Gilbert Arenas: The Most Marketable Player in the Game Today?
Just like my buddy Darren Heitner, I'm a first year law student that wants to work in the sports business. So I spend a lot of time thinking about the business side of sports. Gilbert Arenas is currently without a sports agent. He's probably the highest profile player in the league not to have a sports agent. If I were an agent and not a first year law student, he would certainly be the guy I'd try to secure. And not only because he's going to opt out and become a free agent this summer. Mostly, I'd want to represent him becuase he is possibly the most marketable player in the game today.
Gilbert Arenas is a sensational prospective client for a number of reasons. He is the rare case of a top NBA player with an organic personality that is very marketable to a broad spectrum of society. Unlike LeBron, Kobe, or D-Wade, the Gilbert you see in commercials, in interviews, and on his blog is not some made up manicured corporate character. With Gilbert, what you see is what you get, and people love that. He's a natural entertainer, not camera or media shy. On the court, his game backs up his enormous persona. He has a swagger and a reputation for backing up a lot of his big talk with great play. When you combine his sensational play with a unique, relatable personality, you have a guy that corporate sponsors should be clamoring for. What also makes Gilbert unique is the fact that a lot of his superstardom and popularity spawned from the internet. In fact, he might be the NBA's first internet bread superstar. Bloggers and internet journalists love covering the guy. Plus his NBA.com blog has shown that a good, coherent blog that is actually written by an NBA player can be a very good marketing tool for that particular player.
Gilbert's NBA.com Blog
Gilbert's main assent into the public domain started with his NBA.com blog. That blog is word for word Gilbert Arenas. There's no ghost writer or anyone telling him what to say. And he's actually intelligent, funny, and very relatable. Through this blog he has let the world see how unique a personality he has, and it's done nothing but endear him to millions. It's become such a hot commodity that every time he posts there, all of the top sports blogs (such as Deadspin and TrueHoop) pick it up and link to it, increasing his exposure.
[Gilbert's NBA.com Blog]
Zero to Hero
This concept was on display during his Adidas campaign this past season. The fact that he has used his past failures and the doubts of others to motivate him to become even more successful is something that has helped spark his popularity. People love to hear great underdog stories. And Gilbert would definitely qualify as such, since he's come out of nowhere (aka the second round) to become one of the best players in the league.
[Adidas Gil Zero Commerical]
Quirkiness
Gilbert has a ton of "quirks". These quirks have been exposed through his NBA.com blog and through other media coverage (Specifically the DC Sports Bog). People love unique stories and unique personalities and by not being afraid to display this to the public he's been able to gain a ton of fans.
[List of Gilbert's Quirks]
Blogs Spawned by Agent Zero's Personality
There have been several prominent sports blogs that are mostly dedicated to covering the daily adventures of Agent Zero. These blogs have done nothing but help boost the star power of Gilbert Arenas. The most popular of these blogs is probably the Washington Post's DC Sports Bog. During the NBA season, this particular blog is dedicated almost exclusively to Gilbert. Having that kind of coverage on a mainstream media outlet such as the Washington Post gives Gilbert the kind of exposure he needs to turn him into a marketing superstar.
[DC Sports Bog]
[Wizznutzz]
[Gilbertology]
Youtube vs. DeShawn Stevenson (850K Views on Youtube)
The DC Sports Bog was the first to expose this gem to the rest of the world. Its Gilbert Arena's facing DeShawn Stevenson in a unique three point shoot out. Gilbert bet DeShawn that he could make more three pointers one handed than Stevenson could with two. This video has been viewed 850K times on YouTube, which is a pretty good standard for a token sports video on that site.
Agent Zero is Confident
Another thing that endears Gilbert to his legions of fans is the fact that he talks a big game and then goes out on the court and backs it up. He challenges the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and then comes out and backs it up. He launches potential game winners with the confidence that they are going up each and every time. He also makes bold predicitions that most manicured superstars are too afraid to make. That confidence/swagger is part of what makes Gilbert a marketable commodity. If he had the same personality and was just a run of the mill player, he'd probably be looked at in the same pathetic light as a Damon Jones. But in this case, he's one of the best players in the league, and fans love it.
