What Are Ceremonial Special Events?

Ceremonial special events often precede the main event – particularly at professional games.  These events offer sports PR pros the chance to enhance the popularity of their brands.  It also provides a forum for local celebrity athletes to create some of their own market brand equity while creating a great co-promotional opportunity for the local sports franchises.
Here are some recent examples of Phoenix sports stars showing their support for other local teams.  These “special events” have each created an implied third-party endorsement without actually saying anything.
Phoenix Sports Stars Cross-Promoting

• Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all-time, set a precedent when he made a guest appearance in the Arizona State University men’s basketball’s “Curtain of Distraction” during the 2016 season.
• Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitcher Archie Bradley capitalized even further recently when he took an active role in the “Curtain of Distraction.” The difference:  this year’s 2017 Sun Devil basketball team was undefeated at the time!
• Former Arizona Coyotes’ captain Shane Doan threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game in 2016 during his last season as a player in the National Hockey League. Also taking the mound for a ceremonial first-pitch have been the Phoenix Mercury’s greatest player of all-time, Diana Taurasi,  Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Haason Reddick, Phoenix Suns first-round pick Josh Jackson and Coyotes first-round selection Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
• Arizona Cardinals’ superstar receiver Larry Fitzgerald has taken batting practice with the Diamondbacks to help promote his own charitable events.
• Over the course of several seasons, the Coyotes have had Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, outfielder A.J. Pollack and manager Torey Lovullo drop the first puck at hockey games.

We often seek co-promotional opportunities for our clients, whether it is a media partnership or other forum that benefits everyone involved.
Seeing the local sports franchises, and their most recognizable athletes, cross promote with these ceremonial special events is refreshing and good for the overall cooperative spirit of the market.