Overexposed? 10 Reasons Why Sports Teams Are the Ultimate Brands

In the midst of the Rugby World Cup the All Blacks brand is becoming more pervasive than ever before. Anything and everything now seems to come in a black format with the silver fern slapped on it, the most bizarre example seen by this writer being an All Blacks waterblaster.  Readers who want to use the All Blacks brand for their marketing could well consider the possibilities, as it seems that no brand or product tie-in with the All Blacks seems out of bounds.

The reasons for this are pure business – the NZRFU, based in a tiny country and charged with funding a professional team that is constantly at risk of losing key players to overseas contracts, has to exploit its key asset for maximum returns.  Clearly the NZRFU has done well, and the All Blacks brand is now everywhere – even in a shop dedicated to soccer that I recently saw in Venice.

But does this mean that the All Blacks brand is at risk of over-exposure?  Whilst many marketers may like to believe that there could be no such thing as too much exposure, consumers certainly find it very easy to note when a brand has outstayed its welcome.  In sum, over-exposure is not solely a result of two many column inches or too much airtime, but a mental state that occurs in the audience’s mind when a brand, celebrity, or product is perceived to no longer justify the high exposure it is receiving.

For example, the hype over Britney Spears was somewhat justified when she was a superstar with a string of hits and videos, but when she became a “solo mum with no hit songs and some behavioural and substance problems”, that same amount of exposure became voyeuristic and distasteful. The impression that Paris Hilton has never had any true merit to justify her exposure also leads to claims of over-exposure; Britney’s over-exposure is due to lost lustre, Paris’s is because she never really deserved it.

Likewise, within the sporting market, sportspeople can rapidly be seen as over-exposed if their performance falters or their claim to fame is based on weak evidence – just ask David Tua or Simon Poelman, and witness how David Beckham’s US experience is attracting the doubters.

Nonetheless, the speed at which the NZ public has re-discovered the Warriors in recent weeks demonstrates just how fickle a sports brand can be, and it also demonstrates how sports teams can represent the ultimate brands within marketing.

The following outlines why sports teams can represent the ultimate brands:

1. Sports teams can develop into formidable brands because they can outlast both their own members and their audience.  Players may retire or even die off, but the team remains.
2. The ability of a sports team to constantly refresh its players and coaching styles means that the chances of becoming stale are much slimmer than for an FMCG brand or similar.
3. Through their governing body, teams can change the very rules of the game in order to keep things fresh and improved.  Few other categories can be managed so directly.
4. The fact that a team comprises many individuals means that there will be players to attract a wide variety of fans.  Whether one is attracted to the relaxed smile of Joe Rocoko, the star appeal of Dan Carter or the hardman bulk of Carl Hayman, this further widens the appeal and usability of a team brand.
5. The fact that a team comprises many individuals also means that the brand can be spread widely.  If need be, the All Blacks could do personal appearances in thirty countries simultaneously!
6. A team brand has a regular set of opportunities to demonstrate its credentials, and always in the unpredictable and exciting way that only sport can offer.  Seeing a team win a major competition will attract supporters in a way that no new and improved grocery brand ever will.
7. If a player within a team acts poorly or is scandalized, this need not affect the entire team – a team will usually be able to withstand such events.
8. With the daily dramas of injury issues, position changes, tactical discussions and more, sports teams offer the same elements as a soap opera, fostering a feeling of community and continuity in their fans’ lives as they await every development.
9. Sports teams are often one of only a few constants in peoples’ lives. People can live through all manner of personal traumas and life events, and the ability to relax and watch the favoured team, decade after decade, is an attribute that few brands can offer.
10. Finally, the 10^th reason why sports teams can be ideal brands is that they actually have a break between seasons, allowing for annual refreshment and resurgence. There can be too much of a good thing, after all!

Jonathan Dodd