Jul

27

Interview with Ryan Knapp of NPSL

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Ryan Knapp of the National Premiere Soccer League took the time to answer some questions about his position and sports PR, including blogger relations, with SPRB. I thought his career-related responses were a great fit for this week’s Career Help 101 Series so I wanted to use it as a kick off for the rest of the series.

1) According to your LinkedIn profile, you started a soccer blog entitled Center Holds It that eventually led to your current position as director for the National Premiere Soccer League. What made you decide to start the blog and how did that get you into the PR side of soccer?

I started the blog upon moving back to the US from living a year abroad in Spain. I realized (and still do) that there is a lack of quality La Liga (Spanish First Division) coverage in the US, especially in English.  So, I decided to fill that void and start Center Holds It, along with two amazing writers, Jeff Bull and Breton Bonnette.  We wrote for about one year, and then CHI moved over to BigSoccer, where it remains today in Breton’s hands.As I started to write, it soon dawned on me that I wanted to make this into a career.  I quickly looked for an internship with a professional soccer club, and found a NPSL club in my hometown of Buffalo, NY.  With only writing experience to back me up I contacted Christopher Keem, who was GM of Queen City FC.  We talked, and I was made Director of Media Relations for Queen City, as a volunteer position.  Volunteer or not, the position sucked me in 100% and I found myself completely engaged, and loving what I was doing.

After my first season with QCFC, the executives at the club decided to fold it.  I took it upon myself to become Pres/GM and resurrect the club. I did just that - turning the club over to a new owner and renaming the club, Buffalo City FC.

With the transition complete in Buffalo, I had already taken a seat on the Executive Committee of the NPSL as Secretary and continued to be involved with the league.  In March, the NPSL created a Director of PR position, and I applied and was lucky enough to be granted the opportunity with the league.

2) You have a wide-ranging list of responsibilities with your current post, including media relations tasks (e.g. writing press releases, transcribing quotes, etc.) and maintaining the website (e.g. writing content, producing podcasts and video, etc.). What prepared you to handle all of these responsibilities and do you find it challenging to balance all of them?

Planning is absolutely key.  After the NPSL decided to hire a Director of Public Relations, I was quickly thrown into a whirlwind of ideas, thoughts, jobs and planning for a season that began before I even knew it.  The classic mistake is stretching yourself too thin and starting 100 tasks without completing one, so I started out small and attempted to keep my ideas in check, at least until the season is over.

It was extremely difficult to come into the position two weeks before the season began, as I played/am playing catch-up throughout the entire season.  As the season ends August 1st, I cannot wait to sit down and chart out a plan for the next year.

On a personal level, my key to focusing and handling loads of responsibilities is to meditate. 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night allows my body and my mind to sort through whatever is clouding my ability to work to my fullest potential.  It helps me to maintain focus throughout the day when it might be easy for your mind to stray.

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Jul

14

Sports bloggers talk about PR

Filed Under Blogging, Interviews, Sports PR | 2 Comments

I e-mailed five popular sports bloggers last week, asking them about their experiences with PR professionals for SPRB. The participants include Don of Hugging Harold Reynolds (HHR), Brian from MGoBlog, Jason at The Big Lead, Greg of Puck Daddy fame, and Natalie from Need4Sheed.

On average, how many pitches/press releases do you receive in a day? What percentage of those do you delete before you even open the e-mail?

Don @ HHR: We receive about a dozen business-based press release/solicitation-type emails.  For the most part I will read ones that are from infrequent mailers.  If there are names I recognize because I’ve received several from the group, and that I know the content doesn’t fit, I might delete right away, but for the most part I’ll at least take a quick peek.

Brian @ MGoBlog: From official PR people? Maybe three or four, the vast bulk from the Big Ten and Big Ten Network. My email is Thunderbird, which has a preview pane, so I at least briefly see the content before any deletions, but I know I’m deleting about 90% of them because they’re about other Big Ten schools. There are plenty more “here’s a link” or “please exchange links with me, Person I love blog of you forever hoorah.” Relevant seeming links get clicked; obviously automated link exchange requests get trashed.

Jason @ The Big Lead: Anywhere between 10-20, and that number goes up around the time of major events (Super Bowl, NFL Draft, NBA Draft, etc). I probably delete 75% of them unless a) It’s from someone I have a working relationship with, b) the subject line is really, really catchy/enticing.

Greg @ Puck Daddy: If you combine the daily pitches from bloggers and PR people, I’d say it ranges from 50-75 a day. If you take out the bloggers, I think the number of PR pitches is about 30-50.

I open everything that’s specific to my subject matter. If I don’t get the vibe in the subject line that the email is about hockey or my areas of coverage, then it’s deleted.

Natalie @ Need4Sheed: Maybe it’s because of the popularity of the site, but I have started to get a ton of other pitches from the media, clothing companies, publishers, sports equipment companies and so on. Most of them are really basketball specific but I get a few here and there from other sports.  I have to say most are right up my alley.

