The sports industry is a sophisticated and competitive marketplace. Correctly balancing the needs of the corporate sponsor, with those of the sporting team and the players and personalities involved, can provide a winning formula. However, in reality this balance is hard to achieve - and even harder to maintain - in an increasingly celebrity obsessed society.
The public has always had an insatiable desire for gossip, scandal and private information regarding revered and adored sports stars and a media attack can move a sports personality from a sports page hero to a front page villain. The effects can be innumerable, from the loss of lucrative sponsorship deals to the erosion of fan confidence and commercial value which may even lose a player’s place in the team or the team captaincy.
Whilst players and teams must continue to do their talking on the pitch, in the present climate a media attack about activities off the field intensifies the damage to fan and consumer confidence, corporate backing of players and the team and the value of a brand itself.
The economic downturn is further complicating matters as its impact begins to affect levels of sponsorship, corporate entertaining and consumer spending. Therefore the need to protect brands and reputations to help provide a stable and secure future will be more crucial over the coming years than we have ever seen before.
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