Bigger than the birth of your kids?

It’s Draft Day. For some football fans, the NFL Draft is bigger than birthdays, anniversaries and the births of their children.

I jest about the last one. Maybe.

Why is an event where names are read off index cards such a big deal to some people? It’s a no-brainer for athletes. Lives will change, residences moved and ambitions launched. For fans, the NFL Draft will reveal who will play football for their favorite teams in the foreseeable future.

Consider this – the NFL Draft pretty much birthed an entire industry with a bazillion tentacles. From fantasy drafts to well-publicized draft experts, merchandise and months of media speculation about which team will take whom, it’s led to a sport that has no off-season. That’s a helluva publicity cycle.

How we got here

The NFL Draft evolved to enormity almost by mistake but the monetary and publicity value was always at the fore. For years it was held in a conference room at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. A scheduling conflict in 2014 forced the league to rethink its venue and when it learned how popular the event could be in other cities, the New York venue was moved to memory mothballs.

Time to shine

Regardless of where the draft is held, it’s grown to become second only to the Super Bowl in terms of promotional props and popularity for sports fans. It draws millions of eyes via broadcast properties and serves as a three-day chamber of commerce event for host cities. Having spoken to planners working with the NFL for next year’s draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, every element is meticulously planned, rehearsed, tweaked and tweaked again.

Watch for Detroit, Michigan, host city for this year’s draft, to shower, shave and dress in its monogrammed best. Few events can serve as a singular publicity event like the NFL Draft. 

Publicity for you …

Can you mimic the NFL Draft?

It takes years to establish a brand like the NFL but consider planting publicity opportunities like the NFL did in its early days.

• Start small. The NFL Draft would never be as popular as it is today had it thrust itself upon throngs of people in its early days. Your thing might be relatively new. Give it room to grow.

• Pitch purposefully. Publicity that produces results for the long term begins in the weeds. Hit hometown media and audiences before you publicize it to the masses. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t along the way.

• Listen to your fans. When people consume your stuff, listen and learn. Even if it’s something you don’t like, it may teach you how you can improve your thing and better publicize it as you move forward.

I’m piggybacking on the NFL Draft as a cornerstone with a couple of people. I’d love to do the same for you as a new season approaches. Contact me for more information.

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©Gail Sideman, gpublicity 2024