In our thirty-two years of studying the intersection of sport and marketing, we have seen a fair share of demoralizing stories: the bribery scandal of the Salt Lake City Olympics, money laundering by FIFA, racism with the L.A. Clippers, and performance enhancement drugs across professional cycling, Major League Baseball, and even the entire Russian Olympic … Continued
Tensions have been high within the Formula One community after a racially insensitive tweet last week alluding to Presidential elect Donald Trump’s promise to build a wall between the Mexico U.S. border: “Mexicans, put on these sunglasses so your swollen eyes can’t be seen during tomorrow’s building of the wall.” While racially insensitive tweets can … Continued
What the election polls this year say about market research, sports, and the way we make decisions. Here we are. The election results are in and a new Commander in Chief (like him or not) has been chosen. Donald Trump not only shocked the world, but defied the predictions of almost every political poll. … Continued
As the 2016 presidential election approaches, both presidential candidates are getting in some last minute campaigning. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Vice President hopeful Mike Pence will be featured on Reed Sorenson’s Toyota Camry for NASCAR’s Texas 500 Sunday, November 6. The Trump Pence Logo will appear on the Hood of Sorenson’s number 55 … Continued
After spending the two weeks in Rio, traveling to and from venues, attending several events, and visiting all of the different Olympic regions, we can say, unequivocally, that Rio’s troubles were as overblown as Ryan Lochte’s fabricated robbery account. We at Performance Research deal in facts and direct observations, not media hype or hearsay. So, … Continued
While a shoddily worded campaign, an untimely marketing ploy, a legal infraction, or an unethical manipulation can jeopardize the effectiveness of sports sponsorship, a poor activation can both threaten the safety of the athletes and negatively influence the results on the field of play in the process. It sounds like a rare occurrence, but that … Continued
It’s not just kids and aging millennials who are all a clamor over Nintendo’s newest franchise of the Pokémon brand: Pokémon Go! Back in February, the sports world had its first glimpse of the new game during its minute-long Super Bowl ad, but that did little to prepare the vast majority of Americans for the … Continued
College Football has developed its own language. Although you won’t find Rosetta Stone College Football hitting stores any time soon, it is indeed real. This language manifests itself in the form of pictures and symbols many top programs use for increasingly efficient sideline communication. Most of you have probably seen these images laminated on oversized … Continued
Have you ever imagined watching a sports game through the eyes of the player, or better yet, a team’s mascot? That futuristic idea is becoming a reality in sporting events as the Sacramento Kings lead the way in integrating technology into sports. Piggy backing on last week’s eSports post, the Kings are also personifying the … Continued
Tomorrow looks to be one of the biggest days of the year in sports history with both the Kentucky Derby and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao welterweight championship fight happening within hours of each other. It may be one of the last fights of Mayweather and Pacquiao’s careers and the richest boxing match of all time. It … Continued