And So It Begins With the Sponsors
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 3, 2008 11:18 AM EDT
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PrintLast night, on LPGA on GNN, I talked about how ridiculously wrong Carolyn Bivens' assertion is that this English communication policy on Tour would be for the financial betterment of the Tour and its members in terms of sponsors.
Then, this morning, I saw on Geoff Shackelford's page that I was already being proven right.
State Farm isn't too happy with this policy.
"It's something we are dumfounded by," said Kip Biggs, media-relations specialist at the insurer, which is a general sponsor of the league as well as of the State Farm Classic Tournament in Springfield, Ill. "We don't understand this and don't know why they have done it, and we have strongly encouraged them to take another look at this."
Apparently, the LPGA didn't bother to inform the sponsor community about this development before it happened.
Mr. Biggs, however, said State Farm was unaware that the LPGA was contemplating any such policy.
It seems like that was a bad idea. It now puts sponsors on the defensive because, if they remain as a Tour sponsor, they are tacitly approving of this policy. I would imagine a number of companies do not want to be a part of that.
The folks at State Farm will take this into consideration for future sponsorship. See?
"We're looking at all of our options, but we would hope it would not come to [ending the partnership]," he said. "But this policy does concern us greatly, and as you could imagine, when [the sponsorship] comes up for review, it's something we'll take into account when we look at either re-upping or walking away. We made that commitment, and we're going to honor it, but we reserve the right to re-examine our sponsorships. Right now we have just let them know that this is something we are not pleased with."
Realize you made a huge mistake in planning, execution, and delivery and know it may cost you millions in revenue and sponsorships? I'm so there. (The only picture I can find below.)
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squarely on Beth Ann Baldry's dome
This whole mess has snowballed thanks to the bad reporting of Beth Ann Baldry. She reported a story that she had only second hand knowledge on – then proceeded to ask a bunch of liberal types about her half-story – which got them all riled up – and now State Farm is rethinking its sponsorship because of a hysterical overreaction to a poorly reported story.
Baldry was NOT in the room when this announcement was made to the Koreans. Baldry did not report the story for FIVE DAYS after the meeting. Baldry did NOT talk to the Korean players – she asked such linguistic and economic experts as Hilary Lunke – a part time player on tour at the moment because she had a baby.
Personally, I am writing a letter to State Farm – my insurance provider – to let them know that I will be pulling my insurance with them if they pull their sponsorship of the LPGA based on lazy and inaccurate reporting.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Lazy reporting and politics too
Obviously the reasons given for the new policy could be construed to point back to the sponsors themselves. After all, if the sponsors are perfectly happy with the current situation, then there was really not much need for a policy change.
To me, this reaction is nothing more than finger pointing so they can say, “whoa, whoa, whoa! We’re happy with the way things are and we don’t want to appear bigoted so it’s Bivens’ fault!” Unfortunately, in today’s politically correct climate, companies don’t have the luxury to appear to not fully brace diversity and inclusion and all the kumbaya stuff floating around these days. The alternative is to have every advocacy group in existence nipping at its heels.
State Farm must use English only for its marketing in USA.
well, I’m telling my folks and friends to pull their membership because of supporting English only in LPGA.
Guess what I’m receiving letter from State Farm Insurance in Korean, and I know they are using Chinese, Russian,…………
How hypocrite they are.
I believe it’s what American Cooperate really is. Follow where money is.
Serious question to Court and DE...
…I’d love for you to tell me why all of the blame is on Beth Ann Baldry for this?
http://www.golfweek.com/story/lpga-english-news-082508
What is lazy about the story? I don’t think this is inaccurate with what’s going on in this story. She said Korean players were gathered. They were. The policy explained is accurate. She said the Tour would issue a more detailed statement. It did (posted on Geoff Shackelford’s blog to the players and on the LPGA site to everyone else.)
I don’t think that Baldry really got it wrong at all. I think it was the reaction of everyone to it that took it too far with charges of xenophobia, racism, etc. If you’re going to place blame for the blow out reaction, blame the commentators.
BTW, looking back on the story and then State Farm’s reaction in Ad Age, I found this quote from the piece very curious:
Kate Peters, executive director of the LPGA State Farm Classic, supported the news. "This is an American tour. It is important for sponsors to be able to interact with players and have a positive experience."
