It is the end of 2010 and all we clamor for these days is new…new technology, new broadcast innovations, new ways to connect with our favorite brands, athletes, entertainers…new, new new. So what do established brands, with limited dollars and an event platform that is traditional, d. Find ways to stay fresh. If you don’t you perish amongst the latest gadget, reality show or event looking for the discretionary dollar. hip and cool, you need to be.
Or do you.
One sports brand that is constantly undergoing reinvention is the Harlem Globetrotters, and the brand today seems to have found ways to bring in young audiences and re-engage with a fan base that knew the Globies years ago. It is not overly flashy with lots of bells and whistles, but it is fun, throwback fun in ways that Minor League Baseball is throwback fun. They are not the mega-stars of the pre cell phone and internet generation, and they don’t have the huge names of Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon these days. What they do have is a recipe for fun and entertainment as a team and a brand that has redefined itself to a new legion of fans of all ages.
The travelling show has become a bit of a dinosaur, with the circus and ice shows struggling to find their niche. But the Globetrotters have found theirs, taking their Washington Generals to task every day with a version of athleticism and showmanship that puts them in a class by themselves. Their brand defines fun in basketball…people don’t have to know the names of the current troupe to know that they will be entertained. Similarly, brands like Campbell's and Howard Johnsons have come to see the Globies as having great value again to reach a family audience that wants an alternative to the NBA for at least one night a year…a nice respite from loud noise, bright lights and very high prices.
The Globetrotters are also unique to sport…there is no team in any other team sport that provides year-round entertainment and are regular ambassadors of fun, healthy living and entertainment. They travel the world professing all that's good about basketball…their players are accomplished, athletic showmen who rarely cross the line and provide a model for what we need today, and the tricks and simple plays they run night in and night out are still very entertaining.
Is it high quality hoop. Not every night, but the tricks and trick shots are still there, and the team, if challenged as they have been in the past by some elite college teams, can bring their game if need be. They are not a joke, they provide some fun jokes and great entertainment, and can hopefully pull more casual fans back to a great game with their hijinks and special style. They are basketball royalty as a brand and ambassadors that can link young people seeing the show for the first time with an older audience who has not been engaged in years, a rare mix in sport these days and one worthy of the dollars and attention they will bring to audiences not just around the country but around the world.
They are also masters of the stunt, always looking for new ways to engage. The most recent will be a four point shot, one way behind the traditional three point line, but an area that can match the special moment in sports with the showmanship of the Globetrotters. There is also the venerable Red Klotz, the eightysomething coach of the Generals who continues to absorb loss after good natured loss with his band of talented but wayward players. Every night you will see similar routines, but with a dash of uncertainty that makes the event special and sets it apart from other “tours” like the circus or an ice show. Is there room for athe Globetrotters in today's landscap. As long as the reinvention, the fun, and the brand activation continues, let's hope so.
