There is no doubt Australia is struggling for another tennis superstar…..in fact we’re craving one! Just look at the media attention afforded to Bernard Tomic and Jelena Dokic at this year’s Australia Open. Dokic’s story is a great one and it’s good to see the media and public embrace her once again, but was the media frenzy over the top? There is definitely a huge craving for a genuine international superstar across all sports, not just tennis. Look at the latest Sweeny Sports report and you will find many of the Australia’s most marketable athletes are in fact retired. They include guys like Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Glen McGrath, Steve Waugh and Pat Rafter (who is currently featured in TVC’s for Bonds and 1800 Flowers to coincide with the Australia Open). Truly marketable athletes, those with the talent, good looks and strong values are few and far between. That’s why iconic retirees are still being used across different marketing platforms, that is until the next young gun steps up. Tennis is crying out for one so when that young athlete does pop, sit back and watch the media (and sponsors) go crazy.
Archive for January, 2009
Open Season
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Kentucky Fried Cricket
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
KFC is one of Australian Cricket’s biggest sponsors and at a time of year when families traditionally look for easy lunch/dinner options, KFC’s summer sponsorship makes a lot of sense. They do a great job in supporting the sport and have leveraged the 20/20 matches particularly well. However their TV campaign depicting Aussie cricketers as ravenous chicken feeders does raise some debate about how sponsors can influence an athlete’s brand positioning. Remember, athletes are brands too; they have characteristics and values that greatly enhance their attractiveness to sponsors. For example, Michael Clarke is a future test captain in waiting, people respect his maturity and leadership qualities, his work for charity, his commitment to his family and his brand is one of integrity, glamour and admiration. This is why a blue chip brand such as Bonds sponsor Clarke. I wonder how they feel about his portrayal in the KFC advertisements? A bit of a laugh, some harmless fun? Maybe, but it is a grey area in the world of individual sponsorship. One brand works hard to strengthen its alignment with the values of an athlete only to be gazumped by another sponsor with a totally different image and strategy. I imagine most non team sponsors of Australian cricketers are happy to sit back and watch their guys feature in a massive media buy that generates enormous awareness and doesn’t cost them a thing……as long as their own marketing strategy isn’t compromised that is.
