Sports-washing is getting a lot of discussion right now. Deservedly so.
The World Cup and LIV Golf are breathing current air into a topic that has been around for a long time. Many will point back to the 1936 Olympics as the beginning of using sport as a cleansing process to appear in a better light on a large stage. We’re pretty sure the practise of Sports-washing was around long before that as well but, without a doubt, the Berlin Olympics were the first effort inside such a huge event.
When FIFA President Gianni Infantino stepped to the microphone on the eve of the World Cup this week to defend his host site decision, he decided to pull out a multi-millennial reference to the long history of abuses and human rights issues across the history of Europe as his discussion point.
Ultimately any country will owe some answers and apologies if you look back far enough, and hard enough.
But let’s return to current times because this is where we at CulturaliQ are working toward to the greater good of aligning with Sport. Not at International events or on the Rink boards at NHL games but at the dinner tables and in the Family rooms of 1st and 2nd generation immigrant families here in Canada. If you are in the business of Sport in any capacity, you need to work to be a part of the discussion at all these dinner tables.
This isn’t a situation where sport is the end-goal for those choosing to cuddle up with a chosen space. In this case, sport is the vehicle for these new Canadian families to select for the all-important role of helping them take one of their initial steps into the Canadian community landscape. Their new Canadian family brand positioning if you will. It’s a bit emotional. A bit calculated and with a larger purpose in mind. The purpose of navigating their respective paths into their new community and National cultural environment.
Whether you are a Governing body or an equipment retailer or just a shareholder in a telecom Company invested in Network Sport presentation – you are overdue to get your influence introduced to these millions of personal decisions. Why, because they are only made once.
Will the family lean into the more familiar spaces of Soccer or Cricket? Or will they choose to enroll in hockey, golf or curling? Keep in mind – the choice is their investment. They are committed for a good while, if not permanently, by their initial one-time decision of what sport to support, participate in or become a fan of.
They’re building their Canadian personal brand and if you aren’t there fighting for your place it will be very easy to leave you behind.
CulturaliQ. We’ve been at the corner of immigration and introduction for 3 decades. Access our data and our in-culture strategies to ensure your introduction is culturally correct.
