Tennis Sponsors Missing Out

If professional tennis is on television, you can bet I’m watching it. Men’s tennis, ladies’ tennis, I’m there.

Right now 256 of the best tennis players in the world are taking on the Melbourne heat, playing for the Australian Open title. I’m still pulling for the American men (Come on, Andy!), but with Venus out of the draw I’m focusing my cheering energies on Dinara Safina for the women’s title.

The Opportunity

Venus wore a fabulous yellow tennis dress during her second-round loss to Carla Suarez Navarro today. If I were still captain of a high school tennis team or still played recreationally often enough to justify cute tennis outfits, I would want that dress!

The problem is that I couldn’t find out who made the dress or where to get it until hours after the match. My first instinct was to check the Australian Open Web site for pictures and look for a logo. It turns out that the dress is from Venus’s own line, but I couldn’t tell from the pictures on the Web site or the ones found through a Google search.

According to a study by the USTA and the Tennis Industry Association in 2005, over 25 million Americans play tennis. Assume with me that roughly half of those are women and half of those will flip through channels and land on a female tennis player wearing a phenomenal outfit. What then?

Time for Media Convergence

Our tennis playing American woman then visits the tournament Web site for pictures. She clicks on a picture of her well-dressed player, and sees a clickable ad for the very outfit on the page with the picture. Getting the idea?

This concept has a number of positives:

1. Narrowly targeted audience. Only the tennis fans who play and pay visit these Web sites. If a woman is looking for an outfit, make it easy to find!
2. Convenience. Even if she isn’t trying to find out where to buy that outfit, the opportunity to check it out now falls right in her lap. If it’s cute and buying is easy, why not?
3. Strengthening the association between product/brand and athlete spokeswoman. Athletes are paid a boatload to wear these clothes and represent the brand, why not get as much bang for your buck as possible?
4. Women are turning to the internet. According to a recent study by Integrated Media Measurement, Inc., highest simultaneous television/Internet usage is among females 30-39. In other words, she watches just closely enough to think that the yellow would look really great on her, and she’s paying just enough attention to the laptop in her hands to find out more.

What do you think? Ever seen a great pair of shoes or bag on TV and searched with no results online to find it?

What if this idea was taken and used with gowns at awards shows or clothing on reality TV? I think it would work without making me watch advertisements within my show (see: Real Housewives of Orange County – I can’t believe I just admitted to watching that ever)!

Something To Run For

Everyone has a cancer story.

Sometimes cancer has affected someone close and sometimes they themselves have battled the disease, but everyone has a cancer story.

Not one story is fun or fun to read, except maybe the stories that end with, “(Name) has been cancer-free for X years, is living in (place) and regularly (does favorite activity) with (specific dear family or friends).”

Unfortunately, well over 500,000 cancer stories don’t end like that every year. That is why I started Crimson for a Cure at The University of Alabama. I’m not particularly talented, but I can put one foot in front of the other a lot of times in a row, and I can encourage others doing the same.

The Goal of Crimson for a Cure

Crimson for a Cure will raise money for the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research and awareness through pledges participants receive as they train for and run a half-marathon. Participants will ask at least three people to pledge to donate a minimum of five cents per mile run. This method provides motivation for the runners, but we certainly won’t turn away any donation!

Training begins February 17!

The Story Behind Crimson for a Cure

In high school I organized a fundraiser for hurricane victims in south Florida in which donors sponsored members of the school tennis team in a manner similar to Crimson for a Cure as the team competed in the district tournament. When I started running in college I had the idea for a project like Crimson for a Cure, but it was nothing more than that, just an idea.

Last fall, as my world was turned upside down by the death of a dearly loved one after a six-year battle with cancer, I frequently ran with tears streaming down my face. It was through these tears that I determined to do something that would make a difference and honor her memory. The idea came back to me.

Things immediately began to fall into place. I discovered that a student I had gotten to know through a class, Kristin McDonald, was president of Colleges Against Cancer, so I met with her to figure out how to get Crimson for a Cure off the ground. We decided that Crimson for a Cure would be registered as a Relay for Life team, giving me credibility and giving her numbers.

My next task was to recruit captains. Kristin and I immediately thought of the same person to help us out: J Bruhn, a triathlete and phenomenal guy. I met with J at the sorority house the next day, and he was over-the-top excited about helping out. One of the Chi Omega new members, Hallie Paul, was sitting with us during the meeting and she couldn’t wait to get started, either. I hadn’t expected to find two, much less three captains in one day, but Hallie and Jacob Summers both got on board immediately. We now have six captains, excluding myself, which was my original goal!