[Gil's Swag is Phenomenal # 1]
[Gil's Swag is Phenomenal # 2]
Gilbert is the People's Champ
A lot of people also love Gilbert because he is a man of the people. He doesn't seem to "big time" people or isolate himself the way that other superstar athletes sometimes do. A great example of this is how he suited up to play summer league ball at Barry Farm. It's obvious that Gilbert walks to the beat of his own drum. This is what sets him apart from the rest of the stars in the league and has endeared him to millions of fans. Here's some video of Gilbert walking amongst the people:
[Gilbert Plays Summer League Playground Ball at Barry Farm]
[Gilbert Barry Farm Highlights]
Gilbert's Birthday Bash
I really started to realize that Gilbert was becoming a true superstar when his birthday bash got the coverage it did. Here are links to some of that coverage:
[Washington Post Coverage]
[DC Sports Bog Coverage]
[Deadspin Coverage]
[More Deadspin Coverage]
[YAY Sports Coverage]
Rise in Jersey Sales
Another measure of Gilbert's rise in popularity is the rate of sales of his jersey. In 2005, he wasn't even the top 20 in sales. In 2006 he finished the year number twenty in sales. And following the 2007 season he finished the year number nine in overall jersey sales. Again, this is an amazing accomplishment for a guy that hasn't had the national television exposure or the marketing backing of some of the other top players in the league. This steady rise is proof that he's already very popular and just needs the right backing and right exposure to help him reach his superstar potential.
[2006 Top Jersey Sales]
[2007 Top Jersey Sales]
Washington Wizards Road Attendance for the 2007 Season
The one statistic that proves that Gilbert hasn't quite been pushed in the proper manner by the rest of the league is the Wizard's road attendance ranking from this past season. Statistics show that Gilbert is popular amongst the internet generation. People that are fans of his spend money on jerseys and other licensed apparel. However, the individuals that buy tickets are still a little bit older and not as internet savvy as younger NBA fans. These people are influenced by what they are informed about on television and other forms of mainstream media. Prior to this summer, other than his late season Adidas commercial, Gilbert had never been pushed in a national ad campaign. As well, his team is hardly ever featured on national television, while his peers such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Carmelo Anthony are featured on national TV week after week. Lastly, I know that many teams market their big time games through superstar ticket bundles and promotions. When a Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade is coming to town the home team usually steps up their marketing game with ads and such to make sure that they capitalize on the opportunity to sell out a game. I don't have any statistics to prove it, but I am almost 100 percent certain that Gilbert and the Wizards didn't receive that kind of promotion from the opposing team's ticket promotions staff last season. Not having the mainstream media exposure and not having the backing of the opposing team's promotions staff probably explains why Gilbert has not been as box office as other stars. Following the tremendous season he had in 2007, Gilbert will likely be able to help the Wizards move up the road attendance ladder. However, he is still going to need proper backing in the form of a good agent and the league to really make things happen.
[Wizard's 2007 Road Attendance]
Next Steps
If I were managing Gilbert, these are the steps I would take to help Gilbert capitalize on his marketing potential:
1)Team USA
Outside of gaining more exposure through the mainstream media in the form of nationally televised games, featured stories, and national ad campaigns, it is imperative that Gilbert plays on the 2008 Olympic squad. The marketing opportunities and the exposure to the rest of the world these Olympics are going to give players on that team will be tremendous. It will give him a chance to be on the same stage as Wade, Kobe, LeBron, and Carmelo and show that he is just as big of a star as all of them.
I looked at some blog and internet popularity statistics from this year and noticed noticed that LeBron, Kobe, and Melo all saw tremendous bumps in their blog presence during the Tournament of the Americas. As you all know, the Olympics will be a 1000 times greater event with that much more exposure. With the even being located in China, companies will be clamoring to have the right guy endorse their products and give them proper exposure in the bustling Chinese market. That's why it's imperative that Gilbert or whoever ends up managing Gilbert makes sure that he ends up on that team.
2) Use P.R. tools to make sure Gilbert's internet popularity is exposed to the average fan and to mainstream media.
Right now, only basketball junkies know about Gil. If he had the right management team behind him exposing him to the rest of the world, his popularity would grow even faster than it currently is. If I were managing him, I'd hire a video blogger to follow him around and post random Gilbert gems on Gilberts personal site. I would also book him for interviews with every big time NBA media personality out there. Has Gilbert ever had a sit down with John Thompson, Ahmad Rashad, or Steven A. Smith? Imagine Gilbert in Studio with the TNT inside the NBA crew. What about feature stories on ESPN.com or in Sports Illustrated on the NY Times? The key right now for Gilbert is exposure!
3) Make Sure He's Healthy For the Playoffs This Time
Although no one really can control injury, it's important that Gil is healthy for this year's playoffs. Many basketball fans don't really start paying attention to the NBA until the playoffs. If you're not available during the playoffs, you're basically irrelevant.
