Harrah’s and IMG Team up for WSOP
Harah’s Entertainment wants to literally put the world in its World Series of Poker property, and has signed marketing powerhouse IMG to expand poker’s brand and media presence.
Efforts include increasing marketing behind the World Series of Poker tournament itself, which this year runs June 25-Aug. 10 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, and building domestic and international partnerships (in Europe, the Far East and Australia) via sponsorships, product licensing and media representation. IMG’s New York office will coordinate global efforts. Harrah’s Entertainment acquired the card game property in 2004; the tourney has been in existence for about 36 years.
“We want people to associate the WSOP with poker the way Wimbledon is associated with tennisâ€â€the ultimate expression of excellence,” said Jeffrey Pollack, vp-sports and entertainment marketing at Harrah’s, Las Vegas. “We already are the category leader, but we can do a better job of educating people and sponsors as to what the property is and what it can deliver.”
Among Harrah’s goals: to boost the licensed-product division, which currently nets about $30-$50 million in annual U.S. retail sales, per Pollack, beyond such poker-centric products as chips and cards. Activision’s first WSOP videogame, for example, earned about $15 million at retail in 2005. National sponsors are being wooed in such categories as auto, beverage, snack foods, tech and QSR; regional sponsorships also are in the works. ESPN is the current telecast partner and AOL.com has a WSOP room, but Harrah’s plans to expand media partnerships via radio, mobile, Internet and TV. The stakes here are high and the field already is crowded, as poker events on TV also include the World Poker Tour (Travel Channel), Celebrity Poker Showdown (Bravo) and Fox Sports Network’s Mansion Poker Poker Series, launching this year (Brandweek, Dec. 12).
“Poker is increasingly becoming mainstream in a healthy way,” said Andy Pierce, IMG corporate svp, New York. “The WSOP offers history, heritage and sustainability. Even if the ‘poker bubble’ bursts, WSOP will thrive.”
Source Poker Gazette