Spring Break
The WNBA's new marketing strategy
Sara Gwin
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: Forum
In 2007, she won the SEC Player of the Year title after leading her team to a National Championship and winning the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
This past year, she carried her team to another national championship and won another Most Outstanding Player award.
Parker is one of the most jaw-dropping, amazing players - gender aside - on the basketball scene today. Her outstanding talent has led many to believe she would revolutionize women's basketball by drawing in that much-needed audience.
Adidas' head of global public relations for basketball, Travis Gonzalez says she is, "probably the best female player ever," but then goes on to say, "On the other side, she's an attractive girl. She's a beautiful young lady and she has a savvy sense of fashion."
We are talking about Candace Parker - whose numerous awards, accolades and unprecedented talent apparently isn't enough to just sell her as an athlete - the fact that she is a beautiful woman is still important for marketing her.
But let's get back to the WNBA.
In defense of this new marketing direction, the vice president of player personnel, Renee Brown, stated:
"You're a woman first. You just happen to play sports. They enjoy dressing up and trying on outfits, where back in the day, everyone just wore sweats. Call it what you want. We're just celebrating their womanhood."
So what is her definition of "womanhood?" It sounds a lot like she is suggesting true womanhood is the adherence to traditional gender roles. So these women will break their role as woman to become athletic like men, but then return to their natural "womanhood," which consists of makeup and fashion?
And for the women in the league who aren't that into wearing makeup or being fashionistas - on top of their extensive training - they will have to step it up in the feminine department to better the image of the WNBA.
What they are getting at here is that "womanhood" is their sexual availability to men.
This past year, she carried her team to another national championship and won another Most Outstanding Player award.
Parker is one of the most jaw-dropping, amazing players - gender aside - on the basketball scene today. Her outstanding talent has led many to believe she would revolutionize women's basketball by drawing in that much-needed audience.
Adidas' head of global public relations for basketball, Travis Gonzalez says she is, "probably the best female player ever," but then goes on to say, "On the other side, she's an attractive girl. She's a beautiful young lady and she has a savvy sense of fashion."
We are talking about Candace Parker - whose numerous awards, accolades and unprecedented talent apparently isn't enough to just sell her as an athlete - the fact that she is a beautiful woman is still important for marketing her.
But let's get back to the WNBA.
In defense of this new marketing direction, the vice president of player personnel, Renee Brown, stated:
"You're a woman first. You just happen to play sports. They enjoy dressing up and trying on outfits, where back in the day, everyone just wore sweats. Call it what you want. We're just celebrating their womanhood."
So what is her definition of "womanhood?" It sounds a lot like she is suggesting true womanhood is the adherence to traditional gender roles. So these women will break their role as woman to become athletic like men, but then return to their natural "womanhood," which consists of makeup and fashion?
And for the women in the league who aren't that into wearing makeup or being fashionistas - on top of their extensive training - they will have to step it up in the feminine department to better the image of the WNBA.
What they are getting at here is that "womanhood" is their sexual availability to men.
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