The Sports Info Business

My dear friend Bill Chapin has been working in sports for quite a few years now, including the last four and half years with the Seattle Seahawks & Seattle Sounders FC as the Director of Marketing and Partnership Development.  In addition to the NFL, Bill has also held leadership positions with the Mighty (Anaheim) Ducks in the NHL and the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA as well as stints in minor league baseball.  Today we feature our regular weekly question and answer session with an industry executive.

1. Tell us about your responsibilities:

I proactively engage local and national companies and advertising agencies to develop marketing partnerships with the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC. In addition, I oversee the strategic direction of our digital media properties including Seahawks.com, Sounders FC.com and Qwest Field.com. I am fortunate to be called to lead strategic discussions on brand innovation, brand discovery and brand research.

2. My first job in sports….:

Sales Representative or as it was referred to at the time “Marketing Representative”. I had the privlege to sell season tickets, partial packages and group tickets on a commission only basis for the Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Team. Many of the foundational work of sales, can be attributed to my time with the Clippers.

3. Best Advice I ever Received:

Be passionate about what you do

4. What sports moment I am most fond of telling others

Standing on the top of Qwest Field at the 12TH MAN flag pole looking over 67,000 fans during the NFC Championship game preparing for our owner Paul Allen to raise the 12TH MAN Flag.

5. Areas of Growth in our Business

Digital Media and the associated ancillary technology. This medium is the future of telling our story and communicating its message. Content is KING.

6. The Biggest Challenges Facing Our Business Today

Making professional sports affordable to all consumers so as to be experienced in person.

7.  How is your organization doing business differently these days?

The Seattle Seahawks have diversified their portfolio by adding another professional team into its family of companies and infrastuture. With the start of the 2009 MLS season, Seattle Sounders FC will provide fans in the Pacific Northwest to ability to see world class soccer at affordable prices.

8. How has the Business Changed in the past 5 years

Digital Media. No where has the change in sports been more noticeable than on the world wide web. The advent of websites empowers fans to create channels and portals of information, statistics, dialogue and discussion about all sports mediums on team, network, and discussion sites all over the globe. Fans can be fans half way across the world and follow their teams with rabid avidity.

9. What qualities have you always looked for when recruiting senior leadership positions? 

Each league has it’s challenges, its strenghths and weaknesses. I have had the privledge in working in all 5 major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS).
The most important element of working for each particular team in each league is to tap into the passion of the fans that are following your team. You must undertand and embrace the passion for the game before you can espouse the qualties that make the game great.

10. Any advice for others?

Understand that following your passion for your life’s work is central to contentment in one’s business career.

Anything else to share…..Working with a team of colleagues that are all rowing in the same direction is a highlight of teamwork. I hope that all receive the opportunity to working with dynamic and diverse teams that create “passion enriched” organizations.

———–

Bill is the first football executive to be featured in the Top 10 Topics with since John Drum was selected right after the 2009 Super Bowl (see link under people on right rail).

I was preparing a presentation at the office this week, a “Public Relations 101” PowerPoint presentation for a sales summit.  It reminded me of a fun sports story and I thought of sharing it with you.  It is a little long but worth it.  The timing could not be better. The event happened right around this time of year, when the Stanley Cup playoffs were just getting under way.

 In 2003, while working for the Mighty Ducks (now Anaheim Ducks), I received a letter from a fan.  It was from a friend of  Christina Servoss who thought I should know about a bet her best friend had made with her boyfriend.

 While with the Ducks, we had a PR guy who handled the player and beat-related communications.  My department was more the business side of sports as it related to help marketing, sponsorship, ticket sales, branding, and community relations tell their stories.  We were intent on keeping the team in the news (off the sports pages) during the playoffs.  This would help build buzz, hopefully sell a few extra playoffs tickets.  You see in 2003, we were worried we might not sell out many of the home playoff games.

 Back to our story.  So, I had received the letter about Christina and the bet she made with boyfriend Steve De Sena.  I learned both were die-hard Ducks fans (good news for us), had been boyfriend and girlfriend for a few years and at the start of the hockey season, they made a ridiculous bet.  The wager was that if the Ducks won the Stanley Cup, they would get married.  Chrstina was ready, Steve doing just fine with the status quo.

 After a quick call, I asked Christina permission to promote the wager, knowing that this was a perfect story for the Los Angeles Times.  She quickly agreed and I pitched the story to Kimi Yoshino, a local reporter.  Kimi took the idea and produced a great half page story in the California section of the Times.

 I had achieved my initial goal of keeping a Ducks-related story in front of a Southern California audience.  What became much more fascinating was what took place next.  Christina and Steve became the center of media attention that no one had expected. 

