Tokyo 2020 Summer Games Are Underway: Let Paris Host the Next Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Can Wait.

Let Paris Host the Next Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Can Wait

The International Olympic Committee has decided on the next three host cities for the Summer Olympic Games. Tokyo, Japan for 2020 (After a long-awaited year, events will be played starting today, July 23rd to August 8th, 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic); Paris, France for 2024; and Los Angeles for 2028. This order of host cities is most sensible, as it gives us time here in California and throughout the country, to resuscitate our economy. How can the United States use the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles to re-stabilize the economy, which was eroded during the 2020 worldwide coronavirus epidemic?

With the abundance of infrastructure that is needed to create a full Olympic Village, it is highly taxing on the economy of the host state and country, because of all the new venues that may need to be built for certain sporting events. In many cases, these stadiums and arenas are specifically built for Olympic events and are rarely used again. However, constructing and maintaining these sites is what causes an immediate influx of state funds.

Revisiting some of the economic devastations of previous Olympic host cities, the financial damages these countries have experienced are apparent. Dating back to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the unique architectural construction projects were a visual highlight. Constructing the inimitably designed Bird’s Nest track & field stadium, with an additional 37 arenas for the 28 different sports, started shortly after the July 2001 announcement of China’s winning bid to host the Olympics, giving them ample preparation time of seven years. Tallying city refurbishing expenses, there were 23 roads with high-tech traffic control systems in and around the Olympic sites which required renovations, totaling $2 billion USD, and a total Olympic Games investment of $40 billion.

Similarly, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil left a long-lasting impact of financial loss on the country, amidst an already deep recession, presidential impeachment, and political corruption scandal. The $15 billion investment for hosting the Olympics was meant to be a coming-out party for Brazil, propelling the nation’s emergence as a sport global superpower. Rather, it devastated their economy, lowing the stock values of publicly trades corporations who helped finance the Olympic Games, and eliminating many privately owned businesses.

Although American bidders were adamant about returning the Summer Olympic Games back to United States soil at the earliest convenience for 2024, it is in the best interest of the country’s economic stance to remain in rebuilding mode for the time being. Due to the unprecedented spread of coronavirus, an extra slot of time is exactly what is needed, allowing California to regain its footing after a Great Depression-like economic drain. With an excess in tourism, the 2028 Summer Olympic Games will attract to Los Angeles; California will gain a surplus of the return on investment, surpassing what our country would have made in revenue had the Olympic Games been four summers earlier. In this case, being last in line gives us first priority at a more structured time. With the City of Angels being assigned this momentous task, we can be assured the country is being represented in good hands at an elite location.

As Paris is taking the second of the three near-future Summer Olympic Games, organizers will need to start modeling designs and constructing sites for the upcoming global sports event immediately. Simultaneously, this allows the state of California to have the necessary allotted amount of time in recovering from this COVID-19 crisis to revitalize the economy, prior to a large state governed spending spree. Having an eight-year gap is plenty of time for any financial and economic mishaps to recuperate and public spending to be normalized, rather than to adhere to steady pressures from the International Olympic Committee in an inopportune situation. Although we will not host the Olympic Games for nearly another decade, when we do, our finances, infrastructures, and abilities will be much more prepared, polished, and enabled. If a country like China, which is the global leader by leaps and bounds in exporting goods, had trouble revamping its economy; it is in the best interest for even the city which is the cinematic leader of the world, to hold off on hosting the largest sporting extravaganza on the globe. That isn’t to say that the Olympic torch won’t be welcomed with open arms when it does return to its rightful place, atop of the University of Southern California’s Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where the flames, aided with some oil, will fly just as high as the American economy, aided with a long-awaited, but rightly timed Olympic host city. From one fashion mainland to the other, Paris handing off the baton to Los Angeles will surely bring home the gold medal.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tokyo 2020 Summer Games Are Underway: Let Paris Host the Next Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Can Wait.

Fast Fashion VS. Sustainable Fashion: Why Consumers Should Be Encouraged, Not Shamed

Now more than ever individuals, especially younger generation individuals such as Millennials and Generation Z, demand brand transparency and gravitate toward organizations that participate in philanthropic efforts. The fashion industry, which was once so opaque, has now been exposed to the public for its substandard practices.

Fast fashion brands such as Fashion Nova, BooHoo, Pretty Little Thing, and Forever 21 allow consumers to purchase clothing that mimics designer pieces at a substantially lower cost (Darmo, 2020). However, their production techniques often come at an extremely high environmental cost and cost to the lives of those who make the clothes (Darmo, 2020).

The statistics that have been brought to light about the fashion industry have shown a lack of ethical concern for workers and the environment. Fast fashion brands use open-loop production cycles in the production of garments which directly pollute waters and land (Schlossberg, 2019). The fashion industry is also responsible for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions (UN Environment, 2019). Additionally, according to the 2020 Fashion Transparency Index, only 5 out of 250 brands surveyed “publish a time-bound, measurable roadmap or strategy for how they will achieve a living wage for all workers across their supply chains”, making it common for workers at fast fashion production facilities in emerging markets less likely to receive a living wage (Darmo, 2020).

While the easiest advice to give consumers is to “Stop shopping with these fast fashion brands”, there is no simple way for individuals to do zero-waste perfectly. The most challenging part about choosing to shop brands that promise sustainability is the cost. Sustainable brands often are more expensive as they account for fair wages and ethical production processes. For many, accessibility or means to obtain sustainable fashion is limited.

Instead of putting pressure and shaming consumers who purchase from fast fashion brands because of their economic and social status, pressure should be placed on large corporations that make it difficult for the majority of the population to lead a sustainable fashion life. Further, consumers should be encouraged to learn more about the truth surrounding the fashion industry and applauded for their small steps and efforts toward living a sustainable lifestyle personal to themselves— whether that be reusing clothing, shopping at vintage stores, or buying from sustainable brands.

References

Darmo, J. (2020, December 02). 20 Hard Facts and Statistics About Fast Fashion. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://goodonyou.eco/fast-fashion-facts/

Schlossberg, T. (2019, September 03). How Fast Fashion Is Destroying the Planet. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/books/review/how-fast-fashion-is-destroying-the-planet.html

UN Environment (Ed.). (2019, March 14). UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses damage of ‘fast fashion’. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-alliance-sustainable-fashion-addresses-damage-fast-fashion

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

How to Grow Your Brand on Social Media in 2021

My favorite controversial social media hot take is that creating content to share is the easy part. Once you share your post, the hard work really begins.

Credit: Unsplash

Most content marketers and social media managers spend all of their time and energy creating elevated content and planning their feeds. This is, obviously, important to succeeding on social media. Content that does not resonate with your audience will not perform well. However, after you click “post” is when the ACTUAL hard work begins. Growth is the name of the game, and authentic engagement is the way to make it happen.

Create a Brand Persona

The first way to grow your brand, and a major marketing trend within the social media space in 2021, is humanizing your brand. This means “being transparent, authentic, and even vulnerable is smart marketing in 2021” (Jenkins, 2020). Curating a brand personality that feels familiar, relatable and personable will help consumers and audience members feel at ease when interacting. Nobody wants to engage with a corporate robot, so creating a sense of camaraderie encourages authentic engagement which leads to growth. Here are some ways to do this:

The first step is to remember that your “persona is a combination of qualities and characteristics that give your brand a distinct personality” (Add This Academy, 2020).  This means establishing a tone, cadence and humor that feels like a real person rather than a stuffy corporate account. The best way to do this is to imagine that you are sitting next to your brand and posting together. Who are they? What did they eat for breakfast today? Which memes are they Doing their friends? What makes them laugh? If you can answer these questions, you are on the right track.

Build Community

Now that you have an authentic brand persona that reflects the values, humor and nuances of your brand, it’s time to build your engagement strategy to grow your account. Instagram tends to reward accounts that are building communities, not just spamming feeds with photos. While increasing followers is important, ultimately that is now how you build community. That is because i”t’s not just about looking popular: it’s about making meaningful connections with current and future customers, which will serve to boost your brand (and ROI) both on and offline” (McLahlan, 2020). If you are posting once a day, you should be engaging 10 times that amount with 10 accounts each day. It’s pretty simple, you just find 10 accounts that are within your niche or industry and leave meaningful comments. You can start by locating ten hashtags that represent your brand’s industry or aspirational industry, and pick 10 accounts that also use those hashtags and engage. The secret here is thoughtful engagement. Don’t just send each account one like, but follow them, leave 1-3 descriptive and personalized comments and likes. The trick here is to be genuine. This is how you build community, if you maintain this routine each day your account will grow authentically and the Instagram algorithm will reward your hard work at building meaningful community.

