Lessons in Sport Marketing & Public Relations
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In the early quarter of yesteryear, Huffington Post declared that Public Relations executives have one if the most stressful jobs in the world[1] Just like the other career fields in that category there are things they have in common, one attribute is being on call 24/7. In the world of sports, executives explain that there are not enough hours in the day. Mr. Joel Glass, Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Relations of the Orlando Magic can testify, “ …there is no such thing as a typical day in sports” he said. The challenges he faces daily teaches a new lesson and he bestowed some knowledge about clockwork behind a national basketball team.sports public relations and theMr. Joel Glass revealed that he aspired to be in professional sports in his earlier in life but claimed to lack the physical prerequisites to become a star athlete. Instead, he took the scholarly route and sought to enter the leagues as an executive.The Chicago native ‘s Alma mater is the University of Iowa where he received his Bachelor of Art degree in Journalism. Like any good journalism student he worked at the school newspaper as the sportswriter, and his summers were filled with jobs with the Chicago White Sox. After graduating he received an internship with the University of Florida in their PR department was became a permanent employee after a year. Some nine years later, he was offered a position in the Communications department of the Orlando Magic and has been there for about 10 seasons.
The Senior Vice President of Communications acts as a liaison between the media and the organization, which in this case, a basketball team and its staff. This position is equivalent to the Public Relations Director who mitigates the negative and enhances positive media attention, . Daily tasks includes but is not limited to responding to phone inquiries, updating statistics and notes on the team, writing company viewpoints, refining crisis communications and media techniques, coordinating interview requests, game credentialing, writing and disseminating press releases and handling controlled-media (website, social media) and assisting the radio and television departments.
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All responsibilities and tasks aside, Mr. Glass states that the best days in sports occur when the team wins; the team gets attention and the people and media become interested in the organization. On the other hand, losing games make communication with the media slightly tougher, the greatest challenge that any Public Relations or Communications executive will face is the how the media is viewed and its constant need for information. But, Orlando Magic has some of the finest athletes in the National Basketball Association, and a supportive local community.
Mr. Glass outlines some pointers to those interested in sports marketing, sports journalism of public relations.
- Today’s news cycle is around the clock, be prepared 24/7, the job does not stop after workGet ready to sacrifice time with family and friends.
- Groom writing skills early, it is a key component to succeed in this field.
- Try togain experience in the field, no matter how small.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t worry about hitting the mark too low or high. Consistency iskey
- Face-to-face communication is paramount; it is not always about technology.
For more information on the Orlando Magic and the National Basketball Association, please visit www.orlandomagic.com
[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/the-10-most-stressful-job-careercast_n_1186845.html
