Sport is a matter of old rum. It’s one of the few industries that inspires fanatical passion among the people who work in it and those who don’t. The only other fields I can think of that enjoy the same public appeal at the same volume are music and the arts.

I love that so many people are so inspired by the sport, the only downside is that everyone feels like they know something about the industry. They probably do to some degree (either by explaining the 4-4-2 rule or understanding the importance of TV rights or licensed agents), but that doesn’t make them fit to guide brands looking to take advantage of sports opportunities to promote their business interests. .

Lots of agencies claim they “do sports,” but that doesn’t mean they really understand sports PR; the result of this is that we see customers being sold a puppy every day. It still amazes me that you go to conferences and hear ‘experts’ from sports PR firms claim that the UK should adopt an American model for match day entertainment. Anyone who has ever been to a major sporting event in Britain knows that this is not how the British enjoy their sport. Sure the cheerleaders and bands before games are mildly entertaining, but they invariably play for about 1/5 of the crowd. British fans arrive in their seats about 10 minutes before kick-off and usually leave as soon as humanly possible after the final whistle. Forget entertaining them at halftime, as they’ll be at the bar, in the bathroom, or chatting with anyone within a three-seat radius of them.

I’m not suggesting that navigating the sports sector is rocket science, but it’s a pretty complex setup. Few people really understand the complex. Consequently, strong connections and understanding each other’s mindsets take you much further, much faster. Any tenacious sports PR agency will be able to do everything they can to get you there eventually, but the sheer effort it will take will mean your budget isn’t being put to good use. When you wonder why you’re not making the progress you expected (or were promised), don’t be surprised if you’re presented with a time sheet showing how many account hours have been invested. This will be true, but you have to keep in mind that you could be funding the agency’s learning curve.