Ailene Voisin: PR lesson is in order for the WNBA
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Have you seen her?
Funny you should ask.
The WNBA's own 2006 marketing slogan -- Have you seen her? -- raises more questions than awareness. The answer is probably, no, you haven't seen her, or certainly, not enough of her. But Lisa Leslie is no Valerie Plame. None of these women works undercover. For the better part of a decade now, Leslie has been tussling with Yolanda Griffith. Ticha Penicheiro has been chasing Sheryl Swoopes. Katie Smith has been trying to pick the pocket and brains of diminutive Dawn Staley.
New stars have been born. Some stars have given birth.
Yet while the league concludes its 10th anniversary season -- congratulations, and here's hoping for a long, fulfilling life -- the WNBA still struggles with the fundamentals. It hasn't found its pick and roll. Attendance figures have declined for four consecutive years, and while the numbers improved appreciably in the final weeks of this season and throughout these playoffs, the search continues.
Who are the fans? Where are they? Which owners will spend millions to ensure another decade? And what do you do with the ones who won't? Take away their franchises but relocate them where? Bentonville, Ark., is being discussed and might be an appealing alternative. If Bill Clinton could draw a crowd by working rope lines and kissing babies, so can Donna Orender and Joe Maloof and the disappointingly detached Jeanie Buss.
"The league has to continue to aggressively market not only the league, but our players," Orender insisted. "We have unbelievably interesting, charismatic athletes, and I think we have to work harder to get them out front and center, so people can really identify with them."
In other words, who wants to attend a party if you don't know the people throwing the bash?
Yet the reality is that the league's stars can be found only occasionally on TV. Manipulate the remote long enough, and you might glimpse a score or an ESPN highlight, and in special circumstances, say the best-of-five Finals, you might see the games on ESPN2. Frankly, that isn't good enough, certainly not when the solution is sitting right there in all those empty seats.
More television exposure.
More exposure, period.
Ladies, please introduce yourselves. A decade into the process, too few spectators can pick you out of a crowd.
"It's an absolute shame," said former Detroit Pistons great Joe Dumars, shaking his head, while observing Griffith at a recent practice, "that I can look out onto the (practice) floor and not easily recognize an athlete of her caliber. I saw her in person for the first time last night. I had no idea how incredible she was. … I couldn't take my eyes off her. While I am a fan of the WNBA, Sacramento plays on the West Coast, and I guess there aren't enough games on television."
Or enough images of players on billboards and buses.
Or enough player sightings, period.
"We can do better in the grass-roots area," the Sparks' Leslie said. "Maybe if we went to Target and the whole team signed autographs. Television is one way. I believe our local (Los Angeles) media could do better. What happened last night at the Sparks game … that's really hard to find out in our local community. There are some other communities that do a better job. Sacramento, you can see highlights on the local TV. I believe we need to do more within the radius of our cities."
Granted, while the talent and skill levels have leaped immeasurably this past decade, women's pro basketball isn't for everyone. Some demand their dunks by the dozens. A significant listening/viewing audience also apparently relates to the dismissive rantings of Jim Rome, the radio and ESPN television talk show host who bashed the league last week. As Orender concedes, with some guys, you'll never win; it's better just to just turn down the volume.
"I guess the one thing I want to know is why people who take shots at the league seem so mad," a miffed Orender said. "Why is there so much anger? I don't understand it."
Nonetheless, while Rome burns, Orender is left to create her own new world, one that will include playoff telecasts on local stations, give WNBA teams priority for postseason arena dates, and secure a greater commitment regarding marketing/promotion from franchise owners. This is a worthy cause, and one terrific show. But you have to see it to buy into it.
=====
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317893p-15237781c.html
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Have you seen her?
Funny you should ask.
The WNBA's own 2006 marketing slogan -- Have you seen her? -- raises more questions than awareness. The answer is probably, no, you haven't seen her, or certainly, not enough of her. But Lisa Leslie is no Valerie Plame. None of these women works undercover. For the better part of a decade now, Leslie has been tussling with Yolanda Griffith. Ticha Penicheiro has been chasing Sheryl Swoopes. Katie Smith has been trying to pick the pocket and brains of diminutive Dawn Staley.
New stars have been born. Some stars have given birth.
Yet while the league concludes its 10th anniversary season -- congratulations, and here's hoping for a long, fulfilling life -- the WNBA still struggles with the fundamentals. It hasn't found its pick and roll. Attendance figures have declined for four consecutive years, and while the numbers improved appreciably in the final weeks of this season and throughout these playoffs, the search continues.
Who are the fans? Where are they? Which owners will spend millions to ensure another decade? And what do you do with the ones who won't? Take away their franchises but relocate them where? Bentonville, Ark., is being discussed and might be an appealing alternative. If Bill Clinton could draw a crowd by working rope lines and kissing babies, so can Donna Orender and Joe Maloof and the disappointingly detached Jeanie Buss.
"The league has to continue to aggressively market not only the league, but our players," Orender insisted. "We have unbelievably interesting, charismatic athletes, and I think we have to work harder to get them out front and center, so people can really identify with them."
In other words, who wants to attend a party if you don't know the people throwing the bash?
Yet the reality is that the league's stars can be found only occasionally on TV. Manipulate the remote long enough, and you might glimpse a score or an ESPN highlight, and in special circumstances, say the best-of-five Finals, you might see the games on ESPN2. Frankly, that isn't good enough, certainly not when the solution is sitting right there in all those empty seats.
More television exposure.
More exposure, period.
Ladies, please introduce yourselves. A decade into the process, too few spectators can pick you out of a crowd.
"It's an absolute shame," said former Detroit Pistons great Joe Dumars, shaking his head, while observing Griffith at a recent practice, "that I can look out onto the (practice) floor and not easily recognize an athlete of her caliber. I saw her in person for the first time last night. I had no idea how incredible she was. … I couldn't take my eyes off her. While I am a fan of the WNBA, Sacramento plays on the West Coast, and I guess there aren't enough games on television."
Or enough images of players on billboards and buses.
Or enough player sightings, period.
"We can do better in the grass-roots area," the Sparks' Leslie said. "Maybe if we went to Target and the whole team signed autographs. Television is one way. I believe our local (Los Angeles) media could do better. What happened last night at the Sparks game … that's really hard to find out in our local community. There are some other communities that do a better job. Sacramento, you can see highlights on the local TV. I believe we need to do more within the radius of our cities."
Granted, while the talent and skill levels have leaped immeasurably this past decade, women's pro basketball isn't for everyone. Some demand their dunks by the dozens. A significant listening/viewing audience also apparently relates to the dismissive rantings of Jim Rome, the radio and ESPN television talk show host who bashed the league last week. As Orender concedes, with some guys, you'll never win; it's better just to just turn down the volume.
"I guess the one thing I want to know is why people who take shots at the league seem so mad," a miffed Orender said. "Why is there so much anger? I don't understand it."
Nonetheless, while Rome burns, Orender is left to create her own new world, one that will include playoff telecasts on local stations, give WNBA teams priority for postseason arena dates, and secure a greater commitment regarding marketing/promotion from franchise owners. This is a worthy cause, and one terrific show. But you have to see it to buy into it.
=====
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317893p-15237781c.html
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