The Nets unveil the final ‘New Jersey Nets’ logo

The New Jersey Nets won't have new jerseys for their final season in New Jersey, but they will have a new logo to go on their old jerseys, one that celebrates the 35 years the team spent in New Jersey following time in New York, before they develop new jerseys for their move next year to New York.

With more accuracy and fewer annoying plays on words, the New York Times (via Pro Basketball Talk) sums up the addition:

The Nets will unveil a special logo as early as Wednesday to coincide with the announcement of the 2011-2012 season schedule. The logo is actually pretty snappy. In the center is a tri-color basketball with the Nets name written in 1970's era script, an homage to the team's A.B.A. past. The number 35 in the middle. Below are the years 1977 and 2012, bookends to the team's often-withered years in the Garden State. A tiny outline of the state is at the bottom in white.

It's an open question is whether true blue Nets fans in New Jersey will want to shell out $20, $30 or more for merchandise produced by a team that is leaving town in the spring. The Nets, however, feel that it is the right thing to do.

"It will be our farewell moniker," said Fred Mangione, the team's chief marketing officer. "As we go out, we want to go out the right way."

"Jersey strong, Brooklyn ready," though? That would be tough to take, even if New Jersey fans haven't exactly made the Nets part of their stately pride, so to speak, as the team has moved from East Rutherford to Newark.

Any move to recognize New Jersey, though, is a good one. The Nets upset some a few years ago when it moved to take the words "New Jersey" off of their uniform before prepping for the move to Brooklyn, and it's the least they can do in another quasi-rebuilding season (a shortened one, at that) to throw Newark a wave.

And anything that involves something remotely hinting at an ABA existence (the Nets won the 1974 and 1976 ABA championships as the New York Nets) is a major plus, in our eyes. Sound addition, Netsies.

Which Brands Won While the NBA Lockout Darkened Their Biggest Stage?

Kevin Durant, Grant Hill and Even NBA 2K12 Game Did Alright -- or Better


For hundreds of professional basketball players and the dozens of brands that market around them, the NBA lockout kept them off the hardwood and the airwaves too.


But some players and marketers delivered branding success stories amid all the lost revenue, missed paychecks and endorsement deals on hold.

More than just immediate income, their efforts helped them maintain brand position while their biggest stage was dark. If players and owners ratify the tentative deal that came over the long Thanksgiving weekend, these are the brands that will start the new season on Christmas Day with the strongest possible position.


Kevin Durant

Between stealing the show at virtually every charity game, working out with LeBron James in promotional videos, and randomly showing up at a Twitter follower's flag-football game, Kevin Durant's YouTube viewership this off-season looked a lot more like NBA Finals ratings.

The young superstar seems to be everywhere lately. He toured China. His limited edition Nike kicks were launched with a popular Back to the Future-themed campaign. Oh, and he shot a movie called "Switch" in the time that was freed up by the lockout.

Throughout he maintained his image as a humble yet hip dude who's just obsessed with hooping, solidifying his role as the league's most likable superstar.


 
Take-Two Interactive


It would be impossible for Take-Two's NBA video game brand to top the success of last year's NBA 2K11, which totally reinvented basketball game-play, nabbed Michael Jordan as a sponsor, sold a record 5.5 million copies, and won a "best sports game of this generation" mention from IGN Editor-in-Chief Hilary Goldstein.

But this year's follow-up NBA 2K12 came close -- no small feat with players locked out of real play and the sport off the air. It features legendary teams of the past, with historically accurate commentary, uniforms and graphics that make for a unique, immersive experience. It's unclear whether the historical-teams maneuver was made in anticipation of the lockout (Take-Two declined to comment), but it sure looked like a savvy move with the benefit of hindsight. The game offers plenty to keep both casual and diehard fans busy, and critics adore it. After a strong opening that topped 2K11's, sales have slowed just a bit. Some predicted the franchise would lose millions due to the work stoppage, but Take-Two positioned its series to endure as well as conceivably possible.

Grant Hill


The aging Phoenix Suns swing-man is angling to become the next post-career Magic Johnson, the brand of a disciplined businessman with a deep portfolio of properties to ensure a dynamic life after his playing days.