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Jul

13

Interview with Ben Wright of Atlanta Thrashers

Filed Under Blogging, Interviews | 2 Comments

As part of our Sports Blogging 101 Series, I wanted to interview a web coordinator who blogged for the team. Ben Wright, the website coordinator for the Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), was more than willing to answer my questions for SPRB. You can visit the Thrashers’ official blog Blueland Blog to see what it’s all about. Without further ado, here is the interview:

1) You blogged about hockey as a fan before joining the organization as its website coordinator nearly four years ago. How did the opportunity with the Thrashers come about?

It’s a long and complicated story, but basically, I was living in Ottawa at the end of the lockout and trying to move to Atlanta, so I was keeping my eye open for jobs. I’d always wanted to work in sports marketing- especially in hockey- so when a web internship with the Thrashers was posted I applied. A guy from Atlanta that I’d met through blogging knew the hiring manager and got me an interview and another blogger acquaintance who I’d done some writing for (Eric McErlain) acted as a reference. The Thrashers were looking for somebody with blogging experience and hockey knowledge so it worked out perfectly. A few immigration snags later I was down in Atlanta and in the Thrashers locker room interviewing Scott Mellanby at training camp. It was pretty surreal. The internship turned into a full-time position and now I’m ready to start my fifth season with the team.

2) What responsibilities do you have as the website coordinator? How much interaction do you have with other departments in the organization?

As the web site coordinator I’m responsible for pretty much all of the content on the Thrashers site, as well as the administration of the Philips Arena site. I also chip in with the Hawks (NBA) site as needed. On a day-to-day basis the bulk of my time is spent coming up with content for the Thrashers site and blog and posting tidbits on Twitter. On game days I’m at morning skates and the games themselves, acting more or less as a reporter for the team. I have full access to the locker room after practices and morning skates and I cover about 75% of the home games, which I watch from the spacious Philips Arena press box. On occasion I’m fortunate enough to travel with the team and cover road games and events like the draft. I also handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts, web traffic reporting, and general housekeeping. As part of the marketing department I work closely with our e-marketing folks who handle all of our email marketing as well as our PR department who get me in touch with players in the offseason and do their best to keep me in the loop when trades and player signings are in the works. I also work with our ticketing department and sponsorship team to make sure all of our sales and sponsorship efforts are coordinated and on track.

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Jul

8

HHR’s features “Work in Sports” interviews

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Hugging Harold Reynolds (HHR) ran a feature called “So You Want to Work in Sports?” in September-October 2008. It had interviews with “20 and 30-something-year-olds in various careers in professional, amateur and collegiate sports to get a take on how they broke into their respective industries and to offer tips how ambitious sports-related job seekers might do the same.” Two of HHR’s 11 posts in this segment highlight sports PR professionals so I wanted to point them out here.

The first interview of the two was with Greg Mescall, the media relations manager for the USA Water Polo Association. Here’s a snippet:

Tell us how you got your position with the Water Polo Association and what your duties are in the position?

I got my position with USA Water Polo through luck I would have to say. When my time at my last job Wagner College was done I was searching all over for jobs and just happened to email USA Water Polo even though they had no openings. As it turned out the person in my position had just left and I called at exactly the right time before they could even post the job.

In my role I’m for the most part in charge of our website, usawaterpolo.org and the daily updating of that. Sometimes it’s a ton of updating, sometimes not as much. I’m the editor of Skip Shot magazine, a quarterly publication that serves our membership base with everything water polo related. I handle all media inquiries for USA Water Polo and our mediums whether it be the Olympic Teams, lower levels of the National Team, age group based tournaments or anything else that may come up. I also attend most of our major tournaments and assist in a media role there whether attempting to get media to cover the event or writing recaps, pa announcing, or whatever else may be needed. I have sold the occasional candy bar.

The other interview featured Bill Cook, the Director of Public Relations for the Trenton Thunder. Here is an excerpt of the interview:

As Director of PR, how do you find coverage of Minor League baseball in the following 3 areas: local media, national media, online media?

Historically, we’ve had great coverage from all of our local media. Four local daily papers run game stories and two actually have beat writers that cover us day in and day out. Our list of National media contacts has grown as we’ve been fortunate enough to host several big-name rehabs that attracted a lot of attention.

I’ve tried to accommodate the new online media outlets as much as possible, seeing that this is the future of how people get their news. One of our regular newspaper writers started a Thunder-specific blog last year. He has done a terrific job, which is evident in his many readers, giving us a very unique and successful media outlet.

May

18

Interview with Tim Bryant of FOX Sports Detroit

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Sports PR Blog is pleased to post an e-mail interview with Tim Bryant, the Director of Media Relations for FOX Sports Detroit. With over 25 years of experience in sports PR, Bryant knows his stuff and offers some great insight into his current job, past experiences, and career advice. Bryant has done PR for college athletics, NBA and NHL teams, and the International Hockey League as well as worked for a couple of newspapers as a reporter.

1) You have spent the last 11 years with FSDetroit as Director of Media Relations. What responsibilities do you have with your current position?

