With the NRL, AFL, Super Rugby, and Super Netball kicking or bouncing off in the next few weeks, Anthony O’Brien reflects on marketing lessons from Australia’s obsession with sport.
- Analyse everything – build a simple plan
The laconic and iconic former premiership winning rugby league coach Jack Gibson was famous for his motivational and strategic nuggets. One of my favourite Gibsonisms involved his homespun advice to his tactical kickers imploring them to, “Kick to the seagulls”. In other words, Gibson was urging his kickers to boot the leather to an empty section of the field (notwithstanding the gulls). The strategy aims to push the opposition back, giving Gibson’s team a greater advantage to score valuable points. Getting back to marketing, the point is that Gibson’s advice is a great lesson in planning and analysing data to form a simple strategy.
Analysing the whole kit and caboodle has become crucially important in sport and marketing. The best marketing and sales organisations review all the data, analyse its importance, and then seek ways to turn it into an advantage. Often something simple will give you an advantage over your competitors and most importantly, a green field space to sell to – i.e., where there are no competing seagulls to peck at your profits.
- Don’t be afraid to take a calculated risk
Consider the decision by the AFL to launch a women’s league. After studying the steady increase of women participating in cricket and soccer, and strong female audience data, the AFL took the calculated risk of establishing a professional women’s league. Like starting any new business venture, there are always risks. However, the AFL has scored a hit with its new competition, by wedging it between the cricket season and the start of the AFL. Moreover, the footy has been competitive, with crowds surging to watch many of the games. The media is also on board giving the competition plenty of coverage. From a marketing standpoint, the success of the AFL’s new endeavour demonstrates that calculated risks can be a worthwhile option.
- Split your strategy into achievable chunks
“Taking it one week at a time” is the most hackneyed response trotted out by sports stars during interviews with reporters and press conferences. But there’s some science behind the dog-eared cliché. Big goals and targets are daunting, and looking too far ahead to grand final glory is often a direct route to certain failure – or worse the wooden spoon. Rather, many successful sporting teams break the strategy into manageable chunks and focus on shorter-term goals. This method usually delivers some sporting success.
Likewise, for SMBs, the best marketing programs, involve developing a ‘rolling activity calendar’ that helps win and maintain business in the short-term. It is a plan which runs for a period of time – say the next three months – and it is updated regularly. By implementing a rolling plan, you can focus on achieving the goals you’ve set for that period, but it also enables you to adjust to short-term market variations.
- A strong culture brings results
Legendary business guru Peter Drucker once said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. He could easily have had the Melbourne Storm in the NRL and the Sydney Swans from the AFL in mind. Both clubs have implemented policies that not only help them recruit the best available talent, but also find people who fit their culture.
It’s regularly referred to in the media as the ‘no d*ckheads policy’ and it is associated with the sustained success of the Storm and the Swans. The elite sporting organisations appreciate that having the best people is often more valuable than a few superstars with troubled reputations. It’s the same for a business. If your people don’t buy into why you’re doing it, then you’ll struggle to drive sales and you’ll be in for a long, hard season.