DE, totally agree with you that the State Farm reaction comes because they were blindsided by this. They simply cannot come out and blanket endorse this because of that reason.
one more time...
….I’ve made this point ad nauseum. Baldry wrote the initial story without getting the full story. She wrote it without being in the room – none of the media were there. She waited five days before putting it out, but didn’t bother to get anything from the Tour or the players. She wrote the story without talking to the Korean players whom she mistakenly believes are being discriminated against even though they are not complaining. The player she spoke with was that great Korean star – Hilary Lunke.
Her second article, though she denies the opinionated nature of it, is a list of reactions to a story that had not been completely told – especially by her – and was heavily biased towards her flawed and irresponsbile opinion. At least 2/3’s of the responses she put in the second article are from liberal, politically correct people who have no connection to the tour, but have plenty of bizarre “you need to do things the way WE want you to do them” opinions.
The FACTS of the situation are very plain – even a cursory look at the LPGA tells you that they are struggling to keep sponsors – and this issue of communication is not a small, or even a new one to the corporations that are paying the freight for the tour. There is no arguing the point – though these unattached “sources” and their utopian feel good “ideas” give it their best shot. The best they can do is say how they think things SHOULD be – ignoring how they actually ARE.
Baldry gets the blame because she lit the first match, which lead to other “brilliant” opinion pieces such as the one in the Orlando Sentinal that tries to compare the LPGA to the KKK.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
You really haven't
Made this point much. Again, I’m going off of the initial story here. I did browse her follow up but thought it was useless, so I’m not able to comment on that.
But, would you have expected her to be at the meeting? No, that’s absurd. She quoted multiple players in all of her pieces that I’ve read, at least, that are ok with and not ok with the policy. Go back and read the initial piece. Seon Hwa was in it and said she was totally cool with the policy.
Seon-Hwa Lee, a two-time winner in 2008, thinks everyone "can do a simple interview." She works with an English tutor in the winter and plans to brush up for the evaluation. Her ability to answer questions without the help of a translator has improved immensely during her short time on tour.
"The economy is bad, and we are losing sponsors," she said. "Everybody understands."
She had Angela Park and Se Ri Pak in the piece who both understood the relevance. Again, this doesn’t seem lazy to me, or all that unbalanced.
With that said, it is YOUR opinion that HERS is “flawed and irresponsible,” right? I feel your logic is flawed in your own retort. That doesn’t mean I can blame you for valuing money over people. I do agree that you cannot argue that the LPGA is struggling with sponsors and that this is the rationale for the policy. We wholly agree on that point.
Still, that doesn’t plainly draw the connection between implementing this policy and improving sponsor relationships. Not even close. There are way too many more factors involved – most out of the LPGA’s hands – than language.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 3, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
you betcha...
…it is MY opinion that her stories are flawed and irresponsible. She was not in the meeting – and no – she wasn’t invited – but she didn’t do even a halfway decent job in reporting the story. And how about that – I got you to go back and point out that there were three Koreans – 2 of the three talk good English ;-) – and none of the three felt discriminated against and agreed with the policy. But the overwhelming direction of the piece was Baldry’s own opinion that this policy is discrimating exclusively against the Koreans. WRONG – the MEETING was for the Koreans. The policy is for everyone. (I still want Michelle Wie to have to take the test if she ever gets a card) :-)
Seon-Hwa Lee gets the situation better than ANY of these liberal know-it-all groups – and that is where the story should end. If the players don’t see a problem with it – then there is no controversy.
And yes – it is the definition of irresponsibility to be a member of the media in a position like Baldry’s and report a story as poorly as she did.
I don’t know how much more plain I can make it – the LPGA depends heavily on player-sponsor-media relations. They are not swimming in cash like the PGA Tour. If the players cannot have a simple sociable conversation with sponsors, or cannot do a simple cliche filled interview with the media, or do a simple, yet innane “how do you feel” interview after winning yet another tournament – then the Tour is at a disadvantage. The fans are not passing the hat to pay the players after the tournament is over – they do not say “I don’t like that one – she doesn’t speak English – so I don’t want her to get as much money” – they have almost nothing to do with the size of the purse. That money comes from SPONSORS.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Baldry never reported
That the policy was just for South Koreans.
