The US Open as a Marketing Event

Sunday evening I had the opportunity to go to the US Open for the first time. It was a great experience even for a casual tennis fan (though much different than going to a baseball or football game). In addition to attending Sunday’s night session, I have watched a number of matches and been rooting hard for my new favorite tennis player, Melanie Oudin.

I was inspired by Allen Adamson’s Forbes piece to share my thoughts on the event and which brands are best utilizing the Open to connect with consumers.

First, I am thoroughly impressed by the US Open iPhone App. From scores, to schedules, to videos, and even tweets from Andy Murray, this app is both slick and useful. From a brand perspective, it shows the power of IBM and how they use data to create tools that enhance real world experiences. I downloaded the app this weekend, along with four friends who were also going, and used it to check scores and schedules leading up to the event. This app definitely helped to build our excitement for going to the Open.

IBM also did USOpen.org, which is a fantastically interesting, engaging and entertaining site. It accomplishes the difficult task of appealing to both hardcore and casual fans. You can spend hours on the site reading commentary, watching videos and shopping, or you can quickly check who won last night’s match. I am also impressed by how IBM has incorporated social media. It’s not there as a last minute add-on, but an ingrained feature of the site that truly enhances both the online and real world experience of the US Open.

Adamson talks a lot about Lexus and what they are doing both with advertising and on-site experiences. To be honest, the only time I noticed Lexus was their logo on the nets. While I agree that Lexus’ audience is most likely well represented at the US Open, there’s something about a car sponsorship at an event where so many people took the subway that seems off to me. For what it’s worth, the 7 train was packed on my way there. I get that Lexus probably isn’t targeting subway riders, but they still constitute a large percentage of the people in attendance and at least in my experience, Lexus did not connect as well with them.

Although they seem to be a relatively small sponsor, Grey Goose did a nice job with on-site marketing. The signature $13 cocktail is made with Grey Goose and comes with a really nice commemorative glass. They also showed ads on the stadium screens in between sets. While this is much more old school than the IBM example, it is still a strong fit and a smart execution. While I do not endorse $13 drinks, the cocktail was representative of the Grey Goose brand and fit in well with the US Open crowd.

Nike also has an extremely strong presence at the event that incorporates traditional marketing efforts, but with that signature Nike twist. Nearly every elite player is dressed head-to-toe in Nike garb. Sometimes the matches feel as much like a Nike fashion show as an athletic event. Athlete sponsorships are nothing new, especially to Nike. The piece that makes this so smart is the on-site Nike stores. These stores contain literally everything the players are wearing as well as some really nicely done Nike shirts where you can declare your love for either Federer or Nadal. I wanted to go in one on my way out, but they were completely packed. Of all the brands marketing at the event, Nike may be one of the few that can count exactly how much money they made there.

So, what companies did I miss? Who else is executing great marketing at the US Open? And the most important question, can Oudin really win?