NASCAR Fans Embrace Patriotic Brand Loyalty

While the American auto industry is no doubt facing an uncertain future, the Big Three can look to NASCAR for some positive news. Not only are the top five drivers in the Sprint Cup Standings all driving American, but also NASCAR fans, long known for their brand loyalty, are staying patriotic when it comes to their vehicles.

According to data from Nielsen’s People Meter sample fused with the respondents of MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer, NASCAR race viewers in Q1′09 were more likely than the average consumer to drive American:

• Drivers of Chevrolet, sponsor of Tony Stewart and Hendrick Motorsports, had 70% higher ratings compared to the composite.
• Drivers of Ford, who sponsors one of NASCAR’s brightest stars in Carl Edwards, had 64% higher ratings.
• Drivers of Dodge, which is now partially owned by a Fiat, is still considered by many an American car, and had 59% higher ratings.

It should be no surprise that NASCAR’s racing teams work closely with the automakers not just under the hood, but also on ways to increase sponsorship visibility - including car signage, uniform apparel, and training the drivers to weave in audio mentions to their interviews - all in hopes of moving the needle when their fans head out to their local car dealership.

As the Big Three American automakers attempt to change public perception and get their cars back on the right track, NASCAR may be the best sponsorship vehicle.

NBA Drafts EA Sports For Sponsorship Dollars

Forget about Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, or Stephen Curry. When David Stern approaches the podium tonight at the 2009 NBA Draft, there is one name that may get more attention than all of them combined: EA Sports. As the top sponsor for the draft, the video game manufacturer will have a major presence in a U.S. sporting event for the second week in a row, and Nielsen data reveals why the NBA Draft is an appealing option to place its marketing resources.

More than 2.8 million viewers watched last year as Derrick Rose, the eventual Rookie of the Year, was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls. More important to a sponsor like EA Sports, though, is the product usage behavior of those viewers.

For example, data from Nielsen’s people meter sample fused with the respondents of MRI’s (Mediamark Research & Intelligence) Survey of the American Consumer reveals the motivation behind EA Sports’ buy:

 -Users of sports video games, where EA Sports is the market leader, had 71% higher ratings compared to the composite NBA draft viewer.

-Participants in fantasy sports leagues - a feature included in EA Sports’ NBA Live franchise - had a whopping 207% higher ratings than the composite.

In an age of consumer empowerment, leagues are doing everything in their power to engage fans. And establishing marketing relationships with fantasy league and video game manufacturers like EA Sports has become a crucial part of that effort.

Appeal of Tiger Woods Extends to Video Game World

When it comes to golf’s U.S. Open, it’s no secret the role Tiger Woods plays in television ratings, but one advertiser in particular may be cheering hardest for the defending champion. EASports, the maker of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, has been prevalent so far in this year’s tournament, sponsoring hole flyovers during the broadcast, and placing banner ads on the online stream of the tournament. According to Nielsen’s Video Game Tracking survey, the franchise has grown steadily in both awareness and purchase intent, as evidenced by comparing these metrics in the week each title was released. EA is no doubt hoping Woods makes a strong showing over the weekend.

NHL, NBA, MLB Enjoy ‘Game 7′ Effect

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman doesn’t need to pick a side in tonight’s do-or-die Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. After all, history says that Bettman and the NHL have already won - at least when it comes to TV viewers.

The Nielsen Company looked back at the four Stanley Cup Finals match-ups that have gone the full seven games since 2000 and in each case, Game 7 was a ratings windfall. For example, games one through six of the 2006 finals between Edmonton and Carolina averaged 2.4 million viewers. Game 7, however, more than doubled that figure with 5.3 million viewers.

