All publicity is good publicity

[Randal7]

Any form of publicity is fine as long as it cultivates presence and visibility.

I’ve long believed that to be true in business; yet, with Rutgers football, I have felt slighted and sore when journalists use our name as fodder.
Not anymore!

This latest round of the Rutgers name being invoked as exhibit A in what’s wrong or distorted about conference realignment and big time money wagging the dog on big time athletics has convinced me that our name has some inherent intrigue.

We’re alot of complex things as a football brand, but fundamentally Rutgers and the state of NJ (which have strong brand association) are that thing people love to hate. So let’s give them that! Let’s play the role.

We are that unsavory character at the ball. We’re the attitude amidst the pageantry. We’re that guy who no one knows how he got invited to the party and we’re all bewildered by his irrational confidence.

I now embrace our name being invoked. Good. Let’s be that brand. Let’s kick the door down (loosely quoting JPO) and crash this party.

Having a rep beats having none. Having a presence in peoples consciousness beats having none too

 

[fsg2]

"hubris-tastic?!"

What a f*cko.

 

[brgRC90]

Win and people stop being petty. It's a sad statement but it's fact. Until then there's nothing you can do. Glad for our basketball team, though.

 

[Randal7]

Win and people stop being petty. It's a sad statement but it's fact. Until then there's nothing you can do. Glad for our basketball team, though.

The point I’m making is — I think it’s good. Let them use our name in their petty ness. Let the hate run through them (Darth Vader)

 

[mdk01]

Not the unsavory character. Larry Kroger at the Omega rush.

 

[brgRC90]

The point I’m making is — I think it’s good. Let them use our name in their petty ness. Let the hate run through them (Darth Vader)

They're mocking us. I don't think they hate or really care.

 

[Randal7]

They're mocking us. I don't think they hate or really care.

Mocking is OK though. People mock the view. It’s still resides in the societal consciousness. It’s still relevant.

 

[brgRC90]

Mocking is OK though. People mock the view. It’s still resides in the societal consciousness. It’s still relevant.

They mock us because they don't think we belong. That, however, baffles me because certainly a lot of other programs, like Kansas, have been far worse than our team has

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Oregon is coming to Rutgers? That's great!

What are the odds this guy crashes a lambo in the alps? Or his kia in LA?

 

[pmvon]

I like the f u altitude. Count me in.

We don’t belong? FU
We created football. We are hotbed of football talent. We bring NYC eyeballs were a 5 billion dollar a year operating state university ranked top 20 public. It’s only a matter of time before we start beating the best just like we have in hoops, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling. FU

 

[Randal7]

I like the f u altitude. Count me in.

We don’t belong? FU
We created football. We are hotbed of football talent. We bring NYC eyeballs were a 5 billion dollar a year operating state university ranked top 20 public. It’s only a matter of time before we start beating the best just like we have in hoops, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling. FU

Exactly!!!

 

[Plum Street]

I like the f u altitude. Count me in.

We don’t belong? FU
We created football. We are hotbed of football talent. We bring NYC eyeballs were a 5 billion dollar a year operating state university ranked top 20 public. It’s only a matter of time before we start beating the best just like we have in hoops, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling. FU

As of now , we don’t belong

 

[TRU2RU]

As of now , we don’t belong

FU

 

[Plum Street]

FU

Truth hurts. But we control our own destiny

 

[rumikenike]

"They hate us cause they aint us"

 

[pmvon]

As of now , we don’t belong

Whatever. Pretty pathetic take. We belong. You saying it just perpetuates the nonsense.

 

[Randal7]

FU

That’s the spirit

Stfu with ur fugazy talk

 

[Randal7]

Truth hurts. But we control our own destiny

You missed it above… that’s the default response to everything now. Compliment or insult alike — FU is the response

 

[yesrutgers01]

There has been a history of these supposed elite conferences that have had long time losers. An those schools don't bring as much to the table as we do.
I get it- we are not drawing extra fans to the table because Rutgers is good or even just average- but th access to our market is insane. AND...let's see what happens if Rutgers actually does become average to good. This market explodes for all teams and conferences.

But- we also need Rutgers to understand that as well. Get under all these stories about money and debt. Almost all of it is still going to be there if we ever get moved down to 10 mil per year vs 100 mil per year. But drop down- it is there forever - embrace it and it is gone and all profit in very short order.

 

[yessir321]

Any form of publicity is fine as long as it cultivates presence and visibility.

I’ve long believed that to be true in business; yet, with Rutgers football, I have felt slighted and sore when journalists use our name as fodder.
Not anymore!

This latest round of the Rutgers name being invoked as exhibit A in what’s wrong or distorted about conference realignment and big time money wagging the dog on big time athletics has convinced me that our name has some inherent intrigue.

We’re alot of complex things as a football brand, but fundamentally Rutgers and the state of NJ (which have strong brand association) are that thing people love to hate. So let’s give them that! Let’s play the role.

We are that unsavory character at the ball. We’re the attitude amidst the pageantry. We’re that guy who no one knows how he got invited to the party and we’re all bewildered by his irrational confidence.

I now embrace our name being invoked. Good. Let’s be that brand. Let’s kick the door down (loosely quoting JPO) and crash this party.

Having a rep beats having none. Having a presence in peoples consciousness beats having none too

Nope…. This is not accurate at all and I’ll give 2 PRIME examples

Amber Heard and Jerry Sandusky

 

[Randal7]

Nope…. This is not accurate at all and I’ll give 2 PRIME examples

Amber Heard and Jerry Sandusky

Yeah. If you sexually assault kids and beat the shit out of ur husband, I agree, all bets are off

 

[yessir321]

Yeah. If you sexually assault kids and beat the shit out of ur husband, I agree, all bets are off

So we agree that not all publicity is good…

Those were just exceptions off the top of my head. This is a nice rallying cry post but in the football terms, until we win more than 1 conference home game in 5 years we will continue to be the butt of articles, jokes, etc and no, that is not good for business. Win and it’ll change, it’s that simple

 

[wheezer]

Any form of publicity is fine as long as it cultivates presence and visibility.

