In the past couple of months, fans have been unforgiving to the NFL for its handling of discipline for domestic abuse cases, and rightfully so. Many arguments in protest of the league cite the perceived discrepancy between an initial two-game suspension for Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who in February beat his then-fiancé unconscious in an elevator, and an initial full-year suspension for repeat substance abuse violator Josh Gordon, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns.
No doubt, you have heard this story before.
What is new is a recent research study by YouGov that surveyed 15,000 consumers that found public outrage over the handling of these abuse cases has actually affected fan loyalty toward the NFL as a whole. Most interestingly, the research found that for the Brand Keys’ Sports Fan Loyalty Index, the NFL has dropped from first to third in brand loyalty since January, now trailing baseball and basketball. Translation: The NFL’s own fans have expressed higher allegiance to the NBA and MLB.
What’s more, the study also took a look at specific loyalty drivers for NFL fans. History and franchise tradition provide 33% of the fodder for loyalty fandom, followed by fan bonding, a team’s entertainment value, on-field playing style, and authenticity. The “authenticity” piece is 17% of the loyalty driver, and as an example, the Ray Rice incident falls into this segment.
The lesson is important for brands beyond the NFL: Entertainment, utility, and customer value cannot escape the critical ethical eye of consumer values. With 17% of consumer loyalty partitioned to brand authenticity, it is more important than ever for companies to understand the PR implications of their actions beyond product offerings, and get it right–the first time.