Stephen Cozzolongo’s Post

The most exciting campaign I ever worked on was for DICK'S Sporting Goods. And spending $5M on ads in a day wasn’t even the best part. The annual ad budget was $55M. (I know) And we saved about 10% just for Black Friday. It was almost 10 years ago. But I’ll never forget the feeling. I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I had a few championship-winning swims in college. There’s an electric feeling stepping up on the block for the final heat. Opening the reporting page on a $5M spend gives you a similar buzz. I also loved the team I was working with. But my favorite part about the Dick’s account — I was interested in all the products. That rarely happens when you’re new to marketing. You take whatever clients you can get and do your best. But on this account: I was working with thousands of SKUs. And every one was fun to think about. Why would a golfer spend $450 on a Big Bertha? (Was it more about increased distance or confidence?) Which bats are approved for different leagues? (That drives a lot of searches by players and parents.) It didn’t matter if it was a sport I knew well — As an athlete, I could identify with the audience. It was fun. And that helps. Being interested in what you’re doing makes you better at it. And working with Dick’s was the first time I realized I could be successful in marketing by focusing on my interests. To all my marketing friends: Of all the campaigns or clients, which one was your favorite? Has it ever been one that’s not connected to your other interests?

Anyone who has been following the NFL for the past few months knows it's nearly impossible to do so without hearing about Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has brought over $300 million in brand value for the Chiefs and she isn't even a paid brand ambassador! She would be considered an unofficial brand ambassador. Unofficial brand ambassadors can be an extremely powerful marketing tool, and there have been some great examples throughout recent history (though Taylor is probably the biggest one). Although these types of brand relationships can be great, they do come with possible downsides. Find out more by checking out our latest blog on the power of affiliation. Scroll through the highlights below and read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/euNQgfJ9 #redcatmarketing #brandambassador

Check out our latest blog! This one is on the power of affiliation and is appropriately timed given the whole Taylor Swift / Chiefs affiliation that's been filling everyone's newsfeeds! #redcatmarketing

Would love to get some of my fellow golf/sports/marketing/finance connections opinions on this matter. Full clarity in advance, I am indeed a Tiger Woods super fan so my general reasoning behind this post is to see if my bias is playing a factor on my thoughts. There have been rumors dwindling over the course of the last week or so regarding Tiger Woods and Nike potentially splitting up and having their 27 year relationship come to an end. I’m no marketing expert (even though I am continuously trying to learn about it due to me helping with marketing for my company), but is this not the craziest sequence of events when it comes to brand sponsorship in the history of sports? When I think of Tiger, I think of Nike. When I think of Nike, I think of Tiger. (Yes, I get Jordan and LeBron. Keeping them out of it). Obviously there could be hundreds of variables that haven’t been released regarding the manner, but wouldn’t you think Nike would do everything in their will power to keep one of the biggest names in sports history in their brand and logo? Tiger can’t have more than a handful of years left competing. Whatever his price may be, they can afford it. As a crazed fan, I just couldn’t imagine a company of Nike’s size to be willing to watch and look at him wear another brand with only so little time left to play. Golf is obviously an individual sport, but due to this, I relate this to someone who plays their entire career in the same city. Dirk, Kobe, Magic, Larry….the list goes on and on. When you think of those names, you think of one thing-the city they represented. For most golf fans, I feel they may have the same beliefs as me in terms of thinking Tiger Woods=Nike Golf. HE HAS SPENT 27 YEARS OF HIS DOMINATION WITH THE BRAND. Again, the variables and unknowns could easily solve my questioning thoughts. Maybe it’s Tiger’s choice and he just wants a change? If that is not the case, I think this could go down as one of the biggest fumbled marketing cases in the sports and consumer goods industry. There will obviously never be analytics to represent how this could both positively/negatively effect the brand, but one would think if the separation occurs it can not be good for the apparel giant Nike is. Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

Here's "Brand Relevance" at work. Big Chalk’s latest report shows the power of unaided brand recall in college football sponsorships. Nike, with its omnipresent logo, leads the pack, followed by Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Gatorade. #MarketingAnalytics #SportsMarketing #Brands

OK, OK I think I am finally ready to discuss Super Bowl 2024. Using celeb talent in Super Bowl ads is NOT new news. So, let’s change it up and talk about some of the best on-the-ground executions in LV week of the Bowl. There were endless activations worth talking about… The Chip Strip - So many gamified brand elements, BUT I could not get enough of the Cheetos 🐆 Chapel. An animated Chester Cheeto uniting couples and friends in “mischief and matrimony” celebrations. Leaning on a well-known truth about Vegas marriages to drive cultural relevancy. 🥘 Uber Eats - Get Almost Anything. Designed like a bodega and when you pressed a button a hand popped out to hand you a gift, grocery item, etc. While maybe not creatively groundbreaking design, the problem/solution is so crisp and clear. “People don’t know all that you can order/get on Uber Eats outside of meal delivery - so let’s LITERALLY show them.” IMHO Verizon 🔴 had the absolute best branded partnership approach. They hosted a Hacks watch party and QA with Max, multiple Netflix sneak peeks and roundtables & a sick Run the Playlist partnership with Apple Music DJ’ed by Anderson Pak. TV, Movies, Music - Verizon joining forces with their three biggest partners to execute one jam-packed experience. Not new, but still loved. Marriott’s (🏈official hotel) hotel room in the stadium. A once in a lifetime chance to stay IN super bowl stadium overnight. This is part of Marriott’s season round efforts to celebrate NFL Fandom. Clear truth - die hard fans travel to games and stay with Marriott. Let’s reward them. P&G Battle of the Paddles. A unique truth - table tennis is the leagues unofficial locker room sport. A fact, P&G products line NFL locker rooms. 8 NFL players known for their table tennis abilities in the locker room promoted individual products while competing for a title. I loved all of Pepsi’s 🥤executions (especially the skate partnership creating Flipper’s Quads by Usher and Pepsi Wild Cherry) but I was happy to see an experiential activation centered around DE&I - Pepsi Dig In - a celebration of Black Owned restaurants. Mixologists, celebrity chefs, and a Vegas staple - brunch. Other faves: FanDuel’s Gronk free bet, Flavortown Tailgate, Cash App/Visa/Red Bull F1 new car reveal. Until next year!

