B O BBY BOL AND BE TSY BROAD WATER KE LLY CARRAS CO R I CH FARNES BR E CCA JOH NS ON J IMM Y LEBL ANC DAVID S TAUFFER DA N TYGARD ROB WIT T
TABLE OF CONTENTS OUTLINE....................................................... 1 SITUATION ANALYSIS................................. 3 SWOT............................................................ 5 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS............................. 7 RESEARCH................................................... 9 CONSUMER INSIGHT................................ 15 BRAND INSIGHT........................................ 15 STRATEGY STATEMENT............................. 16 CREATIVE BRIEF........................................ 17 CREATIVE STRATEGY................................ 19 SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN................................ 21 CREATIVE EXECUTIONS........................... 31 BUDGET SUMMARY.................................. 50 FLOW CHART............................................. 51
OUTLINE
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t the heart of Los Angeles, there is a community of passionate people who look at the game of basketball with a proud sense of loyalty. It isn’t the fame nor celebrity status that draws them to the court. These passionate fans need someone to call their hometown hero.
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The LA Clippers are a team built from generations of diligence and courage with an inherent drive to play the game the way it should be. They are the team of Los Angeles, they are ClipNation.
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SITUATION ANALYSIS
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he Los Angeles Clippers have long been the forgotten team of LA. Playing in the shadow of the storied Lakers franchise, the Clippers have only recently stepped into the limelight of success. LA residents have flocked to the Lakers with each new banner the Lakers have hung from their rafters. But Clippers fans have remained loyal. They are in fact considered some of the most loyal fans in the NBA. Clippers fans have cheered for the underdog for the past 28 years.
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With only their second playoff appearance in 15 years coming last season, the Clippers are looking to replicate and build on their postseason success. The Clippers face a challenge as they expand their presence in an already crowded LA market. The Lakers control much of the market, but not all. Hollywood attractions, Disney theme parks and other LA sports teams all own a piece of the market. The Clippers need to focus on sports fans and position themselves as the “hometown� NBA team. 4
SWOT ANALYSIS CLIPPERS SWOT
S
Up-in-coming NBA team Fresh exciting, competitive talent Players more concerned with success of the team, rather than outshining the team Early success this season Considered a Top 5 team, according to ESPN Power Rankings Good fan attendance (Season Ticket plans sold out)
W
Long history of losing records Donald Sterling is considered by critics to be an awful owner, lacking respect from his peers and many players Numerous players are injured or overcoming injuries (Hill, Billups, Griffin, Paul) Fan perception of Vinny Del Negro is perhaps changing too slowly with the team’s success
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Grow the fan base to create a lasting loyalty to the team Provide a tighter sense of community throughout LA The Lakers are struggling early in the season; opportunity to “win over” some of their less loyal fans Position Clippers tickets at a rate more affordable than Lakers tickets to generate more sales
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Star players’ free agency Sharing a city with one of the most successful NBA franchises Other LA sports team including the Angels and Dodgers (MLB), Ducks and Kings (NHL), Galaxy and Chivas (MLS) Other forms of entertainment (theme parks, movie premiers, clubs, etc.) Previous economic recession and possible future recession leave LA residents less discretionary income
LAKERS SWOT
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS STRENGTHS The team and many players are well-known around the globe (more than 14.7 million likes on Facebook) The franchise has loads of money to pay some of the best players in the NBA (Most valuable NBA Franchise- $900 Million) One of the most successful NBA franchises with 16 NBA Championships There is a wait list to purchase season tickets (so popular/high demand) WEAKNESSES Recruiting/having too many superstars can create chaos on the court Players want to outshine the team Plenty of LA Laker haters who despise them They aren’t upholding their reputation as a perpetually winning team this season
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he Lakers have a prominent LA following. They have won more than a dozen championships, and consequently, won much of the Los Angeles community’s heart. The fact that the Clippers share an arena with the Lakers makes them the most obvious competitor.
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OPPORTUNITIES Recruit the top players to improve the team Use of celebrities Maximize “National Team”with fans all over the US and world (location doesn’t matter) THREATS Several other talented NBA teams are giving the Lakers a run for their money Multiple rivals throughout the NBA (i.e. Celtics, Spurs, Clippers-locally) Up-in-coming teams like the LA Clippers!
