Link: Brand Differentiation
Josh Alper writes an interesting and well thought out reaction column to Greg Bishop’s feature on Woody Johnson from the New York Times on Saturday.
The final reason, one that probably ties all the others together, is the pecking order of New York’s football teams. The Jets hate the idea that they fall behind the Giants, but facts are facts and the Giants are the top dog in the region. Like any business that is trying to take on an established leader in their industry, the Jets have to make choices that differentiate themselves in a meaningful way because they can’t compete with a brand that is already so well established.
They’re doing an awfully good job of it. The Jets have made bolder personnel moves over the last few seasons, they’ve spent more time making themselves a niche on the back pages and they’ve made it very clear that they see themselves as brasher, younger and fresher than the Giants. It’s not a better way of doing business, per se, but it is a different way of business and it has gone a long way toward erasing the stigma of being the poor stepbrother in the New York football world.
Plenty of people will argue that it is all style and no substance. They wouldn’t be wrong, unless they were claiming that style doesn’t matter at all. It doesn’t make up for winning, of course, but there’s only so much control an owner can have over that part of things. Image, on the other hand, is right in Johnson’s wheelhouse and he’s made a very clear choice about what he wants the Jets to represent in New York.
14 Responses to Link: Brand Differentiation
-
greenie says:
“the jets were just as popular as the giants in the early 80’s.”
in the late 60s/early 70s they were more popular, iirc, and it wasn’t just the super bowl that was responsible.
-
starz31 says:
Winning cures all.
If we can duplicate the success of the Baltimore Ravens franchise since 2000, then I’m all for it. When you think of defense and running game, you think of the Ravens of the early 00′s. Thats the style and swagger Rex is trying to build here. Even now, with new coaches the Ravens still have that mold. They finally have a QB and some WRs, but regardless, they built a brand. -
Ben Nevis says:
“Plenty of people will argue that it is all style and no substance. They wouldn’t be wrong. . .”
I’d say there’s plenty of substance when you back up your style and your talk with the number one D in the league, and the number one rushing attack in the league, and when you get all the way to the AFC Championship game with a rookie QB, a rookie RB, and a rookie HC.
-
F-16 says:
The Giants have been around a lot longer then the Jets which gives them a bigger fanbase. Having said that I find them to be snobish when I talk to one of them about our teams. Like it was said in the 80′s the Jets fans are the working man’s team and the Giant fans are… well you know… snobs.
-
Joe B. says:
I second what Nevis said.
30 minutes away from the SB with a rookie QB and head coach is no substance? Remind me what the Giants were doing in January.
-
bernie says:
It’s absolutely style and no substance. Woody had his once in a lifetime chance to differentiate in the only way that possibly means anything – by bringing the Jets back to New York. Instead of making a pledge to do so by any means necessary, he put all his eggs in one very improbable basket – actually came close to doing it, but ultimately failed and his consolation prize is eternal second-banana status.
Congrats Woody. You’re a hell of a philanthropist, but as amateur a sports owner as there is.
-
Marvel says:
I really don’t see the problem with sharing a stadium or playing in NJ … Maybe it’s because I’m a little younger but the 60s 70s 80s I could care less about .. And I don’t hate the Giants I actually root for all NY teams .. Jets/Mets/ come first tho ..
-
I also have a bone to pick about the stadium deal. At the very least they should have went back home to Shea with the Mets who, by the way, were already planing to build there own new stadium.
-
Eddie DiGio says:
That is why I am a Jets fan…I get enough of the old school from the Yankees, even though the do business almost exactly like the Yankees in terms of going out and getting players they want and need to fill big roster holes…
I like the old rebel AFL mentality, the brash head coach and the aggressive defense and unrelenting run game. Pure smashmouth at its finest
Alper should be a little more patient…Rex has only been here one year and the guy got us just as close to a Super Bowl as Bill Parcells…as Jets fans, we need to realize when we got the real thing, just be patient, because Rex is that real thing
-
Shane L. says:
I heard an awesome comment earlier today about the difference between Giants and Jets fans and how they always want to rain on our parade and put us back in our place when we’re having success. They’re snobby fans, therefore:
“Giants fans are Mr. McMahon and Jets fans are Stone Cold.”
-
Lets be clear about one thing. This is not a Yankee/Met situation. The Jets have an enormous fan base. It’s alot closer than you think. Yes this is a Giant town. However, the Jets are loved dearly and deeply! Remember most people know of the NFL which came to life after Namath’s Super bowl win. Most people don’t care about the league before the AFL/NFL merger. The Jets are much bigger than you think.
-
johnsec.125 says:
mike, this is NOT a giant town. it is pretty much evenly divided. if it was a giant town, the jets would have relocated years ago.
-
Brendan says:
F-16,
The Mets were NOT going to share their stadium with the Jets. That avenue was explored but the Wilpons shut that down realllll quick.
____
As for the Giants town vs. Jets town thing. As much as I love the Jets, this is a Giants town still. I figure at any point in time 1/3 of the NY/NJ area fans are Jets fans, 1/3 are Giants fans, and 1/3 are fair-weather. Giants have had more recent success so I think they still have the majority of the fair weather fans.
he should have built his own stadium. that would have allowed him to really DISTINGUISH the jets as themselves. as for them wishing to become the “top dog” in town, all it takes is winning consistently. no matter what giant fans say, the jets were just as popular as the giants in the early 80′s. then they got parcells, and we got joe walton. and the jets have never recovered…… until now.