and Gore vs. Bush hadn't happened yet.
--The Twin Towers still stood.
--Y2K was a vicious myth and a huge IT consulting boost.
--"...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears was the #1 song on the pop chart.
--Tiger Woods only had one major tournament win, the 1997 Masters.
--the Denver Broncos had just beaten the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, a game which Viking fans could barely watch.
--Napster hadn't even been invented.
--Lance Armstrong hadn't yet won a Tour de France.
--"The Matrix," "American Beauty," "The Sixth Sense" and "Fight Club" hadn't yet been released. In the theaters.
Gophers, end this streak. Tonight. Please.
I'm out like Kevin Love from the NBA Rookies game.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Getting that First PR Job - Tips
Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where it's always golf season.
Lately I've been seeing a lot of blog posts and Twitter banter about how to land that first PR job. It's tougher than ever nowadays, thanks to the economy. But I think there are still plenty of opportunities out there, and that entry-level folks that position themselves the right way can land well and succeed.
Here are a few tips:
--Network. Meet as many people as you can, and when you meet a pro, get their business card. And then buy them coffee. You get jobs these days by knowing the right person in the right place at the right time, and I don't know anyone that wouldn't sit down with a curious student and answer their questions. The sick thing is that when I've gone to speak at local universities, I bring a tall stack of business cards...and only a handful of students grab one. Immediately those few stand out, and then the ones that actually call me or follow up somehow are the ones I remember.
--Work Hard. This goes without saying, of course. But the early years of your career are the ones in which you will probably work the hardest. You probably don't have a spouse/family yet. So dig in, propose strong value-add ideas, meet as many people as you can and learn something new every day.
--Bring something else to the table other than PR skills. Don't get me wrong - you won't get a job without being able to write, argue, speak, think, etc. But I think some of the best and most valued PR pros are not the ones with a straight PR education and background; they have degrees or work/extra-curricular experience in business, or political science, or journalism, or just about anything else. One of the best ways you can do that is to identify what you know and are passionate about and then look for a job where you can add that unique value to your organization immediately. Chances are you'll be that much happier as well if you're doing the kind of work you're really passionate about.
I could go on a long time, but these are the real keys to me. Reader thoughts/comments/tips are absolutely welcome...drop off a comment. And students, consider this an open invitation to contact me. Email, Twitter at @JasonSprenger, etc. I'd be more than happy to help.
I'm out like Herm Edwards.
Lately I've been seeing a lot of blog posts and Twitter banter about how to land that first PR job. It's tougher than ever nowadays, thanks to the economy. But I think there are still plenty of opportunities out there, and that entry-level folks that position themselves the right way can land well and succeed.
Here are a few tips:
--Network. Meet as many people as you can, and when you meet a pro, get their business card. And then buy them coffee. You get jobs these days by knowing the right person in the right place at the right time, and I don't know anyone that wouldn't sit down with a curious student and answer their questions. The sick thing is that when I've gone to speak at local universities, I bring a tall stack of business cards...and only a handful of students grab one. Immediately those few stand out, and then the ones that actually call me or follow up somehow are the ones I remember.
--Work Hard. This goes without saying, of course. But the early years of your career are the ones in which you will probably work the hardest. You probably don't have a spouse/family yet. So dig in, propose strong value-add ideas, meet as many people as you can and learn something new every day.
--Bring something else to the table other than PR skills. Don't get me wrong - you won't get a job without being able to write, argue, speak, think, etc. But I think some of the best and most valued PR pros are not the ones with a straight PR education and background; they have degrees or work/extra-curricular experience in business, or political science, or journalism, or just about anything else. One of the best ways you can do that is to identify what you know and are passionate about and then look for a job where you can add that unique value to your organization immediately. Chances are you'll be that much happier as well if you're doing the kind of work you're really passionate about.
I could go on a long time, but these are the real keys to me. Reader thoughts/comments/tips are absolutely welcome...drop off a comment. And students, consider this an open invitation to contact me. Email, Twitter at @JasonSprenger, etc. I'd be more than happy to help.
I'm out like Herm Edwards.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
How Not to Sell a Stadium to the Public
Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we never lose to an unranked opponent in a Grand Slam tournament.
Of all the angles used by pro sports teams to secure local funding for a new stadium, we here in the Twin Cities are hearing a new one: it's a huge economic stimulus/public works project. Yep, no lie.