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RESEARCH PRIMARY RESEARCH
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n order to obtain rich perceptions and insights about the Clippers, we conducted in-depth interviews and ran a survey based on our secondary research. From our in-depth interviews we discovered that Clippers fans value the fact that being a Clippers fan means more than simply following the popular mainstream team. It means suffering through the hard times, ever-loyal to a team they feel strongly connected to. They feel a sense of community through this connection, immediately bonded to fellow fans who value authentic basketball. “I’m a Clipper fan because Clipper fans are real. When I was growing up, I could have chose to root for the other LA team, but everybody in the country liked that team. I wanted my team to be MY team, through the good times and the bad. I wanted my team to be uniquely LA. It was part of who I was, where I was from, and the community I was raised in. Being a Clipper fan meant I was part of the LA community.” -Andrew Hermansen
The survey also led us to several insights about overall perception of the Clippers. The following are the top insights we gleaned: 1. People perceive the Clippers as up-and-coming (55%), exciting (52%), talented (51%), and another descriptive chosen was “overshadowed.” 2. Those surveyed believed the Clippers would make it to the second round of playoffs (32%), whereas others had no idea (30%). There is definitely an opportunity to educate. 3. Internet was the number one answer for people getting their sports-related information. 4. Top three social media were Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 9
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RESEARCH CONT. SECONDARY RESEARCH
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hrough our secondary research we learned that the Clippers have the most loyal fans in the league, according to Wall Street Journal.
We also learned that the Clippers averaged a higher attendance than the Lakers, according to ESPN.
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MARKET RESEARCH
LA COUNTY RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS
Lower to middle income ($20k-$50k) 48% Hispanic, 28% White, 13% Asian Median age is 34 years Employed in service and healthcare industries, local government, office/ administrative support Unemployment is higher than the national average Careful with their money Value family; many living in multigenerational homes Eat out ccasionally; mostly fast food and/or buffets TV is a big source of entertainment primarily watching sports, courtroom shows, & news Not regular attendees of sporting events, but occasionally go Visit themes parks occasionally
Works Cited:
Allison, Pam. Strategy, Marketing, and Location. 25 June 2012. Web. 1 November 2012. Cubit Planning, Inc. “Los Angeles County, CA Demographics.” Census Data. 2012. Web. esri. Tapestry Segementation. Reference Guide. Redlands: Esri, 2011. Web.
LA County has 9.8 million residents. Nineteen percent of the population watches basketball on television, equaling 1.86 million viewers. The most avid basketball viewers live the zip codes 90089 and 92617. Residents in these two zip codes are 60% more likely to watch basketball on TV than other LA County residents.
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CONSUMER INSIGHT
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ur key consumer insight is that those who are already Clippers fans are dedicated to the team through the highs and lows and will continue to remain brand loyal. There is also a great opportunity to retrieve those undecided basketball fans living in LA who are seeking a home team and sense of community.
BRAND INSIGHT
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he Clippers are an exciting team that can target the hearts of the community, not just the pocket books. 15
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STRATEGY STATEMENT
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or the LA sports fans craving a hometown hero to call their own, Clip Nation is powering forward with exciting talent that unites the LA community.
CREATIVE BRIEF ADVERTISING OBJECTIVE:
SUPPORT:
TARGET:
TONE:
INSIGHT:
CREATIVE ASSIGNMENT:
Create “buzz” about the Clippers in the digital space, specifically social media. Increase fan base as well as brand advocacy. Transform the city of LA into ClipNation.
The LA Clippers have a history that resonates with the LA middle class. For them, the daily grind is what has made them great. “Never give up”- they have been true clippers fans even when they were really terrible.
LA locals as well as surrounding areas. Males aged 18-65. Not necessarily Lakers haters, but basketball lovers who love the game for the game.
Without the Clippers, LA doesn’t have a home team.
Old-School Exciting, progression, up-tempo, never give up Community feeling – images of iconic LA and neighborhoods
Transform the city of LA into ClipNation by creating powerful outdoor advertising that drives home the brand and history. Create a buzz around the team and star players; Blake Griffin and Chris Paul by encouraging user interaction on social media.
PROMISE:
The LA community will take on a new personality; ClipNation. A community of loyal, passionate fans who deserve to share in the success of a good team.
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CREATIVE STRATEGY TASK:
Create buzz for the LA Clippers through a variety of social media outlets that leads to ticket sales and brand loyalty.
TRUTH:
Although Los Angeles has two basketball teams, the city really only has one hometown team: the LA Clippers.
MANIFESTO:
LA is what we call home. It’s a place where we work, not just to live, but to thrive. It’s a place to rally around the home team. More than a city, ClipNation unites us under one passion, basketball.
ARTICULATION: Own It- ClipNation
BIG IDEA:
Transform LA into ClipNation by building a sense of community around the LA Clippers. ClipNation will unite all Clipper fans, those who are proud of their team, and those that are more hesitant to show it.