Credit: Unsplash

With these tips and tricks in mind, your brand will grow authentically and hit your KPIs in no time!

References

Jenkins, Lisa (2020). “Social Media Marketing Trends for 2021: Predictions From the Pros”. Social Media Examiner. https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-trends-2021-predictions-from-pros/

McLahlan, Stacey (2020). “How to Increase Social Media Engagement: A Guide for Marketers”. Hootsuite. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-engagement/

(2020). “How to Create a Social Media Persona for Your Brand”. Add This Academy. https://www.addthis.com/academy/how-to-create-a-social-media-persona-for-your-brand/

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Rolex – Will the Bubble burst?

The idea of supply and demand is relatively easy to understand. For Rolex that balance is long gone, as the brand is experiencing a massive shortage in supply and a disproportionately high demand from consumers for their luxury watches.

With many brands including watch brands struggling during the corona virus pandemic to stay in business, a few brands seem to be struggling with other issues, for example keeping up with inventory and the high demand. One of those brands that is doing quite well in the times of a crisis is Rolex, which in 2019 had $5.4 billion in turnover (Sabanoglu, 2019).

The serious shortage of watches has led to many having to go to the secondary market (grey market) in order to purchase a watch. This means that one of Rolex’s most desirable models, the Rolex Daytona, will demand around $24.000 – $29.000. The price reflects the frustrations of many, including serious collectors who are turning away from the brand because of Rolex’s production and supply policies The original MSRP from Rolex for the watch was set at $12.500 but the limited amount of available watches compared to the increased demand has Grey Market places such as Bob’s Watches list the watch for almost $29k and often even selling them above that.

In the times of a pandemic, many have turned to watches as in investment pieces which has lead to prices staying high, more demand and less availability. With the corona virus also affecting production cycles at Rolex’s headquarters in Switzerland, Rolex has had to further reduce the amount of watches they could produce in 2020, leaving retailers with even even less inventory (Rolex Shortage: Market Guide on Supply & Price Hikes: Bobs Watches, 2020).

With many publicly voicing their frustrations and abandoning the brand, nobody really knows where Rolex is heading. As of now availability at Rolex AD’s (authorized dealerships) is little to none. Although there are waitlists, depending on the city one lives in, it could take over eight years to finally get the call for a Rolex Daytona…. Will customers remain loyal? Or will they move on as a result of not being able to purchase their favorite model within three to four years of waiting? Once the hype leaves Rolex, how fast will prices drop with everybody trying to protect their investments and selling as fast as they can, or will they?

References:

Rolex Shortage: Market Guide on Supply & Price Hikes: Bobs Watches. (2020, July 15). Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/rolex-shortage-secondary-market-guide-supply-demand.html

Sabanoglu, T. (2020, November 27). Luxury watches: Leading brand turnover worldwide 2019. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/789382/leading-luxury-watch-brands-sales/

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Body Positivity Unconventional Beauty is the New Black

We have all been a witness to it, the power of body positivity and unconventional beauty in advertising placements. Who could ever forget Savage X Fenty unapologetically coming through swinging and shaking the table, showcasing a plus size male in his boxers. Plus size men around the world felt the much deserved love that day and knew that “they had next!” From Fenty to Olay, consumers are finally being influenced by perfectly imperfect content they can relate to.   

Dove is no stranger to this new phenomena, in fact, they were one of the first brands to begin showing everyday women of all shapes and sizes, in their underwear, through their Real Beauty campaign. This campaign was launched in 2004 and has been celebrating all types of women of various backgrounds ever since. In February of this year, Dove sought to further their reach by speaking to teen girls and address any body image issues they might have. As part of the Dove Self Esteem project, this campaign, titled “Girls Room,” was done through a five-episode series and featured teenage girls examining their appearance in various restrooms.  

Now, how could we ever forget H&M! The used to be poster child of “what not to do when launching a bikini campaign.” In 2011 the brand was caught using body doubles in their bikini ads. The reasoning given for this mishap, fashion models and swimsuit models have different body types and this type of switcheroo is common in the industry. Then, there was the Beyonce bikini debacle in 2013, where H&M was accused of removing some of Beyonce’s famous curves in photoshopped images. This didn’t go over too well with the icon or her fanbase and the original unaltered photos were used in the campaign. Fast forward to 2018, and H&M is now being praised for not only showing models scars and blemishes, but they’ve decided to include their models stretch marks and body hair. Well done!

