It is always easier to burn bridges than to build them, to criticise than to praise, and the reaction on traditional and social media to yesterday’s Brand report into the SSE Airtricity League certainly fell into the former.
It is something of a shame given the timing and coming off the back of a season in which Dundalk’s European exploits and the saving of Dalymount Stadium were strong positives for the domestic game.
Nonetheless the critics cannot be discounted. The report published yesterday looks into the story that the SSE Airtricity League is telling. There is a lot of marketing buzzwords which many see as a pile of rubbish but are in fact the kind of elements that are relied on by the best brands to win over hearts, minds and wallets.
It was compiled by Jonathan Gabay, a brand storyteller who has looked at the League offering as a neutral observer over recent months.
His findings are for probably more for discussion rather than implementation which falls short of where this report could have been but at worst it gives a reference point for the new Marketing executive coming in January to look exclusively at the promotion of the SSE Airtricity League.
It is likely that this will be a start point rather than a blueprint for that new hire.
Talk of greater use of big screens in stadia is both obvious but also aspirational in that they do not exist in League of Ireland grounds.
Video Content
More and faster use of video content on social media and in the grounds is another obvious area of improvement but one which is restricted under current TV arrangements.
Friendly matches against US clubs is a nice idea but bringing over Premier League or Championship sides is probably more realistic if scheduling breaks can be found to tie into their July pre-season.
Painting local bus stops in club colours is not a bad idea but would likely have to be done on a commercial basis with the bus shelter advertising groups.
A branded League bus travelling the country was a little bizarre and rebranding of the sponsorship from the SSE Airtricity League to the League of Ireland sponsored by SSE is perhaps not so well timed until the offering itself becomes stronger.
A little more understanding of where criticism was likely to come, and better proof reading of his presentation might have better prepared Gabay to deliver a report that would have generated more debate and less virulence on social media.
The real issue though comes back again to timing. The domestic game is showing signs of energy and growth.
That phrase alone will be scoffed at by those who passionately feel the league is ill served by the FAI but genuine growth is rarely explosive and it has to be nurtured.
Conroy Report
The Conroy Report from 2015 captured a sense of frustration and impatience among League clubs but in so doing also acted a a shake up call that has led to more clubs and the FAI themselves moving in a more positive direction.
There is though no timeframe yet on how the League structure will ultimately play out and that more than anything else is how the ‘story’ of the league will not only be told but also, and more importantly, how it will be heard.
Cork City and Dundalk have a narrative of their own at the top of the League but are the others looking forward to a single league structure, to promotion and relegation between two divisions or what. Telling the story of the League for fans of today, who are very committed but very small in number is one thing.
Persuading the 21% of the population for whom soccer is their favourite sport that a night game in Tallaght Stadium, Waterford or Limerick is better for the soul than a night in front of the telly watching Chelsea beat Sunderland is where the real battle needs to be won.
Mood
That won’t be an overnight win but Dundalk have created momentum and clubs like Cabinteely FC are picking up the mood, in a sustainable fashion, to build something that will attract more and ultimately deliver more.
Quality of facilities is something that has a material impact on how people see the prospect of bringing kids to games. Quality of performance is another but it’s the excitement of genuine competition, not a comparison to Ronaldo or Messi that will drive people to come and then to come back.
SSE Airtricity’s timing of the national team back to their domestic club roots was a winner earlier in the year, reminding people that rather than travelling to France to see the finished article, that there was a closer to hand sense of being part of your sport, your team , your community closer to home.
We don’t know the answers to how to turn the new season into one that will attract many thousands rather than hundreds to the grounds on a regular basis, but we do believe that it is worth trying different ideas, seeing what works best and scaling them.
They have to be based on an easily understood narrative of what the League is and what it should mean to us as fans. That sounds ‘marketing-y’ but strip it back and it’s common sense. Ask why should people support their local club and make it easy for them to do so. If they like it they’ll come back.