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SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN
MICROSITE
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aving a real home team makes a city a better place. This campaign will unite all social media outlets in an effort to make LA a better hometown. The Clippers will reward social media participation with community-unifying and city-building events. Players, owners, city leaders, fans and news outlets will gather to clean, feed and build the city of LA. The campaign will direct all traditional advertising to a Clippers microsite with a video collage functioning as a puzzle showing different contests via different social media outlets. Each piece of the puzzle will count down social media participation until 1000 people have participated. Once the Instagram contest reaches a 1000, a video will stream a player announcing the community-unifying event with the team. Then the second contest will start via Facebook, reach a 1000, unveil the next event, and then the Twitter contest will begin and unveil another community-unifying event in LA. After the completion of all the social media contests and events, all the participants will be entered into a raffle to either win a ride for themselves and one other person on the ClipNation bus to a game, or tickets to an exclusive Clippers scrimmage.
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he first 1000 people who instagram a “clipped out� photobomb picture, hashtagging #ClipNation will be entered into a raffle. Winners will be rewarded with their picture on the jumbotron during a Clippers game. After 1000 photos are submitted, the Instagram puzzle piece will unveil the first community event which will be a canned food drive led by the players on [Saturday, March 16, 2013] at the Staples Center. The number of cans they donate will earn them different rewards:
1: entrance 5: poster 50: tickets 100+: meet the player
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un a contest through the ClipNation Facebook page for fans to post pictures themed “how clipped out are you.� The goal is to show off the most elaborate and eccentric ways fans show their fanship. After the first 1000 photos are submitted, the ClipNation puzzle piece will unveil the next community event which will be a beach cleanup led by the players on [Saturday, March 30, 2013] at the Santa Monica pier.
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un a Twitter contest where participants must “follow� the Los Angeles Clippers on Twitter and tweet their favorite LA Clippers memory to @LosAngelesClippers. Post must be in one tweet (140 characters) where participants describe their favorite memory or moment of being a Clipper fan. After 1000 tweets are submitted, the twitter puzzle piece will unveil the third community event which will be a volunteer project to help restore various outdoor basketball courts in underprivileged LA neighborhoods.
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VIP SCRIMMAGE
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nce all of the social media pieces have been unlocked, a final video will be revealed as a reward to all who participated in the contest. Those whoe participated in the Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook contests will be entered into a raffle to attend an exclusive LA Clippers practice and scrimmage at the Staples Center. The participants will be able to sit in the first few rows around the court and experience the scrimmage in VIP seating. This reward will remain secret to participants until the final video is unlocked.
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ONLINE
We will utilize banner ads and other ad space to loop stop-motion videos of different places transforming into ClipNation.
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Double-sided print ads will show the transformation of LA into ClipNation through different settings. One view shows a plain, normal setting. then you pull the tab and watch the image flip to reveal the transformation of ClipNation.
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TV & RADIO
TV
RADIO
Time Lapse of Transformation into ClipNation Office Cubicle Local Sports Bar Fan Store
ClipNation Radio Station: “Listen up ClipNation. It’s time to show our love for the community and our home team. Join us as we transform LA into ClipNation with a series of community-building challenges. To get things started will be photobombing LA, find out more at #ClipNation and www.clipnation.com”
VO: “It’s been in the works for quite some time now. It’s what we’ve been wanting, and working for. We rally behind one team. Own It-ClipNation. Join the community and get involved in the building of ClipNation. Our first challenge, Photobomb LA, find out more at #ClipNation and www.clipnation.com.”
PANDORA Announcer- “A place to call home. Where we work not just to live, but to thrive. We rally around one team. Own It-ClipNation.” Blake Griffin- “Hey, it’s Blake. Listen to my pre-game playlist. The beats and jams I listen to before we take the court for you. Only on Pandora, only for ClipNation.”
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OUT OF HOME
We will utilize billboards, bus wraps, and large building banners to remind our target audience of our digital campaign and that LA is ClipNation.
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OUT OF HOME
In the LAX airport, we will place decals on the steps of the escalators. Consecutive stairs will read “Join, The, Nation, clipnation.com.� The top and bottom of the escalator will have a basketball hoop backboard with the clipper symbol. 41
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PROMOTIONS
PANDORA PARTNERSHIP
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he Clippers will partner with Pandora creating a Clippers Station. This station will give Clippers stats, scores, and news. Before the games, it will stream playlists containing songs the players listen to before playing. While people are driving to games, they’ll be able to pre-game “with” the players by getting pumped up to the same tunes. During the game, there will be live radio feed of the game on the Pandora station, complete with play-byplay, player and game stats. The channel will feature pre- and post-game exclusive interviews with team members. Because of the jersey sponsorship with Kia Motors, the ads between content on this channel will be for Kia.
