Sports Agency Hits PR Home Run

One of the most effective ways sports organizations or pro athletes can promote themselves is through community relations. Donating time, money, resources or other types of assistance to worth-while causes can garner significant media coverage and improve your overall brand and image to sponsors, fans, customers, clients, etc.

But the approach and manner taken in aligning yourself with an important cause can be tricky. Any hint of insincerity in your motives can backfire PR-wise and cause severe damage to your brand.

A community relations or charitable program by a sports entity must be designed so that its sole purpose appears to be only assisting the people in need. Any positive PR gained from the program should only seem as an accidental by-product of the nice gesture.

Wasserman Media Group, a major sports and entertainment agency based in Los Angeles, CA, recently launched an outstanding PR plan, focusing on community relations, when it partnered with the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (click here) to help raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti.

Wasserman announced that for the rest of the season each of the 47 NBA players it represents will contribute either an x-amount of money for every point they score or a one-time large donation, promising a minimum of $500,000 in dontations.

The initiative was officially announced last Friday (January 22) by President Bill Clinton during an interview that was braodcasted live to the arena and on ESPN at halftime of a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

I don’t think you can deliver a more powerful PR punch than having a U.S. President announce to a huge crowd in the world’s most famous arena, and also aired live on the world’s biggest sports network, that you and your clients are doing a wonderful thing for people in need.

The exposure from that five-minute interview and subsequent media coverage is worth 10 times whatever amount of money that’s eventually donated.

Not only does Wasserman’s PR plan polish and strengthen its image in the sports industry but it also generates a ton of positive media coverage for its NBA clients.

This is not to suggest that Wasserman has no interest in helping the people of Haiti. Any money or assistance raised and delivered to the earthquake victims is a wonderful gesture for an extremely important cause.

But Wasserman was brilliant in recognizing the unprecedented trend of people wanting to help the victims and seized an opportunity to raise awareness of its agency and clients.

Wasserman capitalized in a respectful and professional mannor and it’ll payoff tenfold.

Wasserman Media Group basketball players donating monies per points scored include:

Antawn Jamison – Washington Wizards
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Kendrick Perkins – Boston Celtics
Mike Dunleavy Jr – Indiana Pacers
Mike Miller – Washington Wizards
Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder
Spencer Hawes – Sacramento Kings
Tyreke Evans – Sacramento Kings

Wasserman Media Group clients participating in the donation efforts with generous contributions include:

Ben Wallace – Detroit Pistons
Brandon Roy – Portland Trail Blazers
Brian Scalabrine – Boston Celtics
Brook Lopez – New Jersey Nets
Dan Gadzuric – Milwaukee Bucks
Danilo Gallinari – New York Knicks
DeAndre Jordan – Los Angeles Clippers
DJ Augustin – Charlotte Bobcats
Dorell Wright – Miami Heat
Etan Thomas – Oklahoma City Thunder
Gerald Henderson – Charlotte Bobcats
Ike Diogu – New Orleans Hornets
Jamaal Magloire – Miami Heat
James Johnson – Chicago Bulls
Jarron Collins – Phoenix Suns
Jason Collins – Atlanta Hawks
Jason Kapono – Philadelphia 76ers
Jason Williams – Orlando Magic
JaVale McGee – Washington Wizards
Jermaine O’Neal – Miami Heat
JJ Redick – Orlando Magic
Jon Brockman – Sacramento Kings
Jordan Farmar – Los Angeles Lakers
Josh McRoberts – Indiana Pacers
JR Smith – Denver Nuggets
LaMarcus Aldridge – Portland Trail Blazers
Martell Webster – Portland Trail Blazers
Nathan Jawai – Minnesota Timberwolves
Robin Lopez – Phoenix Suns
Ryan Gomes – Minnesota Timberwolves
Sean May – Sacramento Kings
Sergio Rodriguez – Sacramento Kings
Shelden Williams – Boston Celtics
Tim Thomas – Dallas Mavericks
TJ Ford – Indiana Pacers
Tracy McGrady – Houston Rockets
Wayne Ellington – Minnesota Timberwolves

* List courtesy of SportsFeatures.com (click here)