 Peter Tildon, who was doing a local radio show,  decided to adopt this couple.  One of his producers picked up on the Times story and immediately made it their quest to marry this couple on the air.  Over the course of the next week, they ran promotions on their show to have wedding related items donated in order to get the boyfriend and girlfriend hitched.  The show received commitments from listeners for a free wedding dress, limo, a wedding ring, a place for the wedding even a free honeymoon.  The catch was to get all of the free items, they had to marry by the end of the week. .  I was not listening to the show but Christina kept me updated.  They passed on the proposal.

 I think she was enjoying the fun, but Steve wanted no part of it.  This was now an unexpected bonus for the Ducks as the publicity had taken off in a new direction.  The Ducks and the Stanley Cup were mentioned on the air, in an unexpected place every day.

 The Ducks had steamrolled through the playoffs towards the Stanley Cup.  It started with the Ducks sweeping the Red Wings, including a triple overtime win in the first game vs. Detroit.  The team then beat the Dallas Stars in six games.  Then a second sweep, this time over the Minnesota Wild and the hockey club had reached the Stanley Cups finals for the first time in team history.

 As a front office team, we were elated, overworked, overjoyed and in a place that anyone who works in sports wants to be, the championship.  Christina was on cloud nine.  At this point in the story, I am pretty sure Steve was laying eggs.

 The story stayed alive and media visiting from out of town picked up on it.  They also wrote about the story and the momentum continued.  We now turned to local TV stations and kept the story alive by having the Christina and Steve interviewed during games.

 The excitement continued on the ice.  Down 3-2 in Game 6, the Ducks facing elimination win 5-2 as then hometown hero Paul Kariya comes back on the ice after getting knocked out cold to score a goal that shook the building.  I still get goose bumps about the moment as I am typing this.   

 I had the happy couple interviewed by ABC on national TV by Sam Ryan during game 6.  Now, folks at ABC picked up on the personal story and wanted to fly the couple to New Jersey for game 7, on their dime..

 There was one condition.  Win, everyone knew they were getting married.  If they lost, ABC got to interview Steve on national TV and ask the question if he would marry Christina.  Knowing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Christina and Steve quickly agreed.

 It remains painful to write these words, even today.  But we laid our own egg in game seven and lost to the New Jersey Devils.

 Like most Hollywood movies however, it had a happy ending.  Facing a national TV audience, Steve proposed to Christina and the couple agreed to marry.

 Christina wrote me a kind thank you note and thanked me for all of our efforts.  If I remember correctly, me might have even sent Wild Wing, the team’s mascot, to the wedding.  That part remains a little fuzzy. 

 The publicity from it all, which began with a friend’s brief letter, was truly amazing.  Things slowed down and we moved on.

 Then several months later, we got a call.  The TV show 20-20 was doing a story on unusual wedding proposals and asked to speak with the couple.

 The publicity continued.

——————————————–

Here are a couple of quick links to stories I found online relating to this

 Sports Illustrated Story

Beaumont Enterprise news

Many of the students I mentor at the Long Beach State Sports Management program insist that when they begin their sports career, it will not involve sales.  I always let these student declarations hang in their air for a moment.  I find it funny because they do not yet realize that everyone within a team administration or a front office is part of a sales effort whether they realize it or not.  Let me show you an example and then I will illustrate more specifically with relative job descriptions. 

When I was a part of the Mighty Ducks Management team earlier this decade, we developed a fan zone for Sunday games.  There were a few reasons for this, but the main reason was to allow the fans to get more involved in the hockey experience before the puck dropped at 5:00 p.m.

For example. fans that came early were allowed to play hockey on  mini hard court floor constructed outside.  There were stations to make signs for that night’s game or to allow sponsor sampling as part of sponsorship agreements.  Overall it was a great family experience that people had BEFORE the game.  Out goal was to take a passive fan experience and make it active before fans reached their seats.

Each Sunday home game also became a challenge for me and for the Director of Marketing, my close friend Michael.  The two of us made game out of it.  Michael and I challenged each other to get fans to paint their hair.  Now, many of the fans (especially the kids) came ready to show their support on Sundays.  With the help of the Power Players, fans would visit a station near the stadium entrance and paint their hair in the team’s purple and green colors.  It was all part of the pre-game fun.

Back to sales.  Michael and I both agreed that if we could convince fans that would not normally paint their hair in the team’s colors, then we were extending the fan experience and creating lasting memories.  The bottom line is this would tie people closer to the team moving forward.

So here were two grown men, standing in suits and ties, challenging each other to get the grandmother with her grandkids, the biker with the long goatee or the conservative dad to visit the temporary hair coloring table.  Failure was not an option.  For Michael, I always to pick for Michael the fan that would never allow anyone to touch his hair.  He then had a short window to get the fan to the table and allow someone to color their hair.  Michael did the same. 

