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Georgia Bridgwood argues that women’s sport should rid itself of platitudes; they’re empty, patronising and offensive.
“You got this,” proclaimed Adidas. “Thirsty for more,” said Pepsi. “You don’t get it,” I thought to myself.
In our exploration of ‘now what?’ for women’s sport at SXSW London this month, the panel dug into why we’re in that tricky second album moment – and how we get out of it.
After a breakout few years, the industry and its sponsors are stuck. They’ve ridden the wave of England team glory. Now they’re treading water.
Hearing from Jill Scott [former Lioness], Jess Breach [Red Roses winger] and Amy Drucquer [a founder] what’s clear is that women’s sport is falling foul of marketing departments’ same-old excuses and short-termism. Tidying up language and calling it strategy, so they don’t have to do anything. It’s too difficult, too complicated, will take too long to pay off or is too behind-the-scenes to get enough credit.
Let’s put up posters about the Lionesses being ‘thirsty for more’ instead. That’ll do it.
We’re going nowhere
The message to brands operating in this space should be that you can’t get away with platitudes anymore. At best, it’s empty. At worst, it’s patronising and offensive.
We’re going nowhere if nobody steps up to the plate to tackle the interventions that are messy, complicated or feel niche.
So, “now what?” Club level. Breach’s experience last summer says it all: “At the Women’s Rugby World Cup final we played in front of 81,000 people. Two weeks later I was running out in front of 500 for Saracens. Where did everyone go?”
There’s nothing like an international competition to capture the nation’s attention. But we’ve worked that angle – now it’s time to trickle down deeper.
Scott has lived it many times. “What usually happens is that before a tournament we work with a big brand, but then once that tournament has finished, they’re gone.”
Despite all the conversation about “growing the game” (yes, those air quotes are sarcastic) disparity is compounded every day by the woeful example set by the industry.
Women’s sport realities
Women’s club sport is treated as less-than at every touchpoint. Matches played at a rec centre up the road from the stadium. Games scheduled to clash with the men’s. Broadcast announcers not showing an iota of editorial interest when making mentions. Women’s fixtures happening over on the red button.
If nothing is done to generate more interest we’ll never break the self-fulfilling cycle; a lack of excitement means nobody goes, which means there’s a lack of excitement, which means nobody goes. And so it continues.
The exception to the rule, the ones unequivocally killing it right now are Arsenal. They have Leah Williamson’s star power, yes. But they are also showing up large and loud for the women’s team – and not just with stylish kit launches. They put on coaches for fans to get to games. And put on a parade bus when they win trophies. Incentivising attendance, not undermining it. Celebrating them with the same fanfare as they would the men’s. That’s leading by example.
The nexus of change has got to be rolling our sleeves up to make the club level exciting. So show up when it’s hard. Dig into the challenges that don’t have a quick fix.
Stop riding the wave, and dive in.
Georgia Bridgwood is strategy partner at MSQ Sport + Entertainment
