Strategic Marketing Plan

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Giorgio VarlaroSPMG 6500

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Purpose 3

Product 5

Product’s Industry 15

Project the Market 16

Pick the Players 18

Position 20

Promotions 21

Price 27

Place 31

Promise 33

Timeline 34

References 34

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Executive Summary The New Jersey Nets, which has been a staple in the New Jersey area since 1977, wants

to provide its community and sports fans with an experience that cannot be obtained by other sports franchises. The Nets offer various promotions for all ages, trying to create opportunities for fans to come and experience the Nets, thus creating memories which we hope last for a lifetime.

The New Jersey Nets continue to be the sole provider for professional basketball in New Jersey, and seeks to make the experience given affordable and available to all interested participants. This is done through a collective effort of all associates and sponsors who represent the Nets. The New Jersey Nets serve more than 278,000 residents of Newark, New Jersey through community relations programs like its “Passport to Fitness” and “Get Net Fit” (Feder, 2009). Ongoing efforts are in place to continue to improve the quality and integrity of the program.

Major challenges face the New Jersey Nets in the future. The franchise is planning on moving to Brooklyn in 2012 to provide the fans there a sports franchise that has been absent since 1957 (Lusted, 2010). The Brooklyn Dodgers, who were led by Jackie Robinson, left after the team couldn’t successfully win the World Series for a decade (Lusted, 2010). The Nets do not want to end up like the Dodgers, and look forward to the future with high hopes. The owners, board of directors and staff of the Nets will continue to work toward providing a quality experience in the most effective and efficient manner possible.

Mission Statement To serve our community with pride and passion as a quality example of individual and

team excellence on the court, in the office, at the arena and within the community by consistently exceeding our customers’ expectations by demonstrating the highest character, appreciation and respect for the game, customers, teammates and partners as a cost-effective and visionary organization providing a total entertainment experience (Mission Statement, 2010).

Core Values It is the New Jersey Nets mission to achieve our goals through the following core values:

o Mutual respect for each other, and a commitment to excellence, innovation, integrity and quality in everything that we do.

o Providing our guests with superior entertainment value in a clean, secure, and comfortable entertainment, regardless of their interest level in basketball.

o Helping our sponsors build their brands and grow their businesso By treating our respective constituencies with respect, appreciation, and as we

ourselves would want to be treated and serviced. In other words, putting our fans and sponsors first every single day, and meaning it.

o Making our community a better place to live through our support of worthy social causes

o Involving our guests in the game as active participants, not merely as spectators.o Knowing who and where our fans are, and reaching out to them.

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o Working hard to make NBA basketball the most popular sport in our community and by selling and humanizing our players to everyone that we meet.

o Being proactive and accountable in carrying out our mission (Chicago Bulls Mission Statement, 2010).

Goals and Objectives Strategic Goals and Objectives

o To increase the market share and to offer superior customer service Make current customers spend just a little more every season

If you bought one ticket last season, get the customer to buy two or three tickets the next season

o They have shown interest in your product, which makes them very valuable to the team

Increase Ticket Sales Representatives by five people Give Season Ticket holders the option to get better seats if they

purchase their season tickets fasto To increase overall fan base

Look at designing throwback jerseys Both home and away

o To enhance Public Relations We need to start getting fans feeling good about the Nets moving to

Brooklyn through Community Relations Host charities, blood drives, 5K’s, 10K’s with all of the money

going to the schools of Brooklyn Give away season tickets through a sweepstakes or offer discount

season tickets to the Barclays Center if you purchase Nets merchandise from the official team website

o To enhance brand recognition of team Our new owner Mikhail Prokhorov has to try and display that he is in the

NBA for the right reasons. He has to ride the train into work, sit in the nose bleed section and try to understand what is working and what is not working and finally, Prokhorov has to have part-owner Shawn Carter with him when he does all of these objectives

The fans of the Nets necessarily will not follow Prokhorov to Brooklyn leading the way, but they will follow Carter, who was born and raised out of Brooklyn

Financial Goals and Objectiveso To increase sponsorships renewals

Create brochures which show sponsors what they are getting with being a sponsor of the Nets

o To increase attendance Incorporate more family night activities Host more concerts

Organizational Objectiveso To increase revenues and return on investment by 10%.o To try and observe and report customer satisfaction during a home game

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Marketing Goalso To increase ticket sales by 5%, generate 500 new season ticket holders and to

increase awarenesso To measure these goals we will examine

Suitability Measurability Acceptability Flexibility Commitment People Participation Linkage

Core Product Type/Level

o Professional Basketball Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Orlando Magic New York Knicks Indiana Pacers New Jersey Nets Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors Cleveland Cavaliers Charlotte Hornets Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers Detroit Pistons

Western Conference Los Angeles Lakes New Orleans Hornets Golden State Warriors Portland Trailblazers San Antonio Spurs Dallas Maverick Sacramento Kings Oklahoma City Thunder Denver Nuggets Utah Jazz Memphis Grizzlies Phoenix Suns Los Angeles Clippers

82-game regular season

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41 home games 41 away games

Playoff Structure The NBA has a best-of-seven tournament between the top sixteen

teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences Seeds are given out to eight teams from each conference based on

their regular season record. Teams with low seeds had more wins during the regular season than teams with high seeds.

Playoffs go through five roundso First Roundo Second Roundo Third Roundo Fourth Roundo Finals

Special Events NBA Draft

o Normally at the end of June The NBA Draft allows all thirty NBA teams to

select American and Non-American players who play basketball. Players from the United States usually come from universities and foreign players come from a variety of different levels.

Draft Lotteryo The fourteen teams that didn’t make it to the playoffs in the

previous season have a chance to get the following years first draft choice through a lottery

o The team with the worst NBA record has the best chance to get the #1 pick, and visa versa, but this usually does not happen

NBA All-Star Gameo This game is usually played in March at different arenas

every yearo Players are selected to the All Star game by fan ballots and

head coaches. Head coaches cannot vote for their own players

o Is an entire weekend event for fanso Tricks competition, Slam Dunk Competition, three-point

competition and celebrity basketball gameso The WNBA also joins forces with the NBA within these

competitions Structure/Format

o Rules Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by

shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop

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at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball.

