(no subject)

[clo_again]

Rainbreak at Queens but I don't actually care because Sue Barker and the-guy-whose-name-I-can't-remember are talking to the new ATP head guy about marketing tennis and it's fascinating because I agree absolutely, marketing it is what they need to do. Football does it; I may hate everything it stands for but I have to admit they can come up with some damn good adverts that *market* it as more than a sport, as some kind of epic more often than not. There was something a couple of years ago -- I think it was football. Possibly -- that had these fantastically designed giant bilboards with the players on everywhere you looked and even I, who had no interest in the sport at all, knew what the tour was that they were going on at the time, because of the marketing strategy. Wrestling, back in the days when it was actually worth watching, had some brilliant ads for the PPVs and I know it's different because it's all scripted but that doesn't *matter*. Forget sports, it's the aspect of theatre that counts now and tennis has been severely lacking. If there isn't a story there, they need to make one up though frankly, they've had one right there with Roger and Rafa all clay court season and have they utilised it, hah. (Not that I've been watching any tennis or been paying much attention to it for the last few months but that's the *point*, it's the people who aren't paying attention that they need to attract.)

Mmm. Marketing. Wonder if I could take an extra course in that next year or some point.

ARGH, the Idiot on my TV. Interview Andy! Either of them! Curses on you! Although he just agreed with my view that they have an opportunity to utilise this Roger vs Rafa thing. So, not all bad.

I'm genuinely interested in this whole marketing tennis concept now. Expect me to ramble about it some more over Wimbledon and to post any tennis ads I can find and DVD. There's already a couple of great ones around right now for Wimbledon.

Comments

[lossi.livejournal.com]

That was such an interesting interview, but I have to agree to disagree with several points made :p

Tennis *needs* the exposure, but with a global sport like tennis, it's hard. Who in Germany cares that a Argentine is beating a Russian? (for example) Also it's hard to sell the matches when you never know how long they'll be.