Taking it a step further, and diving into cosmetics, skin care brands such as Olay, vowed to no longer retouch the complexion of the models they use. This is shift is due to men and women alike, wanting to see more attainable images of beauty within the skincare and cosmetics industry that aren’t digitally altered. Additionally, Urban Decay and Gucci have begun to offer a glimpse of beauty through a progressive lens by showing models with missing teeth.      

This body positive and unconventional beauty movement has placed it’s mark on the industry and it’s here to stay. Calling all brands to get in board!

References:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/h-m-caught-using-virtual-body-doubles-6273290.html
https://www.buzzfeed.com/amyodell/retoucher-says-bullsht-beyonces-hm-campaign-wasnt-airbrushed
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5992625/H-M-high-street-giants-not-airbrush-imperfections.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/05/dove-body-image/525867/
https://www.marketingdive.com/news/dove-addresses-teen-body-image-issues-with-mobile-video-series/573097/
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/primark-model-missing-tooth-symone-lu-instagram-diversity-a8906201.html
Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Hello, Can You Hear Us Now: Tips on Socially Listening

Contactless payments. Delivery On-demand. E-commerce enablement. Three tech enablements that set companies apart amid the drastic cultural shifts fast-tracked by COVID. As a marketer, the ability to read people’s minds and spot emerging consumer behaviors is invaluable. And the global pandemic proved the necessity of consumer trend prowess and the art of the pivot.

Photo Credit: Hootsuite

Is your brand effectively ‘socially’ listening? Tuning in to your audience is not a novel concept, but one the presence of social media amplifies. This specialized listening tactic is two-fold: monitoring social media channels for keywords, hashtags, and mentions associated with a brand, its competitors, products, and user sentiments. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the brand must analyze and choose how to respond to its base’s behaviors and needs. Active listening helps brands stay abreast of valuable insights that drive lead generation, improved customer service, and engaging content. Social listening is the exact tactic that separated Coors ad response to COVID from Anheuser Busch’s cliche ad with its #CouldUseABeer user-generated campaign.

Peek around the corner and tap into your consumer base with three social listening tips in 2021. Ask your marketing team:

What the Tech?

Let’s not act like listening in real-time is easy — especially in a virtual space. Even social discourse even has its challenges. But there are apps for that! Services like HootsuiteReddit searchKeyhole, and Mention automate media monitoring and analysis for a reasonable price. 

Who Dey: Industry Influencers?

General social listening will identify key influencers in your industry. Where one finds celebrities, athletes, and tastemakers, one can typically find an engaged audience not too far behind. Influencers are audience allies who are knowledgeable about social group norms and consumer desires. They matter simply because of their capacity for high-impact impressions and brand authenticity.  

Where’s Waldo: Are you following? 

Tapping into influencer insight will crack the code to uncovering emerging trends. But are you following where influencers and audience are going to engage in “real-talk” and uncensored conversations?  After all, brands want meaningful connections and insights, not just sparkling reviews, and high-level brand perceptions. 2020 has produced a growth of private, interest-driven communities that are every bit as powerful as industry influencers. Some of these include blerds, health-enthusiasts, extreme couponers, and black girl magic. While traditional forums like conferences and meetups are a thing of the past, for now, social media sites like Facebook, Reddit, and other social discussion platforms serve as outlets and safe-havens for specialized interest groups. But as the need for distant networking continues amid the pandemic, new platforms like invite-only, Clubhouse will hit the scene. 

Being in tune with your niche market isn’t easy… the answers don’t magically appear. In an overcrowded and noisy marketplace, brands with a listening ear, and the know-how to use those insights are always a step ahead. Whether it be adapting to unexpected change or shaping strategy to align with your community’s future needs, social listening can make a world of difference. 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

I Should Have Bought That!

I was discussing investments with a friend, and she regrets not buying Moderna stock (MRNA) only one month ago.  The stock closed at $152.52 on 12/04/20, but was trading in the $80 range less than 30 days prior.  Moderna is one of the biotechnology companies that are developing a Covid-19 vaccine.  The biotech corporation has experienced a 52% gain in share price since conducting successful preliminary rounds of vaccinations at the clinical trial level.  What she is experiencing is investor fear of missing out or FOMO.  The term describes the psychological stress brought on when one feels left out of something (Snyder, 2016).  Although she did not purchase any shares of MRNA, some of our colleagues bought equity positions back in November, and they are experiencing euphoria from a phenomenal gain at this very moment.

