Originally Posted by
eddiewaringsflatcap
Whilst your correct that the sport has a high number of blue collar workers, the commercial portfolio can and should be more aspirational and/or respectable. For example, in the past some of the partners of the sport were mutuals or investment savings companies. They ticked both of those boxes.
I've said before that sponsorship does'nt really exist anymore, not in its old form. Its dead.
Any branding department see the products/services it produces as an identity and as NC infers it looks for partners that promote its values, ideally both should be of similar stature. Hence when Justin Thomas came out with a homophobic remark, Ralph Lauren did'nt say "we've stopped sponsoring JT to display our name everyewhere...." rather they said "while we acknowledge that he has apologised and recognises the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold."
Thats branding and commercial partnership and rugby league clubs just don't get it.
They cheapen their own identity and value when for example their replica shirts are plastered with skip hire, cheap lager, bingo and taxi companies. The money is nice in the short term but it damns them to a bargain basement hand to mouth cycle.
As a post script, I must add the point on brand synergy.... Its why I was amused to say the least that anyone seriously ever thought the Toronto venture could work and worse, that the same barmpots who believed in it should espouse that it meant a deathknell to the sport. As if the failure of a transworld competition for a sport that has failed to spread itself adequately should ever be as such. If we were'nt looking to Canada prior to Perez turning up as a key driver for RL why had it become so crucial after Toronoto were booted out. Utter nonsense.