Archive for April, 2010

Thunderstruck!

Friday, April 30th, 2010

What a mess. Of course I’m referring to the arguably the biggest Australian sporting controversy, ever.

The fact NRL club the Melbourne Storm elaborately and systematically cheated their way to four successive grand finals and two premierships over the past five years is disturbing.

But not as disturbing as the reaction from some quarters over the NRL’s punishment to strip the club of two premierships, three minor premierships and the opportunity to earn points this season.

Can we stop blaming the NRL?

For the credibility of the game, the NRL had no choice but to punish Melbourne the way they did. And remember, this was a decision that had the support of Melbourne and NRL stakeholder News Limited. It’s also a decision that has the support of 90% of NRL fans.

Personally I think the club got off lightly. The team shouldn’t be allowed on the park this season. But to give the club the best chance at survival, the NRL has allowed them to play on.

NRL CEO David Gallop should be commended for showing strong leadership and decision making in the face of criticism from media personalities who don’t understand the first thing about business.

As crucial as the Melbourne market is for Rugby League, no one club or player is bigger than the game. For the game to win the respect of fans and other clubs who bust their guts to play fairly, Melbourne had to cop their punishment on the chin.

My final word on this saga:

Everyone agrees that Winning in sport = Success off the field.

So for every club to be successful they need to be winning, right?

So to give every team the best chance at winning, the talent needs to be spread out so the competition is even, am I correct?

This is why a salary cap exists. It’s the best formula right now to grow the game.

Yes Melbourne deserve a chance to succeed but so does every other club. The NRL understands this. News Limited understand this. The majority of fans understand this.

Unfortunately those people that think they know the right solution, don’t. Because any other solution would only divide the fans even more.

Congratulations to the NRL for having courage under fire.

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Licensing…It’s Got To Be-e-e-e Perfect!

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Established brands should be wary when it comes to licensing deals leveraging the name of a celebrity.

I’m talking about brands that name products after celebrities. This strategy often fails because the idea is un-believable. Not everything a celebrity touches turns to gold.

There are a few exceptions to the rule. Classic examples include the “George Foreman Grill” or “Nike Air Jordan” basketball shoes.

The George Foreman Grill worked because George Foreman endorsing a grill is believable. The public knew George didn’t invent the grill but he represented the grill’s perfect customer. A big guy with a big appetite who loves his meat but doesn’t like complicated cooking.

Nike Air Jordan worked because the “shoe” was part of Jordan’s performance equipment. It was believable Jordan had input into the design and features. So it was ok to name the shoe after him.

On the other hand, we have a product like “Tiger” Gatorade. This failed because Gatorade was already an established brand – it didn’t need to hi-jack a celebrity’s name. I was always more inclined to buy Gatorade because it’s Tiger’s choice of drink. Not because it was named after him. There is a big difference.

Look at Emporio Armani underwear and its ambassor David Beckham. The brand could choose to bring out “David Beckham” underwear under the Emporio Armani label, but they don’t because they know it wouldn’t work. Why? Because people buy Emporio Armani because the brand is an expert at making great underwear. David Beckham is an expert a playing football. Where’s the connection? Naming a range after Becks would only cheapen the product and ridicule the intelligence of Armani customers.

Licensing is done best when both the celebrity and product are a perfect fit for each other. Anything less than perfect just doesn’t work.

PS. Was anyone really surprised by Tiger Woods’ shooting 68 on the opening day of the Masters tournament? I wasn’t. This is the first time Tiger has ever entered a tournament without the expectations of winning it. Given his preparation, it was ok if he didn’t perform. What a huge weight off his shoulders! He has nothing to lose. And that makes him very very dangerous.

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