The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds.

When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have accumulated during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a '1-and-1' opportunity. If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is live on the rebound.

Each game is divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In college, each half is twenty minutes long. In high school and below, the halves are divided into eight (and sometimes, six) minute quarters. In the pros, quarters are twelve minutes long. There is a gap of several minutes between halves. Gaps between quarters are relatively short. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime periods of various lengths are played until a winner emerges.

Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee will toss the ball up between the two. The player that gets his hands on the ball will tip it to a teammate. This is called a tip-off. In addition to stealing the ball from an opposing player, there are other ways for a team to get the ball.

o Fouls Personal Fouls (any type of illegal physical contact) Hitting, Pushing, Slapping Holding, Illegal Screens

o Violations Charging

An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player. The ball is given to the team that the foul was committed upon.

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Blocking Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not

establishing position in time to prevent an opponent's drive to the basket.

Flagrant Foul Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking,

and punching. This type of foul results in free throws plus the offense retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.

Intentional Foul When a player makes physical contact with another player with no

reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials.

Technical Foul A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not

involve player contact or the ball but is instead about the 'manners' of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups.

Traveling Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is

traveling. Moving your pivot foot once you've stopped dribbling is traveling.

Carrying When a player dribbles the ball with his hand too far to the side of

or, sometimes, even under the ball. Double Dribble

Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the dribble and then dribbling again is a double dribble.

Held Ball Occasionally, two or more opposing players will gain possession

of the ball at the same time. In order to avoid a prolonged and/or violent tussle, the referee stops the action and awards the ball to one team or the other on a rotating basis.

Goaltending If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way

down toward the basket, while it's on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it's in the cylinder above the rim, it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in.

Backcourt Violation Once the offense has brought the ball across the mid-court line,

they cannot go back across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to pass inbounds.

Time Restrictions

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A player passing the ball inbounds has five seconds to pass the ball. If he does not, then the ball is awarded to the other team. Other time restrictions include the rule that a player cannot have the ball for more than five seconds when being closely guarded and, in some states and levels, shot-clock restrictions requiring a team to attempt a shot within a given time frame.

Tangible Elements Coaching Staff

o Head Coach Avery Johnson

o Assistant Coaches Sam Mitchell Larry Krystkowiak John Loyer Popeye Jones Tom Barrise

o Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Dalatri

o Athletic Trainer Tim Walsh

Facilityo The Prudential Center “The Rock”

Opened in 2007

Total Project Cost - $375 million Naming Rights Sponsor - Prudential Financial Capacity - 17,625 for hockey and 18,500 for basketball Two club lounges, a goal bar, terrace area and a 350 seat gourmet

restaurant A 4,800 sq. ft. big screen LED television facing Newark Penn Station Adjacent full size practice facility for hockey with 800 seat capacity A total of 76 Luxury Suites and 2 Event Suites Is part of a major revitalization in New Jersey which also includes

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Newark Symphony, Riverfront Stadium and Red Bull Park in Harrison.

It hosts the New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall Men’s Basketball, the New Jersey Nets, concerts, family shows, special events as well as other professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events.

Equipmento Basketball shoes, basketball uniforms (home and away), a basketball, two

basketball hoops, a regulation size court, sweat bands Managers

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o Principal Owner Mikhail Prokhorov

o Part Owner Shawn Carter

o Chairman of the Board of Directors Christophe Charlier

o CEO, NETS Basketball; President & CEO, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Brett Yormark

o General Manager Billy King

o Assistant General Manager Bobby Marks

o Sr. Vice President and General Manager of Arena Operations Alex Diaz

o Sr. Vice President and Chief Relationship Officer Leo Ehrline

o Sr. Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Gewirtz

o Sr. Vice President of Ticket Sales and Marketing Fred Mangione

o Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Charlie Mierswa

o Vice President of Ticket Sales Brian Basloe

o Vice President of Business & Entertainment Communications Barry Baum

o Vice President of Human Resources Kimberly Blanco

o Vice President of Property Sales Chris Brahe

o Vice President of Entertainment and Event Marketing Petra Pope

o Vice President of Public Relations Gary Sussman

Playerso Centers

Josh Boone Brook Lopez Troy Murphy Johan Petro Brian Zoubek

o Forwards Derrick Favors Trenton Hassell Travis Outlaw

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Jarvis Hayes Kris Humphries Damion James Sean May Bobby Simmons

o Guards Jordan Farmar Devin Harris Anthony Morrow Chris Quinn Quinton Ross Ben Uzoh

Game Officialso Dick Bavettao Derrick Collinso Violet Palmero Ken Mauero LeRoy Richardsono Gary Zielinskio Mike Calahano Scott Bolnicko Sean Wrighto Steve Javieo Bennie Adamso Mark Ayotteo Monty McCutcheno Brian Forteo Eric Lewiso Marc Daviso David Guthrieo Tom Washingtono Ed Malloyo Tony Brotherso Kane Fitzgeraldo Joe Crawfordo Tony Browno Olandis Pooleo Scott Fostero Michael Smitho Scott Twardoskio Ron Garretsono Marat Koguto Leon Woodo Derrick Stafford

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o Eli Roeo Zach Zarbao Bill Spoonero Kevin Cutlero Rodney Mott

Intangible Elements Because the New Jersey Nets had one of the worst records ever in NBA history last

season, it will be up to the organization and its members to give fans of the New Jersey Nets a memorable experience when they come to the Prudential Center.

