The sanctity of the lockerroom before game time is probably viewed as the last piece of quiet for coach and player. Media access ends, most staff are out and teams can focus on the task of being a professional athlete. However as teams strive to find more ways to give fans and brands more and more ROI, even that sanctity can reach a compromise. The latest move in ultimate access is being offered up by the Quad City Mallards of the International Hockey League, who will allow access certain VIP seats lockeroom access as close as 30 minutes before game time, along with other exclusives for their elite season ticketholders. The Ice Row seats, a first for hockey, is probably one that can be emulated in other sports at the minor and collegiate level, and seems like a natural for sponsorship as well. As always there must be buy-in from the coach for such close game access, and both union and media rules would probably prohibit such close in lockerroom access at the highest levels, but for a franchise looking to be innovative the 30 minute rule is an interesting one, and it will be interesting as well to see whatever prohibitions will be looped in (cell phone cameras shooting chalkboards could be a small issue or Twitter reports on injured players), but the idea gets points for innovation, access and the potential of a nice sponsor return. Nice try by the Mallards to continue to offer more, and drive relevance and interest in the offseason, a brand building exercise that is wrote in minor league baseball but is now just moving to a new level in minor league hockey.
Some other good reads…the Chicago Tribune had a good profile of new Gatorade CMO Sarah Robb O’Hagan…the Miami Herald had a very worthwhile read on how PR and Advertising are at the point where they need to play better together in a challenged economy…Media Post had a good piece on EA Sports new push into more immersive advertising in video games…and Yahoo.com had a good list of ten promotional stunts that have backfired over the years.
