Scandal would be blessing for publicity-starved CBA
- Source: Global Times
- [21:10 March 10 2010]
- Comments
By Zachary Franklin
When I heard Yao Ming had come back to China to manage his former Shanghai Sharks basketball team at the start to the 2009-2010 season, a part of me thought this might prove to be a fundamental shift in the China Basketball Association (CBA).
As the most successful product of the CBA league and an all-star in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US, Yao Ming was enough of a celebrity that the CBA would have to adjust to having a high-profile figure in a managerial position.
With the season nearly finished, I find myself with the same hard feelings about the CBA. Yao Ming came and managed, and that was it. The CBA gained no more profile than before as a result of the move.
This is merely one example of an endemic issue within basketball circles in China: the CBA has an image problem.
It is a sports league plagued by small venues, unfamiliar players, lackluster games, poor promotion and difficulties with advertising, and an irregular television schedule.
The inability to effectively manage the league and promote the sport within China seems baffling, particularly given the NBA has for years seen the Chinese market as a top priority for expansion.
One big issue with the CBA is the average viewer has no idea who is playing. I don't mean, "know" in the sense of statistics and off-court actions, but the actual players' names. The CBA does not place names on the back of player's jerseys.
For someone casually tuning in on television, this is what you see on the court: Some of the players look Chinese, some of the players don't look Chinese.
I hate to speak in such callous terms, but it is impossible to identify with anyone on the court.
If the league sold the respective clothing at athlete apparel stores, it would be a major leap forward.
One of the benefits to playing in a large sport league is not only the organization name a brand image, but the individuals participating in the CBA are all also potential brand names.
The Shanghai Sharks feature advertising by international package delivery company United Parcel Service, yet I've never seen a single UPS advertisement featuring a Shanghai Shark. That is a major marketing failure.
Cities around China do not place adequate emphasis on the local basketball team. Local brands do not utilize basketball players to promote products.
Additionally, marketing and promotion staff within the CBA league doesn't do enough to get the league's athletes out in the open. Publicity stunts and promotions could boost both advertisers and the CBA. Billboards across Chinese cities should have CBA stars slapped on them.
The CBA should also be talking to the media. The NBA requires basketball players to spend at least 30 minutes every day talking with media organizations, in addition to mandatory post-game press conferences. Comparatively, the CBA has none of those regulations, which effectively keeps a veil over most players within the Chinese league. And with several teams not even having websites, it becomes harder to know about who is playing in the CBA.
An aversion to the media only means less access for people who might express some interest in Chinese basketball. The CBA should be jumping at every media opportunity available. Everyone has a story, and the CBA is no exception. The league should be pushing those stories every chance it gets.
The CBA should at least make some attempt to come up with a viable marketing scheme that would ensure increased visibility for the league and its players, because their current attitude doesn't seem to be working.
If all else fails, the CBA should try manufacturing a scandal. The China Football Association is suffering from a league-wide corruption investigation, but at least this is getting enormous amounts of coverage around China.
An old public relations axiom states that all publicity is good publicity – just as long as they spell your name right.
The author is a master's student majoring in economics at Fudan University in Shanghai. zacharyfranklin@gmail.com
