Spurs Pick The Atkins Group As New Agency Of Record

[duncan228]

For those that follow the business end.

Spurs pick The Atkins Group as new agency of record (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/09/08/daily10.html)
San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

Spurs Sports & Entertainment has selected San Antonio’s The Atkins Group as its advertising and marketing agency of record.

The firm is headed by long-time San Antonio ad pro Steve Atkins.

Spurs officials say The Atkins Group emerged from a “very competitive” bidding process. Rick Pych, president of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, says the agency will manage the creative marketing and advertising campaigns for the organization and its sports teams. SS&E operates the NBA Spurs, WNBA Silver Stars, AHL Rampage and the Austin Toros of the NBA’s developmental league.

“I think they will bring a very exciting approach,” says Pych about The Atkins Group. “We’re looking forward to a long-term relationship.”

Atkins says his staff could not be more excited to team up with the parent company of the four-time NBA champions.

“The opportunity to work with the Spurs Sports & Entertainment group is one of the greatest honors any agency could hope for,” Atkins explains.

Atkins says his agency is “uniquely positioned” to be a valuable part of SS&E’s efforts. “There is a great fit with these championship-level players.”

The Atkins Group succeeds Creative Civilization, which had the SS&E account for more than a decade. Creative Civilization resigned the account in June.

[ShoogarBear]

Does this mean at the ATT, Whataburgers will be served without the buns? :(

[PeterBurns]

Hmmm...lot of changes goings on. No more Bruce Guthrie, No more Russ Bookbinder, now new Agency.....Going to see some big changes coming up with the direction the Spurs are going with their marketing.

I would imagine younger faces (Not players) younger demo's, and lots of National $

[DPG21920]

Here is the website for people who are interested in marketing...

The Atkins Group
http://www.theatkinsgroup.com/main/index.html

[Duncanoypi]

What???? Another point guard????:lol:lol

[T Park]

Hmmm...lot of changes goings on. No more Bruce Guthrie, No more Russ Bookbinder, now new Agency.....Going to see some big changes coming up with the direction the Spurs are going with their marketing.

I would imagine younger faces (Not players) younger demo's, and lots of National $


Didn't know Guthrie was gone as well.

[Solid D]

Didn't know Guthrie was gone as well.

Yeah, the VP of Mktg and the VP of HR both departed. Here is the article in the Express-News on it.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs-front-office-shakeup.html

Web Posted: 07/15/2008 2:11 CDT Two more depart Spurs front office in shake-up.

Travis E. Poling - [email protected]

Two more executives have left Spurs Sports & Entertainment, a month after the sudden departure of Executive Vice President Russ Bookbinder.

The moves are part of an ongoing shake-up of the Spurs front office that could have more repercussions later this summer.

Bruce Guthrie, Spurs vice president, and Paula Winslow, vice president of human resources, left the organization that includes the NBA franchise, the WNBA's Silver Stars, hockey's Rampage and management of the AT&T Center.

Guthrie had been with the Spurs for 26 years. He started as an account executive and moved to director of marketing. He became a vice president in 1992.

Winslow joined the Spurs 15 years ago and saw her department expand as the company grew from 30 to 200 employees and hundreds of part-time workers.

Guthrie and Winslow could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

“Like most companies, there come times when you have to re-evaluate your operations,” said Leo Gomez, Spurs vice president of external affairs. “There's review of every organization just like we do with the team. Now we're doing it on the business side.”

Gomez wouldn't say if there will be more staff changes but said the review of operations was ongoing.

“We're continuing to review, and there's going to be reorganization,” Gomez said. News on those moves will come later in the offseason.

[duncan228]

Spurs adopting online approach (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_adopting_online_approach.html)
William Pack - Express-News

Marketing for the San Antonio Spurs and its affiliated professional teams appears headed toward a more Web-oriented, interactive future.

That's one of the changes identified by both the head of business operations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment and the president of the advertising firm that Spurs Sports has hired for market research and advertising.

How the specific marketing messages will change under the direction of The Atkins Group was unclear Tuesday. But Steve Atkins, president of the San Antonio-based marketing firm, said the approach is likely to include more online tools because of how popular and efficient they have become.

“One signature element of our team is in the area of Web-based, interactive and nontraditional media,” Atkins said.

Traditional newspaper, TV and radio advertising is not going to be abandoned for the Spurs and the three other professional teams owned by Spurs Sports, he said. But a one-size-fits-all message is likely to give way to a multipronged media blitz that includes targeted approaches to the public through Web sites, blogs and social networking sites.

Atkins was unfamiliar with how much Spurs Sports had spent on marketing in the past, but he said “they are placing substantial resources behind a smarter, more effective outreach” this year.

Rick Pych, Spurs Sports' president of business operations, confirmed that new-media outlets will be emphasized in the upcoming marketing campaign. New media can target messages to specific audiences more quickly than traditional media and help the company build its fan base, Pych said.

But Atkins also will be involved in a new round of market research aimed at understanding the desires of those who are fans and those who may not be. Pych said that research will dictate how the marketing messages change and what is added before, after and during the games to help fans enjoy the contests more.

“Now it's time to re-evaluate and do what we can to enhance that fan experience,” Pych said.

Atkins was chosen over two other finalists last week and was announced as the new marketer for the sports entertainment company on Monday. The job includes doing marketing for the four teams that Spurs Sports owns and for the AT&T Center, which it maintains and operates.

Pych said he was impressed at how committed Atkins was to the research component of the new campaign and with its understanding of all facets of the Spurs Sports operations.

Atkins was founded in 1963 by Steve Atkins' father, the late Chip Atkins, and served a variety of prominent clients until 2001 when Steve Atkins said he closed the business. Steve Atkins restarted the firm three years ago. It now employs about 20 people with annual billing at about $20 million and growing, Atkins said.

[Dex]

Does this mean at the ATT, Whataburgers will be served without the buns? :(

:lol