Most of the time, we succeeded and believe me, we kept track of the score.  Others tried to join in the game, yet we were the most successful.  Why?  It was the passion, the challenge and we were committed to this sale.

Here are specific examples of positions with sales related functions

Ticketing – Your job is to sell tickets.  Need I say more?

Sponsorship – Again, selling sponsors on reasons why to partner with the team

Marketing – Selling the brand and the brand vision.

Public Relations – Selling journalists on why to write/broadcast a story about the team

Community Relations – Selling tickets for special events.  Selling players on doing community work.

Finance – Not really selling a lot.

The bottom line is each department is part of the selling process.  Get used to it.  We are all in it together.

Name:                                     John Drum


Title:                                       Vice President, Stadium Operations


Current Team/Organization:    Arizona Cardinals Football Club


Years with Organization:          3.5 years



1. Describe your position and current responsibilities

University of Phoenix Stadium in home to the Arizona Cardinals. The stadium is publicly owned and controlled by Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA). The total cost of the stadium was $455 million dollars, $300 million coming from the sale of bonds and the remainder from the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals own the land surrounding the stadium, known as Sportsman’s Park. My main responsibility is to ensure the game day experience at University of Phoenix Stadium is the best in the National Football League.




2. Tell us about your first job in sports.

I decided to attend Ohio University to obtain an undergraduate degree in Meteorology. During my first year, I attended many Bobcat hockey games and truly enjoyed the passion of the sport. During my sophomore year, I signed up to be the equipment manager for the team. This lowly job for a club hockey team was the beginning of my journey in a career in sports.




 3. What was best advice ever received?

“Nothing ever stays the same – it either improves or gets worse.” Never say, we will do it the same way as we did last time. Never be satisfied and always try to find ways to improve your product, service or presentation.



 
4. What sports memory are you most fond of telling to others?

Being on the field for the last out of the 2002 World Series. I never imaged an open air baseball stadium could be so loud. The energy in the stadium was amazing, and having my parents, sister and future wife there to share the moment with me was awesome.




 5. Describe the area(s) of opportunity for growth in your business.

The National Football League continues to dominate the world of sports. The success of the Cardinals this season will create a new generation of Cardinals fans. How we decide to develop and grow this loyalty will be very important. Continuing to provide a great game day atmosphere in conjunction with a successful team on the field will continue of streak of 32 sellouts at University of Phoenix Stadium.




 6. What are the biggest challenges that face your business today?

We have to continue to find ways to bring out to the stadium and not just watch the game on their 52″ HDTV in their home. We have to sell the excitement of watching the game live and being part of the home field advantage. Tailgating with friends and family is a huge part of the experience. Maintaining a safe and family-friendly environment inside the stadium is a priority. Training the staff that interacts with ticket holders is critically important. 




 7. What is the best way to get a full time job in your sport?

Internship opportunities. Being able to get your foot in the door and show people what you can accomplish.




 8. How has this business changed in the last five years?

After the 9/11 attacks, the security of spectator venues became priority number one. Ticket holders were very accepting of the increased security standards immediately following the attacks in New York and Washington, DC. However, as time moves on, some guests are looking at these security guidelines as more of an inconvenience. Being able to balance guest service and security is very easy.



 
9. What are the kinds of things do you look for in an employee?

The willingness to complete any task. As an intern, you need to prove you are ready for more responsibility. This comes from actions, not words. Everyone started off answering phones or making copies or other seemingly unimportant tasks, but completing those tasks to the best of your ability will demonstrate your passion to the organization. 



 10. Finish the thought.  If I had to do it all over again, I would start by …..

Keeping better track of all the people I have met during my 12 years in professional sports. It is amazing how often you come into contact with people you use to work with, met at a conference or is a friend of a friend. That’s why am I filling out this profile! I worked along side Charles Harris at the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. People move around often in the world of sports, so maintaining contacts will come in handy often.




 Anything else you want to share?

Sports is a wonderful profession to be part of, however it does require more than a normal 40-hour a week job. Working in sports needs to be a passion, and finding balance with work and family is not always easy. An internship will provide first hand experience as to what it’s like.

—————————————————–

Cardinals History:

Founded:  1898

Previous Team names:  St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cardinals, Racine Cardinals, the Normals, and the Morgan Athletic Club.

Arizona:  The Cardinals relocated to Arizona from St. Louis in the spring of 1988 and made Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University their new home.

Hall of Fame:  Number of former Cardinals in the Hall of Fame?  14

For a full history on the Arizona Cardinals, you can click here….http://www.azcardinals.com/history/index.php