sign in sign up
<<
Home , Andrew Luck, Heisman Trophy, Kendall Wright, Robert Griffin III

Making of a Heisman: How Integrated Marketing Supported RG3’s Run to the Heisman

Anna Hoglund Under the Direction of Chris Pullig, Ph.D. and Robert Easley, Ph.D.

Abstract:

You’ve heard this story before.

The struggling startup becomes a Fortune 500. A YouTube soloist becomes a pop culture sensation. It’s the underdog’s rise to greatness. And it’s a story often told in sports. Robert Griffin III is one of these stories. So what sets him apart from the rest?

Robert Griffin III brought unparalleled performance to a historically unimpressive team. While much is to be said for his athletic ability, look closer and you’ll find that behind-the-scenes brand building, coupled with interactive social media pulled off a win for Griffin.

Welcome to the new level of marketing, where rigorous campaign management meets quick decision- making.

1 The Kickoff: Pre-season pressure cooker Summer 2011. The sweltering temperatures of Central reflected the pressure felt by ’s assistant athletic director for sports communications entering the fall football season. Despite 19 years of experience in media relations, Nielsen was overwhelmed with the task at hand. “Robert Griffin III won’t win the Heisman – the platform isn’t big enough,” and “the notion of Griffin as a serious Heisman candidate was ridiculous” illustrate preseason media perceptions Nielsen faced. How do you position a Baylor as a Heisman candidate alongside competitors from national championship teams?

Nielsen had internal and external factors working against him. Internally, Coach was concerned that campaigning for one player would lower team morale. Externally Griffin, and Nielsen, faced greater giants. Heisman winners come from national championship teams – think Notre Dame or State. Before Griffin began leading the Bears as quarterback in 2008, Baylor hadn’t seen a since 1994. The team’s poor track record could be considered the greatest factor working against Griffin’s success. Not only that, longtime favorite of Stanford was being touted the “number one pick for the NFL ” and leading Heisman prediction polls entering the season. Nielsen’s campaign needed to be as unique as Griffin – the winning product – to win the Heisman.

The season opener against Texas Christian University, where the Bears pulled off an unexpected 50-48 upset of the Horned Frogs, put Griffin on the scene and set the stage for a remarkable season. After the victory, Nielsen’s social media campaign was in full swing. The RG3 for Heisman Facebook and pages were launched in September. Followers quickly adopted the “Join the Third” campaign. Throw in the weekly YouTube feature and the campaign gathered “RGIII” trading card momentum from every sector.

Out with the old Nielsen’s plan also needed to reach traditional voters who hadn’t adopted social media like their younger counterparts. How did Nielsen target voters not using his preferred method of communication? Channel nostalgia by designing trading cards. Each round of cards sent throughout the season showed a different aspect of Griffin. “The trading card is a clever advertisement touting the talents of Robert Griffin III… “RG3,” as they’ve cleverly dubbed him, wasn’t on my radar until today,” wrote columnist Dave Tester. Early feedback from commentators gave Nielsen direction in developing the campaign throughout the season.

The final countdown No underdog story is complete without its ups and downs. As the Baylor Bears endured a season lined with injuries and losses, yet unbelievable comebacks, Nielsen and his communications team stood strong.

2 A little humor and a lot of confidence went a long way as Nielsen used the “RG3 for Heisman” campaign to tweet at voters directly, reminding voters of Griffin’s incredible statistics. “Nielsen’s personable approach to interacting with voters through Twitter was a confident yet understated way to say what he needed to say,” said Baylor Marketing Professor and analyst Richard Easley. Baylor students, Heisman voters and NFL scouts had their eyes on the captivating quarterback from a small town in Texas.

“Unbelievably Believable” Dec. 10, 2012. Griffin’s career culminated into this decisive moment, elegantly clad among his competitors in ’s “An aggressive . But you know the story. campaign by The underdog, Robert Griffin III, passed up long-time favorite underdog Baylor… Andrew Luck by over 200 votes. Griffin wasn’t the only person receiving praise after the Heisman ceremony. Media and voters touted Nielsen’s helped RG3 edge out efforts. Media hubs like ESPN, the Morning News, and Sports Luck for the Illustrated published comments ranging from “amazing campaign!” to “classy and professional.” So this underdog story is different. Nielsen’s Heisman” behind-the-scenes management helped pave the way for Griffin to win “the most prestigious award in college football.” - Chris Dufresne, The . The Building Blocks: Paving the path to a

Griffin’s unexpected Heisman win may seem like another pop culture phenomenon, but look a little closer. Nielsen’s behind-the-scenes activity, coupled with RG3’s performance, perfectly replicates the classic brand-building model known as the “brand equity pyramid.” What value does this have today? Quantifying brand equity has long challenged organizations, but the RG3 for Heisman case accomplishes the feat through social media tracking and analytics.