At a mandatory South Korean player meeting Aug. 20 at the Safeway Classic, the tour informed its largest international contingent that beginning in 2009, all players who have been on tour for two years must pass an oral evaluation of their English skills. Failure would result in a suspended membership.
But, again, I think we just disagree on if this thing would really matter and have real impact. The LPGA got to where it is today without this policy and I just don’t see it growing exponentially (or much at all) because of it. In effect, then, the LPGA Tour is using English proficiency as a scapegoat for an inability to make the product stick with sponsors and fans. There’s WAY more to it than that.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 3, 2008 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
"discrimination"
when you address an article to a meeting that included only one nationality – and never make an attempt to say that the policy is Tour wide – you insinuate that it is targeted only at the Koreans. Check those other “tens of stories” and you will find that many of them carry that same idea.
if you ignore the fact that sponsors are leaving the Tour and don’t make EVERY effort to keep them or bring in new ones, you essentially doom your Tour to collapse. This is just a step – not a solution to all ills.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
She mentions it.
At a mandatory South Korean player meeting Aug. 20 at the Safeway Classic, the tour informed its largest international contingent that beginning in 2009, all players who have been on tour for two years must pass an oral evaluation of their English skills. Failure would result in a suspended membership.
Not all Koreans or all Asians playing the Tour. All players.
Others may have had incorrect interpretations of Beth Ann’s piece, but it is clear that she said all players.
If you think that the Tour needs to exhaust every avenue to improve the sponsorship situation, then what else can the Tour do that will have a bigger, less offensive impact?
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 3, 2008 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
MANDATORY South Korean player meeting
the ONLY nationality mentioned in the article is Koreans – which is what lead to so many other articles that say that ONLY the Koreans were targeted.
the players haven’t made an issue of it – so it is not “offensive”.
The Tour needs to get a better TV deal – The Biv was a little beligerant with the last one – she thought she could dictate to the networks how they should broadcast the LPGA. The broadcasters basically laughed at her and she ended up with events broadcast on VS and whatever that Canadian network is that carried the Canadian Open…RSN ? It doesn’t have to be some monster deal – it just needs to be on a network people can find.
Just a personal idea – the Tour should stop expecting one major sponsor for an event. FInd a way to have multiple sponsors for an event to split the costs of being title sponsors. Easier to ask 2 or 3 companies for a few hundred thousand, than to demand that one company pony up a million.
Use more of the players to get the word out – you can’t just depend on Paula Creamer or Natalie Gulbis and her amazing frame to be the faces of the tour. Yes – sex sells – but they aren’t the only hot girls on tour — oh wait – some of the others DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH ! Annika Sorenstam was a complete bust in commercials – not entirely her fault – she is shy and not exactly a ball of personality and energy – but don’t stop pushing the girls who do have a little more excitement in their personalities. If it takes special training like the NBA and NFL give to their rising stars and draft picks who can’t speak intelligible English – then arrange it. Larry Bird was a HUGE project – but he turned out pretty well.
STOP depending on Michelle Wie. She is persona non grata until she decides what she wants to do. She will get her 6 invites – but no more special treatment. Until she grows up – she is a distraction and a detraction from the rest of the tour when the media keeps screaming that only Wie can “save” the Tour. Nonsense. Wie has been drummed more often than not in LPGA events – and her high finishes are not wins. She has ZERO wins – don’t make a big deal out of her until she decides she wants to be a part of the tour.
I’m sure I could come up with more – but those pop off the top of my head right now.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
a couple more...
…someone needs to help Bivens out with her persona. She comes across as being very standoffish. She is an intelligent woman, but seems be very defensive – granted, she brings it on herself quite often. Hootie Johnson was demonized for having a similar public persona – and even though he was completely in the right, he was made the butt of all kinds of jokes in the media because he didn’t agree with THEM. Lighten up a little, Biv. The LPGA is a big corporation – but at it’s most basic level, it is just golf. Have a LITTLE fun with it. Even that silly “These Girls Rock” tag is supposed to evoke fun.
It doesn’t matter what you do – and I’m going to get smacked around for this – but it is women’s sports. It is men’s sports that get the lion’s share of attention and money. Women have extra avenues they can take with their lives – they can quit, get married, have kids and be a stay at home mom or work from home. Men don’t have that option – men who quit are seen as losers who can’t compete. Women professionals DO take their jobs seriously – but not as seriously as men because men are expected by society to be more locked into their careers and more stable. You don’t see men in their 30’s wanting to quit and become a chef when they still have years with millions of dollars still at hand.
