Basketball Trades: Hey Kobe, Watch What You Say

This past week as I explored the blogosphere to explore the recent events of the National Basketball Association (NBA), I could not help but comment on blogs covering the Kobe Bryant trade. Both posts I chose to respond to highlight the marketing effects of Kobe Bryant playing for another team. For those who are unfamiliar, Kobe Bryant (pictured to the right) has been a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the past eleven years. During those years, he has earned many prestigious awards such as Most Valuable Player, All NBA Team, All Defensive Team, and most importantly, he is a three time champion. Although Bryant has made history with the Lakers, it has not always been the fairy tale story. He has had serious problems with the franchise, and now he has come out to the public to express how he wants to leave Los Angles and be traded to another team. The first of the two posts I chose to comment on comes from FoxSports.com columnist Charley Rosen. Rosen is an accredited source because he is a former basketball player and coach, and he has been an NBA columnist for many years and has written thirteen books about basketball with hi current one being "The pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA." His post "Still Some Possibilities in Kobe Derby" discusses the possible trades for Bryant and the likeliness of it occurring. Similarly, the second post I chose “Kobe Bryant: the Update” is written by True Hoop senior writer, Henry Abbott. Abbott is well known for his numerous articles in sports magazines including HOOP, Inside Stuff, Men's Journal, and the official NBA Finals program. This post covers how the actual situation details about the Kobe Bryant trade are very unclear. Even though both posts focus on different aspects of the Bryant trade, they both are equally important in understanding the changes of Kobe Bryant’s positioning in the league. I would like to point out that my responses to these posts are located below for convenience.

"Still Some Possibilities in Kobe Derby"
Comment:
As a Los Angeles native and follower of the Lakers since the start of Kobe Bryant’s career, I would like to start off and say you write a very interesting and analytical blog. I do, however, have some questions for you pertaining to this post. From a marketing perspective, when you write about Bryant going to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller and how “the fan attraction of Kobe's coming home would have a huge impact on their attendance — and the 76ers' future would look brighter than ever,” do you really think that this would have a positive impact considering Bryant’s inconsiderate statements about he cannot win a championship with his team. Do you think more Philadelphia fans would come out and watch him play? Even though Bryant is originally from Philadelphia, I believe his controversial comments have marred his positioning in the sports franchise because he no longer presents himself as a team leader, but rather he seems very controlling and inflexible. The image of the sports franchise surrounds the phrase “I love this game” for various reasons and one of the most common reasons is the team atmosphere. In my opinion, Kobe Bryant’s statements are not living up to this expectation, and I feel that he has hurt his credibility of being a well rounded aspiring basketball player. Although you do not think he will be traded to Philadelphia, but if he were, I do not think that more Philadelphia fans would come out and watch him play from a marketing perspective.

Kobe Bryant: the Update
Comment:

I would like to start off by saying I admire all the various sources you bring into your post. It is very interesting to see all the different reports surrounding the Kobe Bryant trade situation. With that said, I do have question about one of your claims. In your post, you write that with all these vague stories “What does all that mean? I really have no idea, at this point, what to make of it. What I do know, is that this does not seem to be a media misinterpretation of status quo.” I would have to disagree with you because from a marketing perspective, the media is a major source for news. The way people think is based greatly on what the media reports. I believe the media has misinterpreted the current situation of the Kobe Bryant trade because as you have reported, there are many different stories which leaves fans confused about what is true and what is false. As well, the media makes assumptions and drives them out of proportion at times. When Kobe sits out for practice or takes home his belongings from his locker, the media quickly reports that he is leaving, but they do not know for sure. In my opinion, the media should simply wait for Bryant or the Lakers franchise to make a public statement before making any reports. Consequently, with all the various stories about Bryant’s trade, his positioning, the way fans view him, is getting destroyed and it is a shame for an all star athlete to lose his credibility due to the misinterpretation of the media.

Sports Branding: Reebok India is the New Way of Life

Go big or go home. This is the theme that Reebok India has weaved throughout the twelve years that it has existed. Currently, there are 525 Reebok stores in different parts of the country, but the goal is for 1000 by the end of 2009. Not only is Reebok creating its corporate image through retail stores, it sponsors over forty elite players in addition to providing athletic programs (to the left) to the buyers. But that is not all. In recent news, Reebok has announced that it wants to sponsor players from the grass root level and make the merchandise available to individuals living in suburban or rural neighborhoods. By doing so, Reebok is expanding its target cohort. This will modify the entertainment image of sports and create a new way of life. Based on the evidence, I believe that Reebok’s strategic marketing plan will create a unique brand for the company that will result in major profits not only in the short run but also the long run.

Reebok in the beginning started off as a small company in India, but has slowly evolved into one of the dominant market entities in India. With a corporate image of sports merchandise, it positioned itself toward the target audience of athletic males, but as time went on, the media expanded this demographic. According to Rediff.com columnist Meenakshi Radhakrishnan-Swami, Reebok’s thought was to "Ask not what percentage of an existing market your brand can achieve. Ask how large a market your brand can create by putting resources behind creating a category." One of the most important skills for valuable marketing is powerful branding. By making a unique name for the company, people will remember it. Once Reebok noticed that women and children were interested in sports, it began to change its positioning by opening a new women’s and children’s collection line to appeal to that audience. With this expansion, Reebok is showing all its competitors that its investments are based on making athletic apparel the new fashion line for everyone.

Given a larger consumer base, Reebok took it another step further to enhance the corporate image of the company. Managing director Subhinder Singh Prem (to the right) explained that the focus for Reebok “is to develop a new genre of sports and fitness enthusiasts making immense sense for a brand that is synonymous to sports and fitness gear.” This is an important point because in order to make a brand stand out it has to be incorporated into a person’s daily routine. Reebok India has done so by training individuals to become fitness instructors. In doing so, individuals are educated about exercise and understand its impact with all the associated health benefits. As a result, Reebok has created a new fitness trend in India.