o Examples of desired emotions/feelings Excitement, nervousness, tenseness, elation and euphoria

o How to get desired emotions To have a successful team Having interaction with fan by handing out t-shirts Make sure food is prepared well Have halftime performances Have players do meet-and-greets Try to do fireworks inside the arena Have the mascot interact with fans during the game Have a good play-by-play team and good P.A. announcer

o Examples of Memorable Experiences Handing out memorabilia Having a popular kids band perform during halftime Having new technology advancements which allow fans to get more

interactive with team through cell phones Make the pre-game player announcements entertaining, with a light show,

smoke and dramatic music Give out awards to fans during timeouts if they can answer trivia questions

about the New Jersey Nets correctly Have half-court shots where the winner gets a trip to the Bahamas

The team has taken necessary steps in the right direction for the 2010-2011 with the hiring of new head coach Avery Johnson and a solid draft pick in Derrick Favors, but this will only do so much. In order to make our fans feel that they are making the right choice with their money in this time of economic down turn, the Nets will make sure to do the little things to make customers happy. They Nets will:

Listen to their fans with the use of kiosks throughout the Prudential Centero What type of music do you like?o What is your favorite Nets theme night?o Do you have any ideas for a theme night?o Was it easy to purchase your ticket?o Did you use will call, and if so, was it a pleasurable experience?o Who is your favorite player?o Who is your favorite coach?

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Will expand the drinking area for individuals who wish to consume alcohol, and also give better sight lines

Will try and put speakers within the arena (not by the fans) to increase the volume within the stadium

Because the Nets cannot rely heavily upon their sports product, we will need to give fans an emotion which will make them come back for more. If this means giving away a lot of merchandise like the Seattle Seahawks do, it is something we might have to deal with until our team begins to flourish within the Eastern Conference.

Product Extensions Spectators

o Individual Consumers In person/ Mediated

o Corporate Consumers In person/ Mediated

Game Announcerso Marv Albert (television play-by-play) o Ian Eagle (television play-by-play)o Jim Spanarkel (analyst on YES’Nets telecasts)o Chris Carrino (radio play-by-play)o Tim Capstraw (color analysis)

Stadium Vendors and Concessionso 7 City Grillo Beers of Newarko Carvelo Famous Famigila’so Habana Grillo Harvest Tableo JT’s BBQo Molli Coolzo Mr. Fieldso Mucho Nachoso Nathan’so Newark Nut Companyo On the Boardwalko The One Sushio Taste of Newarko Top Dog

Licensed Merchandiseo Found in the Team Store, Online and at secondary clothing outlets

Basketballs Jerseys Jackets T-Shits Head and Wrist Bands Sneakers

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Socks Sweatshirts Long Sleeve Shirts Track Pants

Game Promotion Activitieso Fan Appreciation Nighto Youth Teams Nighto Scout Nighto Honor Roll Nighto All Sports Nighto Ticket Give-away to unemployed workers

Gave them advice career advice in a brochureo Opposing player T-Shirts Night

Buy a 10-game ticket package and get a T-Shirt with opposing players on it

o Tax night Get your taxes done by the New Jersey Nets for $29

o Jersey Shore Fridays Dress up as your favorite Jersey Shore character and get in for free

o Military Salute Night Nets head bands courtesy of a sponsor

o White Castle Night Special package where if you buy four tickets to a game you get four

White Castle meals for around $80 Scoreboard

o During every in-game timeout show everyone in the crowd and allow them to see it.

o Have trivia questions for the fans. Answer the question during the next stoppage of play.

o Post stats about the venue, players and coaches during the gameo Use the scoreboard for sponsorshipso Use the Scoreboard for instant replay of a dunk, pass or made shoto Have a promotional video for the team’s pre-game introduction

Game Programso In-game

Dirtiest Car in the Parking Lot T-Shirt Toss Biggest Fan Recognition Ticket Drawing Winner

o Halftime Three-point Contest Three-legged Race Three-legged Basketball Fireworks that can be done inside

Parking

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o VIP Parking Lot 22 and 26 You will be guaranteed a spot to the game no matter how late you come

o Reserved Parking Parking Deck 23 Will have a spot no matter what time you show up to the game

o Full-Season $440

o Half-Season $210

o Day of Game $12

Nets Dancerso Marcao Beckyo Laurao Bonnieo Terrieo Jessicao Jerese o Jeno Siobhano Ceciliao Jackie Christinao Julie o Melodyo Brenna

Mascoto Sly the Silver Fox

Product’s Industry Team Sponsorships

o Ford, Lincoln-Mercury, PNC Bank, ADT, Aflac, American Dairy Association, Amtrak, Apollojets, AutoZone, Barclays, Bloomberg, Brooklyn Burger, Budweiser, Canon, CB Richard Ellis, China Center, Chipotle, Coke, Columbia Bank, CURE, Cushman-Wakefield, Domino’s, Electronics Expo, Emblem Health, Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Service, Excel Therapy, First Response, Ford Jewelers, Foxwoods, Gatorade, GEICO, Goya, Haier, High Point Solutions, Hospital for Special Surgery, Israel Discount Bank, IZOD, Jones, National Grid, Lawns By Yorkshire, LG, Liquid Lightning, Lutheran Health Care, MetroPCS, McDonald’s, Modell’s, Optimum, Pelle Pelle, Pirate’s Booty, PNY, Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel, Rocawear, Roni Deutch, RYMAX, Sensible Portions, Sherwin Williams, Sina, Sony, SportsCare, State Farm Insurance, Sundance Vacations, TD Bank, Thermwell, TicketExchange, Tiffany & Co., Unique Photo,

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UPS, US Army, USG, Valley Hospital, Vonage, Western Union, Wrigley, YES, ZAPPOS and Zebra Pen

Area Youth Leagueso New Jersey

New Hope Baptist Church Edison Township Youth Basketball Rucker Park Saint Francis College Chelsea Piers Blue Streak

o Brooklyn Kings Bay Youth Organization Aviator Sports and Event Center

Area High Schoolso New Jersey

East Side High School West Side High School Newark Public Schools: University High School Weequahic High School Barringer High School Newark Arts High School

o Brooklyn Abraham Lincoln High School Union Catholic High School Princeton Junior Senior High School Acorn Community High School Acorn High School for Justice AH/RC Middle High School Automotive High School BAIS Yaakov High School