We’re now recruiting participants, so if you know anyone who would be interested, pass the info along!

If you or someone you know would like to sponsor a runner or donate, e-mail me at crimsonforacure@gmail.com or donate online here.

I’ll post updates here as things kick off in the coming weeks!

A Place You’ll Probably Never Go: Piskarevskoye Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Russia

Think back to your Modern World History class in high school and take from the file everything you remember about World War II. Maybe you remember a photo of a grand London falling to pieces as Nazi airplanes drop bombs. Perhaps the story of the victory on the beach of Normandy. Do you remember the Siege of Leningrad?

Leningrad (St. Petersburg) was bombed relentlessly by Axis forces for 900 days and 900 nights and, at the end of nearly three years, the people of Leningrad stood firm. Although the city lost hundreds of thousands of citizens to bombs, starvation and illness, Hitler never reached Moscow and never defeated the intensely proud nation.

The story is remarkable, but the memorial to the event, Piskarevskoye Cemetery is powerful beyond words. Roughly 420,000 civilians and 50,000 soldiers are buried in 186 mass graves in the cemetery, marked only by marble stones with the year in which the grave was filled.

 

 

The following is the beginning of my journal entry the day I visited Piskarevskoye Cemetery:

 

 

“I knew about the Siege of Leningrad, but I had no idea of the details. For 900 days and 900 nights Axis forces bombed Leningrad, destroying 70% of the city and killing hundreds of thousands. Still more died of starvation. Each person was rationed 125 grams of bread a day, nothing more. Many tried to get by with the addition of potatoes grown in the lawn of the Kazan Cathedral. Leningraders tried to make everything as normal as possible – there were concerts at the Philharmonia and work and school continued. Daily the radio played. It could not broadcast music or speech, but it broadcasted the sound of a metronome to let the people know that the city was still alive.”

After grasping the magnitude of the site’s history, walking through the cemetery and memorial is an emotional journey.

 Piskarevskoye Cemetery is located on Проспект Непокорённых, the Avenue of the Unconquered. The entrance to the memorial is a marble walkway with a simple everlasting flame inside an open dark marble box set upon a red marble platform, a tribute to the proud spirit of Leningrad. 

 

You then descend marble steps, as if into the 900 day struggle of the city, onto a sidewalk laced with red roses. The walk boasts an air of quiet triumph, almost defiance, with graves on either side of the walkway as far as you can see. You can walk between the graves, through the trees and to the end of the quiet fields to reflect on the story. It’s hard not to feel as if those buried there are still speaking to the strength of Russia.

The walk takes you to a platform where Mother Motherland (Mother Russia) extends her arms to receive Leningrad’s patriots.

The stone wall behind the statue bears sculptures of Leningraders suffering and Leningraders staying strong. In the center of this wall is carved the most moving part of the memorial: a poem, addressed to “you who are looking at these stones.”

Here lie Leningraders,
Here are townsfolk, men, women, children.
By their sides are Red Army soldiers.
With their entire lives
They defended you, Leningrad,
The cradle of the Revolution.
We cannot enumerate all their noble names here,
So many are there under the eternal granite guard.
But know, you who are looking at these stones
No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.

Enemies, clad in armour and in iron, were bursting into the city,
But workers, schoolchildren, teachers and home guards stood up with the army
And like one, they all said
Death will sooner fear us, than we will fear death.
The hungry, harsh, dark winter of forty-one
And forty-two is not forgotten.
Neither the shells’ ferocity
Nor the terror of bombardments in forty-three.
The entire city’s earth was covered. Not one of your lives, comrades, is forgot.

Under the uninterrupted fire from heaven, earth and water,
You did you everyday heroic deed
With honour, and simply.
And together with your Fatherland,
You all prevailed in victory.
So let the thankful people,
The Motherland and hero city Leningrad
Eternally lower their standards
On this sad and solemn meadow.

Driving away from Piskarevskoye you can see a billboard on which is written these words:

“I remember. I am proud.”

Taking Stock Part Two: A Terrifying 2009

Someone once told me, “If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not living.” After taking stock of the past 20 years, I have confirmed my idea that the track I’m on is one of pushing. I push limits, I push to go faster, I push to be different, I push to challenge myself and I push to challenge others.

