and to follow that here is an interesting marketing opinion piece - from SportsProMedia.com
Opinion | Marketers can all learn from Marcus Rashford’s textbook meal voucher campaign
Simon Oliveira, managing director of KIN Partners, explains why Marcus Rashford's drive to provide free meals for British children is a game-changer for athletes wanting to use their platform to create social reform.
Posted: June 19 2020
Marcus Rashford has rightly received universal praise for his life-changing campaign that has set a new benchmark for athlete activism in the UK.
Rashford’s crusade prompted a government U-turn that will see parents claim vouchers for 1.3 million children in England during the summer holidays, after earlier helping the FareShare charity raise UK£20 million and supply three million meals a week to vulnerable people across the UK.
It has been another exceptional example of the power and influence soccer players, and high-profile sportspeople in general, wield to help enable change by utilising their platforms to reach the masses.
Having worked in the sports industry for more than 20 years with some of the world’s best-known personalities, there is no surprise to me in what Rashford has been able to achieve.
I have witnessed first-hand the influence that high-profile sportspeople can have, never more so than when David Beckham became an ambassador for the Chinese Super League (CSL). During a tour of the country, British diplomats thanked us at every dinner for opening doors to Chinese politicians and powerbrokers that were previously inaccessible. I have seen the joy David has brought to millions of children and adults around the world, but this was another level of impact.
Today, top-level athletes are publishing moguls in their own right, with bigger followings, reach and influence than most traditional media and an unfiltered platform to share their thoughts and feelings. Quite simply, they have never held more influence in their hands, and, in times of tragedy and injustice, the power of social media is never more evident.
You only have to see the reaction from sport, its stars and associations, to the Black Lives Matter movement to realise that it is no longer enough to be silent on such endemic social issues. Harnessing and utilising this power is becoming increasing common as sportspeople become empowered by events happening around the world and inspired by the likes of Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Megan Rapinoe, Raheem Sterling and many more who are taking a stand, and a knee.
Against this backdrop, Matt Hancock picked the wrong target when, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, he called out players in English soccer’s top flight, calling on them to “play their part”. Soccer, and its players, are often used as scapegoats for the rich and famous and Hancock was guilty of pandering and deflecting from British government's handling of Covid-19.
In launching #PlayersTogether – a collective project to help generate funds for the NHS – Premier League players provided the perfect riposte to Hancock’s criticism. Following this, we saw England captain Harry Kane join forces with Leyton Orient, sponsoring the third-tier club’s shirts and donating the space to three charitable causes.
It was around this time that Rashford was stepping up his support of FareShare, having initially set a goal of raising UK£100,000 and feeding 400,000 children after partnering with the food poverty and waste charity in April. Having helped raise more than UK£20 million for FareShare, Rashford set his sights on a new target, penning an open letter to his government.
that open letter
https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/stat ... 9819823105
The genius of Rashford’s campaign was its simplicity. It was textbook in its strategy, tactics and execution. It starts with a clear positioning based on his personal experience: no one can question his motive or accuse him of jumping on a bandwagon.
It is built on personal insights from all the unreported and unheralded work he had been doing to help the FareShare charity over several months.
The cause is inclusive and was not initially about politics. It is about human rights and children having food to eat. He isolated his argument to a place where it cannot be questioned and is universally supported, both by soccer fans and wider society - children should not go hungry.
He consistently used his personal platforms to keep up the momentum and drive awareness, mixing this with traditional media interviews to reach the widest possible audience.
Finally, when he had forced the hand of government in to making the policy U-turn, he displayed humility. There has been no basking in the moment, rather he is already talking about the further steps that need to be taken.
https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/stat ... 33/photo/1
It was the perfect campaign and one that all lobbyists and brand marketers can learn from. Activism with authentic and passionate delivery across the right platforms, in the right tone, at the right time, remains an extremely powerful combination.
It has been a shining example of the power athletes have in their hands and the change that can be facilitated when used in the right way. And this attitude is here to stay. As Rashford himself said: "It's becoming more normal that people speak out on topics that they believe in and I think it's just positive for the future."
Broader society - and, by proxy, the media - now celebrates influential voices who are not afraid to put their heads above the parapet. Moving forwards, sport federations, leagues, clubs, sponsors and broadcasters must support these sentiments with actions too.
Premier League chief executuve Richard Masters praised Rashford’s campaign, but also questioned if “it creates uncomfortable precedents going forward.” Grey areas will remain, but moral-based issues can no longer be avoided by sport's wider stakeholders.
A by-product of the increasing amount of athlete activism is that, like Gen Z more generally, the star names of today are far more socially conscious and increasingly looking for partners to match these values. Let us be clear - badging exercises are a thing of the past. Organisations championing emotional and purpose-driven agendas, aligned to a clear brand promise and displaying these values at all touchpoints will thrive and attract the most valuable ambassadors.
The barriers have been well and truly broken, and sportsmen and women will continue to take strength from the positive reactions to their willingness to speak out. Top-level athletes, and the organisations they represent, can collectively reach more people than almost any politician and connect.
This is an age where you can educate, influence and inspire and make a real difference for generations to come. The challenge now for athletes will be to ensure they remain accountable and live up to their claims.
Matt Hancock may have briefly forgotten his name, but the 1.3 million children benefitting directly from Rashford’s campaign never will. The precedent has been set. Players have the platforms and the power. This is just the beginning.
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Reminds me a lot of
Chester Perry wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 5:50 pm
We know how increasingly important in the modern game (however disappointed older readers may feel about the terminology) Branding for clubs and players is a key feature to commercial growth and revenue diversity. Here one of the key players in this area within sport, Ehsen Shah, talks to @FootballLaw about how he started and what he does. It is one of the real fast growth area's in sport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppk0CVYtRUc
and