THE GLOBAL COST OF INSENSITIVE BRANDING

The renaming of St. James' Park is a classic case of penny wise and millions of pounds foolish. Americans like us who have adopted Newcastle United as our Premier League passion provide a perfect illustration.

Why is the Premier League gaining audience so fast in America? It's not like we don't have enough on our plates already. We have leagues in four sports that rival the Premier League's popularity in England. And we have our own Major Soccer League that's growing in popularity as well. What's so attractive about getting up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to watch English matches instead?

One word: tradition. We're enthralled by the layers of history, the depth of support, the colors, the chants, the songs - and yes, the quirky, old-fashioned, covered-stand stadiums that don't exist in our younger nation and are so striking on our televisions. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field in baseball are venerated above all American stadiums for their age and coziness, and those ballparks are fundamental to the Red Sox' and Cubs' massive fan bases. English soccer has Fenways and Wrigleys dotted across the national landscape. That has tremendous pull for American fans, even those who may rarely if ever see the stadiums in person.

We're entering a decade in which millions of Americans will choose a Premier League club to follow and support. For reasons previously stated, we think Newcastle United has a chance to be a huge club in America, and the steadily growing readership of this blog is yet more evidence. In that respect, St. James' Park is a decisive advantage for Newcastle over a bigger club like Arsenal that plays in a spaceship with corporate branding.

At the critical, semi-conscious moment in which a club wins a fan's heart, branding can be as important as reality, especially when that reality is experienced at our distance. At that key moment, watching players march out behind a TV graphic that says "St. James' Park" might make all the difference. If I'd turned on a match one Saturday morning being televised live from Sports Direct Arena, is it possible I might have gravitated instead toward Old Trafford, or Stamford Bridge, or White Hart Lane? You bet. This site and its thousands of readers - maybe, before long, millions - might not exist. Or, worse, it might read 'I Wish I Was A Scouser.'

Maybe Mike Ashley doesn't care about America. He'd better. The untapped market for English soccer in America is staggering. As global money continues to pour into the Premier League, it's grow or suffer for each individual club. Like it or not, America is where the growth is. We have enough sterile modern stadiums with awkward corporate names. Differentiation from the American experience means everything for a Premier League club seeking to plant a following in our fertile ground. "Sports Direct Arena" sounds more ridiculously American than most stadiums in America.

So go ahead Mr. Ashley, if you must, and collect your paltry £10 million for the piecemeal sale of Newcastle's brand and soul. Try not to think about the hundreds of millions it might cost you down the line.

Comments

[Wallsend Magpie]

You have already done enough to deserve honourary Geordie status. Keep up the fine blogs.

[Toonarden]

Please don't desert us because of the disrespectful lump of a waste of space we have for an owner.
We need all the help we can get.
Any stinkingly rich American owners out there who may like to buy us and treat us with the respect that the supporters, the club and the stadium totally deserve?

[Bob]

There's not much chance the already converted will desert the club. Certainly I never would; you could call it McDonald's Double Cheeseburger Stadium and I'd still love Newcastle United. But I do worry that the renaming won't help the club draw future supporters here in America.

We've asked one stinkingly rich American if he was interested and he said no: http://www.newcastleunited.us/2011/09/cuban-says-no-thanks-to-buying-nufc-mordashov-on-radar.html. If this kind of thing goes on maybe we'll approach some others.

[Ryan]

I would never desert the club either, regardless of the stadium name. But you make a good point Bob. Being a fellow American Newcastle fan, I get so sick of the stupid names that some of the American stadiums have. As a Cubs fan, that is one thing I like about Wrigley Field. When you say the name, it immediately evokes thoughts of history, tradition, and uniqueness. Same with St. James Park. There is just something about the name that is magical.

It will always be St. James Park to the fans, regardless of what Ashley does. If I had the 10 million pounds, I would buy naming rights myself and tell them to switch it back to St. James Park. That way Ashley would have his money, and we would have the name. I am hoping that whoever decides to sponsor it (Nike has been rumored), that they at least put their name/brand followed by @ St. James Park. Then at least we have SJP in the name. Here's to hoping I guess.

[Jaeger]

I thought Wrigley field was named such as a deal with the Wrigley gum company. I don't think that sponsorship is still going but the new owners decided not to change the name (if you trust wikipedia that's what it says).

maybe some intelligent owner will buy the club and change it back to SJP. i wouldn't care too much about it being Nike's St James Park. or the st. james park of coca-cola. could be worse...well it is worse right now.

[Toonarden]

A magnificent football stadium with a 52,000+ capacity filled to the brim most games.
The most loyal, knowledgeable and passionate fans in the UK and a thriving fanbase around the world.
When this club takes off it REALLY takes off as shown in the Keegan days where merchandising, corporate sales, etc. went through the roof.
This club is waiting to do that again with the right owner.
Come on Bob - spread the word.

[Bob]

Wrigley Field is named after the Wrigley family which originally owned both the Cubs and the chewing gum company. It wasn't a sponsorship per se. From the New York Times:

"Speculation about the possible sale of naming rights to Wrigley Field has spread since the Ricketts family bought the Chicago Cubs from the Tribune Company in the fall, but the new owners of the Cubs have not discussed the sale of naming rights to Wrigley Field, according to Wally Hayward, the team’s new chief marketing officer. Beyond that, Mr. Hayward said in an interview last week, the Ricketts family would not sell the name because they understand the essence of the old-time park. 'We are not going to take the ivy off the walls and replace it with advertising signage,' said Mr. Hayward, who will oversee the Cubs’ business development, including commercial opportunities at Wrigley. 'We intend to preserve the Friendly Confines.' "

This is why the Cubs have more fans (including me) than just about any other club while not having won a trophy since 1908. Maybe we should ask the Rickettses about buying Newcastle United.