John Beilein Radio Show

I really enjoyed attending the John Beilein radio show Monday night. I have attended a number of his press conferences, and media sessions, but have never had the chance to attend the radio show. I love the fact that it gives people in the community an opportunity to see him in a public setting. They can ask questions and hopefully feel closer to the team as a result.
As far as content is concerned I wasn't thrilled with the show's format. True fans, the kind that tune in on the radio, want to be privy to information they can't get anywhere else. Beilein basically regurgitated the same post-game comments that were featured on MGoBlue on air. He skirted the pressure topics (like the NCAA tournament) and when he did respond gave cookie-cutter answers that left fans yearning still for more. When he did have the chance to give some insight into the team (even in a trivial form) he failed. When asked about the team's movie selections on the bus rides, he talked about movies featuring the "f-bomb" (I'm thinking he should have avoided that all together) and said he really didn't pay attention all that much.
The show needs to focus on individuals and less on simple game analysis. I want to know more about Beilein and his players as people. What is his non-basketball life like? Give me something I can't get from watching the game, or reading the stories the next day.
The show needs to market itself differently to consumers. If you want participation (call ins) offer an incentive. Give away prizes for those who call in. Put copies of the show online and on iTunes and then ask trivia questions on the air the next week about the previous show. Award the winners. This encourages continued support of the show AND helps provide you with an idea of who's listening. Have watch parties around Michigan's campus (in the dorms!!!) where you provide free food/beverages and encourage listening of the show.
The radio show has a ton of potential and if designed and marketed properly can encourage and add to the Michigan basketball fan base. The key is giving people something they can't get anywhere else, and feel like they HAVE to have.
Also, has UofM thought of a social networking site for it's fans? People could post questions online that could be read to Beilein throughout the show. That way if they can't call in (are in the car, at work, etc.) they can still get their questions out there and feel like they are participating in the show.

Daytona 500

There are a number of things that make the Daytona 500 a unique sporting experience. First of all, unlike other major athletic schedules, this championship starts the racing season, rather than ends it. With the largest purse of any of the Sprint Cup races, Daytona provides an added excitement for the competitors and fans.
For racing fans Daytona is their Superbowl.And like the Superbowl, advertisers take advantage of the larger-than-normal audience. This is one of the things I HATE about Nascar. The advertisements throughout this year's race where specifically themed for NASCAR. Companies who sponser racers and their vehicles shamelessly plug their drivers during their 30 second spots (Home Depot, was a perfect example of this for the 2009 race). Not only does each car feature a company logo or slogan, but the announcers feel compelled to restate this affiliation every time they talk about a driver.
"Oh look at Jeff Gordon in the DuPont car...he's working his way around Tony Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet."
I know that advertising is a necessary evil for NASCAR, much like it is for every other sport, but it shouldn't define how a broadcaster does his/her job. That would be like the announcer for a Michigan sport adding "wearing Adidas" before he gives the player's name. It's uncalled for and shows a potential bias in the reporting.
As much as I dislike watching NASCAR, I understand why it is so popular. It's the everyman's sport. You don't have to have super abilities to get behind the wheel and drive a car. It is a skill, for sure, but it's something people can easily envision themselves doing. The crashes and thrill that comes with such high speeds add the necessary drama to the sport. The drivers themselves are incredibly marketable and are easy to get attached to (in this year's race Dale Earnherdt Jr.'s crash got more attention than the winner, especially considering the fact that rain shortened the race). They are generally seen in their cowboy hats and jeans, whereas other professional athletes are generally marketed with a more monied look (Escalades, suits, bling, etc.). Feuds between drivers, real or imagined (Gordon versus Earnherdt), keep the sport alive when the race ends, and provides fans with fuel for their fire. Unlike other major sports NASCAR fans can watch without knowing intimate details of the sport. The person who crosses the finish line last is the winner. It is almost as cut and dry as it can get.

Super-Sized Trailers

When advertising specialists, and just your average Superbowl viewers, analyze the year's advertisements they generally focus on those paid for by businesses looking to sell a particular brand (Anheuser Busch, Doritos, Monster.com, etc.). Snuck between these product placements are a another-less talked about-but equally important brand of Superbowl advertising: The movie trailer.
This year audiences were treated to trailers for films of all genres. In the dramatic department Sony dropped more than a pretty penny to give viewers the chance to look at Angels & Demons, a Tom Hanks film based on the popular Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code) novel. The theatrical trailer prior to the Superbowl had offered little in the way of actual movie footage, and instead used a voice over to narrate the basic premise of the film. The Superbowl trailer, however, spoke to the male audience with the inclusion of some of the film's action sequences, the female audience with more emphasis on Tom Hanks' leading role, and moviegoers in general with the hint of a controversy that had made The DaVinci Code so popular just a few years ago.

The Superbowl was all about touting the big stars and the big budgets, which is why trailers for the film Year One-featuring Jack Black-G.I. Joe:The Rise of the Cobra, and The Proposal-starring Sandra Bullock- were given prime airtime.
The shame in all of this is that the movie industry, unlike other superbowl advertisers, don't make an effort to provide a unique viewer experience. Trailers that air during the Superbowl may be first time releases, but they are generic enough that they can appear everywhere in the months following until the movie actually is released. Viewers remember Superbowl advertisements that cater specifically to that event. It makes you feel special knowing you've watched something that is unique, not a recycled piece of material you can see everyday for the rest of the year. I think Hollywood would be better suited if they took advantage of this unique audience to offer special behind the scenes clips, or Superbowl themed trailers. If audiences think they've seen something "special" they may be more inclined to recall that particular film.
As it stands the industry has once again missed the mark and as a result is also missing out on the buzz that surrounds the rest of the commercials airing during the big game.