Hockey Hip-Hop & Rap? New Approach to Advertise

[FlyersHomer DM03]

Just make the game of hockey more visible--all in all I think they've done a poor job of marketing the league's contract with "the tour de france network"--they've done a very good job of marketing the center ice package, i've seen that commercial god knows how many times

What I'm saying is say no to hip hop in hockey

 

[Roy G Biv*]

Everyone DOES realize that white people account for a huge portion of the hip-hop market, right?

So even "white" and "hip hop" are not mutually exclusive.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Everyone DOES realize that white people account for a huge portion of the hip-hop market, right?

So even "white" and "hip hop" are not mutually exclusive.

Yeah, white folks are the ones who really make these rappers rich.....Quincy Jones said that. Last year I brought a few hockey games on my DVD to my relatives in Cambodia and they absolutely loved it. they loved the speed, intensity, finesse and the fact that you can fight It was great seeing a bunch of people take such a strong interest to a sport they have never seen/played or even heard about.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

You bring up good points, but alot of people don't know this, also, the NHL should market black players letting people know that blacks(and hispanics) play hockey. I get asked all the time "Do any black people play hockey", but then I counter attack with names and stats .

New Playoffs on OLN commercial ends with Mike Grier. It's not much, but it's a start.

Also, I very clearly remember seeing a Sabres AGH jersey back in a rap video circa 2000/2001

 

[kenabnrmal]

The NHL needs to continue to publicize the diversity of its players and fans, and always needs to find ways to appeal to different markets and cultures. However, a rapper or a genre of music is never going to make the sport "cool" to the black culture in North America. The only way that is going to happen is getting more african american kids playing the sport, as people tend to follow the sports that they love and play themselves. The basketball culture is fueled by the urban cores. It costs next to nothing for a block of kids to play basketball...all it takes is a ball, and a basket, and ten kids can play. Hockey is a very expensive sport to play, so the NHL needs to find ways to get sticks and balls/pucks in the hands of the kids. They play the sport, they idolize the stars, and they become fans.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

New Playoffs on OLN commercial ends with Mike Grier. It's not much, but it's a start.

Also, I very clearly remember seeing a Sabres AGH jersey back in a rap video circa 2000/2001

Oh Boy(sarcasm) I remember seeing Ray Jay with w Blue Jackets jersey on Soul Train... blah, blah, blah. The point is, cater some commercials to new markets, the only NHL commercials I see are during hockey games, great strategy guys I can see it now... the place NHL Marketing Dept. " Hey guys, I know a way we can make hockey grow, market to NHL fans." STUPID STUPID STUPID

 

[Bring Back Smyth]

Here is an example of what would happen:
www.dcsmisfits.com/oil3.mp3

This is one of the Oiler playoff songs they are playing in Edmonton.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Its a Slaughterhouse you can put ya head on it, Ask Tochett(sp?) its a sure thing you can bet on it. funny ****

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I have no idea how getting hip hop artists to wear NHL jerseys is somehow going to result in the NHL turning into basketball. No one is even suggesting the slightest change to the game here, they are just suggesting marketing the sport, as it is, to a demographic that the NHL has not traditionally gone after.

I said it because the NBA uses hip-hop to market their sport, and it was pretty much just a sarcastic comment, that if you want a ton of people to watch it, just change it to basketball, then people will watch. wasn't meant to be serious. NHL would like two-bit if they just stole another sports marketing tactic anyway.

I just dont see how this is the best idea that can be thought up, putting hip-hop guys in hockey jerseys and sending them out into the Wild and people are like, WOW eminem in a Red Wings jersey, lets go watch the games!

Eminem always wears that Tigers hat right? I dont see anyone in Detroit wanting to go see Tigers games cause hes wearing some stupid hat.

Plus, it seems like the NHL would make it all dorky anyway, a predominantly white sport trying to be all hip-hop? Shouldn't you market the personality of the league?

Why does the NBA market with hip-hop, probably because a lot of NBA players, black or white, love the hip-hop scene, and it fits with the NBA's personality of its league.

If you honestly feel the NHL's personality would most fit into hip-hop, then I think you're right the NHL should do it. My personal opinion, hockey has always been known as a "hard rock" type of game.

