ESPN

Comp both subtlety and Environment When employees arrive to work at their Bristol, Connecticut Headquarters, they are greeted only by a sm completely, unassuming sign that says, Welcome to ESPN. In a calculated and understated way, this sign is representative of the culture that pervades through come out the organization. Simply stated, ESPN, the comp any(prenominal) is about the fans and the sports, not ESPN. This statement offers a preview of sorts to a culture at ESPN that truly goes the extra mile in emphasizing customer satis incidention by offer its computer programing thru state-of the art program offerings thru twofold bring.A scratch promise sums up the essence and meaning of a steel and how the stain connects to its consumers. ESPNs promise of delivering Sports, with Authority and Personality, clearly outlines what they do, how they do it and what variediates them from their competition. With respect to Sports, ESPN connects to its fans through many platforms, in cluding multiple television and radio receiver programs, internet applications including television online, restaurants, and numerous busy applications.In doing so ESPN strives to logically deliver left(p) quality that is strengthened by leadership and innovation. As an Authority in sports programing, ESPN emphasizes integrity, authenticity and expertise that is unequaled in the industry. Regarding Personality, ESPN emphasizes throughout its organization, the effective use of humor, passion and community by expressing their affinity for its fans regardless of origin. spot the brand promise of ESPN is certainly evident throughout solely of its programming through all of its delivery route, it is its hiring practices that take care to give the most(prenominal) obvious credence to the company living up to this promise. From its inception ESPN maintained a policy of hiring employees that were/are eldest and foremost sports fanatics. ESPN saw juts this as a critical factor in having its employees display the aim of enthusiasm and whapledge that it wanted to promote and display its brand promise.They in like manner see this as an equalizer of sorts whereby every(prenominal) angiotensin-converting enzyme who views ESPN, regardless of race, color education could relate with one an other. Anthony Smith, a heed advisor who has worked with ESPN for all over 20 days and author of ESPN The Company, sums up the environment and culture at ESPN best when he wrote I can think of few other companies that do as good a wrinkle of creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement for its pile and its customers maybe Southwest Airlines in the airline industry, Starbucks in the consumer goods space, or Apple and Google in high-tech. moreover its hard to surpass ESPN. (Smith, P. xxiii, ESPN The Company. ) This information, combined with information gathered through select conversations with ESPN Marketing employees would strongly indicate that ESPN has done an outst anding job of entrenching its brand promise both internally amongst its work-force and externally through its broadly scoped programming. From an internal brand perspective ESPN appears to have achieved what all companies strive for to entrench its vision and culture that pervades throughout everything it does.EspnCOMPANY inwardness ESPN The Evolution of an recreation Brand In the 2004 flick Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a gravel on SportsCenter with the very peeled and lit-tle kn proclaim profit, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the vane Espen, he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports profits. Through his laughter, he asserts that the invention is as ridiculous as a 24- instant cooking network or an all- music channel. Seriously, he shouts. This thing is pass to be a fiscal and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . thats just dumb Whil e this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college alum named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is chairperson of the network that has stupefy one of the largergest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment cosmea. As a short letter network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from wrinkle operators for each subscriber every month. study that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in to a smashinger extent than than 96 cardinal homes. With that kind of bounteousness power, its no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the foremost cable network to land the coveted TV twitch for Monday Night Football, which went on to depart the highest rated cable serial ever. exactly even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable ne twork is only one plot of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimers $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very circumnavigate strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports mental object across the widest possible collection of media assets to name sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off management style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their experience ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every raw ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPNs mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimers career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has prone ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewing audience a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million concourse ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. hithers a rundown of ESPNs portfolio of brands tv ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN regional telly) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to hold on new ground in HDTV with simulcast receipts for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers a bid consistently set up ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quality. But perhaps one of the most innovative m oves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, universe of discourse Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPNs first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the networks flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rerun taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating ball club straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. immaterial the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter carry in eight languages. Radio Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Ra dio is the nations largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In admittance to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports lambaste shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately began carving out market share with its unmannerly look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didnt give ESPNs magazine enture much(prenominal) of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- market opportunities wit h the other arms of ESPN, this venial division has contain-able trade clout in a struggling industry. If they didnt have the TV stuff and everything else, theyd be as hard-pressed as other publishers to lay down these books into major events, verbalize Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet ESPN. com is the leading sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 legitimate podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPNs online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand pic content.Not only can fans glide path content carried on ESPNs other networks, entirely they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, theres nothing like it it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN 360. com began service in 2006, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the shapes of the Internet through an open distribu-tion supposition with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video histrion in AOLs portal, viewers have more access to ESPNs content. But advertisers also welfare from a larger online audience than ever before. supple In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. erratic ESPN was designed as ESPNs own prison cell phone network, putting content into sports fans pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from prison-breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though bustling ESPN is down, its not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through eve ry major U. S. carrier, with premium content available through Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. smooth ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPNs mission with its mobile venture is to serve the sports fan any time, anywhere, and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milepost in that goal when more people sought-after(a) NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. Were having extraordinary growth on ESPN. coms NFL pages, but were also visual perception extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well, said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is a big spark off of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event managem ent ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer harvest-homes ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN photograph Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN district restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airports and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. this instant youre not going to be tire when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to displace into a full- service station, says Bodenheimer. Ive been on flights where people are watching our content and dont want to get off the flight. A sinewy media brand results not only in post revenues from selling products but also in advertizement revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 part of ESPNs overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible software deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18 34 year old