As mentioned in the story above, Nielsen was challenged by preseason media perceptions of the Baylor Bears and RG3. Remarks like “he has no shot at the Heisman” and “Robert Griffin III won’t win the Heisman – the platform isn’t big enough” from top sports analysts were just a few on Nielsen’s radar. Coupled with the popularity of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Nielsen had to build the RG3 brand from the bottom up.

Original planning during the summer of 2011 set the stage for the campaign. “We were prepared but tried to use a “soft-sell” approach to everything we did – we didn’t want to send weekly emails or mailers to media and voters and create a feeling that we were cramming our candidate down their throats,” stated Nielsen. Just like the importance of product recollection when a consumer shops for a particular brand, it was essential that Heisman voters recall the star athlete’s performance during voting to build brand salience. Nielsen needed to ensure that the RGIII brand was communicated clearly and consistently in all the right ways, at all the right times, in all the right places. In the name of subtle publicity, Baylor’s Athletic Communications team decided product promotion would center on the RG3 logo and trading cards.

3 While product performance, or Griffin’s game time play and athletic skill, was simply out of Nielsen’s control; he could determine imagery associated with the quarterback. In this phase of development, showcasing RGIII’s unique attributes was paramount. Traditionally, top are runners but not throwers. Luckily for Nielsen, his product was a standout.

The official RG3 logo highlights Griffin throwing a football with his trademark helmet visor shielding his eyes. Nielsen’s team communicated the unique attributes through the simple logo, as viewers easily identified the Baylor name, Griffin’s trademark face mask, and even a little of the player’s hair dangling outside of the back of the helmet, just like he looks on The official RG3 brand centered on Nielsen’s logo design the field. Fans instantly associated the logo with the player, representing a core element of brand resonance.

Judgments and feelings form the emotional, affective connections consumers make with a brand. Often varying and unpredictable, judgments are made about a brand’s quality, satisfaction, credibility, considerations, or superiority. In the case of Griffin, Nielsen communicated the athlete’s well- rounded image as a scholar, athlete and leader.

The BU-RG3 website was the landing page for interested fans, including a holistic view of Griffin’s on and off-field persona. Nielsen’s team posted detailed information about the star quarterback’s community involvement, academic leadership, game highlights and media appearances on the website. “The website was the key,” Nielsen stated. “Nowadays, internet-based social media is the way to go.” This online access point allowed consumers to see Griffin’s actions match up with Nielsen’s words. Judgments on the athlete could easily be made after getting a transparent look at all sides of Griffin through statistics, highlight reels, photos and other proof of Griffin’s athletic superiority.

From personal judgments, consumers develop emotional responses and feelings towards a brand. Nielsen’s team faced judgments and feelings towards RG3 early in the 2011 season. In a bold statement as the season kicked off, ESPN analyst stated, “He’s from Baylor. He’s not going to win the Heisman.” However, as the season progressed the Athletic Communications team saw a shift in perceptions. “Robert Griffin III impressed all of us. Classy interview” tweeted ESPN broadcaster . Through appearances on ESPN’s College Gameday and impressive play early in the season, Griffin gathered attention and got a footing with voters as Nielsen built his brand behind-the-scenes.

Social media ramped up engagement with fans and voters, creating a dynamic form of marketing with huge success for Baylor’s Athletic Communications team. Consumers deepen attachment through social interaction, recent studies show. This phenomenon played out for Griffin in

4 the “Join the Third” Facebook campaign designed by David Kaye, Baylor’s assistant director of athletic communications. Fans were encouraged to attach “III” to their Facebook names in support of Griffin. What Nielsen didn’t foresee was the campaign catching like wildfire, with an estimate of over 4,000 fans catching the craze. Attaching “III” represents a new form of marketing’s much-desired customer word- of-mouth. Fans were jumping on board the RG3 train, showing loyalty and attachment to the brand while increasing publicity for Griffin as the Heisman ceremony approached. Other successful Facebook promotions included a “share to win” campaign, where fans entered to win a Heisman prize package by sharing RG3 for Heisman photos on their Facebook walls.

The campaign’s wildly successful social media interaction reflects a new phase for marketers. With social media’s dynamic and rapid pace, the classic business notion of “being in the right place at the right time” prevails. While there is much to be said for deliberate pre-planning in today’s campaigns, an element of quick decision-making to capture social media opportunities is necessary for success.

