Regardless of your stance on how Lebron James handled his announcement to continue his basketball career with the Miami Heat, one aspect that most should be able to agree on was that his execution of the announcement was a phenomenal marketing effort. Personally, I am not much of a fan of the NBA. I'll tune in during playoff time, or maybe if the team closest to my home, the Sixers, are being broadcasted on ESPN, but aside from that I really tend to focus more on the collegiate game for my basketball fix. For that reason, I really did not have much opinion when it came to where Lebron chose to play, whether that be to stay with Cleveland or venture off to join the Heat, Bulls, or any other scenario that was thrown around throughout the offseason. Sure, his announcement could have been handled differently to leave a less bitter taste in the mouths of Cavs fans, but if you take a step back from your loyalty to an organization and look at it from a marketing stance, "The Decision" was brilliant.
Never before had an athlete been granted a one-hour block on national television to make an announcement that could quite easily take less than thirty seconds. This was a first not just for professional sport, but also for the networks covering this occurrence and for the fans tuning in to view the event. While so many have negative things to say about the announcement, many fail to keep in mind that they still chose to watch. Cleveland fans knew that there was a chance that he would be departing, Bulls fans knew to not get their hopes up, whether you argue that the televised interview was tasteless still doesn't account for the fact that millions, yes, millions, tuned in to watch the live broadcast. James met his goal for the program, he had viewers, millions of them.
"The Decision" was not necessarily marketed towards fans of Lebron James. Those that are true James fans are going to stick by him regardless of the organization which he plays for. For that reason, James and ESPN did not attempt to target those in their efforts. Instead, it was more for the general public, the individual who considers themselves "a basketball fan" rather than show allegiance to a specific team or athlete. At the time of air, I would be willing to bet that you could walk into any sports bar and you would find "The Decision" being broadcasted on the screens, regardless of the proximity to the teams in the running for Lebron or the amount of James fans in attendance. Most of the cities broadcasting the program were probably in no relation to an NBA team, let alone the Cavs, Heat, or Bulls, but they still chose to watch it as sports fans because the marketing for the program had done its job, it built interest and drew an audience.
For an hour of primetime television on a national broadcast, Lebron James was the center of everyone's attention, and that is what he wanted. People in the organizations involved knew of Lebron's choice before "The Decision" was aired, specifically top executives, this announcement wasn't for them. Instead, this was simply a way to ensure that James, his brand, and everything that he represents was the center of focus for that hour.
In addition to bringing more attention from the casual sports fan to Lebron James, this event did also have a charitable impact. According to Mark Gillispie of the Plain Dealer, not only did James donate $2 million in cash from television revenue to Boy’s & Girl’s Clubs across the country, but “James arranged for the donation of $500,000 in computers from Hewlett-Packard and $500,000 in gear from Nike. Fifty-nine Boys & Girls Clubs across the country are receiving help from James” (Gillispie, 2011).
I am in no way saying that the way Lebron handled his announcement was the best way to go about things, but I think it should be noted that although it could have been done differently, “The Decision” was a brilliant marketing move. Yes, he may have lost the admiration of Cavaliers fans, but in doing so he also gained global attention as all eyes with even a remote interest in sports were watching him declare his move to South Beach.
Marc,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Personally, I do not care about where Lebron plays but it having "The Decision" was an excellent marketing tool for his himself, the Heat, and an opportunity for his merchandise sales to go up. Revenue was made off the announcement in various aspects, it was a genius move on his behalf. I remember watching "The Decision" at my grandma's house, remind you I am from Detroit and a Piston's fan so I was not directly impacted in his decision from a fan stand point. Unfortunately, Lebron lost the respect of fans in Cleveland. People all over the world, not even basketball fans were drawn in to the "The Decision." People wanted to find out if Lebron turn his back on the city he promised a championship or would he put himself and his career first when making his decision? These fans drew in more publicity for Lebron making his name bigger than it already was. I do not support what he did to the city of Cleveland and their fans but is an excellent public relations move for him and an extraordinary marketing tactic to promote himself as a product.
-Chelsea VanAssche
Marc,
ReplyDeleteI think you make some great points on how James' people were able to create an unprecedented buzz about a simple free agent choosing a team. However, I do wonder if the negative effects of how the decision was perceived could have hurt his marketability. While it increased his global exposure, it resulted in him being painted in a very negative light for several years after, and could have encouraged sponsors to stay away from him. It is undeniable that he still makes millions in endorsements despite the decision but maybe he could have made even more had he figured out a better way to leave Cleveland.
-Marc Rodriguez
From a marketing standpoint, I can see your point about "the Decision" being a brilliant move. I was amazed that he pulled it off without anyone really knowing what his Decision would be (aside from his Mom who he supposedly told that morning). I had been following the news closely (especially Chris Broussard) and I still really thought that Lebron would stay in Cleveland. I realize that most outside of Cleveland knew better than that! I was not able to open all of the links that you posted but I was surprised that you mentioned that top-level executives knew about the decision. Did Dan Gilbert know? My impression was that he did not know beforehand.
ReplyDeleteDr. Spencer