Posted on 09/26/2017 12:45:34 PM PDT by safetysign
e National Football League is prime territory for companies looking to sell their products, after all who wouldn't want to be associated with the most popular sport in America? Now those companies are sending a message to the NFL that a certain standard is expected by those who are footing the bill.
The actions of a few players are giving the NFL a black eye in front of the companies that contribute heavily to the profitability of the league and its 32 member franchises. Advertisers are hearing feedback from American consumers that the off the field conduct of some players is unacceptable to the American public. This is especially true with the female market, the segment of the buying public which has the biggest impact on how disposable income is spent.
Anheuser-Busch became the latest big budget spender to send a message to the league. The St. Louis based brewer spends tens of millions of dollars each season to purchase air time during the games. On Tuesday, they made their position abundantly clear with the following press release:
"We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league." Under the brewery's current deal, they are committed to a total of $1.2 billion over the next six years. In addition to its deal with the league, Anheuser-Busch and its independent distributors also have deals with over three quarters of the league's 32 franchises. While they have not threatened to pull the plug on the revenue just yet, they are getting some serious attention from the power brokers in the league.
It is not just the Budweiser family of companies that are taking a stand. The Radisson Hotel Group, a corporate sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings, announced that it too was fed up with the misconduct of players and the relatively soft stance the league has been taking. The hospitality company suspended its relationship with the Vikings until there is an acceptable resolution to the Adrian Peterson child abuse issue.
"Radisson takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances." The league has had an opportunity to clean its own house, and in many cases it is failing miserably. Now those who pay the bills are fed up. As big as the league is, it still draws its revenue from a relatively small group of partners. The pool of companies who have the resources to invest in significant NFL advertising is small, and the league cannot afford to alienate anyone in that grouping. Those companies, in turn, cannot afford to disenfranchise their customers, especially women, either.
"The implications of that, in terms of the investment, not to exaggerate but it would be staggering over the years. It would be a very, very difficult process for the league to replace that because there just aren't that many brands that have that kind of money. "They were probably waiting for everything to blow over. This is not blowing over." - Boston University professor and expert on sports marketing Chris Cakebread This is one issue where the National Football League is behind the curve and struggling to catch up. With the initial light suspension of Ray Rice and the fiasco that ensued when the totality of his domestic violence arrest came to light, plus the refusal of the San Francisco 49ers to proactively address the Ray McDonald issue, the Carolina Panthers considering allowing Greg Hardy to return to the squad and the Peterson child abuse situation; segments of the football viewing public are becoming fed up. They are letting the advertisers whom the do business with know how they feel, and those sponsors are passing the word on to the NFL.
Those who make the decisions in on Madison Avenue are giving the powers that be in the NFL's crystal palace an opportunity to rectify the situation, but if things don't change and the advertisers start feeling the impact on their bottom line, there will be some changes made in how a few key players in the marketing world shell out their revenue. That is one thing that will get the attention of the NFL.
This seemed to be all about off field criminal behavior of some of the players. Don’t think it addresses the kneeling drama.
But just yesterday we were assured that the sponsors didn’t mind this “display of unity.”
Old article, predates this controversy....
Garrison nails it again.
The sponsors getting wobbly is one of the best things to happen today, Good. Let’s keep it up.
I take issue with the reference to, “....the actions of a few players.....”. Maybe I am missing something, but I am not seeing any teams or players actually condemn this crap that is going on with disrespecting the US Flag and National Anthem.
The players stole the brand of the NFL, and used their storefront as the stage for their own selfish protests. They usurped the goodwill and brand loyalty that the NFL spent generations building, and squandered it on a meaningless protest, based on lies, by a has-been player.
Good luck to the NFL as they recover from their New Coke moment.
-PJ
They mentioned it on Fox Business. just fyi
I live in the Los Angeles area. Since the Rams left I have watched zero regular season NFL games. Regarding the Super Bowl I have watched an estimated 50% of the games during the same period. I have not missed football at all and have found many ways to entertain myself and family.
Now with both the Rams and Chargers back in Los Angeles I have considered tuning back in to see if any interest can be rekindled. Now we have this pathetic nonsense coming from some players, owners, and the leadership of the NFL. Unless something is done now, I mean this week, I will not pursue any further interest in the NFL. This includes that I will not even watch the Super Bowl game. Let’s see what happens.
WHY? In describing the Proles, George Orwell spelled it out in his epic book “1984”. He missed the exact date by a few decades but, not to worry: We're closing in on the dystopian world he predicted.
Soon. Very soon!!
“...films, football, beer, and, above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds.”
I agree.
His artistic talent is great too.
The advertisers mentioned seemed to have concerns about individual player’s conduct & incidents and the NFL’s response (or lack thereof). Not the anthem crybaby protests. That’s not mentioned anywhere.
My apologies I meant to have the article pulled not your cartoon posting when I hit the abuse button. The article is from 2014, not 2017
Good information to pass along at 1!
Good. The more bad publicity the NFL gets, the better.
Holy cat equipment return
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/72kf46/just_returned_over_2_million_dollars_worth_of/
$2 mm
Wow! See any similarities there?
But........I thought numbnuts said the advertisers didn’t care.????
Tears shed. And prayers to God for His mercy. Perhaps there is still hope for this great nation.
Good post..!!
I say, “If they take a knee, give’em the FINGER!!
Bravo NRA, herein: https://youtu.be/z3j1ZKz7PWQ
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