The most basic part of this position is to secure awareness through traditional and new media outlets  for FOX Sports Detroit programming, on-air personalities, top executives and community initiatives.  I wear several other hats, including:  keeping our web-based content updated, editing our company newsletter, as well as coordinating and writing the promotional and sales-related copy that gets read by our announcers during the course of a telecast.  This position also provides communication and research support to other departments (e.g. sales, marketing, production, programming) and pitches in to respond to viewer inquiries. I also serve on occasion as company spokesperson, and provide communications direction to executives and on-air personalities as they prepare to be the subject of an interview.

2) With more than 25 years of experience, you have had PR roles with numerous organizations at different levels. What was it like making the transition between different cities and sports? What tips would you give to someone adjusting to a new sports PR job in a different sport or city than their previous position?

Whenever shifting cities, I’ve found that that there is no subsitute for learning as much as you can, as quick as you can, about that particular market — learn about the newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, popular bloggers, etc.. Find out who does what at each media outlet, and reach out to those media members as soon as possible. Also reach out to other sports PR professionals in the area and use them as resources to help you get up to speed. Once you’ve researched the market and met a few folks, the adjustment doesn’t take long at all.

When changing markets or sports, I’ve always tried to stick with what worked in the previous locale. The city and/or sport may change, but the fundamentals of the job don’t. If you have a solid track record coming in, you will soon adjust to your new situation while enjoying the learning curve along the way. Also, rely on the experts within your company, such as a coach or executive who has many years in the business, and learn as much from them as possible.

If you know what you’re doing from a PR standpoint, nothing else should matter. When interviewing for my first job in hockey, I had to admit to the general manager that I was nothing more than a casual fan of the sport. His reply: “Good. We’ve got too many damn ‘experts’ around here as it is.” I’ve never forgotten that — it told me that they were interested in me for my PR/media relations skills, as opposed to my thoughts about how to fix the team’s power play!

3) While with San Jose, you and your staff received the Dick Dillman Press Box Award (best NHL media relations operation) three times in your four years there. What department characteristics and assistance did your staff have that resulted in the Professional Hockey Writers Association voting for your department?

Early in my career, it was instilled in me by my first boss that there was no substitute for quality media relations and it’s something I still believe in, even though the business has changed in many ways (now, the PR director is pulled in many different directions and the business if much more 24/7 in nature).

But in my mind, quality media relations means being willing to help the media in most any way you can, while always keeping the organization’s best interest in mind. Some examples: producing quality publications and press materials that the media can trust; knowing how to put on a news conference that informs and accommodates; providing effective pitches for story ideas (most print journalists appreciate good ideas and that you thought of them to write it); making media members feel welcome in your press box - especially those visiting from out-of-town; making your players/coaches/executives accessible to writers/broadcasters when possible; and never forgetting the “relations” part of media relations. The relationships with media members and other PR personnel, to me, are the best part of the business.

Bottom line: be helpful, not a hindrance.

4) Early in your career, you spent a good chunk of your time in the newspaper industry. What made you spend 8 years working in print media at some capacity and how did that help you later in your career?

Having worked in the newspaper business allowed me to have an understanding of the different needs of a beat writer, feature writer and columnist, and what the media relations department can do to help the journalist write an effective story/column.

It’s also good to have an understanding of what radio and TV journalists need to do their job effectively. It varies from medium-to-medium and it’s important that the PR person adjust their approach and execution accordingly.

Let’s say you’re conducting a news conference: If you’ve been able to meet the needs of a beat writer, a columnist, a radio reporter and a TV crew, you’ve had a good performance as a media relations professional and can appreciate what each media member needs to get out your message effectively.

5) What advice would you give to someone hoping to find a job in the sports PR industry? What experiences and character traits do you look for in a potential hire whether it’s for an internship or full-time position?

Are you organized? Efficient? Consistent? Personable? Good with detail? Do you understand that it’s not always a glamorous business?

Sure, it always helps to be a good writer and have creative ideas (and today, it REALLY helps to have a good understanding as to how to utilize new media/social media to your company’s benefit). But at the core, I’m more interested in the job/intern candidate that answers “yes” to the questions posed above. If that applies to you, I believe you’ve got a good chance to be a successful sports PR professional.

May

11

Interview with Jim Loria of the Sioux Falls Stampede

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Jim Loria, the president of Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL), took the time to answer six of my questions in an e-mail for Sports PR Blog readers. With 30 years of experience in the business side of hockey, Loria knows what he’s talking about and he was kind enough to share his opinions with me. You can check Loria out on Twitter and LinkedIn.

1) Your current job title is president of the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. What types of responsibilities are included with that title?
Even though I am President of the franchise, I do not get involved in the hockey operations nor offer any input. We keep that separate, which I have no problem. My sole focus is to administer the business side, where my chief responsibility is to lead the way in securing and finding new revenue opportunities. That would derive from all facets of ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, promotions, community programs, special events and social media developments.

