Performance and judgement in Branding

What does it take to build a great brand? Let's take an example from the sports world: what does it take to a football team to build a great brand?

The first answer should be: results. But I'm not so sure.

Let's take an example from this week.

I've just read in today's (Friday) paper that Real Madrid, the mythic spanish soccer team has scored the most points in the second part of the season in their history. Not only that, if they continue to win the three remaining games until the end of the League, they would beat all the marks in the history of the most successful soccer team in the world (Real Madrid).

This should lead us to a satisfactory perception of the situation among supporters. The surprising thing is that by reading the comments of Real Madrid fans on a couple of blogs, it seems like the team is accomplishing something ordinary. Even the coach is being  judged as too tactical and many comments point out he should leave the team next year.

This is crazy. There must be something influencing the judgment of supporters that is not performance and is not availability of information either.

What is it?

Comments

[Trevor Gay]

That is a really interesting tpic Felix and something I have often grappled with about football fans expectations – what do they REALLY want?

Many years ago I remember my beloved Manchester United won 7 successive matches under the management of a coach named Dave Sexton. He was sacked.

The reason he was sacked was that although the results were fantastic, the TYPE of football being played was not acceptable to the fans who were used to Manchester United playing flowing and beautiful football. Under Mr Sexton the team was winning a number of matches 1-0 and playing a defensive game. It just did not fit with the fans image of what Manchester United stands for. I would describe it as follows - results were good but the product didn’t ‘feel’ right.

It is also very interesting that the Board of Directors took notice of the fans and sacked the coach despite the good results. This example also shows the power of fans.

Do you think Real Madrid are not playing the type of football the fans want to see?

[Felix Gerena]

Thanks Trevor for your thoughtful response. I think that can be one of the keys here. This means that a fan's value system is not mainly concerned with winning but with something different. I really cannot understand it in the case of Real Madrid, when they've been three seasons with no titles won. Winning should be a priority, but it seems it is not.

I also think those values of the fans are pre-designed somehow by trash-talk, especially through the media and the popular myths. No matter what the football style, outstanding results should be a definite answer, but they are not.

Sometimes, in the case of teams such as Man. United and Real Madrid, the brand is identified with some fixed image of what should be instead of being recognized what is really happening in the present situation. The teams have to live up to their brand and that can kill them.

[Trevor Gay]

'The teams have to live up to their brand and that can kill them' - I love that piece of wisdom from you Felix - well said Amigo!

[Thina]

Good post.