You may be aware that the Minnesota Vikings are in a desperate stadium situation. Their lease in the Metrodome ends in a few short years, and they're the NFL team worth the least amount of money - due in large part to their lack of revenue opportunities in their current digs. Current ownership, of course, would love to see that change, and of course, they're not going to shell out all of the money it would take to rectify the situation. So public assistance is needed.
For a few years now, the Vikings and owner Zygi Wilf have attempted to push a stadium bill through the Minnesota Legislature. Unfortunately for them, the state has had other priorities, and now with a $5.2 billion budget deficit, the state is hardly in a financial place where it can contribute a half a billion dollars of public/tax money to such an effort. This is not pleasing to current ownership.
Enter the Vikings' PR/community relations folks. Of course, these are tough economic times. So the Vikings are trying to sell a stadium bill with the angle that it's going to create thousands of local jobs and stimulate the economy, helping our area weather the storm and emerge stronger.
To be honest, this isn't a completely stupid idea...it's timely, and it's somewhat true. But the first time I heard this, I shook my head in disappointment. They've stepped up to the plate with the tried-and-true sales angles several times already, in better economic times, and struck out every time. So this strikes me as a desperate, reaching, last-ditch effort to sell the stadium.
But what really bugs me - personally and professionally - is that this angle is built upon the concept of the terrible economy. It's going to be awful hard for the Vikings to win public support and several hundred million dollars to finance the project when they base their sales pitch on a beast that has caused such negative images and experiences among their fan base and the taxpayers they expect to finance it. By bringing up all that negative, it makes your job to persuade and achieve a positive so much more difficult. Plus, they're walking a very fine line between asking for public money and giving the impression that their financial woes are more important than those of their fans and the taxpayers, at a time when millions of Minnesotans have it much tougher right now than the few folks asking for the assistance. You better believe that the second they encounter resistance to this plan, they'll start complaining/whining about how desperate their situation is and threatening to move the team if they don't get their way. Doing that, I think, would make an awful lot of people very angry, and could quite possibly shut the door altogether on the Vikings and their stadium wishes in Minnesota.
Don't get me wrong - I don't want to see the Vikings leave Minnesota. But I don't believe in these dire straits that the People of Minnesota should have to cough up almost $1 billion scarce and hard-earned tax dollars so a New Jersey-based real estate mogul and his fellow suits can profit from a new stadium and the other commercial developments that would go around it. And I don't see this angle faring any better in the court of public opinion and the Legislature than the tried-and-true methods that landed the Twins a new ballpark, the Gopher football team a new stadium and any other pro team around the nation their new arenas. Instead, I think this angle could very well backfire on the Vikings and seal their fate in this marketplace.
I'm out like Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic.
Of all the angles used by pro sports teams to secure local funding for a new stadium, we here in the Twin Cities are hearing a new one: it's a huge economic stimulus/public works project. Yep, no lie.
You may be aware that the Minnesota Vikings are in a desperate stadium situation. Their lease in the Metrodome ends in a few short years, and they're the NFL team worth the least amount of money - due in large part to their lack of revenue opportunities in their current digs. Current ownership, of course, would love to see that change, and of course, they're not going to shell out all of the money it would take to rectify the situation. So public assistance is needed.
For a few years now, the Vikings and owner Zygi Wilf have attempted to push a stadium bill through the Minnesota Legislature. Unfortunately for them, the state has had other priorities, and now with a $5.2 billion budget deficit, the state is hardly in a financial place where it can contribute a half a billion dollars of public/tax money to such an effort. This is not pleasing to current ownership.
Enter the Vikings' PR/community relations folks. Of course, these are tough economic times. So the Vikings are trying to sell a stadium bill with the angle that it's going to create thousands of local jobs and stimulate the economy, helping our area weather the storm and emerge stronger.
To be honest, this isn't a completely stupid idea...it's timely, and it's somewhat true. But the first time I heard this, I shook my head in disappointment. They've stepped up to the plate with the tried-and-true sales angles several times already, in better economic times, and struck out every time. So this strikes me as a desperate, reaching, last-ditch effort to sell the stadium.
