It doesn't take much to get people excited about the U.S. Open, the tennis Grand Slam that will be held in the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY (Aug. 31-Sept. 13). But the 2015 event is certainly loaded with changes and innovations that will raise the bar on marketing and activations.

Media attention, especially social media attention, can bring enormous value to a celebrity. And when we talk about value, we're talking about endorsement value, because we've all quoted that famous line in Jerry Maguire to "show me the money!"

If you're working in sponsorship for a major brand, here in the U.S. or abroad, you likely see upwards of 100 proposals per month. Our client's collective data shows that about 15 of those will be sports related. Maybe one of the 100 will be acted upon. For many brands, none of them will.

It wasn't that long ago that marketing research and consumer insights were largely afterthoughts in the world of sports marketing. Who needed research? Because most of us in the sports industry pursued career paths that closely aligned with our personal passions, we saw ourselves as the customer. We thought we knew everything.

As sports marketers, we're always in search of the next golden opportunity, platform, emerging sport, etc., for the brands we represent. We methodically dig for the perfect mix of the right league, sport, team, media, fans, etc., for which to give our client's stamp of approval. And when that rare opportunity comes in that matches the brand, with the right audience, with the right reach - and one with a currently uncluttered landscape - it's often times a no-brainer to dive right in.