Hill Ventures, the company he founded shortly after entering the league, took up more of his time while he was off the court, expanding its real-estate holdings, philanthropic activity and Grant Hill Collection of African-American Art. Mr. Hill has also pursued the lifestyle space, appearing on the cover of family cooking magazine Chop Chop earlier this year to talk up healthy eating and offering more health tips on his website.

He was recently elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame's board of governors. Put it together, and you've got an aging All-Star turned NBA elder statesman well positioned for life after basketball.


Bill Simmons

The nation's most famous basketball writer did okay without basketball. Mr. Simmons' experiment in literary sports writing, Grantland.com, kicked off during the 2011 NBA Finals and has experienced continued modest growth ever since. How? Some lockout coverage, yes, a few player interviews, sure; but most of all, Grantland has diversified. The site is only loosely basketball-centered, meaning it can lean on the sport without missing a beat during the lockout, focusing instead on football, TV, or internet memes.

"We had to improvise," Mr. Simmons wrote Wednesday, recalling the NBA lockout, the NFL lockout and other headwinds at launch. The site went big on Father's Day, ran a couple of oral histories and played up soccer and tennis, he said. "Repeat: We had to play up soccer and tennis."

Grantland also benefits from a lack of competitors. Mr. Simmons recognized that traditional sports coverage wasn't hitting the spot for many smart, critical sports fans. The site has established a recognizable brand in under half a year, largely by being thoughtful in a business often reduced to the lowest common denominator of highlight reels and cliches. It's no surprise familiar authors such as Dave Eggers, Malcolm Gladwell and Chuck Klosterman have jumped on board.

Baron Davis


The star point guard, banished to the post-LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers, took on a daunting challenge during his time away from the court: teaching men how to dress.

The 32-year old, who's lost a step from his younger days and has only so many years left when he can command his $14 million salary, is in pre-production for a movie he's spearheading called "American Schlub." It earned him front-page love from no less than The Wall Street Journal, and left some wondering if he's angling for a gig in the fashion industry when his playing days are over.

"We used to be fashion forward," Mr. Davis told The Wall Street Journal. "[Now] we're more of a sweats and Ugg boots type of society. We wanted to challenge men, from that perspective."

Networks Working to Poach NBA Advertisers

Adidas Moves Commercials for Derrick Rose Shoe to NFL Games


 
 

With the basketball lockout dragging into Thanksgiving and even a partial season increasingly in doubt, networks that don't carry the NBA are trying to poach advertisers from networks that normally do.


Their sales pitches are focusing on sports programming and other entertainment options that cater to young men, according to interviews with multiple industry insiders, as well as integrated digital and social-media marketing opportunities that networks are painting as very much on the rise.

"I have three young male brands that can be a great alternative to the NBA," said Jeff Lucas, head of sales for Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment Group, confirming that his sales team is pitching NBA advertisers. "Business has to go on. Advertisers have to sell product. They can't just sit on the sidelines and wait."

Viacom has already "seen some ad dollars flow our way," Mr. Lucas said, though he wouldn't name specific marketers making the jump.

"Every sales team on the street has an NBA alternative plan they're pitching to advertisers," said Jeff Siegel, senior VP for global media sales at digital technology company Rovi and a former sales executive at ESPN. "I think people were holding on to money in the hope that the season would be saved. But people are more pessimistic now, and you'll start hearing more about money shifting because people have to make plans."

The lowest-hanging fruit for would-be poachers: brands that specifically need sports ratings points to market new product launches. Adidas, for example, had been slated to air an ad during NBA games of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose evading bull fighters for the launch of its new adiZero Rose 2 shoe. But with the NBA off the air, Adidas moved that money to pro football broadcasts, according to people familiar with the shift.

Whether the poaching efforts resonate with marketers, however, remains to be seen. ESPN, which said it's working closely with advertisers and is "prepared to re-express dollars currently committed to the NBA to other properties," is protected by a deep menu of sports programming options. Turner, whose TNT network airs NBA games, said it's moving ad dollars to platforms like TBS and Adult Swim, and will be bolstered by its share of NCAA men's college basketball tournament games in March.