Gilbert Arenas is a sensational prospective client for a number of reasons. He is the rare case of a top NBA player with an organic personality that is very marketable to a broad spectrum of society. Unlike LeBron, Kobe, or D-Wade, the Gilbert you see in commercials, in interviews, and on his blog is not some made up manicured corporate character. With Gilbert, what you see is what you get, and people love that. He's a natural entertainer, not camera or media shy. On the court, his game backs up his enormous persona. He has a swagger and a reputation for backing up a lot of his big talk with great play. When you combine his sensational play with a unique, relatable personality, you have a guy that corporate sponsors should be clamoring for. What also makes Gilbert unique is the fact that a lot of his superstardom and popularity spawned from the internet. In fact, he might be the NBA's first internet bread superstar. Bloggers and internet journalists love covering the guy. Plus his NBA.com blog has shown that a good, coherent blog that is actually written by an NBA player can be a very good marketing tool for that particular player.
Gilbert's NBA.com Blog
Gilbert's main assent into the public domain started with his NBA.com blog. That blog is word for word Gilbert Arenas. There's no ghost writer or anyone telling him what to say. And he's actually intelligent, funny, and very relatable. Through this blog he has let the world see how unique a personality he has, and it's done nothing but endear him to millions. It's become such a hot commodity that every time he posts there, all of the top sports blogs (such as Deadspin and TrueHoop) pick it up and link to it, increasing his exposure.
[Gilbert's NBA.com Blog]
Zero to Hero
This concept was on display during his Adidas campaign this past season. The fact that he has used his past failures and the doubts of others to motivate him to become even more successful is something that has helped spark his popularity. People love to hear great underdog stories. And Gilbert would definitely qualify as such, since he's come out of nowhere (aka the second round) to become one of the best players in the league.
[Adidas Gil Zero Commerical]
Quirkiness
Gilbert has a ton of "quirks". These quirks have been exposed through his NBA.com blog and through other media coverage (Specifically the DC Sports Bog). People love unique stories and unique personalities and by not being afraid to display this to the public he's been able to gain a ton of fans.
[List of Gilbert's Quirks]
Blogs Spawned by Agent Zero's Personality
There have been several prominent sports blogs that are mostly dedicated to covering the daily adventures of Agent Zero. These blogs have done nothing but help boost the star power of Gilbert Arenas. The most popular of these blogs is probably the Washington Post's DC Sports Bog. During the NBA season, this particular blog is dedicated almost exclusively to Gilbert. Having that kind of coverage on a mainstream media outlet such as the Washington Post gives Gilbert the kind of exposure he needs to turn him into a marketing superstar.
[DC Sports Bog]
[Wizznutzz]
[Gilbertology]
Youtube vs. DeShawn Stevenson (850K Views on Youtube)
The DC Sports Bog was the first to expose this gem to the rest of the world. Its Gilbert Arena's facing DeShawn Stevenson in a unique three point shoot out. Gilbert bet DeShawn that he could make more three pointers one handed than Stevenson could with two. This video has been viewed 850K times on YouTube, which is a pretty good standard for a token sports video on that site.
Agent Zero is Confident
Another thing that endears Gilbert to his legions of fans is the fact that he talks a big game and then goes out on the court and backs it up. He challenges the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and then comes out and backs it up. He launches potential game winners with the confidence that they are going up each and every time. He also makes bold predicitions that most manicured superstars are too afraid to make. That confidence/swagger is part of what makes Gilbert a marketable commodity. If he had the same personality and was just a run of the mill player, he'd probably be looked at in the same pathetic light as a Damon Jones. But in this case, he's one of the best players in the league, and fans love it.
[Gil's Swag is Phenomenal # 1]
[Gil's Swag is Phenomenal # 2]
Gilbert is the People's Champ
A lot of people also love Gilbert because he is a man of the people. He doesn't seem to "big time" people or isolate himself the way that other superstar athletes sometimes do. A great example of this is how he suited up to play summer league ball at Barry Farm. It's obvious that Gilbert walks to the beat of his own drum. This is what sets him apart from the rest of the stars in the league and has endeared him to millions of fans. Here's some video of Gilbert walking amongst the people:
[Gilbert Plays Summer League Playground Ball at Barry Farm]
[Gilbert Barry Farm Highlights]
Gilbert's Birthday Bash
I really started to realize that Gilbert was becoming a true superstar when his birthday bash got the coverage it did. Here are links to some of that coverage:
[Washington Post Coverage]
[DC Sports Bog Coverage]
[Deadspin Coverage]
[More Deadspin Coverage]
[YAY Sports Coverage]
Rise in Jersey Sales
Another measure of Gilbert's rise in popularity is the rate of sales of his jersey. In 2005, he wasn't even the top 20 in sales. In 2006 he finished the year number twenty in sales. And following the 2007 season he finished the year number nine in overall jersey sales. Again, this is an amazing accomplishment for a guy that hasn't had the national television exposure or the marketing backing of some of the other top players in the league. This steady rise is proof that he's already very popular and just needs the right backing and right exposure to help him reach his superstar potential.
