Marketing and sports: Off the field

But I’ve seen some amazing marketing and public relations from the University of Tennessee Men’s Athletics Department of late and thought it was worth the while to take a deeper look. Take Bruce Pearl, head coach of the UT Men’s Basketball program. Pearl inherited a two decade-long fledgling program that saw coaches Jerry Green and Buzz Peterson dismissed in a round-robinesque fashion for their inability to win big conference games.Pearl was little-known by Tennessee fans and inherited big expectations. The athletics department saw an opportunity to not only win games with their new coach but to also reestablish the long-forgotten excellence of the men’s basketball program, which has existed in the shadow of Pat Summit, the head coach of the women’s basketball program, and by the way, the most winning male/female college basketball coach of all time. No pressure. Pearl appeared in the standard commercials around town, attended the standard fundraising and alumni events, but the marketing department saw a chance to move past the traditional and grasp for the exceptional.Before you knew it, Pearl was appearing in well-choreographed events all around campus. He was in the student cafeteria, standing up on a dinning chair, and addressing students during the dinner hour, pumping them up and asking them to come and support his new team.

The marketing department created a standing-only student section in Thompson Boling Arena, mirroring the spirit of the student section in Neyland Stadium for football Saturday’s. The players also began entering the arena through the crowd and not by their traditional means of entering through a tunnel on the floor, much like the Vol Walk. Both of these ploys were mirrored on the success of the football program. If it works for football, why not men’s basketball?

Pearl also developed an early relationship with Summit and could be seen shirtless and painted orange at Lady Vols games supporting the women’s team while grabbing some camera time on ESPN at the same time. It was purely a promotional stunt.

Here we are three years later and men’s basketball is hotter than it’s ever been at Tennessee. It’s a testament to the ability to market a sporting program to success.

Now UT has another challenge on their hands: new football Head Coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, formerly head coach of the Oakland Raiders and offensive coordinator for the University of Southern California, has his work cut out for him. Not only on the field, but off the field, in the trenches, as well.

Kiffin replaces Phillip Fulmer, one of the most winning college football coaches of all time but whose teams experienced some disappointing seasons in recent years. Tennessee football, like basketball or any other sport is about winning.

It’s true the marketing department can’t help Kiffin in the huddles or the weight room, but much work lies ahead to introduce Kiffin to UT’s faithful and to build some momentum behind the UT coach off the field.

I thought it was interesting that the first step taken was to Photoshop a file photo of Kiffin, which appears on utsports.com. The photo, featuring Kiffin in the Raiders traditional black rain coat and visor, has been Photoshoped and the Raiders logos have been replaced with UT’s “Power T”. If you looked at the picture, you’d think Kiffin had been coaching at UT for years, which is the point.
The marketing department wants a seamless transition from Fulmer to Kiffin.

It’s weird how things come full-circle some times. The marketing strategy for the men’s basketball program was mirrored off a very successful football program. Now it appears as though the strategy for a renewed and successful football program might as well be mirrored off Pearl’s success.

It’s like the famous quote “those that fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”

About the Author

Brooks A. Brown is the founder and principal of Shout Out LLC, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based marketing, public relations, and communications firm serving clients throughout the nation.