Whether you’re a sports fan or not, chances are you have heard of Chad Ochocinco. The NFL veteran is best known for his flashy end zone dances and over-the-top comments. Despite your feelings about the man, I think he deserves some respect for taking advantage of his over-exposure and turning it into a clever marketing and business scheme.
In 2009, the then Bengal’s receiver, launched OCNN (OchoCinco News Network) in Miami at Super Bowl XLIV. In partnership with Motorola, Ochocinco enlisted the help of his friends and current NFL players Chis Cooley, Ray Rice and Darnell Dockett – all three of which are some of the most active and popular NFL athletes on Twitter, much like Ochocinco himself (currently 3,179,555 followers).
The off-the-wall news network seemed to be a joke at first, until many realized that it leaned more towards serious sports reporting than expected. Since then, OCNN has been a staple amongst the outlets cover the Super Bowl and present on “media row.”
This year, Ochocinco decided to reach out to his fans and give them a chance to be a part of a once in a lifetime experience. The OCNN by Motorola Super Bowl Reporter contest gave fans the chance to submit a 30-second video explaining why they should be the official correspondent for the network during Super Bowl XLVI.
In a recent interview with CBSports.com, Ochocinco said: “This year I'm flipping it around and the folks who send in videos -- who will probably be journalism majors and other people who love journalism and sports and football itself. And so it'll help springboard whatever else they have going on.”
For those who think Chad Ochocinco only cares about himself, he seems to be doing an excellent job of taking his public love/hate relationship and turning it into something positive for fans, but also beneficial to his future career after he hangs up his cleats.
I will be tuning in – Will you?!
Katy Fincham is an Account Executive at Maroon PR. Contact her at Katy@MaroonPR.com.
No. 85 sure did a number on the Patriots this year, but at least he didn't allow his off-the-field hobbies to interfere with the team. While I am disappointed with his on-field production - which could have been forgiven if the Patriots could have held their second-half lead in Super Bowl XLVI - I am equally impressed with his ability to act in a professional manner this past season.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, Ochocinco seemed to be a shadow of his former self since embracing the Patriot way, keeping his mug out of the news. While I did not tune in to OCNN this year, I did see him make several gestures that were tremendous for his image. Specifically, I remember an incident on Twitter where a fan tweeted that he had been sending Ochocinco messages for two years and had not once received a single response. Ochocinco tweeted back something to the effect of "my bad," then proceeded to hook the fan up with airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to a Patriots playoff game. What a guy!
It will be interesting to see which uniform he wears next year and the ensuing reception he receives following his signing. For the first time, he will be criticized for his play rather than his mouth.