Have been extremely impressed with Surfside (owned by Stateside Brands). Would definitely be my high-growth alc brand bet for the coming couple of years. Super cool, retro surfer vibe re: branding but growth speaks for the liquid itself - personally like the lemonade SKUs. I was down in Delaware for the back half of last week and the presence of both on-prem (bars) and off-prem (retail stores) was very impressive. 2023 data shows that Surfside sold an impressive 1.3M cases, a pretty massive 563% increase from the previous year driven by national distribution (7 states to 42) and SSS growth. Having gone from a brand that I didn’t know much about, to a brand that I not only saw everywhere but also everybody talking about at bars / while out, gets me super excited about their trajectory. In case you don’t know what Surfside is - the brand chases after a similar audience to High Noon, where its appeal lies in its sessionable, high quality, however, they also have no carbonation and offer a slightly sweeter (still 100 kcal) and slightly more of a pronounced vodka taste. Also love that they’re making a significant investment in baseball this year, now featured in several major league stadiums including those of the Phillies, Pirates, Orioles, Guardians, and Braves; the brand is also at around 90 stadiums for minor league teams. Expensive sponsorships, for sure, but one of the strongest plays for building use occasion and likely treated as a subsidized marketing cost if attendees choose to re-experience the game when buying a case for themselves at home. Surfside is projecting another insane growth story and chasing 4M cases this year alone. Major props and bravo Clement, Zach, Matthew, and Bryan! Awesome liquid. Anyone else come across anything unique / interesting in the RTD space this weekend?

While reading Brand Experiences: "Building Connection in a Digitally Cluttered World" by Steve Randazzo - We Grow Brands , I came across his example of the Big Mac Land. I am not a baseball enthusiast, but it got me thinking for a few days about the importance of McDonald's connection with the St. Louis Cardinals Team at the Bush Stadium and its fanbase that has withstood decades since 1998, 26 years ago. They did not just create a promotional campaign but an immersive experience for fans with, activities, giveaways, and special menu items. The evidence that it still stands since 1998 shows how effective engaging marketing is for fans and brands. As Steve Randazzo mentions it has two sore ingredients of experiential marketing: 1. The power of adding active elements to passive sponsorships  2. The potential of finding common ground with the target audience. When the fun happens for fans, then, sales grow. It's a win-win for fans and brands alike. McDonald's becomes more than just a sponsor; it becomes part of the fanbase, rooting for the Cardinals just like the fans. Make sure you think about active elements and a common ground to build a connection making a more enjoyable and memorable experience with your target audience. #ExperientialMarketing #BrandExperience #ImmersiveExpriences

The star power that celebrity athletes like #CaitlinClark deliver for TV ad engagement is immense, but not immeasurable. For example, ads shown during NCAA women’s basketball games with Caitlin Clark were 7% more effective than those in games without her. That’s nearly as strong as NFL GOAT Tom Brady: games with Brady for the last six years of his career were 8% more effective than games without him. And not only does an appearance from Caitlin Clark lift ad engagement in TV programming she’s featured – such as the NCAA season and last week’s #WNBA Draft – but she also delivers increased engagement for brands such as State Farm or PepsiCo's Gatorade that have featured Clark in new campaigns. Just last week, ads featuring Clark from these two brands were the top 3 airings by ad impact during the Draft. That’s why Clark’s sponsorship with deal with Nike is bound to pay dividends for the brand, especially on TV. Thanks Jason Notte for speaking with me for this ADWEEK story! https://lnkd.in/eXWGGekw

👋 Meet Sophie Pollard, our talented Senior Account Director. Q: How has your career led you to Campbell+Co? I worked in big agencies here and in London for the first 13 of my career, which definitely had its pros and was an amazing experience. But the opportunity to come to C+Co came up at the perfect time in my life and career (thanks, Vinny Sherry), and now I wouldn’t have it any other way. Q: What do you love most about working at Campbell + Co? Our small but mighty team is super talented, and we definitely punch above our weight. We’re a tight squad, and everyone is happy to get stuck in at any level to get the best result for our clients. We have a real ‘one team, one dream’ vibe. Q: What have been your proudest moments at Campbell + Co? Winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup account and being part of the biggest women’s sporting event in the world has been a definite highlight! Q: What have been your most memorable Campbell + Co campaigns? Our Ben & Jerry's campaign, which involved Elektra Shock contactlessly delivering ice cream via a drone to media and influencers on the periphery of lockdown, was certainly one for the memory bank. Q: How would your co-workers describe you? Maybe organised, a good problem solver, and probably annoying, haha. Q: How do you enjoy spending your time outside of work? Our three-year-old son keeps my partner and me pretty busy and with another one on the way, the volume is about to turn up! Aside from that, I love catching up with friends and family and trying new restaurants. #campbellandco #digitalamarketing #nzagency #newzealandbusiness #team