SPORTS BRANDING
SPORTS BRANDING
Thursday, 28 February 2008 04:18
“Brand loyalty comes from culture and tradition, not money making schemes.” These were the words of a fan of the English Premier League upon the announcement that all clubs in the league would each play a game abroad to promote the beautiful game. The fan clearly was not amused with this idea as the League to him had a history behind it that transcended commercial success. The English are known to be extremely loyal, even bordering on fanatical, to their clubs of choice. It is passed on from one generation to the next and so on. Watching the games has become a lifestyle.
The premiership has been able to gain commercial success through attracting corporates who endorse their brands in terms of sponsorship of teams and the event. Barclays, AIG, Emirates are just but a few of the big names involved in this venture. The League has managed to attract foreign investors who inject a lot of money to the country’s economy.
The National Football League (NFL) final, the SuperBowl, attracted an audience of billions that 30 second slots for advertising cost around 2.3 million US dollars. Made in the US, the NFL is a brand worth a lot of money. Sports indeed if given adequate support can evolve into industries on their own. These are just but a few of the countless examples of sports franchises that have grown to boost the economies of their countries. Baseball, ice hockey and basketball are cases in point. Back home in Africa, branding of sports in Africa has been largely absent.
The recently held Africa Cup of Nations was branded as the premier sports event in Africa, three weeks in which the rest of the world would set their eyes on Africa, for positive news! The tournament has lived up to its billing as the matches have been intense and sideshows witnessed were enthralling. This gives a clear illustration of immense potential of sports, not only economically, but socially. It serves as a unifying factor, people get to share both in the joys and sorrows of the game, and it gives the youth a constructive way to use their leisure time and may even act as a launch pad for their careers. Kenya has the human resources for sports; prowess in athletics, boxing, volleyball and rugby have proven that she can stand head and shoulders with the rest of the world .
What is lacking is the promotional angle to positioning sports as a viable tool that can sustain the individuals associated with it This does not mean that we need to replicate what the West is doing, but we can learn from them on how to build and appreciate our local talent. The country branding campaign can effectivelyuse sports to get the people who really matter, the citizens, to actively embrace this campaign. All eyes have turned to South Africa, the hosts of the 2010 World Cup. This is a perfect opportunity for Africa to showcase itself and dispel the negative images it has endured .Africa should unite as one and give the best of the continent to the world. Brand experts have their work cut out to promote both internal and external goodwill, of their countries and Africa. Let us not miss out on the bigger picture, sports is an excellent way to heal wounded hearts and give hope for the future.Moreover,BRANDAfrica is waiting to be unleashed.