But missing the start of an NBA season is one thing. NBA advertising dollars are heavily backloaded toward the second half of the season and the playoffs, so if the lockout stretches past into next year, holding on to that money will become a taller order.

"To date [ESPN and Turner] have been fairly successful in maintaining some of the spend level they would have had in NBA programming," said Bryce Townsend, CEO of Group M ESP, Group M's entertainment and sports marketing arm. "For both ESPN and Turner, as we get later into this year and into next year, it definitely becomes more challenging. You have brands that will exercise options to pull back their commitments."

Among the most likely successful poachers could be CBS, Fox and its portfolio of sports programming, NBC and its soon-to-be relaunched sports network, and Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment Group, which includes Spike TV, Comedy Central and MTV2.

By no means are the bottom lines of either network in peril yet, and there's no indication of an impending mass exodus of NBA advertisers. But the sales pitches are sure to continue and intensify as time goes on.

"They know there are ad dollars in play," said a top sports marketing executive who used to work with the NBA. "Right now, it's a buyers' market. The other networks have to be creative in how they're trying to provide opportunities to swing advertisers in their direction. Keep in mind that a lot of this is about trying to reach a male demographic, and there's a significant amount of content that's no longer available.

"It makes the scatter marketplace more robust, because you've got a billion dollars of inventory now floating around," this executive added. The "scatter" market is where marketers buy ad time close to air date, as opposed to the annual "upfront" market where they make commitments ahead of time.

Christmas Day, when the NBA usually airs a full slate of big matchups on national TV, could become a turning point for advertisers and networks if it passes with no basketball, according to Mr. Townsend. "That would be a big loss," he said.

NBA Lockout Will Cost Networks BillionsPro hoops debacle could be a disaster for ESPN, TNT

By Anthony Crupi

Minutes after the NBA officially announced the July 1 lockout, Sacramento Kings forward/center DeMarcus Cousins offered what was perhaps the most cogent, and funny, take on the players’ financial prospects. In a tweet posted Thursday at around 7:30 p.m. EDT, the big man asked, “Is Walmart hiring?”


Cousins has $3.37 million in salary at stake, so it’s understandable that he’s a bit antsy about his personal finances. Should the NBA season be scuttled altogether, however, billions of dollars would be washed away, and no one will take a bigger hit than the league’s network of TV partners.

ESPN/ABC Sports and TNT stand to lose as much as $1.25 billion in ad sales revenue if the labor dispute negates the entire 2011-12 NBA campaign. Indeed, the NBA audience has become so valuable that the postseason inventory alone accounts for nearly a fifth of the full-season take.

According to Kantar Media, ESPN/ABC and TNT took in $417.7 million in total ad sales revenue over the course of the 2010 NBA playoffs and finals. The going rate for a 30-second spot in the Celtics-Lakers series: $402,000 a pop.

If the networks stand to lose a fortune in ad dollars, the league itself risks billions in media rights, ticket sales, and merchandising. ESPN/ABC pays $485 million per year for the rights to air NBA games while TNT forks over $445 million.

Adding up to a cool $930 million per season, both TV contracts expire in 2016.

With ad sales brokered by Turner Sports, the league-owned NBA TV platform takes in approximately $50 million in sponsor dollars. Also at risk are the regional sports networks that carry NBA action, including the Fox Sports Nets and New York powerhouses YES Network (home to the New Jersey Nets) and MSG (Knicks).

League sponsors will need to scramble to make up for the diminished brand exposure. Last year, the Spanish financial giant BBVA Group signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the league, making it the official bank of the NBA. Bacardi, State Farm, and American Express are also marquee NBA sponsors.

As is the case with the NFL, the pro hoops dustup is largely about money. In April, NBA commissioner David Stern claims the league was on track to lose $300 million this season; as such, the owners want to reapportion the split of revenue between the franchises and players.

“The expiring collective bargaining agreement created a broken system that produced huge financial losses for our teams,” said NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver. “We need a sustainable business model that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship, fairly compensates our players, and provides teams, if well-managed, with an opportunity to be profitable.”