2) You stress the importance of taking sales courses, if possible, while still in college. Why do you make that recommendation?
Years ago when I tried to move away from my job in hockey (and my resume at the time was strictly geared to PR), I had such a difficult time finding employment despite a decorated hockey management resume. I was even told in a job interview that my resume at the time stated “I Couldn’t Sell a French Fry” and this quote came from a sports driven advertising agency - which made it hurt even more! I started to understand that the key to my future was to find a way to become a “revenue generator”.  During my time in Washington, my Caps’ boss used to always preach to me that “I wouldn’t become ‘someone’ in my life until I totally understood how sales, marketing, community, promotions, special events, etc. , all intertwined and rely on each other to succeed!“

I must say, that it’s not a coincidence in the last few years, leading sports management teaching schools like Ohio University and Rice University are now implementing full fledged ”team sales work”  into their course curriculums!

3) Back in 1997, you ran the PR and Community Relations department for the Carolina Hurricanes. What job duties did that entail?
Creating and managing all special events, community relations, which included the team’s charitable foundation and public relations.

What made this position unique was that we were not only introducing a new sport to a city like Raleigh and to the state of North Carolina, but there were several large cities of the same size within 90 miles of our home base, so it was like developing multiple markets at the same time. What we did in one city, you sometimes had to duplicate that same effort in another. I remember that year putting on well over 30,000 miles in my car traveling the communities to promote the Hurricanes!

4) Your 17-20 year-old athletes are critical for your team’s success off-the-ice in Sioux Falls, SD.  What type of characteristics do you try to instill in these players and what off-ice responsibilities do they have with regards to the team?
We teach the players “how to smile!” The best part of my job at the junior hockey level, is that we (coaches, more so, and management) truly have an impact on our players’ personal lives.  You don’t get that feeling as much in the minor pros or in the big leagues because the agenda is totally different and the players look at their roles in much more of a business sense. In Junior Hockey, we recruit the players here as teenagers and watch them leave as mature young adults; many, who have changed from a shy person to an outgoing personality; one that now has a plan for life, be it as a career business person or as a hockey player with pro aspirations.

Our players constantly appear at elementary & middle schools locally, bringing a message to the kids on “how to be a good teammate!”  We have them on radio stations to learn how to deal with the media; our TV reporters provide the kids assistance in developing good interviewing skills. We’ve had cooking classes for the players. It’s an incredible well rounded education that you just don’t see at most levels of the sport.

5) You helped start the Stampede Foundation for Kids, which has raised over $500,000 for the community since its inception. What made you decide to create this foundation and what types of challenges/rewards have you had as a result?
Our Stampede Hockey “Foundation-For-Kids” distributes grants each year to a variety of local children’s charities.  From the inception of the franchise in 1999, we vowed that the club would be a good “teammate” to our community. One area that we could make the biggest contribution was through our Kids Foundation, to provide goodwill and financial support to those less fortunate. Our PLAYERS are HEROES to so many KIDS in this community! They can be difference makers and we teach our players (and organizational members) how to get involved.  We teach our players how to communicate.  Most importantly, our involvement in the community allows our fans numerous opportunities to meet our product – our players, who are our marketing agents.  The players can influence a customer quicker than any other form of advertising we purchase. They help enhance and shape our “company brand image”.

From the onset, we made it a goal that we would host one Stampede team event monthly during our seasonal play. This would feature each of our players and involve local charities (who receive 50% of the event net proceeds). This successful business model has raised and distributed over $500,000 to local charities in ten years. It’s quite a nice contribution, one  that we are immensely proud of as an organization and community citizen of Sioux Falls, SD!

6) What advice would you give to someone hoping to find a job in the sports PR field?
Expose yourself to all aspects. Internships are the best way. Don’t limit yourself to just one – do sample a few. Spend time honing your writing and speaking skills without question. Learn how to get in front of larger groups, especially your peers, and speak.  Communications is vital. Never slack off when it comes to communicating with your employer, your client & customers. You’d be amazed with how much equity you build up in the eyes of your customer/employer when you follow up on a task regularly and especially dealing with a situation/job task verbally versus e-mailing/texting in your response.

On the flip side, you can have the most decorated resume in the world but if you can’t “smile”… “look someone in the eyes”… “effectively communicate”, than the resume is wasted. I don’t think I am off base by saying that with most employers today, your resume (or referral contact) can get you the interview, but it’s that first glimpse of you & the employer when you first meet that probably cinches half of the door opening up for you or staying closed. How you dress matters! Just like a meal at a restaurant. First time your eyes gaze on the look of the meal delivered by the wait staff member will make your taste buds ramp up or turn off.

That’s why internships are so important. You are on display everyday. Your work is measured. Your ability to figure things out. Do you come up with solutions for problems you may incur or complain? Do you get along with others internally & mesh in with all departments?  I’d rather teach someone knowing that the individual & I connected the dots to one another, than take a resume star who’s on another agenda.