Unfortunately, being connected online on a constant basis can increase stress levels too.  It is important to invest at your own comfort level, and ignore what others are doing.  Many options are available to investors, but most have only a finite amount of funds to invest (Snyder, 2016).  Choosing funds that are both comfortable and in line with one’s risk tolerance are very important factors as well.  Chasing losses historically does not favor individual investors.  One should not try to rewrite history, because this type of behavior is short sighted.

I’ve experienced the fear of missing out too.  I’ve had several chances to buy Bitcoin and passed on these opportunities.  The cryptocurrency reached a high of $19,000 last week, and has nearly doubled since September (Reinicke, 2020).  I still have personal issues regarding Bitcoin as an investment and a currency.  The volatility and risk can be too much for some investors to endure.  The digital currency does not trade like a typical investment or a currency.  It is one of the hottest investing trends at this time, and it can be very easy to have FOMO (Reinicke, 2020).   

Bitcoin is the current trend that is being compared to Tulipmania, and will not die (Authers, 2020).  The silver lining to all of this is that I told my friend about my miss on Bitcoin, and she feels better about not investing in Moderna.  Investors should keep the long-term in perspective when investing.  Unless one truly does not want to own a piece of a company, then a short-term outlook would be appropriate.  Invest based on your own research and have no regrets.  Retirement funds and investing are a marathon and not a race.  When in doubt, please seek out guidance from a professional.  Pace yourself, and always remember to be positive. 

References:

Authers, J. (2020) Bitcoin Is the Tulipmania That Refuses to Die.  Retrieved from: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-12-01/bitcoin-is-the-tulipmania-that-refuses-to-die

Reinicke, C. (2020) Don’t get caught up in the hype as bitcoin hovers around $19,000.  Retrieved from:  https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/02/dont-get-caught-up-in-the-hype-as-bitcoin-hovers-around-19000.html

Snyder, J. (2016) Operation FOMO:  Three Ways to Turn Customer Envy Into Engagement.  Retrieved from:  https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2016/31288/operation-fomo-three-ways-to-turn-customer-envy-into-engagement

*All of the images appearing in this blog are stock photos.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Communicating To The Public During a Global Pandemic

It’s been 10 months of living through a global pandemic – rules are getting confusing and many people have tuned out. Have you?

California formed phases of reopening, to regions on lockdown to follow lists of color codes. Governor Newsom laid out a strict guideline of each reopening phase consumed of so much information that many people are having a hard time knowing what to follow. In a recent news article, doctors, small business owners, and civilians have rated the communication less than a 7-out-of-10.  But why?

Feel free to include your overall opinion, but for the sake of this blog post I think the information displayed in briefings should focus on clarity of digital graphics for people to understand in major parts of cities, even to be displayed in grocery stores, hospitals, gyms, small businesses, etc. Displaying them in places where people constantly are and reminded of everyday. Display the top takeaways through briefings and conduct separate presentations – one for reopening phases and one for small business taxes/PPE loans. I’ve noticed that the long briefings are an overload of information and it is making it hard for people to understand what to do next. The other half of this is the negative/false information put out on social media about this pandemic – is this a political push? Is this that serious? Do masks even work?

What will remind people of the rules and regulations during a pandemic? Continuous digital focus and reminders? Clarity and consistency? Curious to hear everyone’s thoughts and experiences.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Film Marketing During COVID-19

Arts and entertainment, like most fields, have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Theatrical film releases have mostly come to a standstill in the US, resulting in AMC, the largest cinema chain in America, tinkering on pursuing bankruptcy protection (Whitten, 2020). 

Fortunately, it has not been all doom and gloom in this space for subscription-based streaming services like Netflix are thriving by providing direct to home motion picture content for on-demand consumer viewing (Bacon, 2020). 

Disney has also entered the streaming video subscription fray in a major way with Disney+(Bacon, 2020). Furthermore, Amazon is doing excellent, offering their complimentary video streaming benefit to Amazon Prime members.  

Traditional American film companies must rethink their integrated marketing communication strategies to survive in this new paradigm or exclusively market projects to streaming services (Countryman, 2020). A few changes taking place involve the following:  

Public Relations 
Release Dates 
Smaller budgets

Traditional film companies are now required to utilize public relations in interesting ways to promote new releases remotely (Countryman, 2020). For example, more interviews with cast communicating directly to fans and the press via Zoom are essential now (Countryman, 2020).

