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First Words
Having the courage of your convictions is not always as easy as it sounds. There is no doubt that the constant daily demands of commercial survival make it difficult to follow principles and keep an optimistic view. Rather to dig in and hope that what they say is true – things can only get better.
For the business of sport it has never been more challenging. Those involved in the industry have chosen to be part of what is one of the most dynamic environments, every day we are bombarded with images and information about the how attractive a culture it all is. Some of it remains technical, the nitty gritty of tactics and performance. Much of it may be considered downright trivial. All of it, has an effect.
What we choose to take on board, depends on our frame of mind, but above all, our passion for standing by what we believe in. Sport sells. There is absolutely no question of that, but it is the degree of commercial implication that is important. Could any one in the front line of sports business really sympathise with a crying Cole, penning his petulance over a Club’s refusal to come up with the extra thousands to keep him and his in the lifestyle to which a footballer has become accustomed. Hello! At what point is there an absolute right to such returns on playing skills. Whilst the lure of the lucrative sponsorship is all important, it is rather at odds with what is thrown at those firefighting on the retail front.
The fact is, sport has changed dramatically, it will not change back and that is down to consumer whim. A whim, which has rather queered the pitch for some. Selling sport is no longer the multi multiple, legionary independent arena it was and purchasers can no longer be pigeonholed. Buying into glamour has had its effect, world class footballers are as likely to be judged by their Wags as their footwork and everything, no matter how credible, has to have the right look to survive. Standing out on the shelf, standing out from a crowd is more important than ever.
As we know, it has all come at a price, or rather, no real price at all. Huge discounts have become part of life, but for those standing by what they know and want it still means potential to succeed. Just in a different way. Buying groups now have such a vital role in facilitating the changes needed to keep ahead of the game, enabling the core values to come right into the modern marketplace. For the individual, it is a matter of keeping to the convictions that have traditionally meant truly understanding what the sporting consumer wants in terms of product and making sure that they are given the right environment for encouragement to buy. Embracing rather than ignoring change can be an uneasy task, but the principles of great and knowledgeable service cannot be diminished and that is a conviction worth taking forward.
We, as a publication, make it our business to use our heritage in the sports trade to provide a window on the modern market - from sport to style. That is the challenge faced by brands too today, increasingly. For retailers it is how to share the spotlight. Knowledge, really is power and that means constantly acquiring it to keep pace and then connecting with consumer emotion. I was told recently that “the little people only rule till the big guy says stop”. But for those who truly know their stuff, nothing can dictate their future.
Lauren Fox, Editor