Mar

23

Interview with Brian Gleason

Filed Under Interviews, Sports PR | 4 Comments

This week, Sports PR Blog is pleased to present an interview with Brian Gleason (@BGleas), who is a former media relations coordinator and intern for the Boston Celtics. In total, he spent over four years working for the team in some capacity. He talked about sports PR and his responsibilities with the Celtics. If you want to read more of what he has to say about sports public relations, please check out his PR in Sports blog.

1) You spent nearly four years as the media relations coordinator for the Boston Celtics after a stint as a media relations intern for the team. How did you land the internship and then how did you move up to the paid position?

As the story usually goes, I landed my internship with some help. My uncle was friends with a member of the Boston sports media, and he mentioned to the reporter that I played basketball, loved the NBA and was a marketing major. The reporter introduced him to the head of PR for the Celtics and we got some information about the internships they offered and how to apply. The rest is history.

As far as landing the full-time job, I think I had an advantage as an intern. I didn’t go to college in Boston.  I moved to Boston for the internship, so that was my sole reason for being there. Due to that, I made myself available at all times. I came in on weekends and holidays, stayed late on game nights, and let them know from the start that working in the NBA was the reason I was there. Then, as luck would have it, shortly after my internship ended a person on the full-time staff moved on and they called me. Two weeks later I was the Media Relations Coordinator!

2) One of your job requirements was to develop story ideas that could be pitched to the media. What tips do you have for people working in sports PR when trying to come up with these ideas?

The on-court or on-field stories are covered by the beat reporters on a daily basis, so as far as pitching goes, I recommend really getting to know the players. Learn about their lives, where they come from and what their interests are. I don’t mean become their buddy or hangout with them, but through working with them, build a relationship. Find something compelling that would interest lifestyle reporters or an audience that your team isn’t in front of on a daily basis. Also, get to know some of the national reporters when they come to town and drop interesting nuggets about players you might want to get some extra publicity for. That will help land features on ESPN, in Sports Illustrated or similar outlets.

3) How did your job responsibilities differ when you were working a home game versus when you were traveling with the team? How would you describe your day and your duties on an average road trip?

I’ll try to be brief, since so much goes into a game day! Home games are really a completely different animal than a road game. At home you’re running the show as far as the media goes. You’re dealing with credential requests, media seating charts, game notes and making sure both home and away TV and radio are taken care of, and that’s just during the day. At the game you’re making sure your players are available, helping out the visiting PR person and in general just putting out fires.

The road is a much slower pace during the day, you might have one or two beat writers that travel with your team, so your day is basically shoot-around and preparing to go to the arena . I always like to head to the arena a little early to get some of the details out of the way, because something is always going to come up that you’re not anticipating, and you won’t have your staff there for backup. On the road you may get a few random requests from members of the home media, but for the most part you just make sure everyone is available pre/postgame, and the coaches get all of the stats they need. Another aspect of the road is dealing with player tickets, which can be a real headache when you have real PR issues to attend to. Each player receives two tickets however they all seem to want 10. But, you can use the ticket process to your advantage. If you help a player out with tickets you always have that in your back pocket the next time you need them to do an interview they may not want too.

4) What was the most challenging aspect of your job? Most rewarding?

The most challenging aspect of the job was gaining the trust of the players and media. Obviously, a huge part of the job is handling media requests and delivering players to the media. When you first start working for a team, especially at the entry level, it can take some time to gain their trust. But, once you do, the job becomes much easier, and much more enjoyable.

The most rewarding aspect of the job was the camaraderie and getting to know and work with all of the wonderful PR people for the different teams and the league office. It really is like a fraternity. When your the home team you bend over backwards for the visiting PR person, and when you’re on the road you know you can get a helping hand if you need one.

5) What advice would you give to people hoping to find a job in sports PR? What skills and experiences do students need to have to qualify for these entry-level positions?

The best way to break into sports marketing or PR in my opinion is to do an internship, but the key is to bust your butt while you’re there. Working for a professional sports team is a huge time commitment for employees, so anything you can do to alleviate that for the people you’re interning for is huge, and will make them remember you. During an internship make yourself available to the visiting PR people on game nights as well. Don’t go overboard to the point where you’re pandering, but introduce yourself, let them know who you are and make yourself available should they need anything. Also, check in once or twice during the game to see if they need anything.

Lastly, when your internship is done continue to follow-up and make yourself available for game night help. PR staffs for teams are always looking for game night help that has experience, but is willing to come in for free.

Mar

18

Interview with Derek Garduño of the Utah Jazz

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Sports PR Blog is honored to have another interview for you this week with today’s post featuring Derek Garduño, the manager of media relations for the Utah Jazz. He took time out of his very busy schedule to answer some questions about sports public relations for this blog.

1) You started off as a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune before transitioning to media relations with the Utah Jazz. What motivated you to make the switch?

