It’s a pity that Ulster Rugby don’t have their new CEO in place for this weekend’s match against Stade Francais for if there is one team that can give out lessons in PR and marketing it must surely be the French giants.
Looking at the club and their current success it’s natural to think that Stade had it easy, big club, big city, they can only be a success, but in reality they spent just under 50 years in the lower divisions of French rugby, until entrepreneur Max Guazzini took over in 1992, overseeing a rise to prominence, which saw them return to the elite division in just five seasons, and capture four French championships in seven years.
Quite simply Guazzini wanted to make it happen. He’s quoted as saying, “I want to build a club for Paris, for the people, of which it can be proud”. Substitute Ulster for Paris and that is exactly the attitude that Ulster Rugby requires.
Having said that, there is a lot to be proud of within Ulster Rugby already. To miss quote the League of Gentlemen it is, “a local team for local people” packed as it is with local players, and it has a proud and impressive heritage out gunning Stade Francais in historical success. It is however, in terms of marketing and revenue generation a minnow in comparison. You only have to look back to last season’s away fixture in Paris and the returning Ulster supporters luggage contained as much branded Stade Francais merchandise as it did Ulster Rugby logos. Despite, or because of, the garish headlining strips it is a fantastic success story and one which Ulster must try to emulate if we are not to slip further down the European ladder.
Guazzini did not build the brand overnight and did not build it solely through on field success. When Ulster played Stade in 1999 the French team were only in their second consecutive season in the top flight, OK they had won it in 1998 but that was their first championship in 90 years, but when they appeared in Belfast in January 99 they already had that touch of glamour about them.
No, success was important, but Guazzini built his rugby empire around giving the Parisian rugby public a club to call their own of which it is proud, a club with style and panache, built, I suspect in his own image!
Let’s hope some of “Mad” Max’s style and panache rubs off on the committee responsible for appointing the committee responsible for appointing the committee responsible for appointing our new CEO responsible for marketing Ulster Rugby.
There are now less than 1000 tickets left for the visit of Stade Francais. Click here to buy tickets online, call the ticket office Mon-Fri 10am to midday on 028 90 493222, Option 2 or buy from one of our usual outlets around the province.
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5 Responses to “A touch of class!”
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Well if Ulster starts wearing pink shirts and Ravenhill has pink goalposts, I’ll not be buying a replica kit.
Anyway, not sure our players would look good on a nude calendar, but I’m not an expert on that.
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You are well behind times Gary, pink is the new black and Ulster Rugby players did do a nude calendar a few seasons ago.
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Pink Gin is the new sin better than yon bootleg stout in the beer tent
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Pink champagne is more likely if Mad Max is in town. He sent over a few bottles to the FRU Choral Singers in the clubhouse at Stade Jean-Bouin last season.
Not that the FRU can be bought and produce a nice puff piece a year later!
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If remember, and I stand to be corrected if i’m wrong as there was much beer swilled that day ! – the pink champagne did soothe our throats for a moment or so, but then they asked us to repeat all the songs again !! so of course we oblidged
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