In 2009, I will graduate a year early, spend another summer overseas, figure out what the coming years will hold, and push a lot in my last semester at The University of Alabama. Here are a few of the most important projects currently terrifying me:

Crimson for a Cure

Crimson for a Cure is a project I’m heading up that will combine my love for running with my passion for finding a cure for breast cancer. Runners will form a team that will be registered with UA’s Relay for Life event, but this team will fundraise differently from all other teams. Each participant will commit to completing a 10-week training program and Nashville’s Country Music Half-Marathon on April 25. Runners will be asked to recruit at least three sponsors who will pledge a minimum of five cents per mile that runner completes. All money raised will go to the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research.

This project has been the root of a lot of stress so far, but everything is falling into place! Last night was the first captains’ meeting, and I am happy to say that participants will be led by six well-qualified and enthusiastic captains. Two informational meetings will take place over the next several weeks, so hopefully I will be able to report good news on the level of interest very soon!

PR(evolution)

PR(evolution) exposes PR in social media, explaining the role of technology in 21st century relationships to public relations students through a series of short presentations. The program covers the definition of social media; closed, semi-open and open media; and its applications to the field of public relations.

Jacob Summers and I received the inspiration for this program while working on the Platform Magazine staff last semester. When trying to recruit help in the PR efforts for the magazine, we were blown away by the ignorance about social media that was rampant among our peers in the PR department. Not ones to sit idly by, Jacob and I immediately found this solution and will be implementing our plan this semester.

Running

This will be short and sweet: I’ll be running at least two marathons (one scheduled), at least one half marathon (one scheduled), and this is my year for the ultramarathon. I’m not sure which one or how far, but I’m hoping to call myself an ultramarathoner this fall.

And The Other Stuff

Between classes, extra-curriculars, running, American Idol and these activities, I’d love to connect with as many people as possible in 2009! Drop me a comment here or connect with me on twitter. I look forward to hearing from you!

Taking Stock Part One: My Life’s Been A Country Song

“I’ve read a few books, wrote a few songs, looked at my life – where it’s going, where it’s gone.” – Kenny Chesney

My December resolution was to do no work after finishing exams, and – hard as it was – I did pretty well! All of the relaxing allowed quite a bit of time for reflection on my crazy life.

And I’m serious when I say “crazy.”

I’ve done a lot in 20 years, so the following is me taking stock of where I’ve been so that I can decide where to go from here. Because so much of this is priceless, hilarious, and sometimes ridiculous, I thought I would share it.

“I might be a little bit loco, but it keeps me from losing my mind! Hey, half insane, that’s ok, a little bit crazy’s all right.” – David Lee Murphy

I broke my finger playing football with teenagers I couldn’t understand and painted faces red, white and blue for eight hours straight on the Fourth of July in Ukraine. I coached an Armenian waiter at a Greek restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia on how to make southern-style sweet tea. I overcame my fear of heights and jumped down all 27 waterfalls of the Rio Damajagua in the Dominican Republic.

“If I had a dime for half the things I did that didn’t make no sense at all, I’d be living a little higher on the wall.” – Jake Owen

I lost focus too many times to count. I chased myself instead of what was best for my friends, my organization, my school and my family. I made my parents cry. I dug holes too deep to get out of by myself.

“Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car, hit the gas, get there fast, never stop to think, ‘What’s in it for me?’ or ‘That’s way too far.’ They just show on up with a big ol’ heart.” – Tracy Lawrence

I found no one can get by without friends. I discovered the value of my parents. These are the people who have called me “stupid,” then helped me pick up the pieces. 

“I’ve got lightning in my veins and thunder in my chest.” – Gary Allan

I volunteered at homeless shelters in six states. I threw pool parties and cookie-decorating extravaganzas for middle school girls. I pushed limits to revive lagging high school and university organizations and to compel my peers to make a difference.

That’s what I want to do, that’s what drives me crazy. That’s the question that nags at me when I get up in the morning and when I lay down at night: “Am I making a difference?”

“I use what I’ve got, take what I get, give ’til I ain’t got nothing left, then I give it some more…” – Jason Aldean

I’m a planner, an organizer, a realist. I’m a dreamer, a “why not” asker, a pusher. My skills are kind of random: I speak Russian, run marathons, listen to everyone and write when I’m bored. The combination usually turns out pretty well!

I’m excited about what’s next. Year 2009 holds a lot of big moments.

Stay tuned, the next post will be about what’s on deck this year!