N.J. sports marketing gurus dish on Odell Beckham, Darnold vs. Barkley and 25 years in the business

Frank Vuono and Steve Rosner have worked with some of the biggest names in sports without losing sight of their roots.

They had their first business meeting – where else? – at the Meadowlands Diner.

Frank Vuono had established a strong relationship with the NFL’s top quarterbacks while working in the league’s licensing department. Steve Rosner was developing unprecedented marketing deals for big-name clients like Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

It seemed like the perfect match for a new company. And then came lunch.

“I think when I ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a black-and-white milkshake, Frank knew, ‘Okay, we’ve got something here,'” Rosner said. 

That was 1993, and over the years that followed, their client list steadily grew with names like Phil Simms, Boomer Esiason, Howie Long, Cris Collinsworth, Chris Simms, Jim Kelly, Ron Darling, Thom Brennaman, Brian Griese, Bob Papa and many more.

Twenty-five years later, Vuono and Rosner have been at it long enough that they’re representing many of their clients sons. They are still together as partners at 16W Marketing, one of the top sports marketing firms in the country – and one that proudly keeps its offices on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River in two-story Rutherford building.

The have sat next to each other at 20 straight Super Bowls (and counting), chasing clients from Norway to New Orleans and, of course, to New Jersey. Just in case their deep Jersey roots aren’t evident to anyone who meets them – Vuono grew up in Lyndhurst; Rosner in Bayonne – their business cards are modeled after Turnpike toll tickets.

“First and foremost, we’re Jersey guys,” Rosner said, sitting on the couch in his partner’s office on a recent afternoon. “And that bond, when you’re in business with another Jersey guy and you have the same foundation, that matters. In our case, it’s our work ethic, and it’s our commitment to doing the right thing.”

For their 25^th anniversary, Vuono and Rosner sat with NJ Advance Media to discuss their partnership and the current trends in New York/New Jersey sports.

NJAM: What marketing advice would you give Odell Beckham Jr.?

VUONO: It infuriates me as a Giants fan. My thing would be to give him advice, to say, ‘Listen. You’re blowing this thing.’ You want to wear fancy shoes. You want to dye your hair yellow. Fine. But there are limits. Some of your actions are way out of line. You’ve got to (bleeping) grow up. That doesn’t mean you can’t be cool or relevant to your generation of kids. We’re not telling you to sell out. But you’re blowing it. You’re going to cost yourself a hell of a lot of money both on the field and off the field. 

ROSNER: If Odell Beckham asked to meet with me, I would have a picture of Michael Jordan on me. Michael Jordan had his fun. He wasn’t perfect. But he had a respect for the game, he took care of business, and he was the greatest marketed athlete ever. I would show him that picture and tell him, ‘This is what you could do, but it’s on you to do it.’ In this market, there hasn’t been anyone like him since Lawrence. 

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NJAM: Which rookie has bigger marketing potential: Sam Darnold or Saquon Barkley?  

VUONO: Darnold has more upside. If you’re a star quarterback and he brings the Jets to the promised land? He’s going to own the city. It’s rare that a running back can carry the team, but he’s obviously got a head start on Darnold. He’s a superior athlete, he’s got an incredible personality, he’s a very likable guy. But he’s not a quarterback. 

ROSNER: Darnold could be Eli because, personality wise, they both seem low key, mild mannered, not controversial. If he has a great career, he could be like Eli from a marketing standpoint. I think Barkley could be somebody like Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith – if he can get to that level.

NJAM: Which of the current Yankees has the most potential from a marketing standpoint?

ROSNER: All rise, right? For various reason, it’s (Aaron) Judge. I would argue that he might be a top-10 athlete in the sport already. The guy is just incredible. If you see how he plays the outfield, he’s so graceful, it’s like he’s floating. And when he throws to a base? It seems so effortless. And he’s been very well brought up as far as his mannerisms. His mannerisms remind me of (Derek) Jeter a lot. I think he has to start saying some stuff that means something …

VUONO: Jeter never did!

ROSNER: Which is my point. It’s always about the team and not him, and in the me-me sports world we live in today, there’s not much ‘us.’ That’s what I see in Aaron Judge.

NJAM: If you could have had any athlete in history as a client, who would it be?

ROSNER: How about the one that got away? Peyton Manning. We met with Peyton and Archie, and we made a very compelling presentation, but because we were aligned with Leigh Steinberg, he had just signed Ryan Leaf. So we had to represent him. 

VUONO: We did this presentation in Archie’s office. Peyton stands up at the end and goes, ‘This is awesome. I love it. We’re going to go with you guys.’ Archie pulls me aside and said, ‘We’d love to go with you guys but are you going to sign Ryan Leaf.’ I said, ‘Yeah, we signed him yesterday.’ Archie says, ‘I don’t think that’s going to work.’ Sometimes you get the elevator. Sometimes you get the shaft.

Steve Politi may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find Steve on Facebook.