The NBA has locked out players before, most recently during the 1998-99 season. That dispute cleaved the schedule to 50 games and soured millions of fans. It took three years before TV ratings returned to prelockout levels.

NBA Exec's Passion Beyond Playoffs

Portland Trail Blazer's GM Richard Cho on traveling the world for the best cuisine.

Posted by Matt "The Mayor" Verden

PETA Gets Even Nakeder With Bonnie-Jill Laflin

PETA has featured Bonnie-Jill Laflin—a former cheerleader and currently the NBA's only female scout.

NBA Lockout Would Put $1B in TV Ad Revenue at Stake

Also in Danger: Chunk of $2.7B Licensed Products Market...

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Halfway through the 2010-11 National Basketball Association season, it's already been one of the finest in league history by almost every metric -- and that's just one more reason why a potential lockout and protracted labor negotiation between the owners and the players will threaten far more than simply the bottom line of a financial statement.

Although the National Football League's potential labor dispute is more top of mind -- its collective bargaining agreement with players ends in six weeks -- the NBA is dealing with its own issues. While its current agreement with the players doesn't expire until June 30, both sides are trying to avoid a situation that some sports-marketing experts have termed "more dire" than the NFL labor conflict.

At stake? About $1 billion in TV ad revenue for Walt Disney Co.'s ABC/ESPN and Turner Broadcasting's TNT, the main rights holders for NBA games; sponsors and advertisers that are facing the possibility of a second potential sports-programming platform disappearing; a global stage that Nike (and, to a lesser extent, Reebok) uses to hawk shoes; a huge chunk of the $2.7 billion licensed products market, most of which Adidas makes and sells; and brand equity at a pivotal time for the league, both domestically and internationally.


And don't think it isn't real. Phoenix Suns player Jared Dudley recently tweeted: "If you are in the NBA: I need all NBA players to save there [sic] money. Be prepared to live without a check for at least a year. This is serious."

The NBA is as hot as it's been in years. The buzz began three months before the season even tipped off, when LeBron James announced on live TV last July during "The Decision" that he would be leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. The league reportedly had a record 50,000 new season-ticket requests. The buzz has continued through the first half of the season with the potential for an NBA Finals between Mr. James and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant -- by far the two most marketable players in the league -- as well as the resurgence of big-market teams such as the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls and the emergence of young stars such as Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and John Wall of the Washington Wizards.


Attendance at games is flat, down 1% compared to last year, but TV ratings on ESPN and TNT are up a whopping 30%. Advertisers and sponsors have noticed the resurgent fan interest.

The two sponsors that stand to lose the most are the newest ones -- Spanish banking group BBVA and American Express. BBVA, which is looking for increased brand exposure, signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the league this year. And American Express just returned as a sponsor after a five-year absence.

"The problem is this," said one chief marketing officer for an NBA partner. "It's not so much the money that we spend with the league and on the ads, it's how do you fill the hole in the promotional schedule? I mean, you can give me a make-good, but sometimes there's no real way to make good."

TNT clearly has the programming to fill the void if there is no NBA next season, but sports-centric ESPN would have to scramble. Unlike the NBA lockout in 1999, ESPN no longer has the National Hockey League to fall back on. And, according to a report prepared by analysts from RBC Capital, Disney derives 55% of its revenue from sports, primarily from ESPN.

As with the NFL, the NBA dispute is mostly over money. The NBA, claiming it lost $370 million last year, wants to change entirely a system that currently gives the players 57% of the revenue. The league doesn't open its books, so that revenue loss is disputed by the players union.

"Nobody is anxious to have a lockout or a work stoppage," said Neil Pilson, the former CBS Sports president who now runs his own consultancy, Pilson Communications. "From a cable [network] standpoint, a lockout would be manageable. But then you have a lot of goodwill there that's threatened."

And that goes beyond just the U.S. More than 300 million people play basketball recreationally in China, which has a deep fascination with the NBA and its superstars. Mr. Bryant was treated like a rock star -- some might even say a god -- when he played for the U.S. team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

And what of the sneaker business? The basketball shoe market is a $2.4 billion market. Between the traditional Nike brand and Nike-owned Jordan Brand and Converse, the Swoosh controls 94% market share in basketball shoes. Though it might seem like it, Nike is not an official NBA sponsor.

