Archive for May, 2009

Sorry. No Do-Overs in the Pros.

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

USA Today had an interesting piece on Michael Vick’s possible road back to the NFL.  How do you go from the NFL to the FBP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) back to the NFL?  Answer:  Don’t count on it.

Of course, before the NFL will even look at Vick, he’ll need to reform his reputation.  Dog-fighting is only one issue Vick needs to contend with.  Vick had multiple “reputation failures.”  Let’s see….he was less than honest with Commissioner Goodell and Falcons owner Blank.  He tested positive for marijuana use before his sentencing.  Wow.  Cruelty to animals, dishonesty, and drug use.  That’s like the “trifecta of sports career destruction.”

He Didn't Want This Type of Press Attention

He Didn't Want This Type of Press Attention

Reporter Jeff Zillgitt noted the steps Vick could take to restore a reputation to NFL status:

First, show remorse.

Second, prove he’ll be a positive influence.

Third, express the lessons learned.

And, finally, recognize that the road to reputation repair will be a long one.  If he tries to rush it, he’ll be viewed as insincere.  This road is paved with good actions, not good words.

This will work for a celebrity or politician, as their careers can span decades.  However, because football is a young man’s game, the typical NFL player’s career will last anywhere from 2 to 6 years.  Not a lot of time for reputation repair, is it?

From our crisis management perspective, Zillgett and his sources are spot on.  However, why do athletes put themselves in this situation in the first place?

A core element of our athlete work at U/S Sports Advisors is based on sports brand definition and development.  We stress the importance of behavior as a reflection on one’s brand.  Fans judge you more by how you act than by what you say.  We also know that the highly competitive world of pro sports is an unforgiving place.  One wrong act, and there are hundreds of quarterbacks behind you to gladly take your place.  Does a team owner really want PETA or the supporters of the Humane Society boycotting their games?  Nope.

That’s why in Ahead of the Game, we advise athletes they should not believe they’re the “exception to the rule.”  Like Vick, the rule is one strike, and you’re out.

Posted by Ken Ungar

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Posted in Athletes, Behavior, Branding, Sports Consultants

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The Battle of the 23′s

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

So it’s the end of May, June here we come!  That can only mean one thing…NBA Playoffs.

I haven’t looked at a clippings report as to how many mentions exactly, but it seems that this year has been flooded with more LeBron/Jordan comparisons than ever before.

LeBron James and Michael Jordan

LeBron James and Michael Jordan

It’s only natural, I suppose, as King James regularly posts 40+ games, to compare him to the greatest ever.  But I stand firm.  There is no contest.  LeBron is no Jordan.  At least not yet.

I can’t put my finger on it.  For me, it’s a combination of persona, fluidity, leadership style, and his failure to build a supporting cast around him.  But these are all fairly loose arguments, which of course leaves me wide open for criticism and ridicule for my stance.

Then, this morning, my colleague, Robb and I were having the same talk.  Is Lebron the best player ever in the game of basketball?  Believe it or not, he was in agreement with me, but not for his playing ability or personality traits. For him, it all boiled down to one simple fact.

When Jordan quit, Robb stopped watching the NBA.  LeBron doesn’t make him want to start watching again.

And, Robb isn’t alone in his post-Jordan NBA abandonment.  Although they are similar in the books, unlike Jordan, LeBron has been unable to change the sport.  When completing research for Ahead of the Game, we found that there was an entire movement away from the NBA when Jordan left.  A movement that the league has yet to recover from, particularly in regards to TV ratings.

So what ingredient to MJ’s secret sauce is LeBron missing?

On the court, they are comparable.  It’s not exactly apples to oranges there. Sponsorship hasn’t been an issue; fandom either.

In my opinion, James’ career path is too closely resembling Jordan’s.  He’s playing throw down and continually falling short.

Jordan’s brand became cemented in history when he changed the face of sports, and sports business.  You can’t be a better Jordan than Jordan.  That brand is already taken.  At least until the next athlete again changes the entire sports industry for the better.

U/S Sports Advisors teaches our elite clients differentiation and innovation. Those are the recipes for serious brand success.  Set yourself apart from the pack by doing something new and different off the field of competition. Fans dig creative authenticity.

So anyways, thanks for the blog topic LeBron.  Better luck tonight.

Posted by Krissi Price

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Posted in All-Star, Athletes, Behavior, Branding, Elite Athletes, MVP, Professional Advisors, Sponsorships and Endorsements, Sports Business, Sports Consultants, Sports Fans, Sports Marketing, Uncategorized

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Michael Phelps on Image Autopilot

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

OK.  It’s not that I enjoy writing about Michael Phelps, or that I like being critical of him.  He’s an outstanding athlete, who achieved the incredible at Beijing.

autopilot

Planes Run On Autopilot; Brands Don't

With that said . . . the way I’ve seen him manage his brand disappoints on so many levels.  For instance, yesterday, the AP’s Paul Newberry had an interesting piece on Michael Phelp’s image rehabilitation.  Again, for the hundredth time, we hear about Phelp’s lack of an ordinary childhood (he trained constantly) and his regret for a DUI arrest at age 19, and his betrayal by camera-wielding ex-friends at a South Carolina party.

Can we file this in the “Irrelevant” folder?  Sponsors don’t care.  And, more importantly, my sons and other kids, who look to athletes as role models, don’t care.

Newberry cites an image consultant, who correctly observes that the “Phelps Allegedly Smoking Pot” picture will forever be part-and-parcel of his image.  I agree completely.  That’s why I’ve been looking for a brand rehab plan since February.  A plan to affirmatively cultivate and manage his brand on an ongoing basis.  It is an intentional plan with intended outcomes.  Instead, Phelps’ agent, Peter Carlisle, offers the following:

“His image changes all the time,” Carlisle said. “But certain accomplishments that he’s had will always be the fundamental component to his image and how people think of and view Michael. With him, or any other athlete or celebrity, the image is something that changes and grows and develops over time. That remains to be seen. But I think Michael has got lot of stuff in the works that I think will be positive and have a positive effect on his image.”

While I have a lot of respect for Mr. Carlisle and his agency, I was really hoping for something more here.  For instance, what will Phelps stand for outside the swimming pool?  What are his broader hopes and aspirations for his career?  How do the mistakes of his past really influence his future?  (Don’t try to flim flam us….we’re pretty smart.)

A wait-and-see attitude to brand management won’t work.  Phelps can’t wait for the “things in the works.”  It doesn’t work for great consumer brands, like Apple, Disney, and Starbucks.  So, it goes without saying that image autopilot won’t work for Phelps as well.

Posted by Ken Ungar.

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Posted in Athletes, Behavior, Branding, Elite Athletes, Sponsorships and Endorsements, Sports Consultants, Uncategorized

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