CLIPPED OUT BUSES
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everal “Clipped Out” buses will caravan fans to the game. The buses will be playing the Clippers Pandora station and have free T-shirts on the seats for the lucky riders. Passengers will be selected through a raffle from the social media contests. This will create a feeling of unity, while motivating people to participate in our social media activities.
TARGET
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arget stores in the Los Angeles area will be “Clipped Out” as a part of the transormation of LA. The floors will have court decals, and we will set up a hoop and backboard with the Clippers logo on it in the store. Clippers gear—jerseys, home décor, apparel, and other Clipper memorabilia will be stocked in shelves in the sports department.
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JERSEY SPONSORSHIP
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he proposed 2x2 advertising patch on NBA jerseys for the 2013-2014 season is an economically smart business decision for the NBA and its teams. NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver believes the 2x2 patches could generate as much as $100 million for the league. We will not engage in the debate on the fairest manner in dividing that sum, but rather propose a sponsor and a sponsorship fee for the Clippers as well as address the loudest concern from critics of the proposed 2x2 patch. Fans who are critics of advertising appearing on NBA jerseys complain the league and their team is “selling out.” Fans forget the league is a business, and like any business, must 45
adapt and adequately utilize sensible means of monetization. These fans have loudly voiced their opinion on message boards and commented on articles regarding the 2x2 patch. Many fans think no one will buy the new jerseys if there are corporate sponsorships on them. These fans have a legitimate complaint and yes, it is true the NBA will be selling a small portion of their jerseys to corporate sponsorships. But this has never adversely affected sports teams or jersey sales throughout the world. Soccer teams in Europe have long had a corporate sponsor on their jersey. Their sponsor is not 2x2 inches, but instead takes the entire top front of the jersey. Manchester United sold 1.5 million jerseys last year with their total merchandising sales at $132 million. They will begin a jersey sponsorship with Chevrolet in two years worth over $64 million per year. We propose the LA Clippers partner with Kia Motors for their jersey sponsorship. Kia is already a sponsor of the Clippers and it would be a natural extension to proudly have their logo on each Clipper jersey. Kia also sponsors the 46
NBA, All Star Weekend, the MVP award, and NBA Cares. With Griffin and Paul as likely All Stars, a jersey sponsorship would complement and amplify the Kia brand. The NBA Cares also fits into the major theme of our campaign – community. By having Kia further associated with the Clippers and the service work integrated into our campaign, Kia will build their brand in LA communities. Lastly, Kia and Hyundai account for only 8.4% of California car sales. Kia is far behind Toyota (21%) in California sales. An opportunity to grow the Kia brand in California through jersey sales would be powerful. With 30 teams in the league and an estimated $100 million potential, we propose a $6 million sponsorship fee from Kia Motors to have their logo worn on each Clipper jersey. The Clippers have two players, Griffin and Paul, whose jerseys sales are ninth and fifteenth in the United States. Griffin’s jersey sales are also ninth internationally. With continued success of the Clippers this season, and in future seasons, Clipper jersey sales will grow, not only in Los Angeles, but internationally as well.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
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he central focus of our campaign is community. Reaching communities in an intimate and sincere manner will amplify our message and increase buzz. We will influence and inform LA residents of the various facets of our campaign by having a trusted local newscaster share our message in the residents’ native language. Many of the service activities take place in areas that will unite communities: parks, beaches, neighborhood courts, etc. Using local news and radio stations to inform communities of what will be occurring, or have occurred, in their neighborhood is a natural extension of our campaign. Through Press Releases and Video News Releases (VNRs), ClipNation will create buzz, awareness, and excitement for the media campaign and the LA Clippers.