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Major E3 Announcements Fuel Big Buzz for Gaming Companies

The three major gaming corporations went head-to-head for the attention of consumers last week by making major announcements at E3, one of the largest gaming conferences in the world. Consumers online have taken notice - during last week’s conference, buzz is up 30% from the comparable time period for E3 2008. After press conferences by Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, no clear winner emerges in online buzz, with Microsoft earning the most brand discussion, but buzz for Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 is nearly equal. Additionally, the game title receiving the most buzz is Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

E3, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony Buzz, May 24 - June 6, 2009

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NBA Playoffs: Where Amazing Marketing Happens

On average, NBA playoff viewership is up 18% across TNT, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC thanks in part to a pair of Conference final games. On May 26th, the Cavs and Magic pulled 10.1 million viewers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series on TNT - the most ever for an NBA Playoff game on cable and the most-watched cable telecast of the year. And the Lakers-Nuggets’ Game 4 of the Western Conference Championship Series delivered 9.7 million viewers - the most ever for a basketball game (college or pro) in ESPN’s history.

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Will E3 Deliver on Gamers’ Expectations?

Anticipation surrounds this year’s E3, one of the largest video game expos, which kicks off this week in Los Angeles. Not only have Sony and Microsoft hinted at major hardware-related announcements, but also details related to upcoming software releases are expected to emerge. Video game enthusiasts started heavily discussing their expectations for E3 several months ago online. This traditionally vocal group of consumers is especially engaged in this year’s E3 - buzz for the month prior to the 2009 expo is up 31% over the comparable time period for E3 2008, which took place July 14 - 17.

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The Sims 3 Virtually Poised for Solid Release into Real World

EA will release The Sims 3 on June 2nd, marking a new chapter for this immensely popular life simulation franchise. As EA begins its marketing push, the title appears quite healthy based on a variety of metrics. Fully 72% of female PC gamers and 64% of male PC gamers were aware of The Sims 3 in Nielsen’s most recent Video Game Tracking survey. Furthermore, 43% of females are definitely or probably interested in buying the title compared to 28% for males.

This high level of interest and gender disparity is to be expected based on PC audience measurement for the previous edition of The Sims which can be gleaned from GamePlay Metrics. The Sims 2 released in 2004 but has kept gamers engaged through numerous expansion packs (generally adding gameplay) and stuff packs (generally adding new items) which have been released through 2008. The most recent metered data from March indicates that The Sims 2: The Celebration Stuff, a stuff pack, had the third largest audience (146,000 unique players) of any simulation game. Additionally, the various Sims 2 packs and the core title occupy six of the top 20 rankings for simulation games by audience, accounting for a combined 749,000 unique players. The Sims 2: Mansion, an expansion pack, and The Sims 2: Garden Stuff had the most engaged Sims players for the month with gamers averaging 5 sessions and a little over 6 hours of gameplay per week. Looking at demographics, the players of The Sims 2 base title skew female, age 12 to 17 and play moderate amounts.

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NHL Fan Loyalty Gives Savvy Advertisers a Power Play

Viewership levels for the NHL playoffs are up compared to last year on both Versus and NBC, a trend that may continue with a Stanley Cup Finals featuring two hockey crazed cities, Detroit and Pittsburgh, and one of the NHL’s brightest stars, the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby.

But just as important as the raw viewership for the NHL and Versus, which is available in 66% of US homes, is the brand behavior of these viewers.

With advertising dollars tight in the current economic climate, the pressure is even greater for sports leagues to demonstrate return on investment to their official partners.  Sponsors are demanding results for their integrated marketing campaigns which include commercial spots, in-game signage, as well as online and mobile extensions.

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Gender Dynamics the Key for EA Sports Active

Electronic Arts enters into fitness gaming this week with the release of EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii. The game features a range of fitness activities plus mini-games that focus on specific sports like in-line skating and basketball. Generally,  EA Sports is a brand synonymous with male-skewing sports franchises like Madden, but as apparent from the box art, the title is being marketed more to women. So how do men and women compare in terms of key purchase metrics for the title?

Based on Nielsen Video Game Tracking data from last week, males have slightly higher purchase interest for the title (27% vs. 21%) but a larger percentage of females rank it as their first choice title to buy (4% vs. 1%). Overall, the title is well above norms in awareness and purchase interest compared to a database of titles, but the gender differences on these metrics highlight the unique task facing EA as it begins to roll out its marketing campaign. Fitness games may appeal more to females (the first choice comparison) but the EA Sports brand may have a built in following among males (the purchase interest comparison). It will be interesting to see how these gender dynamics play out in the marketing and success of the title.