Area Collegeso New Jersey

Rutgers University Essex County Community College Berkeley College Seton Hall University New Jersey Institute of Technology University of Dentistry and Medicine of New Jersey

o Brooklyn Brooklyn College St. Josephs College Polytechnic University SUNY Brooklyn College Career Institute of Health and Technology Brooklyn Law School

Laboro National Basketball Association Players Association

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Deals with all 29 NBA franchises

Project the Market Strengths

o Management New Owner

Mikhail Prokhorov Part Owner

Shawn Cartero Radio

WFANo Television

YES Network WWOR-TV

o The Prudential Center Capacity - 17,625 for hockey and 18,500 for basketball Two club lounges, a goal bar, terrace area and a 350 seat gourmet

restaurant A 4,800 sq. ft. big screen LED television facing Newark Penn Station Adjacent full size practice facility for hockey with 800 seat capacity A total of 76 Luxury Suites and 2 Event Suites

o Transportation Train Bus Car

o Recognized Brand Have been in the New Jersey area since 1977

Weaknesseso Revenues

$98 million 29th in the NBA in 2008-2009

o Attendance 1990-2000

643,623 2000-2001

566,077 2001-2002

564,194 2002-2003

622,574 2003-2004

613,051 2004-2005

618,677 2006-2007

691,543

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2007-2008 678,885

2008-2009 621,062 (25th in the NBA)

o Product 2009-2010

12-70 recordo Worst team in the Eastern Conference

9-73 (1972-73) Philadelphia 76ers (worst record ever in the NBA)

Opportunitieso The Barclays Center

New Arena opening up in Brooklyno Minorities

With it known that New Jersey has a lot of different minorities within its area, and these are an every growing population, the New Jersey Nets have to invest some market research in which minorities might consume New Jersey Nets basketball. Minorities are an untapped resource, and have to be looked at in-depth to see if the company could benefit from their interest.

Threatso Baseball

New York Yankees New York Mets Staten Island Yankees Brooklyn Cyclones

o Football New York Jets New York Giants

o NHL New York Rangers New Jersey Devils New York Islanders

o NBA New York Knicks

o WNBA New York Liberty

o Tennis U.S. Open Grand Slam Tournaments

o MLS New York Red Bulls

o WPS Sky Blue FC

o MLL (Lacrosse) Long Island Lizards

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Market Forces Analysiso Non-Sports

Concerts Broadway Plays Casino Movie Theaters Spas Arcades Amusement Parks Rock Climbing Zoos Boating Miniature Golf Art Museums Race Tracks Shooting Ranges The Beach

Pick the Playerso New Jersey Overview

Most commonly referred to as "New Jerseyans" or "New Jerseyites" Population of 8,707,739

11th most populated in the United Stateso Middlesex County is the center of populationo Home to the most scientists and engineers per square mile

in the entire world Ethnicities

Five largesto Italians (17.9%), Irish (15.9%), African Americans

(13.6%), Germans (12.6%), and Polish (6.9%) Jewish

o Second largest population, second to New York Muslim

o Second largest population, second to Michigan Cubans

o Second largest population, second to Florida Asians

o Third highest population by percentage Italians (17.9%)

o Third highest population by percentage New Jersey as a whole has the second highest median household income

o Primary Target Audience Families with children 8-17

Upper middle class to upper class white Males and Females 21-45

o Have purchased New Jersey Nets Season Tickets

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Middle to Upper Classo White and African American

College Educated Single and/or Married

Males and Females 40-55 Middle and Upper class professionals

o Secondary Target Audience Families with children 8-17

Middle class white or black Males and Females 26-39

Middle Classo Young established professionals

High School and Some College Education Have purchased team memorabilia and attended a few games

o Tertiary Target Audience Males and Females 18-45

Lower to Middle Classo Latinos and Asians

GED or High School Education and some college Married with families

Black Males 40-55 Middle to lower class

o New Jersey Psychographics Primary Target Market

These are people that expect the finer things in life, but do appreciate it when someone goes out of their way to make them wanted. These are stable and busy people who do not need their time to be wasted.

Secondary Target Market These are individuals who are both conservative and risk takers.

For some, this is the first time they’ve been stable with money, so they would spend more on extraneous costs. They could also not have stability, so they watch their pennies.

Tertiary Target Market Status seekers, who love the finer things in life. Usually have two

jobs, so they look for deals when deciding to use their money.

Positiono Market Niche

Because the New Jersey Nets as a basketball team have not been good since Jason Kidd left in 2006-2007 season, positioning their product will be key for the team to create some revenues for the upcoming season. The Nets, in recent seasons have done a very good job of getting different types of minorities on their team which correlates to the demographic of the city. The team has White Caucasian players, African American players, Asian players and Latino players. This helps in getting the vast

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amounts of minorities to the arena, but to make sure that business is consistent, the New Jersey Nets will have to market their opponent’s star players because the Nets do not have any.

For example, we know that the New Jersey Nets will play the Miami Heat at some point during the season. It will be up to the sales department to create a promotion of watching the Miami Heat “Big Three” at the Prudential Center. The Miami Heat will more than likely win the game because their team has superior talent, so give basketball enthusiast the chance to see these amazing players in person, in their own backyard.

o Branding The brand of the New Jersey Nets is not as dominant as it has been in

recent years. Some of this has to do with the fact that the team has not won a lot. Last year, the team actually came close to losing the most games ever in NBA history. With this known though, the Nets are still a team that has tremendous history with its community. Like Michael Jordan is to the Chicago Bulls. Julius Erving “Dr. J” is to the New Jersey Nets. Because of player like this, the Nets still have a strong brand image within its market segmentation. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to sell tickets.

