Professional sports organizations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sport has the power to spark conversations and change attitudes about political issues and social initiatives, but sports organizations and teams face risks as their initiatives can backfire and spark unwanted controversy. doing.
The NRL's Respect Round and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles' Pride Week jerseys are just two recent examples of inclusion efforts being disrupted by religious concerns from players and wider sections of society.
Despite the intention to bring people together, this effort created areas of disharmony. This was amplified in the media and ultimately detracted from the original purpose of the campaign.
So what can organizations and clubs do to involve more fans when it comes to diversity and inclusion campaigns?
Why do leagues and clubs promote diversity and inclusion?
In Australia, many sports such as cricket, rugby league and AFL actively promote inclusivity.
Initiatives such as Cricket Australia's 'Pride in Sport' and NRL League Stars Inspire inclusion and diversity programs focus on diverse players and fans and foster an inclusive environment within the sport at all levels. It emphasizes the importance of developing
Similar initiatives are underway in AFLW, Super Netball and the NBL.
However, some of these marketing strategies have been controversial.
One of the most high-profile missteps was Manly's decision to wear a rainbow jersey in support of marginalized groups during one match against the Sydney Roosters in July 2022.
Seven players withdrew from the game due to religious reasons, not wanting to appear in colors associated with the LGBTQI+ community, and lack of prior consultation with players.
Manly coach Des Hassler apologized for the poor handling of the initiative.
However, coinciding with this backlash, their Pride jerseys sold out.
In the same year, the NRL's 'Respect Round' campaign was criticized and criticized for appearing more like a token gesture and a 'box-ticking exercise' than a sincere effort to promote true inclusivity in the sport. Critics of the Pride Round argued that the sport was not ready for a Respect Round.
Cricket Australia's decision not to use the phrase 'Australia Day' during the Brisbane Test match on January 26 was another example of a criticized attempt at inclusivity.
try to understand the attitude of the fans
Our research across two studies of sports fans in Australia and the US shows that their reactions to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are mixed, ranging from disgust to love. It has been shown that it is possible.
How these inclusion efforts are marketed and communicated is critical to fan reaction.
Our research shows that when leagues and teams are unclear and abstract, fans, especially those who are not “hardcore” or have no attachment to the team, display significantly higher levels of disgust and dislike the team. more likely to abandon support for.
In contrast, our research found that more passionate fans are less influenced by abstract communication about their team's commitments. These fans have long-standing and established ties to the club, and their engagement is primarily focused on strategy, tactics, players and the team's comprehensive history, rather than specific marketing strategies.
Conversely, our other findings show that using specific, clear language that explains exactly why a campaign or initiative is being done and why fans should get involved can help increase awareness of the team and It has been shown that it can lead to support for diversity and inclusion. – Especially for casual followers with low levels of team identity.
Why clear communication is important
When communicating their commitment to inclusion, sports organizations need to be clear, specific and justify why fans should be included.
This is essential so that your organization or team understands exactly what you want from your campaign and remains resolute in the event of pushback. Making a U-turn after being criticized will only lower your credibility.
Importantly, in a society that is often divided by different political viewpoints, sports organizations are also concerned that superficial displays of social activism (considered by some as “wokeness”) may be used for marketing purposes. This means that we must also be wary of “awakening cleaning.'' Genuine commitment.
Bookmaker Paddy Power has come under fire for donating £10,000 (A$19,071) to LGBTQI+ causes for every goal scored by anti-LGBTQI+ Russia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Critics argued that the promotion was not value-based and was designed to maximize gambling profits.
Initiatives must be values-based and motivated, and campaign principles must demonstrate clear alignment with the sports organization's values. Honesty and transparency are extremely important in any kind of objective-focused marketing campaign.
Simply put, a sports team's diversity and inclusion efforts must be meaningful to fans, players, and clubs.
We argue that beyond the context of professional sports, this point of advice is relevant to any organization looking to support inclusion efforts.
