NHL/Hockey Marketing To The Masses

The NHL in the USA, much like Rodney Dangerfield, seems to get no respect from the mainstream media. You constantly hear about how the game needs to be marketed better to the US fan or that Sidney Crosby is the face of the new NHL. To his credit, he has taken on the responsibility of this onerous task and is very open with his time.

The point I’d like to make is that the NHL and hockey people in general should say is either you’re with us or against us. The game will never reach certain segment/demographics in the US and the NHL should realize this and market the game to the established fans and established markets. The idea that NHLers playing in the Olympics will somehow make fans out of Joe Smith watching an Olympic game in Arkansas and then have him turn around and become a Florida Panthers fan is foolish.

The league also has a problem with fighting as far as not marketing it but also not really distancing itself from that aspect. The point here is that they should either offer up suspensions if you fight or better yet, market that aspect of the game. The reason being if you go to YouTube and do a search for hockey the number 1 through about 10 videos are all fighting related. So, the NHL should embrace that aspect and market it, obviously it’s what a certain segment of the established fan base likes. I don’t necessarily agree with it but it’s like smoking, gambling or drinking… some people like it and if that is why they are watching hockey, then so be it, market the game to them. Maybe they’ll eventually come around to the realization that hockey is a game of finesse, team work and skill and that those traits win hockey games, not one’s fists.

So, Mr. Bettman and Mr. Dailly, market the game to the people you can reach, those who are somewhat interested in the game and then market the skill of the game but also the goon aspect of the game…give the people what they want.

My next post will talk about the marketing that I am doing with my upcoming Hockey book.

Thanks for reading!

Howard Shapiro

www.hockeyplayerforlife.com

howard.shapiro@hotmail.com

866.520.4286