By now most have heard about the alleged “deflating” of footballs by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The immediate backlash against the team and its coach can be found in most sports-related blogs, papers, and electronic media, mostly negative towards the team.

If you were to ask me about the Patriots reputation or brand, it’s not a warm and fuzzy one. They’ve been known to skirt the rules, fielded a player currently facing murder charges and have a coach that would probably prefer a root canal without anesthesia rather than speak with the media. The reputation is very “win at any cost” and the latest controversy falls in perfectly with that feeling.

Is that the reputation the owner and team want to portray? They haven’t done much to counter that image and if you ask their fans, they probably don’t care as long as they keep winning. Does it matter what the rest of the league and fans think?  Probably not. In the sports/entertainment industry, it’s better to have an identity or brand (chose the term you want) than to blend in to the background. There are several teams in the league without much of a distinct brand or reputation (quick, what’s the reputation of Jacksonville?)

Could the Patriots counter the “hit” the latest controversy? Possibly, but they have not built much “good will” among other fans or the media. The bigger question is do they want to? My guess is that deep down, they don’t, as it “fits” in with their current brand. Turning around that image now would be difficult and against the brand. The current issue is not expected to dramatically affect their reputation in such a way that it would hurt profits.

But the Patriots are just the latest in a long list of negative reputation hits the entire league has taken in the past twelve months, from the mishandling of various domestic violence incidents to the pressure to change the name of the Washington Redskins. The reputation of the league and some specific teams has been under siege but it seems that as long as the dollars keep rolling in, the reputation is not taking enough of a beating to warrant concern.

The problem is, most companies are not the financial juggernauts like the NFL and at some point, negative press can affect the reputation and bottom line (particularly for consumer companies). A good strategy is to identify your brand and employ tactics that build a positive reputation with employees, your customers/constituents and the community you serve and create a “good will” band. You can’t put a dollar figure on good will, but if there is an issue that may negatively affect the company, consequences could be lessened through the good reputation you have demonstrated.

RTC