PR Nightmares!

Had a discussion on the Leicester City match thread regarding the club's PR strategy of late inspired by the mind boggling and insulting announcement just minutes after that humiliating defeat to Leicester City to announce a new CEO. What is it about the football club, or the all round PR and 'online engagement' strategy that makes them think that we will lap this sh*t up? This week has been absolutely vintage by their standards with the PR department in full firefighting mode pithily combating the righteous anger that has stemmed from the supporters in the aftermath of that terrible defeat.

Just look at the daily interventions by the players and coaching staff since that defeat, rolling out the usual pre made statements banging on about how we 'must do better' and the usual claptrap which wouldn't be so insulting if it weren't be trotted out for about the zillionth time under these current owners. A brief look at the official website will lead us to such well meaning headlines as:

"Simon Mignolet: We've got to look forward and not for excuses"

"Lallana: It's time to stand up and be counted"

They've even got old legends in on the game!

"Luis Garcia: Reds must look forward, not back"

"Sami Hyypia: Reds must stick together and trust themselves"


And yet just days before the Leicester City, Mignolet (LFC OFFAL favourite) was rolled out banging on about how 'Team ethic is making us harder to face'...I sh*t you not! Now I know in this age of media it's impossible to be silent and you must be seen to be saying something because saying something equals doing something...right? So that should excuse their strategy and all that? Does it f**k.

How many times have we gone through this cycle in the last few years? Win spectacularly - posture big. Lose pathetically - cower apologetically. And repeat. Only that it becomes even more depressing when just minutes later the social media stooge hits send to a link of videos reminding us of all the wonderful goals and great moments of years that seem more distant than ever - Fernando Torres smashing it into the top of the net from a tight angle, Gerrard scorching one in from 30 yards or Reina flying down to his left to save another penalty during the good days, an act of online activity so self defeating in that it only makes us compare it to the latest dropped bollock by Mignolet or yet another selfish scuffed slither of a shot by "Barca bound" Coutinho.

And then there's the fan engagement which descends into parody, just like a few weeks back when they got fans to design promo in conjunction with the whoring out of the latest Hollywood popcorn flick. I mean...just look at the state of this. Not surprisingly supporters were quick to point out that we hadn't actually won a league game in 2017 when this monstrosity was spread around the internet providing more embarrassment for us fans than if John Henry himself had accidentally tweeted a dick pic for all to see.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/829426578115350528

This false deification of the players continues into match day. Like when LFC on Facebook alert us to the arrival of the big red bus. 'THEY'RE HERE!' they exclaim. 'WHERE?!' we all excitingly scream...or so they imagine. Yes that's right Beatlemania had nothing on this sh*t. Because these players are just such hot property at the moment that we just CRAVE to see them trudging off the bus, headphones on, sporting serious faces as they convincingly march their way to another heroic defeat to a relegation threatened team.

It feels misguided at best, infantile at worst. When you see your team revert back to the squalid averageness that has become the norm in the last few years it's hard for me or anyone to lap up the 'celeb' appeal of this. We're supposed to sit back and suck in the 'remorseful' attitude from the 'players' and that we will absolutely get on board with the notion that they are going to 'learn from this' and 'stand up'...for about the 1000th time in the last 7 years or so. All the while thinking that we care enough to fangirl over them.

Speaking to other fans, it seems that there's a distance between team and supporter that has never been bigger. Even at the heights of the start of the season we still couldn't be bothered to roll out a song for them that is on a par with 'Steve Gerrard Gerrard' or 'Luis Garcia, he drinks sangria'. And while performances and a lack of charisma on the field may have a lot to do with that, FSG's PR and engagement strategy to whore these players out to advertisers galore, trot out pre prepared media statements and generally put them on a pedestal which they haven't deserved has probably contributed to this distance than anything else. And we wonder why the atmosphere at Anfield has been so funereal of late?

Just because these guys 'play for Liverpool' they continue to think that that is good enough for us. We are essentially 'thickos', an ever present sample of guinea pigs to conduct market research on and feed us the latest sh*te because after all we're just 'consumers' aren't we?

