The Insider Q1 2009

Happy New Year!

On behalf of Maroon PR, I'd like to welcome you to the latest edition of our quarterly E-Newsletter, which provides different perspectives from professionals within our industry and all things Maroon PR.

It has been a great year for both our company and the clients we serve, and we're hoping to build off of 2008's success into the New Year. With a strong group of clients deciding to sign with us again, and a number of exciting new clients that have signed on for 2009, there's no reason to think that this year won't be Maroon PR's best yet!

We hope you find The Insider entertaining and that you will continue to visit MaroonPR.com to stay informed with everything we are involved with.

Best of luck to everyone in 2009!

Sincerely,

John Maroon, President

1. Sponsorships are an integral part of NASCAR and fans are extremely loyal to the driver they support and the subsequent merchandise tied to that driver. Since Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is one of, if not the, most popular drivers in NASCAR, what challenges did you encounter when developing your marketing strategy for rebranding
him with a new car number and new sponsors?

Crafting the marketing strategy for him and his brand in 2008 was quite simple – use the year to build the foundation with these partners and our fan base. That took shape in initiatives like "Shifting Gears," a television show we produced documenting the change from DEI (Dale Earnhardt Incorporated) to HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) that aired on ESPN. It told the story honestly and was able to keep our fans engaged. At every turn, our primary objective, whether engaging a new partner, approving advertising or creating an offshoot to his brand is that it must feel authentic to Dale Jr. 100% of the time.

2. You joined JR Motorsports after more than six years in the cosmetics industry. How were you able to incorporate your marketing experience from your previous position into your new role promoting a driver and a team in NASCAR’s Busch Series?

My experience at L’Oreal taught me many fundamental principles in how to run a business and market a product. I have brought a more formal structure to some of our internal dealings. I also think about this industry differently than many of my peers since I was not “raised” in it.

3. Racing fans can show their loyalties to a driver in just about every item imaginable. How do you determine which products are worthy of licensing and do you have concerns that there will ever be an over-saturation in the marketplace with too much merchandise?

In working very closely with our Head of Licensing, Joe Mattes, we determine together on items that are questionable. As a brand purist, I sometimes have to give in knowing that what may not suit my personal taste will sell like crazy to our fan base. We are serving them at all levels and I always try to remember that!

I do worry about over-saturation but our licensing department is very conscious of supply/demand and they work hard with our licensees to ensure we are not overproducing a certain product. Overall, however, the industry has seen steep declines in licensed-product sales which begs the question, “What’s next?”

4. NASCAR is second only to the NFL as the most watched sport on cable. To what do you attribute that success and do you feel television has played the most significant role in the evolution of the sport’s popularity?

Television has taken NASCAR and rocketed it into the mainstream psyche. With that being said, the networks enjoy the relationship because there is a very broad fanbase that watches the races on TV and engages in the sport on many levels. This sport is about speed, thrill, excitement, history and very normal people driving fast cars. Its history speaks to many generations that are fans. When people balk at the sport, I say, “Go to a race. See and feel the cars go by you at 150 mph, three inches apart from each other and then tell me you don’t get it." It’s just cool.

5. The relationship between the fans and drivers in NASCAR is unlike that of any other sport. What is JR Motorsports doing to ensure that connection remains strong and allows the fans to feel such a strong bond to Dale, Jr.?

To all of us at JR Motorsports, the fan is the most important person “in the room.” Dale Jr. has just been voted the Most Popular Driver for the sixth year in a row and we are all aware of how important fan support is. My team spends much of its time figuring out ways to either communicate to/with the fans through our online entities, to engage them in our brand through our events – here at JR Motorsports, at our bar or at tracks, or cultivating stories that tell more about Dale Jr. that they may not have known. The way I look at it, here is a legion of fans that has spent innumerable dollars and hours supporting Dale Jr. The least we can do is continue to give them what they want in content, product and experiences. The more we do that the more they dedicate their dollars and hours to us. It works best that way.

This quarter, Maroon PR tracked down... George Michael, Host and Creator of "The George Michael Sports Machine."

The "Good" PR – A good PR person not only has to have a story, but a reason for why it would be good and relevant to our audience. I can think of a pretty bizarre example.

It was Little Rock, Ark. about 15 years ago. They were having these motorized cardboard boat races. I said, "Who cares?" The PR person said, "You'll find all kinds of people at these events; some athletes, some not, who build these motorboats with their family and friends. The prize money is not much, but the stories are great." We went and did it and the response was phenomenal. It was all about families building it and husbands, wives and children working together. They promised us great video, we had a great time and the story was just a winner.

Anyone can set up a story, but a cardboard boat story? Those are the ones that stand out and that will get your story done.

The "Bad" PR – The No. 1 thing is when they tell you why you should do it and to get back to them right away. Don't put your needs on me because I'm not going to do it. Do your job right and don't make my job more difficult than I'm going to make yours.

It's about mutual respect. You know what I need, I know what you need. When you work with mutual cooperation, that's all you can do. I don't think people understand how tough it is to be a PR man, set up things and then the person he's representing says, "I don't want to do it." The good ones will at least say, "I'm sorry, is there anything else I can do to help you?" If you're a pro, you don't go after the PR person because you realize the degree of difficulty they're working with.

