As the Stanley Cup Finals kick off next week, the NHL will kick off a marketing blitzkrieg with direct TV spots, e-mail blasts, radio spots and online video. WPP Group's Young & Rubicam is assisting with the push. The thrust of the campaign will be getting fans to buy team-specific merchandise, but the NHL has its eye on long-term brand building as well: the direct-marketing nature of the campaign will allow the league to collect data on its audience and "set the futures market" for which teams are selling best and what fans want more of.
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