What has helped the team increase its brand image is positive news in the New York market. Despite the fact that New York has a lot of professional sports, the New Jersey Nets have made splashes in the news with the team being taken over by a new owner and the fact that the team will be moving to Brooklyn. There has been some backlash from the people who live in Brooklyn, but there are always individuals who do not like decisions that teams make.

In recent years, which has also helped the brand image of the New Jersey Nets was getting Shawn Carter a.k.a Jay-Z to be part owner of the New Jersey Nets. Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York and has a tremendous influence on consumers from the city. Jay-Z instantly gave credibility to the company even though he had no past experience with basketball. What Carter does with the Nets is provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on television, radio, print and high-profile events.

Carter specifically helps the Nets make jingles for the radio, with the use of their slogan, “New Jersey, Come See for Yourself.”

The New Jersey Nets logo can be seen in numerous different areas Examples are

On the back of tickets On merchandise sold in the team store On the seats within the arena On the scoreboard On the media table On brochures that are handed out at the game On food that is purchased

o Cups, carrying cases, food holders and on wrappers and napkins

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On newsletters and e-mails sent to prospective fans

Promotionso Advertising

Print Magazines, Newspapers, Inserts, Brochures and Billboards

o The Star Ledger (Local Newspaper) Billboards will be seen in both Brooklyn and New

Jersey Electronic

Internet, Television, Stuntso When individuals go to the official website of the New

Jersey Nets, they will receive a pop-up which asks them if they would like to talk with a sales associate about purchasing New Jersey Nets Tickets

Scoreboardo During time outs or commercial breaks, the team could

offer businesses the chance to advertise on the scoreboard, which is seen by all fans in attendance

Radio Adso Shawn Carter (part owner) will provide direction here,

helping the team make jingles and other promotions which will create awareness of the New Jersey Nets

o Publicity Print

Press Releaseso The New Jersey Nets will send out press releases to local

papers informing them on what’s going on with the New Jersey Nets

Electronic E-mails and Television

o Besides watching the Nets and what they are doing on ‘YES’, the New Jersey Nets should send out e-mails to all of their prospective customers letting them know where and when the Nets will be doing stuff within the community. The e-mails could be titled ‘Nets Tracker’

o Technology Advertisement on Cell Phones

Come within a ¼ mile of the Prudential Center and get a text message from the New Jersey Nets stating who the Nets play that night and what promotions they offer.

New Jersey Nets Podcasts Pre-game and post-game information of the New Jersey Nets “Talking Nets Basketball”

o Allows fans to call in on the radio and voice their opinions on the New Jersey Nets basketball team

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Recorded Press Conferenceso Hear what players said after a win or a loss

o New Media/Social Media Film

Telecasts offered in high-definition Images

Nets logo, players photos, mascot photos and Nets dancer photos Music

Playlisto First Half Songs

Check it Out – Beastie Boys What you gon Do – Lil Wayne Enemy of the State Theme Walk this Way – Run DMC Stronger – Brittney Spears Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers Tambourine – Eve Livin on a Prayer – Bon Jovi Don’t Cha – Pussy Cat Dolls Fergalicious - Fergie

o Halftime Songs It Takes Two – Rob Base Good Vibrations – Marky Mark Fantastic Voyage – Lakeside Birthday – The Beatles Jungle Boogie – Kool & The Gang Bring Em Out – T.I.

o Second Half Songs Cha Cha Slide – D.J. Casper Just Fine – Mary J. Blige Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice Single Ladies – Beyonce I Love Rock n’ Roll – AC/DC Space Jam – Quad City D.J. American Woman – Lenny Kravitz Panama – Van Halen

Internet Message Boards Blogs Vlogs E-Mail Instant Messaging

o Promotion The New Jersey Nets will have to work with their sponsors more than ever

this season, providing extra incentives to their fan base to come and support the team. An example could be a test driving session with local

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sponsors. If a fan of the New Jersey Nets takes a test drive in Ford or Lincoln vehicle, they will receive 50% off select tickets within the arena. The Nets will obviously give these dealers more traffic and potential customers, so the Nets will be expecting the salesmen to give out gift bags from the Nets to every person who test drives one of their cars.

For families, the Nets will have to work out deals with their food sponsors. Buy four tickets and get four meals for just under $80. The team has a deal right now with McDonalds, where fans can buy two tickets for the price of one. All McDonald’s wanted from the deal was their logo being present online and in brochures.

Finally, the Nets will use an array of different media to promote special ticket deals, discounts, merchandise, coupons, raffles and sweepstakes for fans of the New Jersey Nets. Return on investment can be measured here based on the amount of money spent to create awareness and the resulting amount of tickets sold.

o Public Relations It will be the public relations duty to spread as much information as they

can through as many mediums possible to makes individuals aware of the New Jersey Nets. This can be game results, team transactions or community relations activities within the area and how they went.

It will also be there responsibility to deal with the media. The New Jersey Nets cannot allow just anyone into their press conferences. They have to be recognized media who have worked with the Nets before.

This also goes with interviews with players. Media members must first contact the Public Relations department if they want an interview with the player, thus being the mediator between the two.

o Media Relations Press Releases

Maximize positive news on the New Jersey Nets Press Conferences

Will provide press with media guides which have statistics and game information on the Nets

Food will also be available for the media at home gameso Licensed Merchandise

Found in the Team Store, Online and at secondary clothing stores Basketballs Jerseys Jackets T-Shits Head and Wrist Bands Sneakers Socks Sweatshirts Long Sleeve Shirts Track Pants

o Personal Selling

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Have interns go to the mall, the park and other places around Newark and set-up a New Jersey Nets Booth where Nets merchandise can be purchased. As well, the interns should be able to provide any information that prospective customer might ask. These booths will be set-up at high traffic times when people are not in their regular work setting.

o Community Relations Programs Programs

Passport to Fitnesso The Nets Passport to Fitness Program encourages

youngsters to participate in fun fitness and nutrition activities. Once a month during the season, Nets player Devin Harris takes 30 kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bergen, Morris and Passaic on a different activity. Activities include hiking, fitness clinic, cooking class, bowling and indoor rock climbing.

