Marketing (2009)

The root of the NRL’s problems with its players and their constant transgressions can be solely put down to very poor marketing. I’m not too sure who organises all the marketing for the NRL, but I’m sure they have to answer to David Gallop at some point, thus the buck stops with him.

All the problems in the NRL are David Gallop’s fault. Undoubtedly. Kind of.

When you have a product which is mass produced and is to be sold to millions of consumers throughout the country, you need to really have a thorough look at the strengths and weaknesses of said product well before you begin the stages of excessively repetitive advertising, spin doctoring, statements, press releases and other such expensive media related products.

This sole concept, a very basic and bloody obvious one at that, has been completely ignored by the NRL marketing team. Well, I say ignored as that implies that these people are aware of such a concept and decided to bypass it. It could be said that they just have no damn idea what they are doing at all. These types of marketing people are more eloquently referred to as ‘imbeciles’.

We must look at the good, the bad and the otherwise of the NRL product, the market to which it is being pushed towards, as well as the market that it currently attracts and see if we can find a more suitable way to advertise the game to help promote it, not degrade it, which seems to be the David Gallop style.

The game is played by men, officiated by men, men form the judiciary and the jury, men are the team selectors at all levels and men are the CEO’s and chairmen of the leagues clubs which help fund the teams. The governing body is run by men. The companies that sponsor the game, it’s clubs and players are overwhelmingly headed by men. As you can see, men are somewhat prominent.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The game contains a lot of alcohol related incidents, always bad. Something women don’t find appealing and children just don’t understand until they’re at least 7 or 8 years old when they begin drinking.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The game over recent years has involved umpteen sexually related scandals and incidents, mostly group sex, rape allegations and violence against women.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

There was an incident a number of years ago where Origin players attended a school, and one player drew pictures of male genitalia instead of providing his autograph for the children.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The fact that these incidents are reoccurring means they are quite obviously impossible to stop or control. They have been, for too long now regarded as weaknesses, when they are showing all the clear signs that they are indeed strengths.

The game is fast, hard, physical, violent, action packed, exhilarating, controversial, euphoric and demoralising. All things that men love to see in a movie, along with the occasional bit of tit.

It is so overwhelmingly obvious that this game has evolved and become a game entirely focussed on appealing to men. I’m not at all suggesting women wouldn’t enjoy it. Not at all. But it’s something that any heterosexual man would never grow weary of.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The NRL need to start advertising the game in a way that appeals to men even more so. Promote the strengths, get rid of this ban on alcohol sponsorship, kids are getting drunk at the age of six nowadays, so it really doesn’t matter if the NRL align themselves with alcohol companies.

Due to the poor marketing, the game is constantly fighting with itself. The game is running its natural evolutionary course and the NRL is trying to transform some of the genes. You can’t do that, it’s not scientifically possible, because this is a metaphor.

You don’t see advertisements trying to sell fabric softener to men.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.