This isn't a f**king Simon Cowell manufactured boy band. We're not brain dead idiots who will buy into and believe any old sh*t. This is Liverpool FC. We deserve better and FSG could make a start by not insulting our intelligence and love of the club by sledgehammering it's ghastly and cringeworthy PR on us.

Couldn't agree more with every word, top post, would plus 10 if I could.

Definitely something that needed saying and very well said indeed.

 

Agree completely. Every time I see those headlines from players on how we must do better (after a loss) or how we could beat anyone (after a win), I cringe hard. The only words I wanna hear from the team are either from the manager or the captain. Who bloody cares what Mignolet thinks.

Couldn't agree more with every word, top post, would plus 10 if I could.

Definitely something that needed saying and very well said indeed.

 

Credit to Skip on the Leicester match thread for really making me focus on this aberration. Something that's been building up over a while now and only now have I decided to try and untangle it.

Great post FMS,I've always been a firm believer in the motto 'actions speak louder than words' so redmen
'Do your talking on the pitch'.

All true man, on a similar but different note, 1 that got me was just before kick off we had Adam Lallana rubbing Nivea in his shiny face in yet another advert and after the result the first advert was Klopp chatting sh*t about football for the benefit of Victor Chandler.

Back to the original point, when did we (the club) become so F***ing cringey and annoying? Who is actually entertained by this puerile drivel.

All true man, on a similar but different note, 1 that got me was just before kick off we had Adam Lallana rubbing Nivea in his shiny face in yet another advert and after the result the first advert was Klopp chatting sh*t about football for the benefit of Victor Chandler.

Back to the original point, when did we (the club) become so f**king cringey and annoying? Who is actually entertained by this puerile drivel.

I'd say it started with 'Being Liverpool'. We thought that was as bad as it got. We were wrong.

I simply can't follow the club on social media any more. We are the butt of many a joke and deservedly so. If it were any other club doing this I'd be pissing myself with laughter. Bet Victor and Nivea ads as you mentioned just reinforce the point further. Even more insulting when they continue to get broadcast AFTER a humiliating loss.

Had a discussion on the Leicester City match thread regarding the club's PR strategy of late inspired by the mind boggling and insulting announcement just minutes after that humiliating defeat to Leicester City to announce a new CEO. What is it about the football club, or the all round PR and 'online engagement' strategy that makes them think that we will lap this sh*t up?

The official outlets have no choice but to tow the party line.  Website, social media, TV station.  Because of the official nature it is devoid of any real debate, criticism or highlighting mistakes.    It's all pretty much the 'legends' giving the same old spin before showing a clip of Jason McAteer taking a shot at a robot in Hong Kong.

It does cater to a specific audience and that audience, weirdly, is probably not the die hard supporter. 

As for the PR announcement re: Mr EA Sports minutes after we got beat - well where do you start.  In fact the only possible motivation I can think is that they wanted everyone to forget about the game and wonder why our PR department are such F***ing clowns?

If that was the motivation - congrats because it sort of worked. 

Bravo, it had to be said.

Over saturation is what it is - mediocrity being thrown at us from all angles, it's like David Walliams being all over the f**king telly, only this time it's our beloved football club which is being whored out.

Who our representatives on the field in past history dictates, and maybe somewhat distorts our impression and expectations of the current flimsy bunch (that includes the apparent 'world class' players like Coutinho, the abject weakling he is).

When they try to act all heroic, it's because we've seen this from past players and they've proven it. But all they're doing is desecrating the words and deeds of our true heroes who, when they stood up and said something, would deliver and not disappoint.

The players and FSG quite frankly are making a mockery of this great club.

I doubt the FSG stooges will have anything to respond to.

For many years the club has traded (and so have many of us, to be fair) on long-past glories.

I think FSG and its PR dept realise that's worn a bit thin since the last big trophy in 2005, so they've decided that the most marketable aspect of the club is the 'boy band' players.  It's laughable to other club's fans, especially those with more recent glories to exploit.  I'd be laughing too if it didn't turn my stomach.

The far east and middle east markets are being opened up to our club, and FSG are throwing every PR stunt they can to keep LFC current and 'relevant'.  Until we win something worth shouting about, I too wish the players would only appear in kids magazines until they run out on the Anfield pitch to play. 

