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So the new Premiership season starts on Saturday, here are just a few reasons why the #SPFL is managing to make a complete mess of it on the marketing side.
I was gonna write an article but it's probably better in Thread form.
I was gonna write an article but it's probably better in Thread form.
No League Title Sponsor: It has been mentioned a few times on here, but for the league to not even have any sponsor, for this season is pretty embarrassing. I'd rather we not undersell the game, but a complete lack of initiative or imagination has been shown in finding a partner.
Live streaming: #1
Hibs for some mental reason decided to spend their resources on Dougray Scott and two people that make Janey Godley look funny, and so won't have their PPV option available til October leaving no mechanism for Killie fans to see their club's opening fixture.
Hibs for some mental reason decided to spend their resources on Dougray Scott and two people that make Janey Godley look funny, and so won't have their PPV option available til October leaving no mechanism for Killie fans to see their club's opening fixture.
Live streaming #2
The decentralization of PPV meaning that if fans want to watch their club's away games, they'll have to repeatedly sign up and give their details to opposition clubs' and making it increasingly difficult for fans to follow their clubs this season.
The decentralization of PPV meaning that if fans want to watch their club's away games, they'll have to repeatedly sign up and give their details to opposition clubs' and making it increasingly difficult for fans to follow their clubs this season.
Live streaming #3
A complete lack of unity on pricing, which means that clubs like Motherwell and United are charging £12-13, whilst Livi are charging £20. The EFL iFollow service is accessible through the EFL website, and is simple(ish) to follow. The SPFL equivalent is not.
A complete lack of unity on pricing, which means that clubs like Motherwell and United are charging £12-13, whilst Livi are charging £20. The EFL iFollow service is accessible through the EFL website, and is simple(ish) to follow. The SPFL equivalent is not.
Foreign Broadcasting Rights #1:
Despite the SPFL having its biggest star (arguably) be a Colombian, Alfredo Morelos, the league never sold its rights to that country. With his transfer to Lille, the SPFL has now completely lost the chance to gain an audience in South America.
Despite the SPFL having its biggest star (arguably) be a Colombian, Alfredo Morelos, the league never sold its rights to that country. With his transfer to Lille, the SPFL has now completely lost the chance to gain an audience in South America.
Foreign Broadcasting Right #2:
Two of the largest expat communities of Scots are in Canada and the USA. The league has no broadcast partner in either country for the coming season. Making the league's reach even less relevant.
Two of the largest expat communities of Scots are in Canada and the USA. The league has no broadcast partner in either country for the coming season. Making the league's reach even less relevant.
Foreign Broadcasting Rights #3:
In Europe, the SPFL is no longer shown in France, Portugal, and Eastern Europe; all of those deals expired at the end of last season. There's also no "3pm" games being shown in Ireland, as the English leagues have often done.
In Europe, the SPFL is no longer shown in France, Portugal, and Eastern Europe; all of those deals expired at the end of last season. There's also no "3pm" games being shown in Ireland, as the English leagues have often done.
FBR #4:
The League has no link on its website to its global broadcast partners. I've had to send emails to Albanian and Croatian broadcasters just to compile a partial list.
Which is here btw: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/144xY21gW0_gl46LxTjXGNbrzSeTKwYN9T_aL22NQXEg/edit?usp=sharing
The League has no link on its website to its global broadcast partners. I've had to send emails to Albanian and Croatian broadcasters just to compile a partial list.
Which is here btw: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/144xY21gW0_gl46LxTjXGNbrzSeTKwYN9T_aL22NQXEg/edit?usp=sharing
Social Media
The SPFL has only one active Twitter/Facebook account. This is ridiculous. A lack of divisional accounts means absolutely no brand recognition of the Premiership (or C-L2) brand(s); which in turn means people will just continue to call it the "SPL".
The SPFL has only one active Twitter/Facebook account. This is ridiculous. A lack of divisional accounts means absolutely no brand recognition of the Premiership (or C-L2) brand(s); which in turn means people will just continue to call it the "SPL".
Social Media #2
To give credit the SPFL's YouTube offering is really good but could be improved by putting the scoreboard graphics on highlights and the like.
This is probably the best thing the league is doing marketing-wise, and they need to keep it up.
To give credit the SPFL's YouTube offering is really good but could be improved by putting the scoreboard graphics on highlights and the like.
This is probably the best thing the league is doing marketing-wise, and they need to keep it up.
Fantasy
Ok, this is a minor one, but FFS spent a whole summer on marketing for their fantasy game and over 20,000 have signed up. The SPFL decided to announce their game 5 days before the start of the season. So they're splitting a fairly small base. Just another avoidable mess.
Ok, this is a minor one, but FFS spent a whole summer on marketing for their fantasy game and over 20,000 have signed up. The SPFL decided to announce their game 5 days before the start of the season. So they're splitting a fairly small base. Just another avoidable mess.
Just to be clear a lot of these aren't just the blame of one person, but of a culture of complete incompetence in marketing.
The Eredivisie, League of Ireland, Eliteserien and EFL are all showing examples of to market themselves, whilst the SPFL are not.
The Eredivisie, League of Ireland, Eliteserien and EFL are all showing examples of to market themselves, whilst the SPFL are not.
*Of how to market themselves. But you get the point.