With the consistent expansion and improvement for Reebok, it announced in recent news that it was looking to sponsor cricket athletes from the grass root level. Prem said that “this program will not be limited to Ranji trophy players but also target cricketing talents in tier III cities who may not grow for lack of resources.” By doing so, Reebok India is exposing itself to an even wider population. The company is awarding those players who have unique talent and deserve attention but may not be able to afford to participate in distinguished sports programs. Therefore, Reebok India is establishing its brand as a inclusive and well rounded company that cares about all athletes. In doing so, the world of sports becomes increasingly exciting and more individuals become interested and find ways to become a part of it whether it is through attending games or buying memorabilia. This leads to higher sales and more exposure for Reebok and the companies it supports.

By having an extensive marketing strategy, I have concluded that Reebok India is an excellent example of branding in the business of sports. The company specifically focuses on consumers by spending $100 million dollars annually on research and development. Even though that money could be spent on sponsoring another athlete or investing in another store, this is a smart move because Reebok knows exactly what consumers think of the products and what they will buy. As well, by including athletes from the grass root level, it shows no bias, but rather is presenting itself as a company that values the talent and effort that is put into sports. With companies creating a variety of different products, Reebok reminds us that the key to differentiation is branding.

Marathon Rivalry: Why Apologize?

Growing up on farm in Ethiopia, Haile Gebrselassie ran ten kilometers to and from school every morning. Now at 34, he runs with a crooked left arm because he was always holding books under it. Recently, Gebrselassie apologized for breaking the Berlin Marathon world record by completing it in 2:04.26 (pictured to the right) which is 29 seconds faster than the previous world record holder and close friend, Kenyan Paul Terget. After completing the race, Gebrselassie could only tell reporters "Don't ask me how I am. It's very special, spectacular." Obviously, Gebrselassie’s accomplishment is admirable because his time in simple terms translates into 4 minutes 45 seconds every mile in comparison to an average person who runs approximately 8 minute miles. But there is more to this story than sheer talent. This sport has unveiled a rivalry between neighboring East African countries, Ethiopia and Kenya, which together hold many running records. Each nation has a completely different training program, but they both share the common goal of performing at the elite level. So with much competition, why would Gebrselassie publicly apologize for beating Terget’s time? I believe that he could be trying to send the message that although each runner has their own personalized way of preparing for races, marathon running is indirectly a team sport because they must work together to complete all 26.2 miles.

To put this issue into perspective, it should be noted that living in a developing country could seem devastating, but some of the world’s greatest come from those locales. Athletics are taken very seriously because when players perform at the top level, then the media is able to focus on something that the people are proud of, even if it is temporarily. Kenya and Ethiopia have two distinct forms of accomplishing this task. Kenya has a free central system in which each player performs for himself. According to Kipchoge Keino, winner of Kenya’s Olympic golds in 1968 and 1972, "Kenyans go where the money is and they're allowed to go where the money is.” When marathoners win races, they earn large monetary prizes such as $500,000, which makes a huge difference in the life of a Kenyan. However, running 26.2 miles takes a great amount of energy, and thus it is difficult to compete constantly without allowing the body to completely recover. Racing is more about quality than quantity, and if the Kenyan team wants to continue performing at the elite level in the future, then they must be particular in which races they choose to compete.

In contrast to the Kenyan’s free approach, the Ethiopian system is structured under the control of Woldemeskel Kostre (pictured to the left), who ran track and studied sports pedagogy in communist Hungary. He understands the commitment and discipline required to achieve victory, and thus he runs his program with low tolerance. For example, before the Olympics in Sydney, Gebrselassie asked if he could treat a nagging injury, meaning he would arrive late and Kostre replied, "If you don't come with us, then I can't put you in the team. So he decided to come with us and he won.” Under Kostre’s training program, this sport calls for complete discipline, trust, and communication. If these three are in harmony, athletes have the ability to accomplish the impossible. I believe that Kostre’s philosophy seems harsh and difficult to sustain, but that is only in the short run. This ideaolgy will have a bigger impact in the long run because he focuses on quality training, performance, and most importantly faith that these athletes have the capabilities to make world history. As a result, this is a strong positioning strategy because these elite athletes compete only in certain races and set records so they are branded as one of the world’s toughest competition.

Similar to accomplishing the impossible, I understand that running marathons is not that simple. Having previous experience in running the Los Angeles Marathon, I am aware of the physical and mental endurance needed to complete the race. Gebrselassie, therefore, has positioned himself apart from the elite runners because especially today, athletes are consistently breaking records, but to break a world marathon record is not very common. As well, when he said after ten minutes of finishing the race that he "really wanted to do this record but […] was a little bit worried about it, worried about attacking my friend's record," I believe he was being sincere because running may seem to be an individual sport, but there is more to it than just running. Marathons require more mental toughness than physical ability because of the longevity. The training requires much commitment so creating friendships with other runners is ideal because they understand the joy and pain.

Despite the depth and appeal of these genuine friendships, the media chooses to exaggerate the rivalry between the two countries. In reality, there is no rivalry during the race. The race is too long to take an extensive lead the entire way so runners must work together for most of the duration-this is a team sport (as pictured to the right). Thus, the media should try to focus less on making running an individualistic rivalry between two countries, but rather, two winning countries competing together to make world history. Watching athletes who come from impoverished nations set world history are emblems that every individual could aspire to and use as a source of motivation. Thus, the skill and dignity of these athletes make them not only exemplars of their sport but also of humankind, which surely is a marketing and public relations blessing.