NRL simply better at connecting with fans than AFL

[DIEHARD]

NRL simply better at connecting with fans than AFL

SINCE 1989 when Tina Turner declared the NRL was “Simply the Best”, the AFL has struggled to respond with a knock-out punch in the promotional campaigns.

The creative types at AFL House in Melbourne immediately reacted by signing up international celebrities and sports heroes to look bewildered while being told of Australian football.

They uttered repeatedly the catchphrase: “I’d like to see that!” The AFL won international awards for this campaign.

But in the background Tina’s echo was still saying the NRL was “Simply the Best” even if the AFL was drawing bigger crowds, more members and drowning under the weight of new corporate dollars. Cricket had “C’mon Aussie, c’mon”, the NRL had Tina and the AFL had a slogan — and a darn good product.

Today, the NRL and AFL are again on different streets as they strive to hold their own fans rather than attract new ones.

It has not been an easy 12 months for either football code as the supplements scandal has embroiled Cronulla in the NRL and Essendon in the AFL. And the saga is far from complete.

The NRL may not have pinched AFL chief-in-waiting Gillon McLachlan. But when the succession plan concludes at AFL House this year, McLachlan may just want to make his own raid of the NRL for its public relations and creative staff.

Consider how the contrasting NRL-AFL approaches to locking in the fans during the summer.

MEMBERSHIP: The NRL has produced a television commercial centred on the fans - and why they are valued members of the 18 NRL clubs. The old Rabbitohs member left until last in the commercial was enough to seal the deal.

The AFL’s campaign sold the “AFL membership” with all its corporate trimmings while leaving the 18 AFL clubs to come up with their own sales pitches. Dull.

SLOGANS: The NRL again believes in the fans saying: “You’re the Difference.”

The AFL wants its fans to know: “Anything’s Possible.” Actually, after last season - with Essendon removed from the final series - the thought that everything is still possible is far from comforting.

LAUNCHES: The NRL invited 600 fans to its season launch. The AFL event at the Adelaide Oval was an opportunity missed as one of the major stakeholders - the fans - was spoken of, but not seen.

Imagine what could have been - 600 AFL fans, representing all 18 clubs, in a launch party on the southern plaza of the new Oval with the massive video screens selling the sales pitch for a new season ... and the Oval.
This was a grand opportunity lost.

Inside the Oval - in the strangely named “Riverbank Stand” - AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou spoke passionately of the fans remembering former league stadium manager Jill Lindsay’s final words in hospital: “Look after the game ... it means so much to so many people.”

And there were many people at the season launch ... but no membership-carrying fan who seemed overlooked from the guest list. Demetriou’s promise - “We will never forget that our game is for our fans” - seemed a little hollow considering they were absent on a night and at a place there was the perfect new stage for the fans.

The result - poor crowds to the opening round at the weekend - suggests it will take more than masterful advertising, a heartfelt slogan and invites to the season launch to win back the faith of the fans.
The NRL’s intent was great. The follow-up execution was not, particularly when the NRL players appear to be more distant from the fans.

The AFL’s summer campaign did more to emphasise the game rather than the fans. And the marketing gurus at AFL House - and at all the 18 AFL clubs - may need to carry Lindsay’s parting line to Demetriou closer to their hearts as well.

After all, without the fans it ain’t much of a game. Ask the NRL.

[GCT_89]

What a crock of ****!!

The NRL had 600 fans at the season launch, big woop.... About as many came to the opening round of games too....

There have been fans at the NRL season launch since at least 2009, but whats that got to do with Tina Turner?????

The AFL's opening round isn't over yet but it wouldn't need to try hard to beat the NRL's...

There is so much wrong about this article it worries me...

[DIEHARD]

There is alot wrong with it but there is also alot of truth. Basically it shows that the AFL arent focusing on the members.

But it is easy to duplicate what the NRL is doing, historic crowds and memberships of AFL are harder to duplicate.

Although comparisons with Round 1 is a big harsh without Lang Park and Hunter Stadium and AAMI and Eden Park being used.

But our crowd growth is certainly stuck in neutral.

[GCT_89]

There is alot wrong with it but there is also alot of truth. Basically it shows that the AFL arent focusing on the members.

But it is easy to duplicate what the NRL is doing, historic crowds and memberships of AFL are harder to duplicate.

Although comparisons with Round 1 is a big harsh without Lang Park and Hunter Stadium and AAMI and Eden Park being used.

But our crowd growth is certainly stuck in neutral.

The way I see the article, is that they are using the ONLY successful NRL campaign ever (simply the best) from a quarter of a century ago, linking it with a band-aid promotion of bringing fans to the launch and then shouting victory over the AFL.... It clearly hasn't worked... The new AFL boss will not even question their current promotion when comparing with the NRL....

And yea, round 1 NRL had barely any games played in stadiums outside of it's heartland.... (good work NRL)
AFL round 1 has games in Perth, Sydney and Gold Coast stadiums.... (Benefiting members, no?)


I'm all for bagging out codes in areas where they don't perform... Paying out the AFL on members and crowd numbers is farcical...