During college I started interning with the Utah Jazz communications department as a sophomore while I was also working at the Salt Lake Tribune as a sports assistant. About midway through the first year of my internship (I can literally remember the moment) it hit me that sports PR (specifically the NBA) was exactly what I wanted to do for a living. I enjoyed writing but I had figured out journalism wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to do for a career. So I spent the remainder of my time in college building my resume towards that goal. I continued my internship with the Jazz, continued to work at the Tribune and changed my major from English to a double major in communications and journalism.

The reason for the switch was really due to my background. I played basketball growing up and could never get enough of the NBA. Sports PR was a great fit because I really enjoy working with a variety of people. PR departments also work the closest with general managers, coaching staffs and players. That was a great dynamic that interested me from the start.

2) How does your background as a journalist help you with your job today? What types of skills are crucial for someone working in media relations?

I think my background in journalism has helped me immensely. I remember what it was like trying to track down information on a tight deadline. I’ll never forget covering high school games, keeping my own play-by-play and box score while also trying not to lose track of the game. Then postgame I would be chasing down players for interviews while also trying to keep an eye on the head coach so I could finish up my questions.

The NBA is an entire different level; we have reliable box scores/play-by-plays, set times for media availability, etc. But the basics of how to help the media do their jobs more efficiently is what separates good media relations from the bad or even average. For me, I realized fairly early in my career that in most cases the media is working the same long hours that I am and for the same reason – they enjoy what they do. The difference between doing the bare minimum and making a conscious effort to try and improve your media relations is where the separation lies. I’m obviously biased but I think our department does a tremendous job in this regard. We’re constantly looking for ways to streamline things that make covering the Jazz and our other properties easier and more efficient. For example, we just launched a Web site built specifically for the media. Some of it takes what’s available in various places on NBA websites and pulls it to one place. It includes our game notes, rosters, practice times, injury updates, visiting team PR contacts, postgame quotes/sound, etc. It’s a one-stop shop for anything you would need to cover the Jazz. We are the third team in the NBA to launch a site like this and I’m really proud of the work our department did putting it together.

3) Has the struggling newspaper industry affected how Utah’s media relations department handles media inquiries and/or is it taken into consideration when pitching a story to the media?

Our Vice President of Communications, Linda Luchetti, has been phenomenal in addressing the struggling newspaper industry with our department. She took the time last summer to meet with local editors and find out what we could do to help make covering the Jazz and our other properties easier since most newspapers are short staffed. The luxury we have is that we are the only of the four major sports in the state. There is a split of BYU and Utah fans here but the team most of the state agrees on is the Jazz. Linda has encouraged us to develop new ideas (such as our online pressroom) to help maintain the coverage we have and grow new opportunities.

When pitching a story or accommodating the media we try and go the extra mile. Whether that be asking a player questions that a member of the media emails us which we can then send back in an audio file or making members of our front office available to shed a different point of view on various topics. If their first request isn’t a possibility we want to try and find an alternate route that may work.

4) Many professional sports teams are turning to the Internet to directly reach their fans as well as the media whether it’s through Twitter, Facebook, their own social networking website or online media newsrooms. The Jazz has already harnessed social media with official team accounts of its own including Jazzbots. When did the team starting using social media and what made your organization want to do so? Which department is responsible for handling the team’s presence on these various platforms?

Since this question really was more related to our Web site I asked Jared Conger, our internet marketing coordinator to share his thoughts.

Currently our marketing department handles the online presences. The team opened Jazzbots in October 2007. The other social networking entities were created in July 2008, with the exception of Twitter which was opened in January 2009.

If a team does not create an “official presence” within these various sites, it leaves them open for the public to create pages of their own which can often be misconstrued to be an “official” site; you then can run into false information being leaked as well as teams losing website traffic. There are also different genre’s of fans that may not be visiting the official team properties, these various mediums give you the chance to reach out to them and build a fan relationship with the franchise; you also open up your branding to the world a little bit more with more exposure.

5) What advice would you give to individuals hoping to find a job in the field of sports public relations?

Gain experience through internships, realize you may have to move and stay determined.

Quality internships, which are becoming more competitive to attain, are a great way to not only improve your resume but help determine if sports PR is for you. Spend a season working nights, weekends, holidays and odd hours to figure out if this really is the career path you want to pursue. It isn’t for everyone.

I’m very lucky to work for the team I grew up following as a kid but I applied plenty of places around the country when I graduated from college and was prepared to move. There are not a surplus of jobs in sports PR and the wider you open your job search the better chance you’ll have at finding one.

Lastly, as I’m sure most of your readers already know this is a tough industry to break into. Stay positive and keep working towards your goal. I know it sounds corny but it’s true, few people get the first job they apply for and I was in the same boat. You constantly have to look for ways to gain experience when you don’t have that full-time job you’re seeking. Explore writing opportunities with local newspapers, look at internships with television stations and don’t rule out PR agencies either. Sports PR has evolved from straight sports information to include a more traditional corporate PR influence. All of the stats, game notes, bios, etc. are still expected but the business side of sports continues to warrant a need for public relations as well.