If you wanna market celebrities, market celebrity badasses to hockey, not hip-hop. Also, this has nothing to do with black and white. You know whos a total badass and would be an awesome spokesman for hockey?

Samuel L. Jackson. He has the hockey personality bar NONE, hes just a pure badass. Remember the commercials of him as coach jules? Priceless.

And theres tons of badass celebrity personas you could use to market the game, my #1 choice is Sam Jackson by far though if you had to pick a celebrity.


Well thats my suggestion really, that with pouring a ton of money into the marketing department. Sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone with the comment making it into a black v. white thing, I just feel like the NHL would just be a hack trying to take the NBA's marketing style.

 

[discostu]

If you honestly feel the NHL's personality would most fit into hip-hop, then I think you're right the NHL should do it. My personal opinion, hockey has always been known as a "hard rock" type of game.

One, I'm sure, as others have pointed out, that there are many hip-hop fans among the NHL player community. If they do, it is their personality.

Second, the fact taht you see it as a "hard rock" sport perhaps indicates the problem with the sport. The rock scene has been on the decline, all the while hockey has fallen further off the map in terms of U.S. interest in the sport. If you're an investor in the NHL, and, you know that this core market is shrinking, wouldn't you want the NHL to tap into the growing demographic?

And, I'm not sure about others, but, I'm not advocating anything drastic. I'm just saying, if there are NHL fans among the hip hop crowd, capitalize on it. Get those Kovalchuk jerseys in the Lil Jon videos. Make sure Nelly's got some Blues periphenilia if he wants it. You may not think that product placement and branding is that important, and has much impact, but, that not what advertisers think. That type of marketing approach is become more and more popular, as consumers become increasingly able to tune out commercials. Between channel surfing and TV on demand, regular commercial spots don't hold the value they once had. Getting your product out there, visible to consumers, associated with people that they are influenced by goes a long way in attracting new fans to your sport.

 

[Jaysfanatic*]

are you trying to say that there are only 100 hockey fans?

If we're talking about Devils fans, then yes.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

One, I'm sure, as others have pointed out, that there are many hip-hop fans among the NHL player community. If they do, it is their personality.

Second, the fact taht you see it as a "hard rock" sport perhaps indicates the problem with the sport. The rock scene has been on the decline, all the while hockey has fallen further off the map in terms of U.S. interest in the sport. If you're an investor in the NHL, and, you know that this core market is shrinking, wouldn't you want the NHL to tap into the growing demographic?

And, I'm not sure about others, but, I'm not advocating anything drastic. I'm just saying, if there are NHL fans among the hip hop crowd, capitalize on it. Get those Kovalchuk jerseys in the Lil Jon videos. Make sure Nelly's got some Blues periphenilia if he wants it. You may not think that product placement and branding is that important, and has much impact, but, that not what advertisers think. That type of marketing approach is become more and more popular, as consumers become increasingly able to tune out commercials. Between channel surfing and TV on demand, regular commercial spots don't hold the value they once had. Getting your product out there, visible to consumers, associated with people that they are influenced by goes a long way in attracting new fans to your sport.

I guess its just a matter of opinion really of what you would want to see, If you're going to market using celebrities, I would stay out of hip-hop just because I think its just too gimmicky for my taste, and reminds me like a second tier NBA marketing ripoff.

I would much rather market to the "badass" sector of celebrities. Samuel L Jackson was my first example, but if you could find badass hockey fans out there, I would love to market them. Obviously Kiefer Sutherland is already one guy, and I honestly dont think they use him enough. His voice is amazing and gives you goosebumps, but they honestly dont use him as they should. Especially seeing how hes a huge hit with "24", you could do some pretty sweet 24/NHL parody commercials.

Others would include, Deniro w/ the Rangers, could have some sweet commercials surrounding that. Chuck Norris is HUGE now, imagine an NHL commercial w/ Chuck Norris, you could make it absolutely hilarious. Mickey Rourke, or any of the new up and coming celebrity guys.

That would be my idea anyway, make a couple passionate commercials, some humourous ones, then your standard typical NHL clip commercials. The thing I like about this, is were not stealing an idea from the NBA.

