Sports Illustrated's grab for such nontraditional marketing dollars has
helped diversify its annual haul from the swimsuit edition. This year, about 40%
of revenue generated by the issue -- which accounts for about a tenth of the
magazine's total annual revenue -- will come from digital and event-marketing
efforts. Four years ago, just 4% of the issue's revenue came from sources other
than print advertising, executives say.
To develop its strategy for the issue, Sports Illustrated worked with
Team Velocity, a sports-marketing and events firm based in Norwalk, Conn. "It's
really about taking this content we've created in the magazine and leveraging it
through new channels," says Mark Ford, the magazine's president.
The promotions have helped Sports Illustrated offset a drop in
print-advertising revenue. This year's swimsuit issue has 70 pages of ads, a
third fewer than last year's.
...Sports Illustrated is just one media property attempting to extend its
marketing beyond the traditional ad page or 30-second TV spot. "Experiential
marketing," a broad term for efforts to give consumers hands-on experience with
products or services, is a growth industry as marketers seek out more ways to
draw the attention of the increasingly distracted consumer.
"Brands these days have really got to be creative about how they're getting
their messaging out in the marketplace," says Linda Rutherford, vice president
for communications and strategic outreach at Southwest Airlines.
The Question: What do we have that could become anticipated each year, as is this SI special issue? That's where a premium value proposition comes into play, of which we could take advantage, as has SI. The Wilberforce Award? Not even close, right now. Though perhaps... What else could we create and cultivate, such that it created demand?
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