Also, shouldn't there be some rule against current players and managers promoting betting sites?  It just feels wrong.

Great thread.

I'd say it started with 'Being Liverpool'. We thought that was as bad as it got. We were wrong.

I simply can't follow the club on social media any more. We are the butt of many a joke and deservedly so. If it were any other club doing this I'd be pissing myself with laughter. Bet Victor and Nivea ads as you mentioned just reinforce the point further. Even more insulting when they continue to get broadcast AFTER a humiliating loss.

Yeah, agreed.

Personally I dont go on the official site, not been on there in about 5 years, too sanitised for me.


Same story with the channel. Not going to get any good debates on there with Fenway owning the bloody thing, so its all about small talk, hot air and bullshit, sandwhiched in between tedious 'funny' features and segments like rejected soccer am ideas.

I'm a miserable c**t and can't be doing with forced, false fun so it's not for me.

Again not entirely sure who finds it all entertaining but there are that type of weird fan out there i'm sure.

Maybe just not look at the offi site then? it's not really aimed at the wasp chewing, arms crossed,been there done that types is it?they wanna engage the kids,the merch buyers,those that wanna belong to the" lfc family".it's f***in sh*te but it is what every club pretty much does.

Great post FMS, it's getting almost cringey now, then you add in the almost daily LFC are looking at this and that player.
When was the last time we signed a player who we have allegedly followed for 6 month?

FSG must have Peter Mandelson advising them!

Maybe just not look at the offi site then? it's not really aimed at the wasp chewing, arms crossed,been there done that types is it?they wanna engage the kids,the merch buyers,those that wanna belong to the" lfc family".it's f***in sh*te but it is what every club pretty much does.

Maybe these cu*ts could stop hijacking the club and turning it into an all american cringe fest.

Every day i get a message off somebody, a manc, a bitter, even blackburn fans about something else embarrassing we've bloody done.

Maybe just not look at the offi site then? it's not really aimed at the wasp chewing, arms crossed,been there done that types is it?they wanna engage the kids,the merch buyers,those that wanna belong to the" lfc family".it's f***in sh*te but it is what every club pretty much does.

What sort of adult allows their kids on facebook and twitter with all the sh*t that is going on there? Not many so there's very little audience for it. And as far as I'm concerned, when I was a kid, the best way for me to engage with Liverpool was actually following them with each match not feeling the need to be patronised by the online sh*t of superimposing their faces on the body of Matt f**king Damon

'How did you become a Liverpool fan?'

'Because I clicked on a link online and there were these ex pros doing Kung fu fighting which made them look like a Steps tribute act'

Said no one ever.

It is NOT a case of simply refusing to 'click the link' or read the players 'reactions'. This is all about how the club is presented and the falsities that come with it. We all CARE about this club.

Maybe these cu*ts could stop hijacking the club and turning it into an all american cringe fest.

Every day i get a message off somebody, a manc, a bitter, even blackburn fans about something else embarrassing we've bloody done.

 

wah, some one sent me a nasty message,kin'ell.

 

wah, some one sent me a nasty message,kin'ell.

Nobody sent you a nasty message, don't be such a soft lad.

What sort of adult allows their kids on facebook and twitter with all the sh*t that is going on there? Not many so there's very little audience for it. And as far as I'm concerned, when I was a kid, the best way for me to engage with Liverpool was actually following them with each match not feeling the need to be patronised by the online sh*t of superimposing their faces on the body of Matt f**king Damon

'How did you become a Liverpool fan?'

'Because I clicked on a link online and there were these ex pros doing Kung fu fighting which made them look like a Steps tribute act'

Said no one ever.

It is NOT a case of simply refusing to 'click the link' or read the players 'reactions'. This is all about how the club is presented and the falsities that come with it. We all CARE about this club.

 

If ya don't wanna be offended by what the club puts out don't read it,i had no clue about that wall photo till you posted it.it's F***ing shockingly sh*te but i'm not gonna bust a ball over something that is clearly not aimed at me.I don't think what the club is doing is any different to any other club,look it doesn't sit right with me either, i never liked that they put newspaper rumors on the official site but ya can't ignore the hoards of people that like that  stuff. life's to short to worry about this stuff.

