USTA finally gets it (right)!

I've been away too long, I know; it's good to be back. I experienced a natural post-Australian Open malaise, which sapped me of my will to post. And then, starting a new and demanding job in January, in which I spend my day researching, writing and editing, has left me too drained to write during my evening down-time. But something occurred recently that has roused the rumpel in my stiltskin: the USTA has announced its new ad campaign approach and launch strategy for the 2007 U.S. Open Series. You know, the six-week, 10-tournament lead-up to the U.S. Open Championships in New York, also touted as "The Greatest Road Trip in Sports" by the USTA marketing execs.

What's got me fired up is the fact that the USTA marketing geniuses (a term I used derisively in a post a few months ago) have finally got it right. More to the point, they finally "get" it! If you'll recall, last year, the second year of the U.S. Open Series, the "geniuses" strained their brains to come up with an ad campaign (print and TV) that proudly touted the prize the players were competing for as $2 million and change. That's 200-plus athletes competing in 10 events over six weeks for a mere $2 million, according to the geniuses. If you heard or saw it, you probably thought, like me, that you're a lot better off keeping your lousy day job. I mean, doing the math yielded on average about $10,000 to each athlete. Some high stakes, huh?

Didn't the geniuses realize that athletes with names like Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez earn that much per minute on the court and field? It was nothing short of an insult to the players and an affront to fans. What's worse, it was wrong! Yes, it was inaccurate. The geniuses had chosen, for some reason no marketeer worth his salt could ever fathom, to advertise the prize potential of only the Series point leader, should that same individual hoist the singles trophy in New York. But the actual total prize value on the line was something like $31 million. Now that figure might have turned a few heads, and earned the sport a little respect!

So it is with great pleasure (and some pride) that I can tell you that the USTA marketing geniuses have seen the error of their past ways and have redeemed themselves in 2007. Here is a snippet from the 2007 U.S. Open Series Ad Campaign article currently appearing on the USTA website:

"The campaign’s tagline - - 'The Greatest Road Trip in Sports…. 6 Weeks, 10 Tournaments, $30 Million On The Line.' - - communicates the essence of the US Open Series...".

And there you have it ... $30 million ... all is well with the world again. I'd like to think I had a hand in bringing the geniuses around, as I had written them directly in 2006 to admonish them, as well as having posted here under the title, 2006 US Open Series miscalculation. Who knows what forces move the geniuses. Whatever or whoever they are, let's hope the geniuses continue to be moved in a positive direction. Our sport needs a little boost from time to time, and the U.S. Open Series is undoubtedly the most visible (and marketable) "event" in tennis today, eclipsing even the fabled Wimbledon. That makes "The Greatest Road Trip in Sports" the perfect place for tennis to put her best foot forward. No more excuses!

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