Here are the local news stations we will contact with Press Releases and VNRs:
TV
KCBS 2 KNBC 4 KTLA 5 KABC 7 KTTV 11 Fox KMEX 12 Univision KVEA 52 Telemundo KAZA 54 Azteca TV KRCA 62 Estrella TV 47
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RADIO
KTVO 530 KABC 790 KFWB 980 KNX 1070
MEDIA STRATEGY
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ur campaign is about creating buzz. In order to achieve our goal we will blitz the LA area for three months starting in September. Following the blitz, we will begin a steady flow for the following six months until the season ends. All of our traditional media will drive people to the Web site and social media outlets. In addition to the intense blitz at the outset of the campaign to create awareness, we will focus advertising during the Christmas and New Years weeks. Holiday shopping reaches its peak while families gather during this time. Students return home from school during these weeks and
BUDGET SUMMARY
sports on TV take center stage for many in our target market. Also during these weeks, college football has its yearly bowl games. The next burst of advertising is leading up to and during All-Star weekend. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are probable All-Stars and may participate in multiple All-Star Weekend events. This is an ideal opportunity to capitalize on Clipper buzz. The campaign will finish during the last weeks of the season and the beginning of the playoffs. The Clippers should be one of the top teams and continue their success during the playoffs. 49
Medium
Cost
Advertising Amounts
Billboards
$
600,000 10 billboards for 3 months; 5 billboards for 6 months
Building Wrap
$
180,000 1 building wrap
Taxis
$
100,000 50 taxi tops for 5 months
Bus Wraps
$
360,000 15 bus wraps for 6 months
Escalators
$
25,000 Escalators in LAX for 3 months
In-store Display
$
300,000 20 in-store displays for 3 months
TV
$ 2,000,000 80 TV spots, spread over 6 months
Radio
$
360,000 2 stations for 30 weeks
$
160,000 10 full page color ads for 4 months
Pandora
$
250,000
Web Banners
$
900,000
Promoted Tweets
$
200,000
$ 5,435,000
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FLOW CHART September SeptemberSeptember Broadcast Month Broadcast Month Broadcast Month October October November October NovemberNovember December December December January January January February February February March March Broadcast Calendar Broadcast 1 Calendar Broadcast 8 15 Calendar 1 228 29 1 15 68 22 13 15 29 20 226 27 2913 36 20 10 13 27 17 203 25 2710 13 17 810 25 15 171 22 258 29 1 15 8522 15 1229 22 195 29 26 12 5 19 2 12926 19162 26239 2216 99 23 16162 23239 3016 2 Holidays LD Holidays Holidays LD LD VD TG VD TG VD TG XM NY XM NY XM NY VD ASG VD ASG VD StP ASG StP Olympics Olympics Olympics
March April April AprilMay May Cost May 6923 16 13 30 23206 3027 13 6 420 131127 20 184 27 2511 4 18 1125 18 StP
Cost 25
Cost
What we get What we get What we get Out-of-home Out-of-home Out-of-home Billboards
Billboards Billboards
Building Wrap Building Wrap Building Wrap
$
$ 600,000
600,000 $ 10600,000 billboards for 103billboards months; 105for billboards billboards 3 months; for for536billboards months; months 5 for billboards 6 months for 6 months
$
180,000 $
180,000 $ 1 building 180,000wrap1 building wrap 1 building wrap
Taxi Tops
Taxi Tops Taxi Tops
$
100,000 $
100,000 $ 50100,000 taxi tops for50 5 months taxi tops50fortaxi 5 months tops for 5 months
Bus Wraps
Bus Wraps Bus Wraps
$
360,000 $
360,000 $ 15360,000 bus wraps for 15 6bus months wraps 15 for bus6wraps months for 6 months
Escalators
Escalators Escalators
$
25,000 $
25,000 $ Escalators 25,000 in LAX Escalators for 3 months in Escalators LAX for 3inmonths LAX for 3 months
Store Floors
Store FloorsStore Floors
$
300,000 $
300,000 $ 20300,000 in store displays 20 in for store 3 months 20 displays in store fordisplays 3 months for 3 months
Traditional
TraditionalTraditional $
$ 2,000,000
$
$ 360,000
360,000 $ 2 Stations 360,000for 30 2 Stations weeks for 2 Stations 30 weeks for 30 weeks
$
160,000 $
160,000 $ 10160,000 full page color 10 full adspage for 410color months full page ads for color 4 months ads for 4 months
$
$ 250,000
250,000 $
250,000
Banners Banners Banners (ESPN:LA, YahooSports, (ESPN:LA,NBA.com) YahooSports, (ESPN:LA, YahooSports, NBA.com) NBA.com)
$
$ 900,000
900,000 $
900,000
Promoted Tweets Promoted Tweets Promoted Tweets
$
200,000 $
200,000 $
200,000
$
5,435,000 $
TV TV TV (ESPN, TNT, ABC) (ESPN, TNT,(ESPN, ABC) TNT, ABC) Radio
Radio
Radio
Magazines Magazines Magazines (Local LA magazines) (Local LA magazines) (Local LA magazines)
2,000,000 $ 80 2,000,000 TV spots, spread 80 TVover spots, 680months spread TV spots, overspread 6 months over 6 months
On-line
On-line
On-line
Pandora
Pandora Pandora
TOTAL:
TOTAL:
TOTAL:
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5,435,000 $ 5,435,000