 

[Jade]

I wouldn't complain if they started playing hip hop music at the games......just not during the game like in the NBA. Look what Tiger Woods has done for the world of golf. It isn't an elitest sport anymore, everyone is playing. The NHL should use some of its newly found money on promotions in suburban areas in the USA.

I’m an Asian girl that happens to love hockey (although sports in general) and I like hip hop, but I don’t think that trying to market hockey in rap, hip-hop videos will necessarily be the thing to expand hockey to a wider audience. I agree with the idea that this poster is going at. The problem with hockey is that is predominantly played by White N.Americans/Europeans, so most of the fan base is going to be white (black Canadians don’t count because Hockey IS the sport of Canada).

If Hockey wanted a wider audience than to the white public they would need to have the Tiger Woods, Ichiro Suzuki, Yao Ming, of the Hockey world. Buffalo has Mike Grier, Sens have Ray Emery, NYR has Weekes but, although they aren’t the “Tiger Woods†facto, still works. The NHL should start promoting these types of guys though, this will show the public that it’s not just white guys that play hockey. I don’t live close enough to Ottawa but I would think that Emery would be a great source of Public Relations for the Sens. Yes, Emery and Weekes are Canadians but honestly kids will just see a black guy playing a sport that is dominated by white guys. Once they see that it’s almost a sense of it’s okay to play something else besides Basketball or Football.

Hockey needs to be promoted in the cities like in elementary schools, after school clubs to kids of different backgrounds. The only sport that I’m used to seeing in the US at least is Basketball, Baseball, Football taught in elementary schools…if Hockey is to expand it needs to fight for those kids that play these sports.

It may take some time but slowly but surely the sport will expand with some help of its players and promotion by the NHL and affiliates.

 

[StevenintheATL]

Surprisingly enough, many of the younger European players are fans of rap music.

 

[I am Jack's Fish]

Why does everyone keep forgetting the NHL has a Diversity Program that has been in place for years, with Wille O'Ree spending half the year on the road promoting the game all over the United States, something he does tirelessly and with so much enthusiasm that it would put a 20 year old to shame.

And guess what, the program works and has been successful in many cities.

None of you are inventing anything new here.

Rappers wearing jerseys won't do anything to promote the game. Rappers don't wear jerseys of teams they like, they wear jerseys for the colors and the fashion sense of the ensemble. Have fun, and next time you see some kid, black or white, yellow or red, in your town wearing some out-of-town team apparel, especially if he has matching shoes or a hat, if he is a fan of the team, and he will tell you he just likes the colors.

 

[Michael Morbid]

Why does everyone keep forgetting the NHL has a Diversity Program that has been in place for years, with Wille O'Ree spending half the year on the road promoting the game all over the United States, something he does tirelessly and with so much enthusiasm that it would put a 20 year old to shame.

And guess what, the program works and has been successful in many cities.

None of you are inventing anything new here.

Rappers wearing jerseys won't do anything to promote the game. Rappers don't wear jerseys of teams they like, they wear jerseys for the colors and the fashion sense of the ensemble. Have fun, and next time you see some kid, black or white, yellow or red, in your town wearing some out-of-town team apparel, especially if he has matching shoes or a hat, if he is a fan of the team, and he will tell you he just likes the colors.

Isn't goaltender Gerald Coleman a product of the diversity program?

 

[two out of three*]

i've seen camron wearing a calgary cap

You gon touch it or not!?

 

[two out of three*]

The people saying "I hate hip hop/rap, and I wouldn't come to a game because of that' are simply racist. Who cares?

Hockey is growing with the black community, IMO. Rappers promote it alot more than people that sing about slitting their wrists, how they have no friend, and how their life sucks.

 

[I am Jack's Fish]

Isn't goaltender Gerald Coleman a product of the diversity program?

Yes, he is the first player to make the NHL from the Diversity Program.

 

[gamera]

Lil Jon has been at the last few Thrashers games and they started doing a little "pump up the crowd" bit with him on the Jumbotron. The crowd seems to really dig it.

 

[pitthockey81]

Hockey needs to be promoted in the cities like in elementary schools, after school clubs to kids of different backgrounds. The only sport that I’m used to seeing in the US at least is Basketball, Baseball, Football taught in elementary schools…if Hockey is to expand it needs to fight for those kids that play these sports.

