In a match made in cowboy heaven, the Wrangler apparel brand became the first title sponsor of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's National Finals Rodeo in 2001.
The pair wanted to announce the sponsorship with a bang that would simultaneously spread the news and create nationwide buzz about rodeo's rising profile as a professional
sport.
Wrangler and PRCA turned to Richard French & Associates to pull together a high-impact media event in just three months' time.
Roping 'Em In
The RF&A team turned to PRCA's own research, as well as to sources like ESPN, to gather more data on pro rodeo. The numbers showed that 91 percent of rodeo fans are over
21; the majority of pro rodeo's fan base is concentrated west of the Mississippi; and fans are split about evenly along gender lines.
The team wanted to appeal to this fan base, but it also placed important emphasis on one of its key goals: to attract more attention to the sport from national media and
potential fans who aren't typically exposed to it.
They decided to target producers, writers and editors of national business, sports and general consumer media, as well as sports enthusiasts/potential Wrangler consumers.
With that growth goal in mind, the team dubbed the event "Rodeo's Rising Stock." And what better place to put on a media event - especially one related to "stock" of any kind -
than the New York Stock Exchange?
The team scheduled a trip to New York for the chairman of VF Corp., parent of the Wrangler brand, who would be accompanied by the chairman of the PRCA and several bona fide
cowboys.
The athletes and execs would be in the background at the opening bell, rodeo champs would ride around New York City on horseback, and later in the day, representatives would
participate in a press conference announcing the sponsorship after ringing the closing bell of the Stock Exchange.
Ringing the bell is a great media opportunity, and any publicly-traded company can do it. "The New York Stock Exchange is great to work with," says David Gwyn, VP with
RF&A. "VF Corp. is the largest apparel company in the world, and the Stock Exchange was more than happy to have the chairman ringing the bell."
RF&A worked with the PRCA to find the champion athletes who endorsed Wrangler and were the most media-savvy to participate in the event and promote the sport. Three top
athletes, Joe Beaver, Sid Steiner and Tona Wright, agreed to join.
Booking the athletes was only the beginning of a slew of details that had to be covered before and during the event. "The logistics of this event were definitely the biggest
challenge," Gwyn recalls. RF&A worked with a stable to get horses ready for the photo-opp ride down Broad Street with the NYSE in the background. Team members coordinated with
the New York City Police Department to obtain permits to ride horses on city streets. They also had to find a stable for the horses, and stables are a rarity in Manhattan.
Plus, a week of aggressively pitching the event to New York media outlets may have worked a little too well: The cowboys and executives were so booked the day of the event that
getting around New York on a cramped schedule became a close-call as well. "We had to be at 'Don Imus in the Morning' at 6:45 to do a 20-minute segment [while other reps were at
'Fox & Friends'], then we had to pile everybody (including the horses) in to go to Wall Street to be in the background when the market opened," Gwyn says. Later in the day,
representatives had to split up to be in the offices and studios of CNBC, Details, Sports Illustrated and ESPN for interviews, and then they all had to head back to the Stock
Exchange for the press conference and closing bell.
A media reception at Tapika in midtown finished off the day-long media bonanza.
Results
The event generated coverage on four major television outlets, in two national newspapers, on two national radio programs, in five mainstream consumer pubs and in six "western"
publications.
Media loved the event and exposed millions of potential consumers/fans to Wrangler and PRCA through their coverage, not only of the event, but also of the sport and its
individual champs. It also appealed to existing fans: "Here's a picture of Joe Beaver, your hero, ringing the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange," says Gwyn. "That was
kind of neat for fans of pro rodeo. Here's pro rodeo doing big things."
Campaign Challenges
The "Rodeo's Rising Stock" campaign required careful planning to avoid becoming a logistical nightmare:
Challenge: Persuade the CEO of VF Corp. to schedule time for the event.
Solution: Stress that Wrangler, an iconic brand, deserved the support.
Challenge: The bell-ringing could have been canceled - causing a major problem after "roping in" the athletes and the CEO.
Solution: Pack the day with confirmed media appointments to ensure the trip was worthwhile in terms of generating coverage.
Challenge: Getting horses on the streets of Manhattan.
Solution: RF&A got the stable to bring the horses from the Upper West Side to Midtown.
Challenge: Rodeo doesn't appeal to everyone. How to get NYC outlets to cover three pro rodeo athletes?
Solution: RF&A team members pitched it as a fresh topic: an old sport that is under-reported.
Campaign Stats
Timeframe:
Dec. 2000-March 2001
Budget Breakdown:
Media Reception at Tapika $5,000
Horse Rental and Permits $1,000
Press Conference and Reception Materials $500
Athlete Hotel and Travel $2,000
Management Travel, Hotel, Meals and Transportation $2,400
Production, Printing and Shipping for T-shirts and Invitations $1,500
Misc. $1,000
Total: $13,400
(Contact: Gwyn, [email protected])
Richard French & Associates received a PR NEWS Platinum PR Award Honorable Mention in the Media Event Category for this campaign.