There’s a new sports marketing company that is paving the way athletes operate in the digital marketplace, including how they interact with fans and raise money for charity. And they’ve set up shop in Buffalo.
How does
FiveNineGroup do this exactly? Take Hall of Fame hockey player Denis Savard, for example. The company promoted Savard’s charity
golf tournament through the website they built for him, help making it a sold-out
event and generating two additional fundraisers for the Denis Savard
Foundation. FiveNineGroup also promotes media and public appearances by Savard,
letting fans know where they can potentially meet him in-person at various
events.
Another example is All-Star
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, whose website includes
unique media content on the athlete that fans would not be able to find
anywhere else. Additionally, the site is soon launching an online store, which will
have exclusive autographed memorabilia and apparel–designed by
FiveNineGroup–with all proceeds benefiting Keith Relief, Keith’s charitable foundation.
For you web techies out there, it’s worthy to note that Keith’s website
received over 20,000 page views in its first month without being optimized and
with zero promotion. Once optimized, the site is expected to exceed well over
50,000 page views per month.
According to Scott
Goergen, the National Hockey League is increasingly getting behind the use of
social media to promote their players and their personal websites.
Says Goergen: “The
NHL wants to grow the game on a grass roots level. The web and social media
allow them to easily do this by engaging with fans. Players sites are listed on
the footer of NHL.com, and on the header of every team site. The Blackhawks,
for example, recently put Duncan Keith’s site under the “Community” tab on
their website. It’s something they want to promote, as they realize Duncan’s
foundation, Keith Relief, will be giving back to the local community.”
Right now, not too
many fans know that athletes can have their websites outside of their
professional affiliations to promote their own activities, both professional
and philanthropic. And in turn, those athletes are still understanding the
benefits having their own site can bring to their causes, as well as to their
fans and own communities. That’s where FiveNineGroup steps in.
“The athletes we
work with are happy to share their story and give fans an inside look at what’s
important to them, both on and off the playing field,” said Chris Howard. “All
of our athletes have the final say on what content they want to provide the
fans, and they realize it’s a great way to connect with fans on their public
appearances and events that directly benefit local communities and causes.”
He continues: “Right
now, athletes and agents may view an online presence as a luxury item, rather
than a need or something that can generate a return. But we have found ways,
and will continue to find ways, to generate a significant monetary return our
clients can use to donate to their foundations or put to good use.”
So, what does this
mean for Buffalo’s professional sports community and fans?
“The Buffalo sports
scene is going to be a big market for us as we continue to grow and develop our
business,” said Howard. “As we all grew up here in Buffalo, it would be an
honor for us to develop sites for athletes who play for our hometown teams.
Plus, knowing what Buffalo fans want and the local community puts us at an
advantage for connecting any Bills, Sabres or Bandits players even further to the
community during–or after–their time here.”
With FiveNineGroup
headquartered in Buffalo, the co-founders–most of whom left Buffalo to only
find their way back–see the city as the perfect home for growing their new
business, especially as they continue establishing more connections in the
local sports market.
“Buffalo is a great
city with a lot of young talent,” said Howard. “With the Sabres new ownership
and commitment to excellence, we feel that being headquartered in Buffalo can
really help us take our business to the next level.”
A company born from
young talent in Buffalo–Chris Howard was recently named Buffalo Business
First’s 40 Under
40 for 2011–with a passion for bridging the world of professional sports with the
fans and communities they serve, FiveNineGroup is poised for long-term success with
the belief in the high quality of their product, the unique value they offer
athletes, communities and fans, and mostly in the relationships they build.
Howard explains, “We
don’t just build a website and go our separate way. We continue to work with
our clients and their families to develop a product that is unique to their
needs, grows and keeps their fans coming back for more.
Photo Captions:
FiveNineGroup co-founders Chris Howard, Ryan Brennan, and Scott Goergen
with NHL Hall of Famer Denis Savard. Not pictured from FiveNineGroup is Rob
Hopkins.
Denis Savard at his 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Classic held in
July. All proceeds from the sold-out event, promoted by FiveNineGroup,
benefitted various Chicago-area non-profits.
A screenshot of NHL All-Star Duncan Keith’s new website, www.DuncanKeith.com, designed and managed by
FiveNineGroup.