Mar

16

Interview with John Sternal of Sternal Consulting

Filed Under Career, Interviews, Sports PR, Tips | 1 Comment

Today, I’m excited to post the e-mail interview I conducted with John Sternal last week. Sternal (@sternalpr) has over 15 years of PR experience. After graduating from the University of South Florida in 1996, he joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as the Media Information Manager. His duties included “handling all media requests for players, coaches and management.” In addition, he also “served as chief statistician during the season and was the main editor of the annual media guide.” While Sternal no longer works for a sports team, he was willing to share his experiences about his team with the Lightning and offered up some tips for those of us hoping to get into the field.

1) As someone who has worked in sports PR as well as the PR agency side, what would you say are two of the biggest differences between these two subsets of PR?

Sports PR is much more reactive. You constantly have reporters chasing you down for stories, information and access to your property. On the PR Agency side, you are more proactive with your PR. As the Agency, you are the one chasing down reporters, producers and journalists to pitch your story and get them interested in writing about you. Each side is challenging in its own way since you’re juggling many hats and using some sales skill when working with reporters.

2) What was the most rewarding aspect of working in sports PR? Most challenging?

The most rewarding, from a PR perspective, is the many contacts you make - on the sports side of things and on the media side. It’s great to look at your rolodex several years into a sports gig and realize you know, and have worked with, pretty much everyone. The most challenging is to realize that you’re representing highly paid athletes and entertainers that often times don’t understand what it takes to do effective PR. They just don’t understand the value of what PR does for an organization. Because of this, it can be challenging.

3) I know that things are always changing if you work in sports PR, but how would you describe your average non-game day? Average game day at home and then on the road?

Non-game days are your typical 9-5 days (with the exception of preparing for other big arena events the next day, if necessary). Non-game days are when you get a chance to get caught up on all of your desk work, prepare game notes or other items for the next game and re-connect with issues happening around the rest of the organization.

Game days are a mess. Morning skate and media relations each morning, finalize game notes and other interview coordination in the afternoons, then it’s the madness of in-game PR duties in the evening. On game days I wouldn’t normally leave the arena until about 11:30 p.m.

While traveling everything is usually condensed down because you’re on a tight travel schedule. You still have the normal game-day routines but it’s more relaxed in the afternoons since you’re not hosting the game. The visiting team is out of the arena 45 minutes after the game heading out to catch the plane and on to the next city or home. But it gets pretty exhausting while traveling, plus the adrenaline and excitement of being with the team, so by the end of the year you feel like you’ve aged five times in six months. For playoffs, multiply everything I just said times 10,000.

4) During your time with the Lightning, did you experience any crisis situations where your department had to act quickly? What tips do you have for handling crises in sport?

John Cullen was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma while I was with the Lightning. It was a very sad series of events which ultimately ended on a positive note when he went into remission. The most challenging part of the ordeal was getting the media to respect his privacy after he gave lots of access at the initial press conference. You have to juggle getting the information out while also respecting the player’s privacy.

5) What advice would you give to individuals hoping to find a job in the field of sports public relations? How did you land your position with the Lightning?

Get noticed. It’s like any other job opportunity. You have to build a relationship with people within the organization - but you have to do it without coming off as being a “fan.” You’re a professional. You’re passionate about the sport. But you can’t create an impression that you’re only there to get close to the players. Be relentless at getting an internship, at any time during the year, and be an incredible professional during that time and learn as much as you can and build great professional relationships with people on staff. They will notice you and find a place for you if you are good because there is so much turnover after every single season. One more word of advice: If you are lucky enough to get on full time, don’t ever look at your paycheck because it will always put you in a bad mood lol.

Feb

10

Interview with John Fuller of Full Athlete Marketing

Filed Under Community Relations, Event, Interviews, Sports PR | Leave a Comment

Back in mid-January, I had the pleasure to volunteer at the Grand Kids Foundation Celebrity Shoot-out. Grand Kids Foundation is the foundation of Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson and was created in an effort to enforce educational initiatives to youth and to help bring the sport of baseball back to the nation’s inner cities. The Celebrity Shoot-out event featured some fantastic athletes and entertainers as they competed in a charity basketball game to raise money for Granderson’s foundation. While assisting John Fuller during the event, I got to observe him in action as he did everything from helping the media to dealing with the participants to putting up signs for the event sponsors. He agreed to answer five questions about what he does for this blog so here it goes:

1) You founded Full Athlete Marketing in 2005. What made you want to start F.A.M. and how did your prior work experiences help prepare you to do so?

I’ve always had a passion for sports, but in a different way. I played football and wrestled growing up, but coming through high school I had a dream of being a sports broadcaster. My career evolved from a journalist at InterMatWrestle.com to a Media Relations and Public Relations Coordinator under the U.S. Olympic Committee. It was in working with amateur athletes that don’t always receive the recognition they deserve, at least year-round, that my passion for publicizing their stories grew.

Following the 2004 Olympic Games, I began to look into different directions my career would follow, and professional sports was the next progression. I was not always sure if I wanted to work with a team or with individual athletes. I began working with a few NFL players here and there on different initiatives, including Terrell Owens and Cato June. The natural step for me was to branch off on my own, so in late 2005, I did just that.