The "Ugly" PR – There was this Wheaties promotion. They went around and had athletes on Wheaties boxes and made athletes available. I was doing my show and I said that if I'm going to do it, I want to be there in person, not on satellite. They said, "You can't be there in person," and I said, "I'll pay myself and fly out and do something personal." They said I couldn't do it so I passed. They say they want you to do something, but it has to be the way they want you to do it.

One of the most common fears I come across during seminars on presentation skills deals with misplaced focus. When most people get to the front of the room, they have a long series of fears lined up like jets waiting their turn to take off. See if any of these sound familiar:

“I’m afraid the audience won’t like me.”

“I’m afraid I’ll fail.”

“What if I look stupid?”

Sound familiar?

Notice the common theme of those concerns: They start with “I.”

Having performance anxiety is common for presenters of all skill levels, but the best presenters understand how to change their feelings by changing their focus. You can do the same thing. Focus your attention first and foremost on your audience. Put your energy into the audience’s needs and the audience’s benefits. Focus on serving the audience.

Here’s a simple way to remember to shift your pre-presentation focus away from you: Look at the word communication. Notice that in communication “u” or “You” comes before “I.”

That should serve as a little reminder to put your energy on the other people in the room, the “You,” and less of your energy on yourself, the “I.”

Make a habit of that and you may start to notice that your communication has more effective results in front of the room and in all of your communications.

Gerry Sandusky is a communications consultant, TV & Radio sportscaster, and the Voice of the Baltimore Ravens. His company, The Sandusky Group, is on the web at www.sanduskygroup.com

From Nov. 13-18, Cal Ripken, Jr. visited Nicaragua as part of his role as a Public Diplomacy Envoy for the US State Department. Cal was accompanied by former Major League Baseball pitcher and native Nicaraguan, Dennis Martinez and Maroon PR President John Maroon.

Each day began with Cal and Dennis hosting lecture-style coaching clinics for local youth coaches. Afterward, they would host a Ripken Quickball clinic to teach children aged 5-8 how to play the game. In the afternoon, they would host more advanced baseball clinics for children aged 9-12.

ESPN and The Washington Post were there to chronicle Cal's journey and most of Nicaragua's major daily newspapers and local television stations covered the clinics on a daily basis. Cal also wrote a blog detailing the trip for the Sporting News Today while John Maroon blogged for the Maroon PR website.

The trip was both positive and productive and went as planned except for the final day, when clinics had to be cancelled. Cal was scheduled to go to the City of Leon, but Nicaragua's Mayor's office and the Embassy decided that due to political protests in the city, it would be best for Cal to cancel. Cal, Dennis and John stayed in Nicaragua and used the free-day to do some sight-seeing.

Baseball is a very popular game in Nicaragua and many of the children were very talented. Unfortunately, Nicaragua lacks great facilities and most of the children couldn't afford adequate equipment. Along with the clinics, Ripken Baseball donated baseball equipment to the underprivileged children they taught, while the Spanish classes of Fallston High School (based in Fallston, Md.) donated school supplies. Even though the final day of clinics was cancelled, the children from the City of Leon still received equipment and supplies.

In his role as Public Diplomacy Envoy, Cal visited Beijing, China in the fall of 2007 to conduct clinics and teach baseball to local youths. Cal plans on making a trip to South Africa in 2009 and also hopes to get back to Nicaragua for more baseball initiatives in the future.

Maroon PR is proud to announce that the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship won the Champions Tour's 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award. It is awarded annually by the PGA TOUR's Champions Tour to the tournament that is deemed to have staged and executed their event at the highest level possible.

Sponsorship and volunteer support, presentation, customer service and efficiency in operation are all taken into consideration. The Senior Players Championship was held Oct. 6 - 12, 2008 at Baltimore Country Club (BCC) in Timonium, Md. Maroon PR handled all media buying and public relations responsibilities for the tournament, which was the first-ever Champions Tour 100 percent Carbon Neutral event. The 2009 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship will be held Sept. 28 - Oct. 4, 2009 at BCC.

Maroon PR hosted its third annual Holiday Party on Dec. 12, 2008. The event was held at Clipper City Brewing Company and featured wine and some of the brewery's best beers, including: Winter Storm, Loose Cannon, Peg Leg Stout, etc. There was also delicious food and live music by The Barn Burners. The event was attended by the Maroon PR team, many of the firm's clients and friends.

What made the party even more special was that everyone who attended donated children's gloves, hats, scarves, etc. for the Carmelo Anthony Foundation. The clothing and accessories were given to underserved children in Baltimore during the Foundation’s “A Very Melo Christmas” event that was held on Dec. 20, 2008. The party was a fun and relaxing experience and was a great kickoff to the Christmas season.

After nearly two decades in communications and branding for a number of sports organizations and professional teams, public relations specialist John Maroon launched Maroon PR in April 2006.

Maroon PR has experienced growth each year since it opened its doors. Originally an agency focused on sports and entertainment clients, the firm experienced tremendous success, leading to the creation of two distinct divisions in May of 2009 - Sports & Entertainment and Corporate public relations. Under this new structure, Executive Vice President Tim Richardson oversees the Sports & Entertainment division, while Vice President Mitchell Schmale manages the firm’s increasing corporate clientele. Each division is guided by President John Maroon. Click here to view Maroon PR's Corporate Brochure.

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