Nike, through a spokesman, declined to comment. Matt Powell, an analyst with Charlotte, N.C.-based SportsOne Source, said, "Kids are the primary buyers and if kids are still playing ball, it won't have a dramatic impact. But it will have some impact. With no NBA, there's no way for Nike or Reebok to showcase a new guy [in endorsements]."

Story by Rich Thomaselli of www.adage.com

MLB 2K11 brings back million dollar challenge despite money woes & First Look At Game

Back in May 2010, 2K Sports awarded $1 million to Wade McGilberry from Alabama for being the first player to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K10.


Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick has been telling anyone who will listen that 2K Sports is losing money with the Major League Baseball license. Keeping Zelnick’s words in mind, I was wondering if 2K Sports would bring the $1 million contest back.

2K Sports has announced the contest will return in 2011.

From an advertising standpoint, Zelnick may consider the million dollar prize cost effective. Numerous gaming sites and publications spread word of the contest and, as such, MLB 2K10. Mainstream media outlets including ESPN covered the contest and interviewed the eventual winner. He pitched a perfect virtual game the first day MLB 2K10 released.

One million dollars for a full-length interview on every major sports network and ample product placement is a lot less than prime time commercials during sporting events would cost. Other companies go to even greater length to get a movie hero to drive one of its cars or drink one of its sodas for a few seconds. One of 2K Sports’ chief rivals, EA, is well-versed in video game advertising. Games as far back as Need for Speed:Most Wanted featured in-game ads for everything from Verizon phones to Burger King Whoppers.

Zelnick has talked about the pro baseball license not being as lucrative as it once was. That is true, TV ratings back him up. Baseball is behind both the National Football League and the National Basketball Association in terms of ratings and merchandise sales. Even if baseball were still the national pastime, 2K Sports has another huge problem: Sony’s MLB The Show series has gained most of the critical acclaim in recent years. The gap between the two games is so big that The Show has been outselling MLB 2K even though The Show is only available on Sony systems.

2K Sports’ losses might not stand out at a company where everything is going well. Gamertell has reported that, at Take-Two, that’s anything but the case. Take-Two did turn a $42.6 million profit in 2010, but would still love to solve its baseball problems. If a million dollar prize can help turn MLB 2K’s fortunes around, it will be money well spent for Take-Two Interactive. MLB 2K11 releases March 8, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2, PC and PSP. There is a slight change in the contest, as it does not begin until April 1, 2011.

Posted By Matt "The Mayor" Verden

IF ENGLISH SOCCER CAN TAKE IN $155M FROM SPONSORED JERSEYS, WHAT ABOUT NBA, NFL?

Mark Cuban: Ads on Uniforms a Matter of 'How Much' Not 'If'


NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It was just a small blurb in Sports Illustrated magazine's "By the Numbers" section two weeks ago: "$155 million -- Income generated by the 20 English Premier League soccer teams this season by selling ad space on their jerseys."

But those 21 words are causing the four major American sports leagues, its corporate partners and even fans to rethink the idea of sponsor patches on team uniforms.

"It's definitely on the horizon," Mark Cuban, owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, said in an exchange of e-mails with Advertising Age. "I think it's more an issue of 'how much' rather than 'if' [it happens]."


If the English Premier League can generate $155 million, imagine what the National Football League or the NBA can do. Those are the two sports leagues that have already dipped their respective toes into the sponsorship-on-jerseys debate.


The NBA has been the most aggressive in pushing the agenda, hence Mr. Cuban's opinion that it could be sooner than later for sponsor patches. The league-backed NBA Development League and its Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) both allow teams to sell jersey sponsorships. That exposure has even led some brands not normally associated with sports marketing to put its patch on the coveted uniform. Microsoft, for instance, placed its Bing search engine logo on the front of the WNBA's Seattle Storm's jerseys.