We had floor hockey in my gym classes in elementary school and middle school. I think they did away with it though cuz kids kept fighting or getting hurt. However, it was the most popular activity we did all year only behind dodgeball.

 

[Mowzie]

I didnt read through every post, put just wanted to comment on somethings I read so far, and I may be repeating what someone else said, so if I did, sorry.

Firstly, lots of you are coming off as a little discrimanatory. Although most popular hip-hop and rap music is based on drugs, booze, hoes and chains, their is alot of quality stuff out there, most of the "new breed" of rappers are purposely trying to stray from this guttermouth stuff, and put some consciousness back into it. People who make these comments about rap music are the sort of people who degenerate music and break down genres, let the music do what its supposed to do. If rap is all about guns, drugs and bullets, then country is all about rusted trucks, mullets and horses, and metal and emo music is all about suicide and drug overdose.

Rap/ Hip-Hop is extremely popular now, and not just with black kids between 14-29, I think I read somewhere that 64% of rap album sales are to non-black, non-minorities. Go to any rap concert, and tell me what percentage of the crowd is white, I'd say 75% atleast.

Lastly, some of you who dont think this will work are obviously not familiar with exactly how impressionable most consumers are. It may not grow the popularity of the game overnight, but you'll see jersey sales jump pretty fast.

 

[codswallop]

If the research and the numbers bear out that this would be a good idea, I don't see anything wrong with trying it. And this has nothing to do with music itself or the people who listen to it. I'm only thinking about it from the perspective of marketing ideas that will help the NHL grow; no more, no less.

You could just as easily substitute another trend that is popular these days. The bottom line is the same; if the research shows that it has merit for marketing purposes, then it's worth a try.

For the record, I'm not a fan of rap (not anymore). Listened to it back in the 80s and early 90s, before it was the "cool" thing to do. But when I hit my early 20s, it didn't appeal to me anymore; I just grew out of it. That right there makes me a tad suspicious about possibly using it. Most of the people around my age who liked it back then grew out of it as well. Not saying that happens to everyone who listens to it, but that has to be a concern. I know the young demographic is a hot target for marketing so many products now, but it seems that a slightly older demographic would be a better target for the NHL (more disposable income, the game isn't cheap to watch or to be involved in). If it is a phase for many, and your tastes change as you get a little older, it could be mean problems for the NHL if they try to use it as a marketing tool.

Of course, I could be off base here. Don't have near enough info to say one way or the other. Like most of us here, just talking out of my *ss.

PS - I do take a tiny little issue with those who say rock is dead. Rock music just isn't "popular" these days. The marketing shifted elsewhere, tends to happen a lot in music unfortunately. You might have to dig a bit to find it these days, but there are tons of good bands making good music. This is one area where advertising has had zero effect on me; I'd shoot myself in the head before I'd listen to some ad firm tell me what kind of music I should like.

 

[HockeySS19]

I've just got a tiny question though: If you use rap to promote hockey, what is it going to actually do? Are you saying that more people will go to a hockey game just to listen to the rap music being played? Are you saying that more people will go to a hockey game because their favorite rapper is wearing a hockey jersey?

People go to hockey games to watch hockey (unless they're the people that go just to try to get on tv). What will it actually do? You can promote hockey in more places, but how will that actually HELP?

 

[Spydey629]

The NHL needs to continue to publicize the diversity of its players and fans, and always needs to find ways to appeal to different markets and cultures. However, a rapper or a genre of music is never going to make the sport "cool" to the black culture in North America. The only way that is going to happen is getting more african american kids playing the sport, as people tend to follow the sports that they love and play themselves. The basketball culture is fueled by the urban cores. It costs next to nothing for a block of kids to play basketball...all it takes is a ball, and a basket, and ten kids can play. Hockey is a very expensive sport to play, so the NHL needs to find ways to get sticks and balls/pucks in the hands of the kids. They play the sport, they idolize the stars, and they become fans.

What he said!

I can not stand (c)rap and hip-hop and I too always thought hockey was the hard rock / heavy metal game.

But hey, if some rapper wearing a jersey in his video puts more butts in the seats, or helps increase the tv ratings, it's worth it.

Side point -- have you ever seen a 'Rocker' in any sports merchandise in one of their videos?