Resonance: The enduring indicator of outstanding brands

Brand resonance is the goal of successful marketing and brand building. Resonance is the degree to which customers feel attached, or “in sync” with a brand. Synchronizing with a brand means customers actively seek out the brand or other loyal customers, keep up with new updates or product releases, seek communities to engage with other loyal followers, and repeatedly purchase from the brand. Resonance is reflected in four areas: loyalty, attachment, community, and engagement. Not every brand needs to have these four to be successful, but those that do achieve the desired customer attachment marketers strive for. Baylor’s beloved RG3 hit all four of these targets with the help of Nielsen and Baylor’s Athletic Communications team.

Customers exhibit behavioral loyalty when they repeatedly purchase from or interact with a company, making accessibility of utmost importance. In the case of RG3, Nielsen used a number of distribution points including social media sites, a webpage, RG3 trading cards delivered by mail, and TV interviews and appearances. “Baylor is quite the PR machine the last three weeks! Those pretty RG3 cards. It’s fun going to mailbox,” tweeted ESPN correspondent Keri Potts. “I wonder if I’ll get another RG3 for #Heisman collector card in the mail this week” stated sports editor Joshua Kinder. Through personalized communication like the trading cards, Nielsen reached voters’ emotional sides, deepening the sense of brand attachment.

Attachment increases with emotional experiences – the vital psychological connection consumers have with a RG3’s academic side was one of five trading card themes

5 brand. Fortunately for Nielsen, RG3 made emotional connections with consumers both on and off-field. With amazing plays like an 87-yard pass to in the Oklahoma game, Griffin’s performance created one-time emotional highs for fans. Off-field, fans connected with Griffin’s charismatic side on television appearances like his ESPN College Gameday feature early in the 2011 season, while others caught Griffin’s humor in weekly “30 with the THIIIRD” YouTube posts. The emotional, affective element of a brand is a game-changer for developing the “in sync” relationship between a consumer and a brand.

Unique, indispensible brands are dynamic, connecting with consumers in a number of ways. While each Heisman candidate undoubtedly brings performance to the field, rarely do you find a scholar-athlete political science major with a 3.67 GPA on the map. “All he has done is break 40 Bears football records – while making the honor roll every semester and earning his degree in political science in three years. Griffin, now studying for his master’s in communications, dreams of law school, volunteers with five charities” stated ESPN journalist Pablo Torre. Nielsen utilized quotes from reputable commentators like Torre on the RG3 trading cards sent to Heisman voters. Griffin brought leadership, intellect, and athletics to the field – the total package. Nielsen’s communication strategy publicized the athlete’s unique talents, creating further attachment among voters and fans.

Encouraging online and offline interaction with consumers was Nielsen’s greatest marketing tool. Active engagement can be considered the strongest indicator of brand loyalty. In this phase, customers invest time, energy, money or other resources in the brand outside of a regular transaction. Community was built around the RG3 brand through social media sites including Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Nielsen engaged in conversation with consumers on a deeper level by tweeting directly at Heisman voters. One voter tweeted, “I just found out I am now part of the Heisman family. I am a Heisman voter.” “Well hello, Lisa,” was Nielsen’s follow up with tweet from thRG3 trading card showcasing e RG3forHeisman account. Griffin’s academic side Quick, interactive conversations on social media platforms built the online community needed to further establish the RG3 brand’s resonance.

Implications for integrated marketing Quantifying social media results is challenging, but Nielsen estimates the return for Baylor was huge. While Baylor spent $10,000 to promote Griffin, Nielsen estimates Griffin’s Heisman exposure brought in around $250,000 in free advertising for the University. Contrast this with other Heisman campaigns like that of the and the implications are obvious. The Ducks spent a hefty $250,000 for a billboard promoting “Harrington for Heisman” in 2001, a campaign that ultimately failed (Harrington finished fourth in the voting). Today’s integrated marketing campaigns are lower-cost with greater returns.

RG3’s 2011 Heisman win was a pivotal moment for the athlete and the team that stood behind him all season. But it wasn’t the end for Griffin’s brand. Even now starting as quarterback for the Redskins, Griffin remains a center of media attention and continual fan favorite.

In a perfect illustration of brand building, Nielsen’s integrated marketing techniques should be noted for today’s marketers. On one hand, Nielsen’s efforts were pre-planned, following the classic

6 brand-building pyramid. On the other hand, the campaign relied on new social media tactics to interact with Heisman voters and solidify the brand. Bringing this integrated marketing mix together was the element of unforeseeable events that were out of Nielsen’s control but lead to his campaign’s success – otherwise regarded as “being in the right place at the right time” – a serendipitous ending to the whole strategy. In the words of Robert Griffin III, “this is unbelievably believable. It’s unbelievable because in the moment, we’re all amazed when great things happen. But it’s believable because great things don’t happen without hard work.”

7