Q&A: Jordan Schlachter Connects Brands to Sports Passion

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Promotion agency The Marketing Arm added some serious sports industry experience in June. Jordan Schlachter, most recently VP of Integrated Media and Marketing at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, has 22 years experience in sport and entertainment marketing, including stints at the National Basketball Association and the US Olympic Committee. He joins the agency as EVP of its Sports and Entertainment division.

"I love Clear Channel. It's a great company. They're doing some really interesting things in emerging technology and media, especially digital media as well. But I am a sports guy true and true," said Schlachter.

ClickZ spoke with Schlachter recently to discuss his thoughts on The Marketing Arm's integrated marketing strategies, and how they have used the sports and entertainment industries as an emotional business platform.

ClickZ: What does integrated marketing mean for The Marketing Arm?

Jordan Schlachter: We represent brands like Pepsi, Frito-Lay, and AT&T. At least my division - the sport and entertainment division - we help them with all of their sport and entertainment marketing activity. That is an integrated proposition today. It's not just sponsorship anymore, it's really how those brands sell more product or accomplish their marketing needs through our efforts.... There's mobile involved, there's digital involved, there's social involved, there's also...the traditional setting. When we say integrated marketing, we don't just work with the events group for one of our clients, we also work with the digital team, and the mobile team, and the social team, and the events team, and the hospitality team.

ClickZ: What do you feel you bring to The Marketing Arm?

JS: I have a long history working with some of the most prominent brands in sports. Via the NBA, the New York Knicks, the US Olympic Committee, as well as working with a lot of the athletes...throughout my representation side. I think it is a unique combination of experience, education that I bring to the table here.

ClickZ: How does The Marketing Arm use emotion within digital and social media platforms?

JS: When brands speak to their consumer, it is a two-way dialogue today and that is what digital and social really help bring out is that it is a two-way dialogue. The most successful brands in the world are the brands that touch their consumers in a way that goes beyond just the point of sale touch point. Through digital and social media you really have the ability to tell stories that represent the brand and hear the feedback from your consumers as well.

ClickZ: How does sport and entertainment provide an emotionally powerful business platform?

JS: Sports and entertainment are two things that inspire passion amongst people.... What sport properties try and do is harness the emotion of their fans and they find the right business partners that help them do that. So when you're playing into people's passions like you are in sports, you want to find brands that help play into those passions. [And] to help find brands that are looking to tap into passions of their consumers, you want to help them find the right sports to do that as well.