"We are always watching the WNBA and the NBA Development League to see what works and what may be an applicable business practice, and we fully recognize that the presence of corporate branding on game uniforms is a widely accepted practice on the global sports landscape, particularly in soccer," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "That being said, the value proposition to include branding on the NBA game uniforms has not yet presented itself."

Mr. Cuban agreed, saying "Find me a multi-year deal at $10 million or more per year and I will make it happen."


The NFL allows teams to sell advertising on practice jerseys, and more than half of the 32 franchises have already done so. The New York Jets signed a deal last year with Atlantic Health to sponsor their practice jerseys as well as their New Jersey-based practice facility. According to Joyce Julius & Associations, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company that evaluates sports sponsorships, Atlantic Health received nearly $200,000 in free exposure during HBO's four-week telecast of its popular "Hard Knocks" series, which chronicles an NFL team each summer during training camp.


"We are approached annually by major companies who say that NFL jerseys represent the most valuable real estate in sports and inquire about placement of their logos," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "But we do not have any plans to do so with game jerseys."


Parity would be an issue, of course. While that $155 million for the 20 English Premier League teams sounds great, the disparity between the top teams and the bottom is wide, just as it likely would be in American sports between franchises in New York and, say, San Jose or Oklahoma City. The EPL's two biggest clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United, take up 40% of that ad revenue -- $31 million a year for Liverpool's deal with British financial services company Standard Chartered, and $30 million annually for Man-U's agreement with insurance carrier Aon. Seven clubs in the EPL earn less than $1 million annually for shirt sponsorship deals.

This isn't a recent issue, either. As leagues and teams have struggled to find new sources of revenue, the idea of putting sponsor patches on uniforms has simmered on the back burner, with an occasional switch to a front burner boil.

In 2009, MLB allowed sponsor patches on team USA jerseys at the World Baseball Classic.

In 2004, MLB tried to put the logo for the film "Spider-Man 2" on the bases as a promotion tool for the film, until a public outcry over the sanctity of the game and the field forced the league to rethink that decision.

As far back as 1999, Howard Smith, then VP-marketing for MLB, told The New York Times that the league was "talking from A to Z about our on-field programs, and bringing in additional sponsors in other formats than we have now. We've talked about everything. But we're not close to anything."

And they're still not.

In a statement emailed to Advertising Age, an MLB spokesman wrote: "Baseball has a longstanding policy of not allowing corporate advertising on our uniforms for non-international competitions. We are continuing to monitor what appears to be an increase in the trend that places non-manufacturer corporate marks on uniforms."

National Hockey League spokesman Kerry McGovern said, "At this time, we'd prefer not to comment."

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your source for all things LeBRON on and off the court...

NBA ROLLS OUT FINALS MASHUPS

As the NBA conference finals wind down and the 2010 championship finals take shape, the league has rolled out the last piece of its "Amazing Is..." postseason campaign which was pulled together with the help of DJ Steve Porter and the NBA's ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

As in previous spots, Porter took audio clips from star players at key moments in NBA history and created mashups under different themes for different stages of the playoffs -- “Belief” for the first round, “Unity” for the conference semifinals, “the Journey” for the conference finals, and “the Dream” for the finals.

"The goal that we had was to bring forth our players passion and personalities into our spots," said Danny Meiseles, NBA Entertainment's svp and executive producer of production, programming and broadcasting. "We agreed that this was a great expression of our game through our players -- cutting up sound bites to create a specific theme of a spot."

BIG CITY DREAMS MAY NOT EQUAL BIG ENDORSEMENT DOLLARS

COULD IT BE?

SPORTS TOP SELLING JERSEYS

In 2004 the NBA estimated its merchandising revenues would rise to at least $3.3 billion in gross sales, which could mark the first time that the NBA surpasses the NFL in licensed product sales thanks to the entry of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. In 2003, NFL-licensed items grossed $3.2 billion, with the NBA and Major League Baseball pulling in $3 billion, according to issue of License! Magazine.