Get Net Fito The Nets have partnered with the American Dairy

Association to teach kids in the metropolitan area the importance of nutrition and fitness. The program includes a series of clinics, court refurbishments and a nutrition challenge during the school year.

Read to Achieveo The Nets Read to Achieve program is sponsored by

Western Union and includes various events such as reading time-outs, player appearances, school visits, and book donations. Throughout the season, the Nets All-Star reading team visit schools and libraries to emphasize the importance of reading and receiving an education. The Nets All-Star reading team consists of Nets players, coaches, management, Nets dancers and Sly.

Job Shadowo Once a month during the school year, Centenary College

facilitates high school students in job shadowing a Nets employee for a day. The students visit the Nets offices, meet with different departments within the business and then attend a Nets home game.

Season of Givingo During the “Season of Giving,” Nets players spread holiday

cheer by participating in numerous holiday events. “Season of Giving” activities include feeding the needy for Thanksgiving, hosting holiday parties for underprivileged children, hospital visits, coat drives and the annual Toys for Tots drive.

Newspapers in Educationo The Nets have joined forces with the Newark Star Ledger

to bring students the Newspaper in Education (NIE)

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Program. The program is designed to inspire youth to find the fun and usefulness in reading the newspaper by providing lesson plans for teachers to use in class to help enhance critical thinking. To reward students for their classroom accomplishments, 17 students are chosen by their teachers and have the opportunity to interview a Nets player after a Nets practice and have their article published in the Star Ledger.

Black History Montho Nets Basketball and Amtrak will team up once again this

season to celebrate Black History Month throughout February. “Black History Month presented by Amtrak” will involve special interactive features on the Nets website, appearances by Nets players, in arena and game telecast vignettes as well as an art contest for high school students.

Hometown Heroo The Nets Hometown Hero award sponsored by TD Bank is

a season-long program that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions and performed selfless acts in their communities. Individuals are honored in an on-court ceremony during a time-out at a home game.

Mayors Programo Throughout the season, AutoZone and the Nets are

recognizing New Jersey mayors for their outstanding service to the community.

o Each mayor is honored prior to the game with an on-court presentation. He/she is accompanied by residents of their town who all receive tickets, courtesy of AutoZone.

Rock and Wrap it Upo After each home game, the Nets and Rock and Wrap It Up

collect all the unused prepared but not served food and donate it to shelters in the metropolitan area.

Nets Home Courto Nets Home Court comprised of the wives and significant

others of Nets players, coaches and management, are committed to supporting the Nets community and each other. The group concentrates primarily on issues that deal with children, education, health, and women, and participates in these areas through fundraising and volunteer efforts in conjunction with the Nets Basketball Team.

o Athlete Assist Program Once again this season, Nets players are participating in the Nets Athlete

Assist Program. These generous players have all donated a block of tickets to every Nets home game that are available to youth groups and non-profit organizations in the metropolitan area. All of the groups are recognized

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during the game and select groups this season will have the opportunity to participate in some of the in-game entertainment activities.

o Player Foundation 34 Ways to Assist Program (Made by Devin Harris)

The 34 Ways to Assist Foundation was created with three primary initiatives in mind: The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the umbrella of youth athletics as a whole. Devin Harris, starting point guard for the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets, grants wishes for children with life threatening medical conditions through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, mentors youth and teens through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and provides a healthy outlet for underprivileged youth through his free basketball camp in Milwaukee as well as League and Playground programs in that area. A native of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, Devin's primary endeavors center on the Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, and Dallas communities. Devin has worked tirelessly with his charities in order to give children hope, guidance, and a safe place to play. Devin's belief is that he is greatly blessed in so many ways through his career as a professional athlete, and his desire is to give back to these communities he calls home as they have given to him.

o Development Camps Nets Basketball Development was created to foster relationships between

youth athletics, schools, and community centers to establish a greater awareness of Nets Basketball while promoting teamwork, sportsmanship, good health, and a greater understanding of the game of basketball. Nets Basketball Development has hosted and will continue to host several camps and clinics throughout the year.

Schedules are posted on the Nets official websiteo Corporate Sponsorship Packages

Platinum Level Four banners at all home games (3’x6’) Company logo and link on the front page of the Nets website Advertisement page dedicated to sponsor on game-day program Four court-side season tickets Company game night for 100 employees, clients, charity or friends P.A. announcements at all home games

Gold Level Two banners displayed at home games (3’x6’) Four court-side season tickets Half-page ad in Nets game-day program Five two-player appearances at company events

o Subject to availability Company logo and link on from page of Nets website

Silver Level Company logo and link on Nets website

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Two season tickets One banner at all home games (3’x6’) Quarter page ad in Nets game-day program One two-player appearance at company event

o Subject to Availability Bronze Level

Two season tickets Ten tickets to any single game Company logo and link on Nets website

Halftime Offer Sponsor half-court shot at halftime and get a sponsor mention

before and after shot Shooter wins prize which you provide

Price Price Listings

Season Tickets Full Season

o White Average Game Price: $440 Total Plan Price: $16,280

o Pink Average: $195 Total: $7,215

o Light Blue Average: $165 Total: $6,105

o Dark Blue Average: $140 Total: $5180

o Yellow Average: $99 Total: $3663

o Purple Average: $105 Total: $3885

o Red Average: $80 Total: $2960

o Orange Average: $60 Total: $2220

o Green Average: $35 Total: $1295

o Gold

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Average: $38 Total: $1406

o Silver Average: $30 Total: $1110

o Maroon Average: $25 Total: $925

o Bronze Average: $12 Total: $444

Half Seasono White (Row B)

