THE 3 LIONS VS THE MIGHTY SAN MARINO - "FEEL THE PRIDE + PASSION"

THE 3 LIONS VS THE MIGHTY SAN MARINO - "FEEL THE PRIDE + PASSION"

The amazing England football team face the mighty San Marino tonight and my Lord am I going to get passionate about this one!!

England, captained by the passionate, charismatic Wayne Rooney will, according to Tom Sheen of the Independent, face a team of "accountants, clerks, lawyers, factory owners and bar owners" tonight. Tom goes on: "San Marino are the worst team in international football, well joint worst!" San Marino rank 208th and joint bottom of the FIFA World Rankins having played 123 matches, won 1 and drawn 3.

Yet hearing Roy Hodgson talk this morning he said: "We can't guarantee a goal feast (sic)....It's all about performance."

Apparently the England team "has the burden of trying to attack". Oh dear...poor England! Mind you given the performance in Brazil attacking would be an achievement let alone scoring goals.

However, given that England have scored 13 goals against San Marino in their last 2 meetings I would politely ask that Roy gets off the fence and stops under-promising!!

And then I have got the FA banging out ads in press and radio about how England Fans should have " Pride + Passion" about their beloved side. Ah the joys of marketing insight!!

I am afraid that the national team's road back to being loved again is not going to be found in an FA-briefed ad campaign. Well at least not this one.

To be fair to the creative agency for this campaign, ("Futureproof", spot the irony regarding the England team's performance), the brief was always going to be nigh on impossible to meet given that England's run-out at the Brazil World Cup was their worst since 1957.

Apparently the FA is keen to bring fans and players "closer together" with the ad campaign with 3 strap lines: "Hopes and Dreams"; "Passion and Pride"; "Strength and Honour". It would seem that all 6 qualities are seemingly lacking in the national side and quite frankly the fans voted with their feet for the Norway friendly with an attendance of 40,000 - the worst attendance for an England international since the new Wembley opened in 2007. So I am curious to see how many turn up tonight in some British weather.

Back to the ads though and I fear product passion does not come from the brand owner, (The FA), telling the consumer (England die-hard fans) to love their brand  (The Men's national team).

"Love my brand !"

"Buy my product !"

"Buy more of my product !"

copyright Tom Fishburne www.Marketoonist.com

Ah if only brand marketing worked this way guys - where is the fan empathy? The fan reality? The fan insight...and add to that the manager education to convey that passion about the players and then the players themselves?

Where is the beating heart of brand "Team England"? Put it in black and white and post it several places and then everyone will believe. With an FA brand that isn't really a brand the dissonance is everywhere, and shown plainly buy a shocking ad campaign.

Tell great stories about England with amazing passion - don't tell fans to have pride in a product that is crap, in a product that doesn't work and currently isn't fit for purpose

In his excellent blog David Taylor of The Brand Gym Blog: http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/my_weblog/ 

David offers reams of amazing advice around passion; real, authentic branding; growing the core; re-launching brands...take note of the last point The FA.

So here are some "top of the mind" solutions for free guys...and trust me these took less than a minute because I am busy.

• FATV has 45,575 subscribers - This is poor so how about some decent content that shows the pride and passion of the players...and of the fans
• Crete a real fanzone - "The Home End" as the FA put it - but with more inspiring & passionate language)
• Create a virtual fanzone where real fans share what being an England fan is like....in adversity.
• Best moments in England's footballing history
• Ways to get close to the footballers - although let's face it they aren't the most eloquent bunch of individuals it would still benefit the brand
• Wembley still feels like a hulking concrete monolith so how about creating some passion there

I am a passionate England Fan, but I am also a marketer that uses insight to get to the real brand truth and I am afraid the FA marketing team are not there yet. I seriously hope England win tonight because if they don't.....

"If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten"