New York Jets succeed in building the elusive brand buzz

BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING

Kermit the Frog used to croon about how it was not easy being green. However these days if you are even a casual fan in the tri state area, being green is where you want to be. Without taking anything away from the rival New York Giants and the loyal following and tradition that Big Blue has built over the years and continues to enjoy, the New York Jets have set about building their own brand to seize upon the positive results that will continue into this Sunday. Like it or hate what they have done in terms of building buzz, there is no denying the team as a brand has made an effective push into the psyche of both the casual football fan and even the fan of pop culture. How much of a push? In one New Jersey pub they have even changed the culture of a Sunday afternoon. The Kilkenny House went from playing traditional Irish music to a sold out crowd in favor of following the team wearing the green the past few weeks. That is only one small example of culture change that the team has evoked.

While some may say that "buzz" is natural because of the teams on field success and the mega-loyal fans of all things NFL, turning that "buzz" into something very positive and sustainable is not easy. Case in point in local sports in recent years where the extended runs made by both the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils. Despite their great runs to the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup respectively, the teams made no sustainable dent into the casual sports marketplace in the area. Ironically, both teams have ratcheted up their brand and outreach in the years since their in-arena success and have built effective programs, but at the time when they were most successful they had lots of steak and not a huge amount of sizzle.

The New York Jets seem to be hitting both the steak and the sizzle at the same time, an occurrence that is really rare in professional sports. You can work all you want to build buzz and be effective at it, but to be able to take that buzz and seize the moment to match on field success is tricky and impossible to predict. However in the Jets case, from the work last season to build social outreach, to the off field persona of Mark Sanchez, to owner Woody Johnson's approach to be out front with the business of the team, through "Hard Knocks," an expanded non-game day platform with SNY, and then on into all the antics, schemes and drama of head coach Rex Ryan, the team has made a conscious choice to engage fans and media in every way possible. In a marketplace like the New York area, being so out front has its drawbacks, no matter how calculating you are. With tickets and PSL's to sell early on, and a brand that has room to grow, the New York Jets took a gamble that most organizations would choose not to do. They have embraced free speech and free expression of their players and staff, and then that staff backed it up with on field success.

Was all to this point positive? No, there were hiccups and issues along the way, but the team handled the missteps in the same manner that they have handled their aggressive outreach, by being upfront, stating their opinion and the steps that were taken to correct whatever measures, and then moving on to the next topic of the day. In doing so in most cases minimized the negative news cycle and kept the buzz about the team going. Some will also say that all the access, talk and off field distractions were overkill. However for a brand that was craving the spotlight more to build awareness, they certainly found their niche. That niche...the perception of being a bit brash, accessible, and available to their fans and the media...may be tough to sustain over the long run in a 24/7 media environment, but the team certainly made their point as to who and where they wanted to be.

So when the green smoke clears, win or lose, come Sunday, what will be next for the Jets brand? Sales and renewals remain tantamount of course, as do new areas of brand expansion through new partners who may be on the fence about the price point and the ROI on a Jets sponsorship. There will be many areas to follow-up on, and take that buzz and translate it into real dollars and access throughout the offseason, as the team finds ways to capture the emotion and growth of the last few weeks and move that emotion into tangible results. That still won't be easy in a challenged economic climate, but the steps taken to this point have created the much-needed platform to grow from.

Easier being green? Maybe even Kermit would agree.

Joe Favorito has over 24 years of strategic communications/marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. Visit him at JoeFavorito.com.