GATORADE EVOLVES

Tonight, Gatorade will introduce its G Series product line to consumers with a 60-second spot, "Gatorade Has Evolved," from TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. Then, the brand team will collectively hold its breath and hope for the best -- or at least something better than the head-scratching and sales slides that came after the "What Is G?" introduction. Here it is:

The spot, breaking during the NBA playoffs, will set the stage for the most massive overhaul in the brand's history, as it shifts to a lineup that includes products for before, during and after activity. (Also notable, you can see the word "Gatorade" a few times -- if only on some of the old-timey bottles.) Whether that message will resonate with key targets -- the G Series' core target is the 13- to 17-year-old high-school athlete, while G Series Pro's target is the 16- to 24-year-old who is in the business of being athletic -- or simply puzzle them has yet to be seen.

For its part, Gatorade believes that athletes will embrace the new approach. Sarah Robb-O'Hagan, chief marketing officer at Gatorade, recently told Ad Age that "the average consumer is already consuming during the before-and-after occasion." But getting them to shill out cash for three separate beverages might be another thing entirely.

The brand plans to follow the first spot with a second 60-second spot, "Before, During, After" in early May. Three 15-second spots are planned to highlight each product in the G Series.

MATT "THE MAYOR" VERDEN JOINS "THE DEAN'S LIST"

Matthew Verden, CEO of VSMG, LLC. has over 10 years of marketing, management, and promotions experience. Verden started the Verden Sports Management Group in an attempt to provide a sense of ease to an athlete's already busy life and schedule. With a vast knowledge of the sports industry, marketing, and management skills, Verden leads his staff in ensuring all client's needs (whether big or small) are met, and often times exceeded.

Verden has worked with some of the most elite names in sports including multiple professional teams and athletes including the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Bobcats. He also has deep rooted ties with elite highschool basketball players and collegiate basketball programs including Duke University, University of Arizona, Georgia Tech and more.

The Dean's Notes: Matthew will bring his behind the scenes hands-on insight to "The Dean's List" readers.

Contact:
matthew@deanbrandmarketing.com
twitter.com/vsmgllc

"FOCUS" :: NBA PLAYOFF'S PROMO

I HOPE THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE FOCUSED THIS SEASON TO WIN THE TITLE. THE VICTORY WOULD BE EVEN SWEETER IF IT'S AGAINST THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS.

JAMIE FOXX + JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE :: NBA PLAYOFF 2010 PROMO

I can't wait until April 18.

COMMON + QUEEN LATIFAH + PAULA PATTON = JUST WRIGHT

Common plays a star player for the New Jersey Nets who is in a relationship with (On-screen groupie) Paula Patton but falls for her friend Queen Latifah who plays Physical Thearapist after he is injured.

D. Wade, Dwight Howard, John Legend, and Elton Brand make seamless cameo's in this film. I am sure this will help boost NETS attendance next season because good old Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will find a way to integrate season tickets with movie tickets...lol.

THE NETS WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU TO COME TO THEIR GAMES

The New Jersey Nets are struggling. They have the league's worst record at 6-53. Because of that, they're last in attendance.

To combat this they've tried a few bizarre promotions over the years. First, they gave away tickets to unemployed workers, and also gave them career advice. Then, if you bought a 10-game ticket plan you got a jersey that featured not just a Net, but also an opposing player.

This Friday, the Nets will unleash another in their long line of minor league-esque promos:

Their latest promotion will be unveiled Friday, when the Nets play the Orlando Magic. New Jersey residents 18 or older who attend the game will get a coupon that they can redeem at a Roni Deutch Tax Center to get their state income tax done free.


No one likes doing their taxes, but is it worth having to go to a Nets game? At just a $29 value, I'm not so sure.

But you have to admire the gumption of Roni Deutch, the eponymous tax attorney offering the promotion. She says, "The hallmark of a strong company is one that aligns with young companies. I'm a betting woman, and I think the Nets are going to win a championship this decade."

Probably not, but she's not the first to make such a proclamation.

My thoughts are that the New Jersey Nets should cash in their hip-hop mogul pawn and offer a free Jay-Z performance and meet and greet with all the New Jersey Nets players. As well as giving free tickets to the neighboring youth athletic's programs in the community. By doing this the team will build an emotional connection with their city and the fans will stand by their side during these trying times. If there is no answer.... HELLO BROOKLYN