As I wind down the August blog-fest, I thought I would tease the September Update which will be posted over the weekend.  It will feature mostly content that is up live now and a few additional elements that we are still cleaning up.

• Dan Migala spends an hour talking about sports marketing and promotions in one of the best interviews to date on the site.
• Pat Walker returns with a tremendous column on traditions in game presentation
• Our Promotion Database has been cleaned up and DOUBLED.  From 1000 promotions to over 2000 promotions.  No one else comes close.

If you are not a subscriber to our email update mailer, here is your chance to join.  Each month we send out one email notice about new content.  For our subscribers we also include a Coupon Code for the store.  This month we will have a code for a free item in our store (and what’s better than free stuff).  Sign up now and get the September alert, along with the coupon code.

Thanks to everyone who has written in regarding the new site.  There are a few things we are still adding and tweaking, including a search feature on pages like the Premium Spotlight.

Enjoy the Holiday weekend, and thank you for your support.

–Cudo

Here’s a great promotion between two teams in the same market.

A cross-promotion: the Binghamton Mets of Minor League Baseball worked with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL to host “Hockey Night” at the Mets’ August 22 game. The baseball players wore custom Senators jerseys, they entered the field through an inflatable hockey helmet as the Senators’ intro music played, and the Senators’ mascot along with Ice Girls cheerleaders were on hand to entertain fans. The in-game promotions were all hockey themed, and included a slapshot contest, dizzy stick race, and a hockey uniform dressing competition. (Sports Business News’ The Daily Dose, 8/20)

Last time I checked they never play on the same night, so there isn’t much to loose by working together. Each team can benefit by showcasing their entertainment in front of the other’s fans.

I also always love promotions that connect throughout the game, like this one. Contests and promotions are all hockey themed, and the entrance tunnel addition is fantastic.

The promotion also has a charity connection. The Mets will be wearing baseball-style Senators jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

More can be read at Yahoo Sports.

This promotion has been nominated for a 2008 Best Game Promotion.

-Cudo

Here is a great use of web video:  Posting your season highlights for your fans.  The Fresno Grizzlies wrapped up their season last weekend and treated their fans to a seaon highlight video in-stadium, then posted the video on YouTube.

The beauty of this is that fans, bloggers, and assorted YouTube addicts can share and embed the video on their fan blogs, email to friends, or just enjoy it themselves.

Cost to the Grizzlies:  Roughly $0.

I see the trend for a lot of teams to post their in-game videos on-line, whether it’s on YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, or the team’s own site or social network.  It’s a great way to expand your audience and show off what you do in-game.  The cost is low, it is viral, and fan-friendly.

Also some leagues don’t allow site to have game footage (or have limits to playing video outside their broadcast range, which is pointless and antiquated thinking)….but these in-game videos can fill the streaming video void for those teams.

–cud0

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, the all new Gameops.com is live. It was an exciting day at the office (I am told at least, I am on vacation so I am taking their word for it). I hope you like the new look, new features, and tools.

First and foremost, I welcome any feedback or bug notifications. You can use the Contact Us form (found at the top of every page) or comment here in the blog. We still have some things to clean up and and refine….but it’s a site for our readers so let me know what you want on the site.

Next, as you might expect with any new site there is a learning curve and some of your favorite spots might be hard to find. Most content can be found on the drop down navigation (the orange horizontal panel on the top of the page). In the coming days, sections will have more search features, so when you go to the Premium Spotlights you will be able to search for an item instead of surfing all the pages.

While you are adjusting, I would also encourage you to use the search field at the top of every page. Its our newest bestest tool. (its actually how I am finding most things now).

Finally, a note on the forms. Due to annoying spam and auto-generated forms we have implemented Captchas for every form on the site. It means you will need to enter in a few characters on each form, but it will greatly streamline our incoming mail and will help us serve you better.

Enjoy the site…and now back to my previously scheduled vacation.

–Cudo

YoJo gets a face-lift….so to speak. At least he got a new website. The new look website also has a lot of new videos of his show and testimonials about his show.

You can see his new site here: www.yojo.com

YoJo is an interesting afterlife for a former MLB mascot who left his team and started an education program independently. The show has been well received and has been expanding each year, up to 285 shows last year.

It’s and interesting trend for former mascots and I can see a few others following the trend after their teams.

Want to know more about the show and YoJo….check out their all new web site.

Also check out our interview with YoJo on Gameops.com.

–Cudo

A great promotion in Lakewood New Jersey:

Next weekend, Bruce and the E Street Band return to New Jersey with a homecoming stand at Giants Stadium. To help gear up, this coming Friday night, July 25, the BlueClaws — Lakewood, NJ’s Minor League Baseball team — are celebrating with Bruce Springsteen Night at FirstEnergy Park. And they’re going all out, wearing these custom BruceClaws jerseys, created with special permission from Minor League Baseball. After the game, the jerseys will be auctioned to benefit the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean County.

Plus: nothing but Bruce playing over the PA all night, a Bruce-signed baseball raffle, Giants Stadium ticket giveaways, and more. General admission/lawn tickets are currently available at the ballpark ticket windows or by calling 732-901-7000 (option 2). For the general admission seating, fans can bring a blanket or a beach towel to spread out on the lawn overlooking the outfield, however no chairs are permitted.  (all bruce blog)

A perfect example of connecting a promotion through-out your event.  Bruce uniforms, the name change for a night, the music, a charity connection, Bruce item raffles.

Great concept and outreach by the BruceClaws, er, BlueClaws.

Have a great weekend.

-Cudo

Nominated for Best Game Promotion.  Thanks to blog activist and cheese-lover Joel for this blog lead.