2) F.A.M. works to create a strategic integrated PR and marketing plan to generate strong publicity for its clients. Positive publicity can obviously lead to endorsement deals and help in contract negotiations. What types of activities have proven to be an effective way of boosting an athlete’s brand and image?

I think the key in boosting an athlete’s brand and image is to not only ensure positive publicity, but to also not force positive publicity. The American public as a whole doesn’t always respond to the “good guy” stories, especially when it is covering the same person. If you overexpose it, then some people feel it comes off as fake. I require every client of mine to be involved with their community in some way. Some have been more involved than others, but it is important for them to know that helping their community is a responsibility as a professional athlete, whether they want it or not.

Obviously outside of community work, exposure then has to come based on that individual athlete’s potential. When I first met Curtis Granderson, I felt as though he would be a great broadcaster. Unfortunately, the Tigers did not make the playoffs in 2007, so that was an avenue I explored with Curtis.

Some clients I’ve had in the past were not great public speakers. That is not a knock on them. They were never taught the rights and wrongs of that profession. But it doesn’t mean they can’t still speak to business leaders, schools at all levels, etc… You just have to cater it to their style to make everyone feel more comfortable.

It is important to remember also that each athlete is different. Cookie cutter PR plans don’t exist in my world. I want to meet that client, meet their family, know the things that make that person tick. Some athletes prefer a bad-boy image and some prefer the All-American image. People in general have different tastes in all realms of life. You must find the right avenue for that individual athlete to maximize their brand and exposure opportunities.

3) Obviously not every athlete should run their own charitable foundation. What makes athlete foundations like Curtis Granderson’s so effective both within the community and as a brand builder for Granderson?

It is effective because it has never been used as a brand builder for Curtis. Many athletes start their own foundations, but not all of them have a passion for running it. I think sports fans and businesses in general can sense when the athlete’s heart isn’t behind the foundation.

Right now, there also seem to be trends in professional sports about foundations. The vast majority of them seem to center around diseases of some kind. Don’t get me wrong, these are great causes. For example, Olympic figure skater Kimmie Meissner has an amazing charity called the Cool Kids Campaign (www.coolkidscampaign.org) that assists patients in children’s oncology units. But I do think that with so many out there, the public has trouble figuring out which one is right for them to work with and where they can trust that their money will be best utilized.

Curtis went with his passion - education. Both of his parents are educators. His sister is a college professor at Jackson State University. Only a handful of MLB players have a college degree. And with him playing in possibly the nation’s hardest-hit state economically, it is a no-brainer for him to try to work with the schools not only in Detroit, but in all of Michigan’s inner cities. Education is something that is often overlooked, especially for elementary and middle school students. Not only is their knowledge shaped at this age, but so are their values. Unfortunately, the need existed for him to start his own foundation so he could ensure that the funds he is bringing in to help these children are going to the right place.

4) I know you have reached out to bloggers covering the Detroit Tigers with an opportunity to interview Granderson for their blogs before a Grand Kids Foundation event. Why do you think it’s important to reach out to bloggers as well as your traditional print and TV media? Do you have any suggestions regarding blogger relations?

Well, regardless of what many print and TV media members think, there are a large number of bloggers with valuable insight and journalistic values. The perception exists among traditional journalists that a blogger isn’t in the locker room as much as they are, so they can not possibly offer any valuable information. I look at bloggers as ombudsmen. They are now in place to keep the traditional journalists honest.

When I wake up in the morning, I check four web pages first - my e-mail, Yahoo!, The Big Lead and Deadspin. I usually have a pretty good idea of what is happening in the world once I do that. The blogger is in a sense the voice of the people. If my job is to grow Curtis’ fan base (which he does a good enough job of doing on his own), then why wouldn’t I bring him closer to the people?

Sports fans over generations have only truly asked for one thing - to be able to relate to the players they root for on some level. If a fan reads in Curtis’ blog, or in one of his blogger interviews, that he loves McDonald’s Dollar Menu, or that he shops at Meijer and Wal-Mart regularly, that makes them feel a lot closer to him as a person. It helps them to realize that even though he makes a lot more money than the rest of us and has a job many of us dream about, he is still just a regular guy with regular responsibilities.

I would advise representatives to proceed with caution, though. Just because someone has a blog doesn’t mean they are a journalist. It’s not a black and white profession. Many exist just to destroy images. I would simply recommend doing your homework before agreeing to work with blogs. There is a network of blogs that I have established great relationships with. Like any other relationship, you must build that sense of trust when working with them. Unlike print or TV journalists, the odds are that you will never meet in person the blogger.

5) What advice would you give to individuals hoping to work in the field of sports public relations?

This is easy - intern, intern, intern! I never was an intern, but I’ve had many work under me. This is experience that is invaluable. Not only do you learn the tricks of the trade, but you also develop key relationships that will guide you throughout your life.

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