But what really bugs me - personally and professionally - is that this angle is built upon the concept of the terrible economy. It's going to be awful hard for the Vikings to win public support and several hundred million dollars to finance the project when they base their sales pitch on a beast that has caused such negative images and experiences among their fan base and the taxpayers they expect to finance it. By bringing up all that negative, it makes your job to persuade and achieve a positive so much more difficult. Plus, they're walking a very fine line between asking for public money and giving the impression that their financial woes are more important than those of their fans and the taxpayers, at a time when millions of Minnesotans have it much tougher right now than the few folks asking for the assistance. You better believe that the second they encounter resistance to this plan, they'll start complaining/whining about how desperate their situation is and threatening to move the team if they don't get their way. Doing that, I think, would make an awful lot of people very angry, and could quite possibly shut the door altogether on the Vikings and their stadium wishes in Minnesota.
Don't get me wrong - I don't want to see the Vikings leave Minnesota. But I don't believe in these dire straits that the People of Minnesota should have to cough up almost $1 billion scarce and hard-earned tax dollars so a New Jersey-based real estate mogul and his fellow suits can profit from a new stadium and the other commercial developments that would go around it. And I don't see this angle faring any better in the court of public opinion and the Legislature than the tried-and-true methods that landed the Twins a new ballpark, the Gopher football team a new stadium and any other pro team around the nation their new arenas. Instead, I think this angle could very well backfire on the Vikings and seal their fate in this marketplace.
I'm out like Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Paul Blart: #1
Welcome back to the Sports Ace, where we always make the right predictions (hahahaha...sure). You read it here first: Cards vs Steelers. Woot.
As Ted C Williams so brilliantly noted in his comment to an earlier post, Paul Blart: Mall Cop zoomed to the #1 box office spot this weekend. Could it be that Kevin James' intense Twin Cities swing last week played a major role in spurring the movie to the top? Whether yes or no, here's wondering who the next big name to land in Minneapolis will be. You can't mess with success.
I'm out like the Eagles, Ravens and that referee who ruled that kickoff out of bounds in the Cardinals game (and consequently the rule making that a non-reviewable call). Whew.
As Ted C Williams so brilliantly noted in his comment to an earlier post, Paul Blart: Mall Cop zoomed to the #1 box office spot this weekend. Could it be that Kevin James' intense Twin Cities swing last week played a major role in spurring the movie to the top? Whether yes or no, here's wondering who the next big name to land in Minneapolis will be. You can't mess with success.
I'm out like the Eagles, Ravens and that referee who ruled that kickoff out of bounds in the Cardinals game (and consequently the rule making that a non-reviewable call). Whew.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Conference Championship Games
Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we play a full 60 minutes every time out and advance no matter what seed we are.
A few angles on today's NFL Championship Sunday that I haven't heard much about this week:
--This has got to be the first time ever that both #6 seeds have advanced to their respective title games. Both Philadelphia and Baltimore deserve huge kudos for that, and they follow in line with the Steelers of a couple of years ago who won it all from the #6 seed. Could you imagine if both win today? Take your seed and throw it out the window, baby. But seriously, there's a reason that more #6 seeds don't go to the Big One: it's one tough road to the top, and I would argue that both Philly and Baltimore have their toughest games yet today.
--Kurt Warner might seriously be a Hall of Famer. He's won his ring(s). He's put up the numbers. He's got the story to go with it all. And this season, he's taken a team that he wasn't at the helm of in September to a place it's never been before. I said before the playoffs that if he takes them to the Promised Land, I think he's a lock. Let's see if he can get it done.
My Picks:
Arizona 35, Philadelphia 24
Yes, I'm siding with the home team. The Cards are red hot, and they're led by the afore-mentioned Kurt Warner and one of the greatest WR teams since the 1998 Vikings. At home, for the right to go someplace the franchise has never been, why not? Story to follow...Donovan McNabb, ostracized by Philly fans, packs up and moves to Minnesota to QB the Vikings. It could happen.
Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 9
If you're a fan of smash-mouth football, this is your Super Bowl. These teams feature the top two defenses in the NFL, competent offenses, underdog coaches and rabid fans. And - if you forgot - they're archrivals. This one's got the potential to be one of the all-time classics, and it very well could come down to the final seconds.
I'm out like Leslie Frazier from every head coaching competition he's ever been in.
