Sports Marketing & Sponsorship - FIFA/CIES International University ...

Stade Français Paris rugby clubvictory is part of the satisfaction package, but it issecondary in the sense that even when the team isdefeated, most spectators are satisfied. In line withBodet & Bernache-Assollant (in press), and because ofthe characteristics of the spectators, we can considerthat the issue of the game, or the performance of SFParis players, can be either ‘secondary’ or ‘additional’elements. This means that they might onlysignificantly affect customer satisfaction if the score orthe performance is favourable, although they do notproduce any dissatisfaction if they are negative. Indeedthe marketing strategy, which focuses mainly oninteractive spectators comprising families and youngpeople, puts the accent on peripheral elements, whichmove the simple game of rugby to a great Saturdaynight show. There is a broad focus on pre-gameentertainment with a variety of elements such as BMXfreestyle, acrobatic trampolining, basketball slamdunks, canons throwing SF Paris t-shirts on floats,acrobatic dancing, wrestling fights, cheerleaders,acrobatic horse displays, balloon throwing, majorettes,parades of schools of rugby from the Parisian region,biker parades, and Cowboys and Indian parades.It is noticeable that many elements come fromAmerican culture, which is seen as the leading forcein such entertainment, and is known as ‘show àl’américain’ in French. It is, therefore, a replication ofwhat happens in North-American sports, illustrated bythe Toronto Maple Leafs example described byRichelieu and Pons (2006).Mini concerts also take place before the kick-off,featuring various artists that are popular with youngeraudiences, and are also particularly popular withwomen in their seventies. Such singers fit perfectlywith the festive, young, feminine and parental target.The way in which the ball is brought onto the pitchis also theatrical and has included French cabaretdancers, Miss France hidden in a golden rugby balland by an angel descending from the sky (the roof ofthe stadium).During the game, flags of SF Paris are displayed,traditional or exotic music bands play along to theaction on the fields, and Mexican waves areencouraged. After the final whistle there are fireworkdisplays. Again, several similarities can be identifiedwith American sports, in particular with thecontinent’s biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl.Professional sports clubs also offer products whichcan be considered as peripheral to the core product ofthe match. The most important is the matchshirt/jersey, for which SF Paris has received praise.Indeed, the first shirt the club developed used itsusual colours but the shirts were striped with threeforks of lightning. This represented an innovativedevelopment in the world of rugby that generally optsfor conservative and traditional designs. Red lightningcould be interpreted as conveying power and energy(which, incidentally, is the name of the youth radiostation, NRJ, that Max Guazzini was chairman of).The image was developed in order to attract a youngdemographic who were not already fans. Again,parallels can be made with American sport (Lightningis the name of the NHL club of Tampa Bay). However,what made SF Paris famous was the launch of a pinkshirt. Indeed, they designed a bright pink shirt withthree blue forks of lightning. This colour had neverbeen used for a shirt in French rugby. Moreover it isstrongly related to femininity. In the traditional machoworld of French rugby, this has had a huge impact,arousing numerous comments and gibes (Charlot,2006). However, this was done deliberately.Consistent with its positioning, SF Paris had todifferentiate itself at a national level from the mainFrench clubs mostly situated in the south-west ofFrance, which is characterised by more conservativevalues. Associating rugby players with femininesymbols was certainly one strategy that highlighted thedifference. Obviously, it was also an explicit appeal towomen and girls who are usually not interested inrugby. Some said that it was also an appeal to theParisian gay community, which is supposed to be anopinion-former in consumption trends. This wascertainly reinforced by another product, the calendar of‘Les Dieux du Stade’ (The gods of Stade) whichpictured half-naked players in suggestive positions inGreco-Roman style. This calendar was a great successCASE STUDY● APRIL 2009 ● International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship257