Marketing Opportunities

In todays over saturated market, creating brand awareness is corporate priority no. 1. It’s a world where the average person is exposed to 3000 ads a day, so foregrounding ones self—however it occurs—is paramount. From there its up to selling the product—selling is merely a myriad of innovative campaigns that deceive people into believing they actually need what they desire. Sport is entertainment; entertainment is a desire.

With this in mind, it is arguable that the recent off field actions of Andrew Symonds, Ben Cousins, and Sonny Bill Williams are—converse to what people believe—great promotions for Cricket, AFL, and Rugby League respectively.

Think about it logically.

Each incident has raised questions about the attitudes, values, and character of the individual involved—the public were offended by the notion Symonds would put fishing before the honor of playing for Australia; the public became fed up with Cousins’ disrespect for the game, his life, and the fans; and the public were disgusted with the cowardly manor in which Williams chased the euro and fled the country. The unfortunate part for the leagues—these incidents fuel the existing stigmas that professional athletes are selfish, egocentric, prim donnas. It’s a terribly negative situation for any organization.

However, in marketing and advertising, it is true that where there is a negative, there is opportunity. By exposing the faults in a system, you have the chance to fix them for the better. Sports leagues are judged by the integrity of their shield. If the players don’t respect the league, they announce to the world that the league isn’t important enough to respect. If the league isn’t important to the players, than why should it be important to the public. The excess of media coverage that accompany off the field discrepancies will either kill you by promoting your ineptitude, or it will give you a platform for renaissance.

By using the additional media coverage as a platform for making examples of each player (all marquee players), each league sets a firm precedent. Namely, that no player is above the law, that playing is not a right but a privilege, that the aforementioned behavior will not be tolerated, and that respect (for the game, for the fans, for their teams) is a key value to be upheld by the league. Each incident is a opportunity for the league to show (publically) that they do not endorse the actions of those involved, concurrently marketing itself as a father figure to today’s youth.

The NBA’s firm response to the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl has put the league in a better position now—image-wise—then it had before the brawl occurred. The latter dealings with the off field actions of Shane Warne is a great example of how a league can respond, and benefit accordingly. Warne was the top player in game, he lost playing time, and came back preaching his new found respect for the game. A catalyst for future action, the dealings with a high profile star like Warne probably encouraged the NRL to offer Andrew Johns his ultimatum.

(Johns had a drug problem. It was a badly kept secret in and around Newcastle. Don’t argue it. Just accept it. Considering that, it’s highly conceivable to believe—and I do—that the NRL came to the point where the story was going to go national, and they would have to suspend Johns. Rather than do so, Johns was given the option to retire, save face, and take up his position in the media without controversy. Of course he took it, channel 9 got a great story by miraculously being on the scene—filming mind you—when Johns “career ending injury” took place, and the rugby league world went on. It was a savvy move by Gallop. I’m convinced of this.)

Like a professional team with strong character will beat a unprofessional team with great skill, a professional league with strong character will thrive against a unprofessional league with skilled players.

Of course there is no opportunity if the league does not act firmly, which is—believably—the action that has been expressed in the past to this point, and subsequently, the reason these leagues have image problems to begin with.

The message of course is: use the media, don't fight it. It's free advertising. the sooner leagues realise this—and the latest actions against each of the players in question seem to imply they do—the better for Australian sport and our youth.