4
OUR THOUGHTS ON
How an introduction of new sponsors might enforce a change in brand perception
If you’re a newcomer to the NRL (National Rugby
League), the sport could be seen as the life and
soul for many in Australia (particularly the
‘working man’), through a rich history, having
been played for over 100 years within the country.
Initially, the Aussies followed the rebellious
rugby league movement that first emerged in
Huddersfield (UK) in 1895; a movement that saw
rugby union clubs break away from the RFU to
create their own format.
From a rebellious move away from Rugby Union to
a rebellious and slightly controversial view of the
sport itself; in recent years the much loved sport
has received criticism for brawls, alcoholism, and
drug infused antics committed by players and
officials alike. This might explain the decline in
attendance at games themselves and has most
certainly led to a damaging image of the sport
itself. Consequently, the dwindling fan base has
also led to a disparity in earnings between the
lower league and top league clubs. However,
following the NRL signing their $1.8 billion TV
rights deal in 2015 it’s safe to say there’s still a
huge demand for the sport, even though there has
been a drop in attendance. T his month’s ‘Thoughts
On’ delves into how the introduction of more
premium sponsors to NRL’s portfolio cold help to
remould their image.
Using our Sponsorship IP tool, ‘Sponsor DNA’ to
explore brand perceptions, we have reviewed
which brands are mostly perceived as ‘Quality’,
‘Innovative’ &‘Luxury’. This has allowed us offer
up brands that the NRL may consider partnering
with to help broaden their traditional working
class heritage and appeal to a wider fan base.
Upon reviewing their current portfolio of
sponsors, it is fair to say that there are few
sponsors that are already helping them deliver
their ambition to appeal to a wider social
demographic. Even though their current
portfolio is full of relevant and quality brands,
we believe that a careful selection of future
sponsors may help with their repositioning
ambitions.
Our Sponsor DNA tool that surveys over 200
global brands has shown that Samsung, Rolex
and Mercedes all score the highest across
‘Innovation’, ‘Quality’ and ‘Luxury’. It would
be naïve to think that these brands would
sponsor the NRL if it wasn’t a genuine business
opportunity. Therefore, the NRL would need to
creatively consider how they entice brands
where it doesn’t seem a logical fit, e.g. with
reduced rights fees or favourable VIK deals,
that would then pay dividends longer term, as
they reap the rewards of a more premium
proposition.
One further way of changing perceptions may be
to develop their tech position, in order to
represent and provide evolution within the
sport. Bringing the fans closer to the action by
taking cues from sporting events such as the
Big Bash format, e.g. player mics, stump cam,
spider cam and hawk eye. In the digital era, fan
engagement has never been more important,
with 86% of the industry citing it to be a key
trend to be keeping tabs on over the next five
years.
There are plenty of possibilities for the NRL
through evolving their rich heritage; the
partnerships mentioned above could help
broaden and develop this traditional working
class heritage, growing a wider fan base both
within Australia and potentially worldwide.