What is you opinion of the NBA Marketing campaign overall? This includes plugging new and sometimes unproven players, focusing more on individual star players rather than teams, CBS's "Right Now" playoff theme. Davis Stern. Ultimately it all falls back on David Stern, the man who saved the NBA, does he still have it? Here is your chance to give a shout out of approval or voice your displeasure. Are you a witness to the NBA and its 22 year old King or would you rather see more emphasis on teams? Does crunch time mean D.Wade time to you or something else?
We Pistons fans root for a very good historical team composite, as I brought up in another thread. Stern's marketing angle is sensationalizing...trying to stir interest in less fortunate NBA markets. But I doubt many of those markets will take interest in a Spurs/Pistons finals except for big Duncan lovers. As much as I think he tries, Stern can't really control team dynamics...but he CAN try to shove big individual names down the throat of the general populous. He's taking away the 'team' concept in glorifying a few individuals...wrecking the game and a lot of interest in it IMO. 'Team ball' should be the focus for NBA marketing...not just a few well-known and often over-glamorized players. I think Stern hates Detroit...I think he hates SA too.
Got to do both. Marketing must include both individual stars as well as teams. Promote the teams which display excellent teamwork. Individual stars attract those who hang posters in their bedrooms, and dream one day of their chance. Teamwork marketing attracts parents who want to teach their children values using current and viable role models working together. Stern doesn't like this angle cause his stars make the money for the league, and promoting them keeps the cash cow flowing.
Unfortunately, that is the way it goes Max, the NBA has to concentrate on someone that the casual fan can concentrate on and since Labron was born on ESPN about 5-6 years ago, then they have to keep it going...plus he is good...against some teams. Also lets blame the ABC-ESPN juggernaut for the over hype sickenin "Right Now" theme instead of CBS. Funny thing is only the lead singer in that PCD group>Nicole Scherzinger gets any PT, as the other dolls are anonymous.
I am glad someone agrees with me on that ABC gingle. They play it all the time. Back in the 80's then the NBA became popular they were more centered around plugging complete teams. LA show time, bad boys. I can't remember hearing Isiah vs Magic in any adds back then. What I wonder is do people really like Lebran and Wade or is it advertising telling us that they do?
NBA marketing is driven by the shoe companies and corporate sponsors. They sell the spokesmen for products and they sell to their sponsors' clientele, even if they are casual fans and not the die hards. In the battle for market share, would you market to your existing base, or would you chase the people not watching? Us die-hards will tune in no matter what. We're hooked.
Yes but is it working? I run into so many people that are turned off by the NBA. Ratings are down from years ago. Miami/Dallas was a complete bust last season. Everyone thinks its because of Jordan. So its Jordan then that means all we have to do is find a new Jordan right? Was it Jordan that fascinated people or the fact that the Bulls dominated the 90's like the Celts dominated the 50's? Thats the million dollar question grasshopper. Not to mention that Jordan earned what he got. Like him or hate him, he earned it. Dynasties are a very underrated commodity. Amazing how leagues do all they can to try and prevent them from happening when in reality they drive in the fans. Everyone has a common enemy to beat and admire at the same time.
Very good question. I voted that the NBA is doing what the majority of people want, even though I don't like it. The truth is the NBA is doing what's in its best interest running a business. I think they are trying to win over new fans first, and so they plug name recognition to attract the masses. However, who is feeding whom? Is the league promoting what the people want, or do the people want it because that is what's there? Here's an extreme analogy, but I remember my dad quoting a documentary he was watching about the peasants in Soviet-era Russia, and the statement being made that they did not do anything to improve their impoverished circumstances because they could not imagine anything else. A phenomenon that happens in all areas of life, I think.
I thought the pre-game marketing montage was pretty cool. They compared the Pistons to the bad boys team and called us the gatekeepers of the Eastern Conference and the favorites while they compared LBJ to Jordan before he overcame. That was a great way to market this without disrespecting either side.
I liked the Pistons being called, "menacing" and "the archetype for dominance". Here is the intro video. YouTube - Archetype for Dominance
Being a Pistons fan, I much prefer the team concept to the superstar. However, watching the game in a local Seattle bar last night, the 4 other people watching the game (not a big basketball town) were there to see the stars. Two guys had LeBron jerseys on, and the other two (from Portland) were big fans of Rasheed. The Portland guys obviously watched alot of basketball, as they knew most of the players. The LeBron fans knew LeBron.
I dislike that inane "right now" song immensely. I abhor the mere mention, much less even the subtlest glimpse, of the "Right Now" girls. Every day when I awake I thank the makers of Tivo for giving me the power to evade that, as Larry Brown used to say "total puke garbage". I propose a cage match with the "Right Now" girls and Van Halen, to see who has got the better "Right Now" song. This I would watch.
I think that the team concept loses a lot for the NBA when they focus on the current stars. It is driven by NBA's marketing towards younger generation that gets excited about the individual players. For the people that understand the game individual players do not mean as much. Also it is difficult for the grown ups to associate with the arrogant millionaires that take lots for granted. All in all this year has not been great for NBA from many standpoints. You have Heat and Mavericks just go down in flames, you've got injuries to the star players, and you have semi-finals and finals that in the mind of many do not add up to exciting. You had the experiment with the new ball, the empowerment of the refs, the suspensions. You took probably one of the most marketable teams out with a stupid ruling. NBA has lots to work on.
1) Leage Pass worked 2) The majority of games started on time 3) No fans were punched in the face 4) N/A 5) N/A
I'm just wondering if there is any balance to this discussion. Either We are tough to please The NBA hasn't marketed it's positive points well They haven't done much worthy of praise or a combination of the above.
Well, it's easy to come up with 5 things I like about the NBA, but that is different than coming up with 5 things they have done right this year. That seems like it is asking what positive changes they have made. It seems to me that all of the changes they have recently implemented have been changes that hurt the Pistons. I can't think of a single change or point of emphasis that benefits us. They have made it harder to defend, which seems like a direct reaction to our 7 straight teams < 70 points streak and our defensive mindset. They put the technical fouls over 14 = suspension rule in place as a reaction to Sheed. They crackdown arguing with the refs as a reaction to Sheed. They made the rule where players can't leave the vicinity of the bench as a reaction to the brawl (I'm assuming... maybe it was in place before then). What will they do if the Pistons or Spurs win the title again this year? Make the stupid circle under the basket bigger to eliminate the possibility of taking a charge? Only give the defender 1 second in the lane without guarding? Ban the phrase "ball don't lie"? I'm just overjoyed that the playoffs this year seem to be called fair. There are bad calls, but I don't feel like they are intentional or there is an overriding pattern.
It was in place long before then. In the first out of all those Knicks-Heat series in the late '90s, the one in '97, almost the entire Knicks team got suspended for leaving the bench in Game 5 after P.J. Brown flipped Charlie Ward (I think) on his head. There were so many guys suspended that they had to stagger them between the next two games--half of the suspended Knicks sat out Game 6, the other half sat out Game 7. Miami ended up coming back from 3-1 down to win that series.