Average Game Price: $725 Total Plan Price: $14,500

o White (Row C) Average: $465 Total: $9,300

o Dark Blue Average: $154 Total: $3,080

o Yellow Average: $110 Total: $2,200

o Purple Average: $115 Total: 2,300

o Red Average: $89 Total: $1,780

o Orange Average: $67 Total: $1,340

o Green Average: $40 Total: $800

o Gold Average: $50 Total: $1,000

o Maroon Average: $28 Total: $560

Premium Seating (Call About Prices) 1-866-716-1116o First Row next to team

Face:

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Full-Season Discount:o Second Row next to team

Face: Full-Season

o Front row at half court Face: Full-Season:

o Courtside Face: Full-Season:

o Endzone First Row Face: Full-Season:

o Courtside Second Row Face: $750 Full-Season: $650

o Endzone Second Row Face: $475 Full-Season: $330

o Courtside and Player Side Face: $500 Full-Season: $440

o Courtside Third Row Face: $400 Full-Season: $300

o Endzone Third Row Face: $300 Full-Season: $200

Kids Countryo Section 108 & 109

Buy one adult season ticket and get one kids season ticket for free

Average Price: $15 Group Tickets

For 41 home games Group Theme Night

Scout Night Church Night Recreation Night Jewish Family Night School Nights

Fan Experience Birthday Parties

o Fans of the New Jersey Nets can hold birthday parties at the Prudential Center with a minimum of 20 people. If you do decide to purchase a birthday party, your name will be

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put in the scoreboard during the game and the New Jersey Nets will provide a present to you for the occasion

Play Where We Playo Play either a game or a practice where the New Jersey Nets

practice. A minimum of 100 tickets has to be sold for this particular event

Prime Timeo If you have a band or a dance crew that would like to

perform at the Prudential Center 35 minutes before tip-off, here is your chance. Performances must be at least 4-6 minutes including setup. A minimum of 100 tickets has to be purchased an a waiver must be signed as well

Court of Dreamso Any fan that wishes to play on the same court that the New

Jersey Nets do can with this specific package. Before a game or after a game, it doesn’t matter. Fans will be allowed to use the benches and court for this particular experience

Basketball Buddieso This package allows a group of 10 kids to stand with the

New Jersey Nets players during pre-game when the national anthem is recited. A minimum of 100 tickets has to be purchased for this package

Fan Tunnelo 16 kids will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to stand

on the court and high-five all of the Nets players and coaches as they enter the game from the locker room

Halftime Fan Tunnelo 10 kids will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to stand

on the court and high-five all of the Nets players and coaches as they enter the game from the locker room when they come back from halftime. A minimum of 50 group tickets has to be purchased for this package

o Price and Promotion Packages Primary Target Market

Courtsideo Access to Courtside Clubo Access to Fire or Ice Loungeo Priority Access to Restauranto Dedicated VIP Accesso Reserved Parkingo Convenient Payment Optionso Playoff Priorityo Private Event with Nets Teamo Exclusive Event Invitations

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o Nets Chamber of Commerceo My Nets Account Managero Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange Programo VIP All Access Cardo Ticket Trade Program

Club Seatso Everything included in Courtside but Access to Courtside

Club Full-Season

o Everything included in Club Seat but Access to Fire or Ice Lounge

Half-Seasono Everything included in Full-Season but Private Event with

Nets Team Secondary Target Market

Raffles Special Discounts Sweepstakes

PlaceVenues

New Jersey Arena The Prudential Center “The Rock”

Opened in 2007 Total Project Cost - $375 million Naming Rights Sponsor - Prudential Financial Capacity - 17,625 for hockey and 18,500 for basketball Two club lounges, a goal bar, terrace area and a 350 seat gourmet

restaurant A 4,800 sq. ft. big screen LED television facing Newark Penn

Station

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Adjacent full size practice facility for hockey with 800 seat capacity

A total of 76 Luxury Suites and 2 Event Suites Is part of a major revitalization in New Jersey which also includes

o The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Newark Symphony, Riverfront Stadium and Red Bull Park in Harrison.

o It hosts the New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall Men’s Basketball, the New Jersey Nets, concerts, family shows, special events as well as other professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events

Brooklyn Arena The Barclays Center

o Scheduled to open in 2011o Total Project Cost - $4.9 billiono Naming Rights Sponsor - Barclayso Overview

The 675,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue will be home to the professional basketball team the Brooklyn Nets. For the first time since the Dodgers left in 1957, Brooklyn will have a major league sports team to call its own. The Barclays Center will welcome some of the most exciting sports and entertainment events in the world: concerts, fine arts performances, circuses, college basketball games, ice shows, and music award shows are just some of the possibilities.

o Interior Planning The multi-story main public lobby is entered by

passing through a transparent glass curtain wall engaging the vibrant urban plaza. A large view portal between this entry space and the arena seating area allows views into the seating bowl from the plaza and Flatbush Avenue – and vice versa. The entire entry sequence has been carefully choreographed so as to give visitors orientation clues and heighten their sense of anticipation. In addition, visitors entering the lobby can directly access the main box office and the Nets team store, as well as find a view to the practice court that is one level below grade. This view in to the Nets practice facility will be available to passers-by on Atlantic Avenue as well.

The Barclays Center concourses are designed to be wide, graciously active and accommodating with

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well distributed food and beverage locations. All restrooms are strategically located and designed to be easy to find, are fully ADA compliant and are sized to accommodate internal queuing. Prominent, active retail spaces are integrated into the main public concourse so as to contribute to the street life and activate the internal space.

Ticketholders to the Barclays Center seating will experience one of the most intimate seating configurations yet designed into a modern multi-purpose arena. All seating types, from the most affordable to the most exclusive, have been designed with into the arena with the goal of all having the best view to the floor as possible – conveying a sense of being “right on top of the action”.

