{"id":353078,"date":"2011-03-31T09:52:31","date_gmt":"2011-03-31T09:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/31\/league-players-cooperate-in-marketing-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-03-31T09:52:31","modified_gmt":"2011-03-31T09:52:31","slug":"league-players-cooperate-in-marketing-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/31\/league-players-cooperate-in-marketing-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"League, players cooperate in marketing (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NEW YORK (AP)\u2014Business as usual in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Not among the owners, coaches, and players. Not between Commissioner Roger
\nGoodell and the players\u2019 association. Nor between general managers and player
\nagents.<\/p>\n

In marketing the game, however, the lockout has not resulted in a dead stop.<\/p>\n

For consumer products such as video games or trading cards, or in licensing
\nof merchandise, not much is different even with a work stoppage.<\/p>\n

Player merchandise, including jerseys and other items, will still be
\navailable to fans thanks to long-standing agreements between the league, the
\nNFLPA and their licensees. It\u2019s something Gary Gertzog, NFL senior vice
\npresident of business affairs, says \u201cwe are very comfortable with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want NFL football to be depicted in an authentic way,\u201d Gertzog said.
\n\u201cThose companies have secured rights from the marketing affiliate of the
\nplayers\u2019 association and from the league. The production is proceeding and those
\nproducts will be delivered in preparation for the 2011 season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though the season is endangered by the work stoppage.<\/p>\n

Companies involved in licensing or consumer products previously acquired
\nrights from the NFL for its logo and trademarks and for those of the 32 clubs.
\nAnother set of rights was obtained from the NFLPA for the players\u2019 identities.
\nThose agreements remain in place for the 2011 season.<\/p>\n

For sponsorships, though, the accord between the league and Players Inc, the
\nmarketing arm of the former union, expired when the collective bargaining
\nagreement did on March 11.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s up to those sponsors if they want to proceed by going after player
\nrights through a third party, and the NFL is telling sponsors to make sure they
\nhave the appropriate rights before proceeding.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the league has questioned the NFLPA\u2019s rights to seek group deals
\nbecause it has decertified as a union.<\/p>\n

Players Inc doesn\u2019t agree, naturally, and has been aggressive in pursuing
\nthose sponsorships.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the lockout, we are essentially the engine that drives the NFLPA
\n(financially),\u201d said Keith Gordon, president of NFL Players. \u201cWe are seeking
\nwhatever we can create to be supporting the players during the lockout.
\nMarketing activity, including sponsorship, licensing, and event production,
\nsupports the players when they are not getting any other (income) in this
\nsituation.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us to not have the ability to sell sponsorships, we would be crippling
\nourselves. So we are actively pursuing every opportunity while they are
\navailable, which is simply smart business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon would not identify specific companies with whom the players are
\ntalking, but cited the categories of personal care, automotive, technology,
\nfinancial services, beer, and transportation\/logistics.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur players also continue working with select NFL sponsors who have
\ncontingency agreements in place,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cOutside of those sponsors,
\nindividual player deals may continue to occur provided the sponsor is not in
\nviolation of our exclusive group player licensing rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile football may not be played on Sundays during the lockout, the game
\ncontinues to live through our players. The desire of fans to connect with NFL
\nplayers has not diminished one bit, and in fact may actually increase if no
\ngames are played.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny players who make the commitment to be visible and engage with fans,
\nwith partners and with media will have an opportunity to increase their
\nvisibility, showcase their personality and impact their overall marketability.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what about the teams and the league itself? NFL merchandise tends to fly
\noff the shelves throughout the year, but especially heading into the season. The
\nshadow of the lockout could impact those sales just as it affects whether games
\nwill be missed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had discussions with nearly all our business partners and they all
\nexercise their agreements in different ways and times of the year and with
\ndifferent executions,\u201d Gertzog said. \u201cWe have a terrific roster we do business
\nwith who are very committed to marketing with the NFL. As we do, they have
\nconfidence our labor situation will be worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gertzog points out that Anheuser-Busch, a first-year league sponsor, will
\nunveil its marketing initiatives at the draft in late April. His department
\nalready has begun discussions for kickoff weekend in Green Bay in September.
\nThere have been conversations with the various broadcast partners \u201cbased on the
\ncurrent circumstances and selling advertising and expectations of a season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of our marketing calendar, training camp is an important vehicle
\nfor all the clubs and the NFL,\u201d Gertzog added. \u201cThe clubs have found it a very
\nimportant avenue to bring new fans, to get up them up close to the players, and
\nthey\u2019ve created interactive elements that are very appealing. Training camp
\nexperiences have become a very strong and important marketing effort for the
\nteams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Training camps are due to open at the end of July, making them even more
\nendangered than the games\u2014despite both sides\u2019 marketing plans being in full
\nswing. The players and the league emphasize they both are year-round sports
\nproperties with whom marketing partners want to do business.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s also never been a lockout to affect the business of pro
\nfootball.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Visit site:
\nLeague, players cooperate in marketing (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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