male demographic. zip attracts more men th an we do, asserts Bodenheimer. Weve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers needs. The merchandising opportunities we provide, whether its work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dicks Sporting Goods, we want to follower if you want young men. As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in crack is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disneys total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disneys then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth good more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that va lue every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable channels to the ESPN networks through cable operators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, happen upon what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . nurture as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN fit in to the brand instruction strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources Alice Cuneo, More Football Fans Hit ESPNs Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages, Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7 mike Shields, ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal, Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com Andrew Hampp, ESPN Makes get over to Major League, Advertising Age, May 14, 2007, p. 32 Ronald Grover, Comcasts C- TV Channeling Disney, BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006 Jeffrey Trachtenberg, ESPNs Next hurdle Selling Its Audience on Books, Wall bridle-path Journal, February 13, 2007 Jason Brown, Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age, Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12 also see www. espnmediazone. com.EspnCOMPANY Case ESPN The Evolution of an Entertainment Brand In the 2004 movie Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a position on SportsCenter with the very new and lit-tle known network, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the network Espen, he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports network. Through his laughter, he asserts that the concept is as ridiculous as a 24- hour cooking network or an all- music channel. Seriously, he shouts. This thing is going to be a financial and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . thats just dumb While this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college graduate named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is president of the network that has become one of the biggest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment world. As a cable network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from cable operators for each subscriber every month. Compare that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in more than 96 million homes. With that kind of premium power, its no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the first cable network to land the coveted TV contract for Monday Night Football, which went on to become the highest rated cable series ever. But even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable network is only one piece of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimers $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very savvy strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports content across the widest possible collection of media assets to reach sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off management style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their own ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every new ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPNs mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimer s career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has given ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewers a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million people ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. Heres a rundown of ESPNs portfolio of brands Television ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN Regional Television) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to break new ground in HDTV with simulcast service for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers alike consistently rank ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quali ty. But perhaps one of the most innovative moves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, World Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPNs first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the networks flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rebroadcast taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating nine straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. Outside the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter broadcast in eight languages. Radio Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Radio is the nations largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In addition to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports talk shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately began carving out market share with its bold look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didnt give ESPNs magazine enture much of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- marketing opportunities with t he other arms of ESPN, this small division has consider-able marketing clout in a struggling industry. If they didnt have the TV stuff and everything else, theyd be as hard-pressed as other publishers to make these books into major events, said Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet ESPN. com is the leading sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 original podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPNs online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand video content.Not only can fans access content carried on ESPNs other networks, but they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, theres nothing like it it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN360. com began service in 20 06, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the limits of the Internet through an open distribu-tion venture with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video player in AOLs portal, viewers have more access to ESPNs content. But advertisers also benefit from a larger online audience than ever before. Mobile In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. Mobile ESPN was designed as ESPNs own cell phone network, putting content into sports fans pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though Mobile ESPN is down, its not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through every major U. S. carrier, with premium content available thro ugh Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. Mobile ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPNs mission with its mobile venture is to serve the sports fan any time, anywhere, and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milestone in that goal when more people sought NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. Were having extraordinary growth on ESPN. coms NFL pages, but were also seeing extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well, said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is a big part of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event management ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer products ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN Zone restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airports and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. Now youre not going to be bored when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to pulling into a full- service station, says Bodenheimer. Ive been on flights where people are watching our content and dont want to get off the flight. A powerful media brand results not only in direct revenues from selling products but also in advertising revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 percent of ESPNs overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible package deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18 34 year old male demographic. Nobody attracts more men than we do, asserts Bodenheimer. Weve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers needs. The merchandisi ng opportunities we provide, whether its work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dicks Sporting Goods, we want to partner if you want young men. As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in turn is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disneys total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disneys then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth substantially more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that value every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable ch annels to the ESPN networks through cable operators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, describe what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . Cite as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN according to the brand development strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources Alice Cuneo, More Football Fans Hit ESPNs Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages, Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7 Mike Shields, ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal, Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com Andrew Hampp, ESPN Makes Jump to Major League, Advertising Age , May 14, 2007, p. 32 Ronald Grover, Comcasts C- TV Channeling Disney, BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006 Jeffrey Trachtenberg, ESPNs Next Hurdle Selling Its Audience on Books, Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2007 Jason Brown, Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age, Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12 also see www. espnmediazone. com.