A few angles on today's NFL Championship Sunday that I haven't heard much about this week:
--This has got to be the first time ever that both #6 seeds have advanced to their respective title games. Both Philadelphia and Baltimore deserve huge kudos for that, and they follow in line with the Steelers of a couple of years ago who won it all from the #6 seed. Could you imagine if both win today? Take your seed and throw it out the window, baby. But seriously, there's a reason that more #6 seeds don't go to the Big One: it's one tough road to the top, and I would argue that both Philly and Baltimore have their toughest games yet today.
--Kurt Warner might seriously be a Hall of Famer. He's won his ring(s). He's put up the numbers. He's got the story to go with it all. And this season, he's taken a team that he wasn't at the helm of in September to a place it's never been before. I said before the playoffs that if he takes them to the Promised Land, I think he's a lock. Let's see if he can get it done.
My Picks:
Arizona 35, Philadelphia 24
Yes, I'm siding with the home team. The Cards are red hot, and they're led by the afore-mentioned Kurt Warner and one of the greatest WR teams since the 1998 Vikings. At home, for the right to go someplace the franchise has never been, why not? Story to follow...Donovan McNabb, ostracized by Philly fans, packs up and moves to Minnesota to QB the Vikings. It could happen.
Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 9
If you're a fan of smash-mouth football, this is your Super Bowl. These teams feature the top two defenses in the NFL, competent offenses, underdog coaches and rabid fans. And - if you forgot - they're archrivals. This one's got the potential to be one of the all-time classics, and it very well could come down to the final seconds.
I'm out like Leslie Frazier from every head coaching competition he's ever been in.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Twin Cities: Where Movie Stars Go to Promote
Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always get four "Yes!" ratings from the judges on American Idol.
You may have heard about the new Kevin James movie, where he plays a mall cop. I heard about it, straight from James himself, many times...on my favorite sports talk radio station, on other area radio stations, in the local papers, on local television - even on Fox Sports Net North during halftime of the latest Timberwolves game.
It's been well documented that Hollywood is trying new marketing strategies to sell movie tickets - and meeting moviegoers is one of those concepts. What's surprising to me is how high the Twin Cities area seems to rate on the list of places for stars to spend prime movie promoting time. This area is well known as the place that produced the Coen brothers and the place where Diablo Cody wrote Juno, among other highlights. But in the last month (give or take a few days), two leading men have come to town and done touring junkets hyping their movies within a week of their release. James spent the better part of two days here, and Will Smith toured the Twin Cities in one whirlwind day just before the release of Seven Pounds.
I think it's great that our area is at least a little bit relevant in some Hollywood circles and boardrooms. But these visits have caused me to wonder quite a bit. How does a movie's marketing team decide where to spend its time in advance of its release? And why have they chosen to visit us here in so-called flyover land? Here are some possible ideas I've come up with...bear in mind that I really don't know if these are true or not.
--Are we a relatively tech-savvy population, and we can Twitter and blog our thoughts around the nation?
--Do we house more people in the target demographics for the movies than other cities around the nation?
--Do we have more disposable income here than in other markets around the country?
--Are they coming simply because they've spent very little time and money here over the years, and they see an untapped marketplace?
Hmmm. I'd love to hear your thoughts/comments.
I'm out like the Timberwolves' winning streak.
You may have heard about the new Kevin James movie, where he plays a mall cop. I heard about it, straight from James himself, many times...on my favorite sports talk radio station, on other area radio stations, in the local papers, on local television - even on Fox Sports Net North during halftime of the latest Timberwolves game.
It's been well documented that Hollywood is trying new marketing strategies to sell movie tickets - and meeting moviegoers is one of those concepts. What's surprising to me is how high the Twin Cities area seems to rate on the list of places for stars to spend prime movie promoting time. This area is well known as the place that produced the Coen brothers and the place where Diablo Cody wrote Juno, among other highlights. But in the last month (give or take a few days), two leading men have come to town and done touring junkets hyping their movies within a week of their release. James spent the better part of two days here, and Will Smith toured the Twin Cities in one whirlwind day just before the release of Seven Pounds.
I think it's great that our area is at least a little bit relevant in some Hollywood circles and boardrooms. But these visits have caused me to wonder quite a bit. How does a movie's marketing team decide where to spend its time in advance of its release? And why have they chosen to visit us here in so-called flyover land? Here are some possible ideas I've come up with...bear in mind that I really don't know if these are true or not.