Barclays Center, in addition to being the home to the NBA Nets, will host a large variety of events throughout the year. From top name musical concerts, to family shows and community programs, the arena will be a hub of activity around the clock. To effectively manage the operations of this complex building type, all loading for events will be below grade and enclosed within the arena envelope. Additionally, access to the secure subterranean loading dock area will be via a specially designed semi-truck elevator that will ensure minimal impact to the street level environment.

o Licensed Merchandise Located in the Team Store, Online and within selected retail stores

Basketballs Jerseys Jackets T-Shits Head and Wrist Bands Sneakers Socks Sweatshirts Long Sleeve Shirts Track Pants

Promise (Evaluation)o Internal Sources of Feedback and Research Methods Tools

As an entire organization, we will need to collectively work together to obtain complete customer satisfaction within our determined target

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markets. To do this, we must make every transaction with a customer personal. If you have to keep notes on each customer, it needs to be done. Our organization has been within the lowest revenues of the league, so what we have been doing in recent seasons has not worked. I personally, as team owner, will take all customer complaints. This will teach me what we are doing wrong, which is most important. I understand that this might not be something most owners do, but we have to let our customers again realize that we value them and their interest in our team.

Ticket Sales Departmento This information can be obtained through the box office,

but we will have to partner up with other secondary ticket website, like Ticket Master, to see how many overall New Jersey Nets Tickets are being sold

Licensed Merchandise Departmento Licensed merchandise can be measured online at the team

website and within the arena, but other secondary outlets will be too hard to follow.

Corporate Sponsorship Sales Departmento This department will determine if sales were a success

based on past corporate sponsorship sales Public Relations Department

o Feedback for this department will be based on the morale of the team. Surveys will be sent out to Nets fans who have been to games every quarter and the kiosks throughout the arena will be analyzed to see if customers are happy with the product

Publicity/Customer Relations Departmento Success of this department will be measured on how many

phones calls we get during a calendar year for requests of services of the team of players. This can be measured year-by-year. For example, Devin Harris is asked to speak about his team’s efforts on a previous game on one of ESPN’s television shows, like ‘Outside the Lines’ or ‘Rome is Burning’

Customer Relations Departmento Again, surveys will be used here to determine how the

customer feels about the New Jersey Nets. These surveys can be sent through the mail, online and within the arena

o External Sources of Feedback and Research Methods Tools Because we live right next to New York City, and also have numerous

professional sports franchises within our radius, it makes it very difficult to send our message and create new fans. For external feedback, we need to be figuring out what the general population knows, likes and dislikes about the New Jersey Nets. We understand that the team has not been very competitive since 2000, but that is no excuse to repeat poor performances at the box office. We have to learn what new and trendy technological

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advances other teams are using and figure out which ones might be best for our organization. Onward we will go in the future to try and make our team one of the Top 10 in ticket sales. As well, do not forget about our Brooklyn market. We will be moving there shortly, specifically to the Barclays Center. We have not been opened with open arms thus far, and have to achieve this. We will not overwhelm these individuals, but make our presence known over time. Acceptance of a new sports organization takes time. While we have that time, we need to show the fans of Brooklyn that we are worth the investment.

Consumers (Fans)o Feedback for this group will be based on ticket sales and

merchandise purchased on the team website. Each can be measured and compared to past sales rates.

Corporate Sponsorso Feedback for this group will entail much of the same. With

our company giving these corporate sponsors packets which show them the amount of money they are spending and receiving from the Nets, we will be able to measure the success of that idea by the number of corporate sponsors we gain or lose.

Advertiserso Advertising will be the toughest to obtain feedback because

it is too hard to measure, but something that the organization could try is promoting one idea, like a tax night, for one week and see if it helps in sales. From here, we would let another week pass by without using the promotion and then incorporate it again to see if our ticket sales increase.

Media Personnelo Media can only be measured on the amount of articles

written about the team and the organization. To measure this, our organization would have to keep track of all forms of media to see what they are saying about the Nets. This means both the positive and negative information. From here, the team will keep a tally of the two for each quarter, and success will be measured on how many more positive articles are written about the team opposed to negative articles.

Timelineo Ticket Sales

Ticket sales will be monitored every day and put into an Excel sheet, so weekly sales can be established. These sales will then be analyzed monthly and quarterly to see if there are any trends.

o Licensed Merchandise

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These sales will be monitored for in-season sales and off-season sales. This will allow the company to know if what they are doing in-season is working.

o Corporate Sponsorships Corporate Sponsorships will be monitored every game. The Nets want to

find out which teams sponsors like to spend money on, thus preparing ourselves with competitive prices in the future because we know when the sponsor wants to spend money.

o Public Relations Public relations development will be monitored each quarter.

o Marketing Marketing, just like sponsorships will be monitored every game. Here the

team will try to find trends with the intensions of learning when marketers are going to spend money.

o Customer Relations The surveys that will be administered by the team will be analyzed once

they are received back from the Nets fan. Information from these surveys and kiosks will be tallied and distributed quarterly so information can be deemed credible.

o On a final note, we have to start coming into work every day with Outrageous Marketing Ideas. I challenge everyone to come into their department with at least one idea each day. That equates to five ideas from each member each week. We will consider ourselves Innovators of the Sports World. And when I say Outrageous Ideas, I mean it. No idea can be too outrageous in the sports market.

References

Chicago Bulls Mission Statement (2010, September). Chicago Bulls Official Team Website.Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/mission_statement.html

Feder, J. (2009, February). Newark's Great Green Hope. The Nation, 288(6), 29. RetrievedNovember 10, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1646332521).

Lusted, M. (2010, January). Jackie Robinson. Cobblestone, 31(1), 6.  Retrieved November 10,2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2007802851).

Mission Statement (2010, November). Tulsa Talons Official Team Website. Retrieved from http://tulsatalons.com/fanzone/mission/

New Jersey Nets Website (2010, September). New Jersey Nets Official Team Website.Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/nets/?hp=1

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