Sports Stars Become Attainable for the Smallest of Firms

Celebrity endorsements help sell products, but let’s face it, most celebrities don’t team up with the smallest of businesses that have the shallowest of pockets.

I was intrigued to see that Brand Affinity Technologies, a California start-up pointed out by news service Springwise, is offering advertisers of all sizes the ability to launch endorsement campaigns using its own “endorsement platform.”

I got my first whiff of sports and money when I was in kindergarten. My school was having a reading contest in which the winner of reading the most books in a month would get to go to lunch with a Washington Redskins football player. Each student asked neighbors and others to contribute money for each book that he or she read. I won the contest. I read the most books. But I didn’t get to go to the lunch. That honor was bestowed upon a fellow kindergartner who had collected the most money. I was catching on.

Sports endorsements are powerful. Most Americans follow some kind of sports team closely. BAT’s database includes more than 3,300 contract athletes. Advertisers can browse talent based on geography, branding and targeting considerations; included in the platform are detailed talent profiles with photos, videos and personal information — such as the type of cell phone they use or proprietary metrics that help compare talent by region, sport and status.

Obviously a sports endorsement isn’t for every business. But if it works for yours, BAT might be worth checking out.

Endorsement offerings include digital, radio, outdoor, print and TV advertising along with appearances and virtual memorabilia that advertisers can provide to consumers as incentives and rewards. Pricing is on a pay-for-what-you-use, CPM or flat-rate basis.

Separately, if your business is in an area that plans to host an upcoming Super Bowl - like North Texas or New Orleans, check out this story I wrote on a small business contracting program with the National Football League.