Stan Lee will Kill Hockey

I’m a Jackets fan. Truly am. I like to see the hometown team work hard and hopefully win. But more than that, I am a fan of the game. I love hockey, plain and simple. More than the cat, on par with the wife. So I truly rejoice when the game has its rare transcendent of pop culture moments such as the Winter Classic, Olympic Hockey, etc. That being said, I am not a fan of is the way that the game has been marketed (aka pimped) in its attempt to boost ratings, sales or public awareness.

So its with regret that I inform you of the birth of the newest future NHL marketing FAIL, also known as Guardian Media Entertainment, LLC. Long story short, they are parnering with X-men/Spiderman creator Stan Lee to create 30 new “team inspired” superheroes to “engage our fans and to introduce new fans to hockey”. Just wait, there’s more:

"“I’ve always believed that every great plan starts with a great story,” Lee said. “In the creation of Guardian Media Entertainment and its unique and unprecedented relationship with the NHL, I truly believe we have the perfect combination from which to launch 30 new superheroes and excite young fans around the globe.”-Stan Lee"

Oh please! The NHL doesn’t understand relevance when it comes to its marketing. Marketing is not just about telling people the game is out there, it’s also about telling them why is important and convincing them why they should think it’s important. Slapping pretty-boy Crosby up on a promo doesn’t honestly sell quasi or potential fans on WHY they should take hockey and the NHL seriously.

Great examples of this failing are well documented. The Hyukataki (Comet) Puck overlay was intended to “help” fans “see” the puck; it alienated core hockey fans and looked like a performance of “Star Wars on Ice”.  Referee and goalie helmet cams were added to get the “in game feel”, however poor resolution (the 60’s moon landing  transmissions were clearer!) and the inevitable confirmation that the referee’s don’t call it even IF there is PROOF that they SEE it only wrought more frustration. Throw in pink jerseys, stick swinging Lego players, and the carisma of Jaromir Jagr and you have a pretty good idea of how the NHL misses the point.

A better description of NHL marketing ignorance is actually “missing the boat”. Of the 4 major sports, the NHL seems to make the least of every grand opportunity to market itself. One prime example happened this summer.

Kevin Weekes set off a firestorm of popularity on twitter with a chance meeting and photo op with Justin Beiber in a Toronto airport lounge. It’s one thing if Weekes tweets about Bieber, but the true importance was that JB tweeted to his myrid of fans that they should follow Weekes’ twitter feed. In the hours afterword, Weekes following was growing by over 1000 per hour. Kevin Weekes was suddenly RELEVANT to non NHL fans. The lack of any true response by the NHL to this event is what was most appalling.

Don’t misunderstand, I don’t want JBieber singing it up at the next All-Star Game. However, he IS a hockey fan and has actually played the game. Couldn’t the NHL do something a bit more proactive? How about a Bieber meets the Kings special on NHL network? A sponsorship agreement when he performs in an NHL city? Keep your opinion of what you think of his music, etc… but if JB thinks hockey is relevant, than his followers will think its relevant. That’s how celebrity endorsement really works.

An even better example is the complete lack of an action plan for the additional exposure and popularity the Olympic games brought this past winter. The NHL’s reaction was no reaction. Instead of capitalizing on another great Olympic tournament that made both US and Canadian players relevant, the NHL  was openly discussing if there would even be NHL players playing in the next Olympics. Post-Olympics, there was scant discussion linking Olympic hockey to the NHL in the public consciousness. Another missed opportunity and a reaction that seems to imply the NHL brass were unprepared to actually SUCCEED.

THe NHL has plenty of excuses to why the game is hard to promote: hockey is a team game, the players wear helmets, the game is hard to understand at first. I say shenanigansto that. I don’t like comparing leagues but I will here; one only has to look at the NFL to see true promotional success while overcoming these same obstacles. The difference is that the NFL demonstrates to its audience (and potential audience) WHY it is RELEVANT. Why Susan Doe and Johnny Homemaker should watch. Why it is an event to watch either in person or on TV.

This comic book stuff is a BAD idea for the NHL (especially franchises like Columbus), and the marketing “geniuses” at the league offices should know better. This type of marketing will not create inroads in the key demographics where the NHL is suffering, and it will possibly embarrass or alienate current fans. But to hear them talk about it, they seem to be selling themselves on this idea. Think about the people in your office that try and BS you. They probably spout quotes like these:

"“To be in business with Stan Lee and to be able to bring his latest superheroes to our fans is incredibly exciting to all of us at the NHL,” – Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President, Marketing, for the National Hockey League.“To have the machine of the NHL, Stan Lee as an equity partner and the combined vision of all is the ultimate power play,” -Adam Baratta, GME Chief Creative Officer."

Read further and you get the sense the Stan Lee side stands to gain more from this deal than the NHL does. Sure, the NHL gets exposure, but at the expense of its dignity.

What is Columbus’s hero going to be? Mr Blue Jacket? Major Misfire? Jackets fans are already embarrassed enough without a team avatar wearing tights.