I’ve long believed that to be true in business; yet, with Rutgers football, I have felt slighted and sore when journalists use our name as fodder.
Not anymore!

This latest round of the Rutgers name being invoked as exhibit A in what’s wrong or distorted about conference realignment and big time money wagging the dog on big time athletics has convinced me that our name has some inherent intrigue.

We’re alot of complex things as a football brand, but fundamentally Rutgers and the state of NJ (which have strong brand association) are that thing people love to hate. So let’s give them that! Let’s play the role.

We are that unsavory character at the ball. We’re the attitude amidst the pageantry. We’re that guy who no one knows how he got invited to the party and we’re all bewildered by his irrational confidence.

I now embrace our name being invoked. Good. Let’s be that brand. Let’s kick the door down (loosely quoting JPO) and crash this party.

Having a rep beats having none. Having a presence in peoples consciousness beats having none too

I am looking forward for Oregon at RU

 

[Randal7]

So we agree that not all publicity is good…

Those were just exceptions off the top of my head. This is a nice rallying cry post but in the football terms, until we win more than 1 conference home game in 5 years we will continue to be the butt of articles, jokes, etc and no, that is not good for business. Win and it’ll change, it’s that simple

There are some basic hygiene factors that exist to make the statement true, yes. I didn't make this concept up -- this is like 100 years of marketing case studies that support the notion of "all publicity is good publicity". Perhaps you could write a HBR article to formally refute this universal truth

 

[Doctor Worm]

You missed it above… that’s the default response to everything now. Compliment or insult alike — FU is the response

Doesn't sound to me like a great way to go through life, but that's just me.

 

[Randal7]

Doesn't sound to me like a great way to go through life, but that's just me.

I agree… but alas, we’ve been boxed in on this one

 

[jordkap]

My favorite thing people say is when some idiot from Indiana says “Well, at least I don’t live in New Jersey”. I just laugh at the ridiculousness of the statement

 

[fsg2]

My favorite thing people say is when some idiot from Indiana says “Well, at least I don’t live in New Jersey”. I just laugh at the ridiculousness of the statement

Yeah, B1G country isn't exactly loaded with amazing states. Getting better with new additions, tho

 

[buffalochicken21]

I’ve worked in advertising for 15 years, I don’t believe the statement “all publicly is good publicity.”

In the case of Rutgers, I’m not even sure if winning will do it. Missouri went to two SEC championship games and still gets laughed at. If we could retain the success of say a Baylor, maybe.

Branding is more powerful than you think and harder to change than you think. Rutgers brand is the undeserving winner of conference realignment to basically everyone outside this board. I can assure you there is nothing good about the publicity we’ve gotten recently, as realignment has put it top of mind again.

I understand the OP’s idea of playing spoiler, villain and maybe one day challenger. It will take far more sustained winning than you think to earn that role, a decade at least.

 

[pmvon]

Yeah, B1G country isn't exactly loaded with amazing states. Getting better with new additions, tho

The BiG was becoming less relevant before they added RU and Maryland. Everyone was leaving nearly all of those states. They needed some cool kids like Jersey and the DMV.

 

[Randal7]

I’ve worked in advertising for 15 years, I don’t believe the statement “all publicly is good publicity.”

In the case of Rutgers, I’m not even sure if winning will do it. Missouri went to two SEC championship games and still gets laughed at. If we could retain the success of say a Baylor, maybe.

Branding is more powerful than you think and harder to change than you think. Rutgers brand is the undeserving winner of conference realignment to basically everyone outside this board. I can assure you there is nothing good about the publicity we’ve gotten recently, as realignment has put it top of mind again.

I understand the OP’s idea of playing spoiler, villain and maybe one day challenger. It will take far more sustained winning than you think to earn that role, a decade at least.

I agree with you. I think your post was terrific. My (semi passioned) plea was just to “own it” while we ascend because they’re going to keep saying it about us anyway… we can be indignant wussies about it or we can bring some attitude around it as a fanbase

 

[yessir321]

There are some basic hygiene factors that exist to make the statement true, yes. I didn't make this concept up -- this is like 100 years of marketing case studies that support the notion of "all publicity is good publicity". Perhaps you could write a HBR article to formally refute this universal truth

Ok, we’ll evaluate the results at the end of the season…

 

[Scarlet Jerry]

I don't believe that all publicity is good publicity. That is a broad statement. A certain newspaper publishing a hit piece right before football signing day cannot be construed as "good publicity" if it creates a false narrative and damages your brand. That statement may hold true in the entertainment field, but I don't think that it applies to colleges and universities, I believe that university presidents would agree with this statement.

Scarlet Jerry

 

[Randal7]

I don't believe that all publicity is good publicity. That is a broad statement. A certain newspaper publishing a hit piece right before football signing day cannot be construed as "good publicity" if it creates a false narrative and damages your brand. That statement may hold true in the entertainment field, but I don't think that it applies to colleges and universities, I believe that university presidents would agree with this statement.

Scarlet Jerry

Top line, I agree a hit piece wouldn’t help to foster good feelings in a prospective class of students. But, then again, the words Oregon vs Rutgers were there. So you embed that matchup in your conscience. Just a little. Any article featuring Rutgers also naturally promotes Rutgers.

I realize it’s not all good. I do. And I appreciate ur point