Charity Hop is a sports marketing organization that helps athletes raise money for their favorite charities and in that regard, Charity Wines' Longball Cellars brand was created to enable baseball players to market a selection of wines, donating a portion of each sale to the player's charity of choice.
Designated hitter/first baseman David Ortiz(Big Papi), catcher Jason Varitek and first baseman Kevin Youkilis will be featured this year to represent the champion Red Sox in an effort that will raise money for 6 different charities of the player's choices through 2008. Wine is being distributed across New England stores and restaurants beginning May, 2008. Expected retail is about $12.
Go Sox! I just had to write that. And yes, I am a New Yorker.
Baseball Charity Wines
Boston Red Sox Longball Cellars
Trend Themes
1. Athlete-branded Products - There is an opportunity for athletes in various sports to brand a variety of products in support of their chosen charity and use their respective platforms to reach a wider audience.
2. Cause Marketing - Charitable organizations can partner with athlete personalities or teams to sell specialty products, with a portion of sales going to the selected charity, therefore adding an impactful component to traditional campaign tactics.
3. Regional Wine Distribution - A trend could arise in locally or regionally distributed wine brands selling a cause-branded variety thereby contributing to community participation for a given cause.
Industry Implications
1. Sports Marketing - Sports marketing companies could assist athletes in branding custom products as part of their charitable initiatives.
2. Wine Production/distribution - Wine distribution companies such as Longball Cellars could form partnerships with more athletes and teams in other sports to increase revenue streams and diversify marketing tactics.
3. Charitable Organizations - Such organizations could expand their campaigns by leveraging sports personalities to create and market special charity-branded products for sale.