It is a brand that most consumers know, but few these days follow consistently, the Harlem Globetrotters. Their shows still have great family value, especially on a cold winter’s night when they are in town for a day or two, but in an era of star quality and fast and loose entertainment for the millennials, the Globies are losing steam. They work hard to find themselves on to reality shows and do a solid job of marketing locally, much like when the circus rolls into ton, but for national recognition the days of superstar ‘Trotters like Curley Neal or Meadowlark Lemon have gone the way of the buffalo. Now the Globetrotters have talent, but for the most part it is nameless and faceless talent, doing the same iconic tricks and stunts for thousands of young people as they move from city to city.
The one consistent piece the Globies have had for decades was their foil, the hapless Washington Generals. Coached for years by the venerable Red Klotz, the Gens took losing in stride with their largely nameless and faceless players, dropping game after game on the road as Harlem extended their fictitious but fin win streak. As we saw the clubs match up on a snowy night a few years ago at the Prudential Center in Newark, with Klotz, who has since passed away, still at the helm, we wondered if the Generals had market and brand value. After all, they were always there to be exploited, and casual fans loved the underdog as much as the star in many cases. Those who have toiled for the Gems had stories as well, and were probably in some cases even more accomplished collegiate players than some of the Globetrotters, so why not raise their profile as well to build casual interest, and maybe even a little more of a rivalry.
Why not hold a Gens tryout, or bring in a name player or two to try and challenge the Globies streak, give fans maybe a little more interest to follow? Give Klotz, who had posted just one win as the coach and owner of the Gens, a shot at a little more glory? Alas it was not to be. Klotz passed away last year without getting his second win, and last week the Globetrotters informed Klotz’s son-in-law, John Ferrari, that their services were no longer needed as well. The Generals had lost their last game, and with it most of the brand opportunity that maybe had existed.
For the Globetrotters, a brand which has gone through numerous recent ownership changes and is now run by Herschend Enterprises, the move probably makes business sense. Now instead of marketing the Gens, they can do like other traveling troupes do and take on local groups of teachers or former pros, probably for a fee…or even round up a local team of media that could sell more seats, provided they go along with the Globies antics and actually lose the game.
We do live in a hyper-local media world now, where casual fans know the regional environment and maybe would take more to a team of alumni from a local high school or college, or even a team that features a local former pro taking on the venerable Globies, with a portion of the take going to charity. That creates a bigger win, and probably a better financial upside, for the Harlem brand than having nameless and faceless opponents, especially one without their longtime coach at the helm any more.
For folks of an older generation, the Generals did have brand value, but it was not one, especially in recent years, that was cultivated, and picking up local opponents is probably cheaper than taking another troop on the road night in and night out. There is the risk of a less than crisp show, but the idea for new blood, cheaper blood, every night to take on the iconic team might have more appeal.
For most, the passing of the Gens is only a footnote, one that will probably be forgotten when the team rolls back into town at some point next winter. After all, no one really marketed who the Generals were anymore anyway. It was all about getting to know the latest tricksters in red, white and blue. Still, it would have been nice to have exploited the brand value of 63 years of Generals at least one time, just to see if they could also boost the Globetrotters brand. That opportunity appears to be gone, as a new era of brand reinvention for the longest traveling show in sports continues on, bouncing again to a city near you with worthwhile fun, now with some new and maybe recognizable, foes.