Also, trailers and other promotional activities occur later, eliminating long lead times (Countryman, 2020). Finally, it is required to generate more buzz and engagement with significantly smaller budgets (Countryman, 2020). 

Heraclitus, the famous Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying that the only thing certain/constant is change (Mark, 2010). Ironically, even today, these words ring true for the marketing of theatrical releases during our pandemic.  

References

Bacon, T. (2020, November 17). How Much Streaming Services Actually Grew During 2020. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://screenrant.com/streaming-services-2020-growth-pandemic-subscribers/

Countryman, E. (2020, August 31). Film Marketing Execs on Reopening Theaters, Distributing Movies During COVID-19. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://variety.com/2020/film/news/film-marketing-covid-19-kenote-marketing-roundtable-1234749848/

Mark, J. (2010, July 14). Heraclitus of Ephesus. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.ancient.eu/Heraclitus_of_Ephesos/

Whitten, S. (2020, October 13). AMC warns it could run out of cash this year. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/13/amc-could-run-out-of-cash-by-then-end-of-2020-company-warns.html

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Customer Relations In College Athletics and Beyond. The Ultimate Pitchman.

For this week’s blog post I chose an article from the popular press, a recent article published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette written by Wallace Hall. As I’ve read HBS articles throughout my time at USC, my mind often wanders to sports and the applications and parallels from the business and sports worlds. In a recent reading assignment regarding the perfect pitch, managing people, and appealing to emotions- I was reminded immediately and throughout of an interview/article His article outlined how University of Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long was ousted as such, before football season had even reached its final whistle.
Of course when such an action takes place it is obvious that there was a company behind the charts, a breakdown in communication, and a true tone deafness with far reaching implications that weren’t obvious to many on the periphery of the program. Long did not make friends with the right people and in fact alienated many who were on the payroll as well as many who were not. Indeed, there proved to be a seething anger underneath the surface among the University’s most prominent donors and the “every man” booster alike. Their sentiment was that Mr. Long did not care about them, their opinions, or their traditions. That Mr. Long was nothing but a corporation head, a dim attribute in their view. Fans, donors, and board members did not want to see their beloved Razorback athletics- a common bond that crosses all societal lines in this state- as merely a corporation. Mr. Hall argues in his column that this is partly due to the near mythical figure that immediately preceded Mr. Long’s tenure, Frank Broyles. A man who was first the football coach at the University for 18 years and then a beloved athletic director for another 33 seasons. Broyles had an easy going and gregarious demeanor that personified the quintessential southern gentleman in many minds in all corners of the state. Jeff Long wasted little time removing Broyles from his offices and building- a building that bore his name- as soon as he took over the AD job. This was a move that was not forgotten and when in concert with other missteps culminated in Jeff being unceremoniously terminated just more than a decade later. The man who follows a legend is rarely revered and this was the case in this instance. Arkansas athletics is a layer of politics and handshake game every bit as big as any that has ever been played out on a court or field by a Razorback athletic team. Long was unwilling and perhaps unable to play that game. It was often said that Broyles made every Razorback fan feel important if giving five dollars to the foundation or fifty thousand. Long didn’t possess that gift- what some would view as manipulation. Manipulative or not, Broyles kept the faithful happy for more than five decades. A person doesn’t find themselves employed at any institution for fifty years without knowing how to play to the crowd, work the room, and reach into the right pockets. The area that Long most lacked in though in the minds and hearts of many fans was passion. No one, if Broyles fans or not, ever questioned or doubted his passion for the University and the teams it fielded. Long was run out of town by those he felt he was above. The same gentlemen wearing overalls on Tuesdays and drinking coffee in diners carried pens big enough to sign the papers to cut his contract short on a bleak and cold November day. It was a day that, has been widely reported, as one that Jeff Long never saw coming. His often hostile, dismissive, arrogant, and rude attitude at events around the state made him a marked man. Long wasn’t terminated because of a lack of education, business acumen, fundraising, bad coaching hires, or a hole in accounting. No Jeff Long, like many others in organizations throughout history, let pride go before his fall. The parallels in communication strategies in mainline business and indeed “pitching” and big time college athletics are stunning and thought provoking. No matter the organization, to remain employed and effective, we all must learn how to play the game.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Customer Relations In College Athletics and Beyond. The Ultimate Pitchman.