When Annika played The Colonial, she came out with a completely different outlook on preparation and practice. She worked on her fitness and her short game. Most of the women on the LPGA still don’t have very good short games even from a technique standpoint.
And this business of allowing caddies to line up shots has GOT to go. Talk about looking like you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing. If you can’t aim yourself – how good are you really ? This is a professional tournament – not a playing lesson from the local teaching pro. Learn your craft.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
difficulty of getting interviews
Eric Adelson’s ESPN story shows why we haven’t seen many quotes from international players—particularly those of Korean descent:
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/columns/story?columnist=adelson_eric&id=3566159
I think the Patti Rizzo story has lessons for the LPGA:
by The Constructivist on Sep 4, 2008 3:19 AM EDT reply actions
I love ESPN
Media interviewing media. But this guy did a better job than a lot of writers who are supposed to know about golf and the tours.
Gee – do you think that Meena Lee just didn’t want to be spied on and be interrupted while she’s working out ?
Apparently the fact that most women in Asian cultures are raised to be a little more demure and quiet than American women, and tend to be pretty shy is a huge surprise to this guy.
I loved the Angela Park section. Korean EXTRACTION, born in Brazil, moved to the US in, what, junior high school ? This guy is shocked that she speaks English well.
And bringing up Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis – two players who were practically groomed to be in front of the public and the media. Pressel was a Golf Channel darling at the age of 12 – and Gulbis didn’t just get “hot” when she got her card. She has been a center of attention in public for quite a while.
It is very typical of ESPN to insert personal opinion in a piece that is supposed to be a reporting piece…“So even if Bivens is trying to help — and many Koreans agree with her on the need to learn English — this rule feels like a condemnation of the skills Koreans have worked so hard to master.”
Oh well – did a better job than a whole slew of “professional” golf writers.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
speaking of sponsors...
Bivens has given them a great reason for walking out on the tour and being celebrated for taking a stand against a bad policy!
http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2008/9/4/this-is-our-oxygen-its-that-important.html
by The Constructivist on Sep 4, 2008 12:20 PM EDT reply actions
you lost me
you’re saying that Bivens INTENTIONALLY put out what you are calling a “bad policy” in order to get rid of these 6-9 tournament sponsors mentioned in the link above – and give them a chance to embarrass the tour by blaming this “bad policy” for their leaving the tour — based on a single paragraph pulled out by Shackelford ? This is not a bad policy.
By the way – I got a haircut today. The lady who cuts my hair is Korean born. She had a little bit of English in school in Korea, then moved to the States around junior high age. She had to overcome the cultural training that women should be quiet and demure – but she has learned excellent communication skills, has a great time with her customers, and is a very outgoing and bubbly person who has managed several shops and has a good clientel.
I asked her how much of her customer base she would have if she had remained shy and never learned how to communicate. She said less than half – and that less than 50% that would stay are Korean. Tough to stay in business that way.
I explained the LPGA situation and the rule – and she initially thought it was unfair. HOWEVER, when I explained how the LPGA does business and how the tour depends on sponsorship to have purse money – she immediately said that it was understandable and not that big of a deal.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
huh? why would Bivens do it intentionally?
And on the hairdresser story, did your city or state have a rule that she had 2 years to change? Or did she do it on her own initiative? If the answers as I suspect are “no” and “yes,” why should the LPGA do anything but keep providing tutoring and mentoring opportunities and leave the results to the players? I mean, whatever happened to personal responsibility for your own success?
Jeez, now you have me sounding like a curmudgeonly conservative! Thanks, CG!
by The Constructivist on Sep 4, 2008 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
like I said
2 years is not next week – tutoring and mentoring, plus the Rosetta Stone program – I’ve already added in whatever system the NBA and NFL use to teach their players to speak English so they can do commercials and interviews a little more comfortably.
And yes – she HAD to get better at her language skills or she would not have been able to deal with American customers. Yes – it was her choice — JUST like it’s a choice for these players to come to the LPGA and get their cards. They were not forced to come here.
Last time – if the players don’t have a problem with it – then it’s nobody else’s business.
I give up – common sense and facts don’t work – I’m done with the subject.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
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