--Are we a relatively tech-savvy population, and we can Twitter and blog our thoughts around the nation?
--Do we house more people in the target demographics for the movies than other cities around the nation?
--Do we have more disposable income here than in other markets around the country?
--Are they coming simply because they've spent very little time and money here over the years, and they see an untapped marketplace?
Hmmm. I'd love to hear your thoughts/comments.
I'm out like the Timberwolves' winning streak.
Online Newsrooms
I'm thinking through a potential online newsroom for my company, so I Google searched for some tips on Do's and Don'ts. Here's the most comprehensive site I found on the topic: http://www.tekgroup.com/marketing/tekmedia_tips2005/.
And if anyone manages or knows of great online newsrooms, I'd love to take a look. Drop me a comment with your URL.
Enjoy!
And if anyone manages or knows of great online newsrooms, I'd love to take a look. Drop me a comment with your URL.
Enjoy!
Monday, January 12, 2009
We Got Jacked
Welcome back to The Sports Ace (sarcastic comments typically kick off these posts. Look for them in the future)...
Welcome to the New and Improved "The Sports Ace." For those who may have found your way here via Twitter or something else, I'm glad you stopped by. Come on back soon.
The Twin Cities radio community got Jacked this afternoon...as in Jack 104.1-FM. For the past few days, we've heard teasers on the station that "the end is coming on Monday at 5 p.m...get ready for our happy ending." The frequency has had a history of format changes and turmoil in the never-ending search for advertising dollars, and the smart money today was on a similar change.
So, like any good radio channel flipper, I tuned in around 4:57 p.m., just in time to catch some of "The Last Song." The perfect send-off, I thought. And then, at 5 p.m., the big voice came on. The verbiage (probably not exactly word for word, but it's close):
"And now, it's time for our happy ending. This is the end..."
a 10-second pause (very Sopranos finale-like)
"...of commercials during your drive home! Beginning today, we're offering one hour commercial-free during your drive home. What...did you think we were changing format or something?"
The local media are in a tizzy, because they also anticipated - and devoted ink to - a format change. I belly laughed for a minute and loved every second of "Viva la Vida," the smash hit from my favorite band, as the station's first song as a...commercial-free one-hour drive-time provider.
This is just the latest example of one of the common denominators of PR, in my estimation. Among the best tools in a PR person's arsenal can be a well-coordinated stunt, and a well-coordinated reveal ranks up there on the stunt list. Already the blogosphere is atwitter (pun intended) over this, and I can't wait to read more in the morning. The buzz the station created for an otherwise relatively minor programming change...wow. I dare you to calculate the ROI on that.
I'm out like both #1 seeds in the NFL playoffs.
Welcome to the New and Improved "The Sports Ace." For those who may have found your way here via Twitter or something else, I'm glad you stopped by. Come on back soon.
The Twin Cities radio community got Jacked this afternoon...as in Jack 104.1-FM. For the past few days, we've heard teasers on the station that "the end is coming on Monday at 5 p.m...get ready for our happy ending." The frequency has had a history of format changes and turmoil in the never-ending search for advertising dollars, and the smart money today was on a similar change.
So, like any good radio channel flipper, I tuned in around 4:57 p.m., just in time to catch some of "The Last Song." The perfect send-off, I thought. And then, at 5 p.m., the big voice came on. The verbiage (probably not exactly word for word, but it's close):
"And now, it's time for our happy ending. This is the end..."
a 10-second pause (very Sopranos finale-like)
"...of commercials during your drive home! Beginning today, we're offering one hour commercial-free during your drive home. What...did you think we were changing format or something?"
The local media are in a tizzy, because they also anticipated - and devoted ink to - a format change. I belly laughed for a minute and loved every second of "Viva la Vida," the smash hit from my favorite band, as the station's first song as a...commercial-free one-hour drive-time provider.
This is just the latest example of one of the common denominators of PR, in my estimation. Among the best tools in a PR person's arsenal can be a well-coordinated stunt, and a well-coordinated reveal ranks up there on the stunt list. Already the blogosphere is atwitter (pun intended) over this, and I can't wait to read more in the morning. The buzz the station created for an otherwise relatively minor programming change...wow. I dare you to calculate the ROI on that.
I'm out like both #1 seeds in the NFL playoffs.
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