I Have An Idea… Quit Blaming Compliance

“Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can.” – John Wooden   

Your ability or inability to build a brand has nothing to do with your compliance department. It’s not their fault, please stop using them as an excuse. So many of us default to “can’t” or the cult classic: “well, that’s not how we’ve done it in the past.” Get out of your own way. Rules, money, resources, time, history, donors, the excuses go on and on. It’s much easier to find reasons not to do something, maintain the status quo, than it is to find ways to make things happen, shake it up. The same can be said for any industry. This mentality isn’t unique to NCAA athletics; every industry is infested with negativity at all levels. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work with some amazing minds that urged me to never come to the table with a problem without an accompanying solution. So I urge you to do the same.

Not every idea thrown your way is going to be within the rules of compliance, but that doesn’t mean the genesis of that idea is dead. If you can’t activate plan A within the rules, audible to plan B, while still accomplishing your goals.

I’m driven by the desire to constantly push the envelope. Finding a new and better way of doing something brings me a great sense of accomplishment and keeps the fire burning. Because of that, I’ve never approached an idea or concept with an all or nothing mentality. I know full well there will always be reasons why plan A doesn’t work. I’ll do my best to forecast those issues and solve for them. But, in those cases where I’m confronted by an unexpected barrier, the last thing I will do is take my ball and go home. Rather, disappointing or not, I’ll go back to the proverbial drawing board and reconfigure the idea until it fits within the approval boundaries, while never losing track of the ultimate objective.

I’m admittedly obsessed with the idea of inviting celebrities to openly support NCAA programs and attend games. But, never fail, the first response I get when I throw out that idea, includes the words “compliance” and “issue.” Having worked in the industry for years, I understand the consternation and I’ve felt it. The last thing people want is to be responsible for a school losing scholarships or an athlete losing eligibility. Knowing that, how do we take the intent of the idea and play within the rules? If having celebrities on your sideline during the game is illegal, what are your other options? Before you answer, take a step back and remind yourself of the objective. Everything starts there. What exactly are we trying to accomplish by associating your brand with a celebrity? First, it’s to absorb the equity that celebrity has built for his or her own brand. Think about the Toronto Raptors and their relationships with Drake. I would argue that the Drake brand is stronger with high school athletes (an important target for your program) than the Raptors brand; which means every time Drake is seen courtside, the franchise gets a lift within that demo. Cool by association. The same holds true for a strategically chosen celebrity ambassador for your program. It’s not celebrity for the sake of celebrity, be strategic and choose wisely.

 

Secondly, in order to absorb that equity, we simply need to give the impression that said celebrity loves your program enough to attend your games.

Lets pause right there.

If those are our goals, sideline access becomes unnecessary. Interaction between the celebrity and the athletes becomes unnecessary. Given the objectives, we should have no problem staying with the rules. We live in a Twitter world and Twitter is driven by photography and video. All we need is visual evidence that the celebrity attended your game (ideally, regularly attends your games) and openly supports your program (ideally, donning your logo and colors with pride). Is it illegal for Ashley Judd to attend Kentucky basketball games, covered in blue? To consistently show her passion for her school? Doesn’t seem like it. Is it illegal for Bill Murray to root for Xavier at the NCAA tournament? I don’t think so. But, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read or heard about Ashley Judd at a Kentucky game, not a bad look for the program. And, I have to think Xavier appreciated the coverage they received from the New York Post, Entertainment Weekly, ABC News and Sporting news, all thanks to Murray’s attendance and passion for the team. Would you turn down that type of coverage? I wouldn’t. PR is the lifeblood of a brand; influencers can get that blood flowing.

If rules stop you from plan A, move on to plan B. There’s always a way.

 

“I Have An Idea…” is a series written for College AD by the author of Brands Win Championships, Jeremy Darlow.