[2006 Top Jersey Sales]
[2007 Top Jersey Sales]
Washington Wizards Road Attendance for the 2007 Season
The one statistic that proves that Gilbert hasn't quite been pushed in the proper manner by the rest of the league is the Wizard's road attendance ranking from this past season. Statistics show that Gilbert is popular amongst the internet generation. People that are fans of his spend money on jerseys and other licensed apparel. However, the individuals that buy tickets are still a little bit older and not as internet savvy as younger NBA fans. These people are influenced by what they are informed about on television and other forms of mainstream media. Prior to this summer, other than his late season Adidas commercial, Gilbert had never been pushed in a national ad campaign. As well, his team is hardly ever featured on national television, while his peers such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Carmelo Anthony are featured on national TV week after week. Lastly, I know that many teams market their big time games through superstar ticket bundles and promotions. When a Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade is coming to town the home team usually steps up their marketing game with ads and such to make sure that they capitalize on the opportunity to sell out a game. I don't have any statistics to prove it, but I am almost 100 percent certain that Gilbert and the Wizards didn't receive that kind of promotion from the opposing team's ticket promotions staff last season. Not having the mainstream media exposure and not having the backing of the opposing team's promotions staff probably explains why Gilbert has not been as box office as other stars. Following the tremendous season he had in 2007, Gilbert will likely be able to help the Wizards move up the road attendance ladder. However, he is still going to need proper backing in the form of a good agent and the league to really make things happen.
[Wizard's 2007 Road Attendance]
Next Steps
If I were managing Gilbert, these are the steps I would take to help Gilbert capitalize on his marketing potential:
1)Team USA
Outside of gaining more exposure through the mainstream media in the form of nationally televised games, featured stories, and national ad campaigns, it is imperative that Gilbert plays on the 2008 Olympic squad. The marketing opportunities and the exposure to the rest of the world these Olympics are going to give players on that team will be tremendous. It will give him a chance to be on the same stage as Wade, Kobe, LeBron, and Carmelo and show that he is just as big of a star as all of them.
I looked at some blog and internet popularity statistics from this year and noticed noticed that LeBron, Kobe, and Melo all saw tremendous bumps in their blog presence during the Tournament of the Americas. As you all know, the Olympics will be a 1000 times greater event with that much more exposure. With the even being located in China, companies will be clamoring to have the right guy endorse their products and give them proper exposure in the bustling Chinese market. That's why it's imperative that Gilbert or whoever ends up managing Gilbert makes sure that he ends up on that team.
2) Use P.R. tools to make sure Gilbert's internet popularity is exposed to the average fan and to mainstream media.
Right now, only basketball junkies know about Gil. If he had the right management team behind him exposing him to the rest of the world, his popularity would grow even faster than it currently is. If I were managing him, I'd hire a video blogger to follow him around and post random Gilbert gems on Gilberts personal site. I would also book him for interviews with every big time NBA media personality out there. Has Gilbert ever had a sit down with John Thompson, Ahmad Rashad, or Steven A. Smith? Imagine Gilbert in Studio with the TNT inside the NBA crew. What about feature stories on ESPN.com or in Sports Illustrated on the NY Times? The key right now for Gilbert is exposure!
3) Make Sure He's Healthy For the Playoffs This Time
Although no one really can control injury, it's important that Gil is healthy for this year's playoffs. Many basketball fans don't really start paying attention to the NBA until the playoffs. If you're not available during the playoffs, you're basically irrelevant.
2 comments:
Fantastic post. Keep up the good work.
Great post and I think everything you say is prettu much correct. Love him or hate him Gilbert was made to entertain and the way he acts on and off the court illustrates that perfectly. He may not have quite the superstar status of LeBron and Kobe but everyone has a favourite Gilbert moment.
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