Today I will avoid the obvious as I have said most of it before and I really don't feel like going there today. Instead I will keep hope alive and pray that our dreams come true.. soon. Instead I will dwell a bit on the local rugby scene. Events in the past one week have left me wondering what role the media plays in promoting sports?
Specifically in rugby, I know there is a silent war between some clubs and the coverage they receive as opposed to the rest. That one club set the pace in sponsorships, and team naming rights and jersey sales, and the others followed is not the issue here. That is purely chicken and egg. But now that it has come to pass, what role does the media play? I presume the media is supposed to provide fair and balanced coverage of sporting events, but does this extend to giving fair coverage to club's sponsors? Is the advertising a company does linked to the additional mileage it gets from sponsorship coverage? In short is sponsorship another form of gaining free advertising in the traditional media or a way of assisting a team meet its obligations whilst tapping on other non-traditional streams to make impact? Can a sponsor then link his advertising revenue to the presence or absence of a media houses' use of images based on it's sponsorships? Can they then leverage the increase or decrease of sponsorship based on the quantity of appearances in other streams?
And on the other hand can a media house openly support one team or another? I understand the concept of paid advertising, but paying to support is completely alien to me. And that to the detriment of other teams as they may not get as much coverage for their matches! Do other teams then stand a chance of getting crowds to their games or will everyone wondering where to go simply flock to one venue? We hear that a partisan press is bad for development so how does this help the growth of the game? Someone please enlighten me.
Do have a wonderful week.
5 Comments:
I usually enjoy reading your weekly posting but for sure this week you have really RAMBLED!!!
Tafadhali - start your own media agency that will have enough staff to send to every rugby game venue or send a letter to Nation,Standard, Star and even Citizen weekly if you please, giving them a good schedule of which club they should cover on which day!
Complaints are all well and good but without solutions they are like pests-bloodsucking, irritable and useless. So, while you obviously bash (Nivea for men) Kenya Harlequins and possibly (Resolution Health)Impala for their ability to be in the news with a fair amount of coverage week-in, week-out, lets keep individual bile out of it. Remember, SUCCESS sells - top teams get top coverage! Should Mean Machine secure the sponsorship of G4S and be the unbeaten team of the season- believe me the media and fans alike will flock their games (if not for the sole reason of a chance to gain fortune from Gone 4 Sure)but to cover the rise to fame(and as sadists will always exist) the potential fall of the popular club.
Sponsorship and media coverage provide events of all kinds with the monetary support and exposure respectively to maintain their allure and attract more [fans]. We must encourage more of this so that more teams get sponsored by high profile companies and the players and the game of rugby will grow in leaps and bounds. Lets not get side-tracked by side-shows and bickering of a juvenile nature. Our national 7’s team is growing and we must push for our 15’s team to grow from strength to strength and the best way is to get talented players who’ll come from the teams that we build.
In response to your more sensible specific questions:
what role the media plays in promoting sports? Giving a knowledgeable balanced review on all games of all sports.
but does this extend to giving fair coverage to club's sponsors? If they pay for it.
Is the advertising a company does linked to the additional mileage it gets from sponsorship coverage? I believe each company’s internal brand manager will take this into consideration when reviewing their advertising strategy.
is sponsorship another form of gaining free advertising in the traditional media or a way of assisting a team meet its obligations whilst tapping on other non-traditional streams to make impact? The two do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Can a sponsor then link his advertising revenue to the presence or absence of a media houses' use of images based on it's sponsorships? In general, it is very difficult to tell which revenue a company gets solely as a result of its advertising – wouldn’t you agree? Unless they are selling products and merchandise on site and using a questionnaire as to whether the “exciting commercial” caused one to buy the fanta or simply the persons thirst.
Can they then leverage the increase or decrease of sponsorship based on the quantity of appearances in other streams? It would definitely be useful for a company to take into consideration the quantity of appearances in other streams. Whether they increase or decrease their sponsorship based on their findings is an entirely ‘personal’ decision based on long-term versus short-term goals.
And on the other hand can a media house openly support one team or another? Is this a fact, your perception or politically motivated whinny speech?
We hear that a partisan press is bad for development so how does this help the growth of the game? As long as the press is providing truthful reviews and increasing the viewer-ship, readership and general interest in the game – the game will grow.As long as the SIDE SHOWS STOP!!
Eish, my guy.. And you say I have rambled!
Fact 1: The advertising department of media houses does not work with editorial. Only deals brokered by corporate can cover the two.. hence mutually exclusive.
Fact 2: Capital FM are the official media sponsors for Kenya Harlequins.. meaning???
Fact 3: A compromised editorial department can skew coverage any way they want?
Personally I am for strong clubs, and I have penned an article supporting the clubs for going the way they have done. It might just wake up the slumbering KRFU into looking further than their pets, the 7's team. Mine was just to ask the questions, and thanks, you have helped me on my path.
Have a good, Partisan week!
Dear DataMiner,
Allow me to quote your very own colleague 'Back2Besics':
"Go Machine Go"
Is this biased journalism/blogging? Or just transparent/sincere reporting, whereby the author openly states his (her?) rugby allegiance?
Let editors write/film/say what they will. It is the quality of their editorial that makes their readership/viewership grow.
So what if you support Machine? (I can assure you I don't...) I'm still reaading and enjoying your posts!
Same for Capital. Some of their listeners may not be fans of Quins (all three of them), but they still tune into 98.4!
Keep up the good work!
Anon @ 5:12 Thanks for that. A much needed reality call. I was just seeking clarity, as I always do. I do not claim to be an authority on anything, and I just seek to know..
Thanks for reading the blog and we hope we raise pertinent issues. Partisan or not, we try to keep all minds stimulated and to grow Rugby in Kenya.
Get homeboyz in Kenya Cup and Quins-Homeboyz matches will be packed to capacity.
But machine will always be absolut!!
Post a Comment