Had a discussion on the Leicester City match thread regarding the club's PR strategy of late inspired by the mind boggling and insulting announcement just minutes after that humiliating defeat to Leicester City to announce a new CEO. What is it about the football club, or the all round PR and 'online engagement' strategy that makes them think that we will lap this sh*t up? This week has been absolutely vintage by their standards with the PR department in full firefighting mode pithily combating the righteous anger that has stemmed from the supporters in the aftermath of that terrible defeat.

Just look at the daily interventions by the players and coaching staff since that defeat, rolling out the usual pre made statements banging on about how we 'must do better' and the usual claptrap which wouldn't be so insulting if it weren't be trotted out for about the zillionth time under these current owners. A brief look at the official website will lead us to such well meaning headlines as:

"Simon Mignolet: We've got to look forward and not for excuses"

"Lallana: It's time to stand up and be counted"

They've even got old legends in on the game!

"Luis Garcia: Reds must look forward, not back"

"Sami Hyypia: Reds must stick together and trust themselves"


And yet just days before the Leicester City, Mignolet (LFC OFFAL favourite) was rolled out banging on about how 'Team ethic is making us harder to face'...I sh*t you not! Now I know in this age of media it's impossible to be silent and you must be seen to be saying something because saying something equals doing something...right? So that should excuse their strategy and all that? Does it f**k.

How many times have we gone through this cycle in the last few year? Win spectacularly - posture big. Lose pathetically - cower apologetically. And repeat. Only that it becomes even more depressing when just minutes later the social media stooge hits send to a link of videos reminding us of all the wonderful goals and great moments of years that seem more distant than ever - Fernando Torres smashing it into the top of the net from a tight angle, Gerrard scorching one in from 30 yards or Reina flying down to his left to save another penalty during the good days, an act of online activity so self defeating in that it only makes us compare it to the latest dropped bollock by Mignolet or yet another selfish scuffed slither of a shot by "Barca bound" Coutinho.

And then there's the fan engagement which descends into parody, just like a few weeks back when they got fans to design promo in conjunction with the latest whoring out of the latest Hollywood popcorn flick. I mean...just look at the state of this. Not surprisingly supporters were quick to point out that we hadn't actually won a league game in 2017 when this monstrosity was spread around the internet providing more embarrassment for us fans than if John Henry himself had accidentally tweeted a dick pick for all to see.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/829426578115350528

This false deification of the players continues into match day. Like when LFC on Facebook alert us to the arrival of the big red bus. 'THEY'RE HERE!' they exclaim. 'WHERE?!' we all excitingly scream...or so they imagine. Yes that's right Beatlemania had nothing on this sh*t. Because these players are just such hot property at the moment that we just CRAVE to see them trudging off the bus, headphones on, sporting serious faces as they convincingly march their way to another heroic defeat to a relegation threatened team.

It feels misguided at best, infantile at worst. When you see your team revert back to the squalid averageness that has become the norm in the last few years it's hard for me or anyone to lap up the 'celeb' appeal of this. We're supposed to sit back and suck in the 'remorseful' attitude from the 'players' and that we will absolutely get on board with the notion that they are going to 'learn from this' and 'stand up'...for about the 1000th time in the last 7 years or so. All the while thinking that we care enough to fangirl over them.

Speaking to other fans, it seems that there's a distance between team and supporter that has never been bigger. Even at the heights of the start of the season we still couldn't be bothered to roll out a song for them that is on a par with 'Steve Gerrard Gerrard' or 'Luis Garcia, he drinks sangria'. And while performances and a lack of charisma on the field may have a lot to do with that, FSG's PR and engagement strategy to whore these players out to advertisers galore, trot out pre prepared media statements and generally put them on a pedestal which they haven't deserved has probably contributed to this distance than anything else. And we wonder why the atmosphere at Anfield has been so funereal of late?

Just because these guys 'play for Liverpool' they continue to think that that is good enough for us. We are thickos, an ever present sample of guinea pigs to conduct market research...because after all we're just 'consumers' aren't we?

This isn't a f**king Simon Cowell manufactured boy band. We're not brain dead idiots who will buy into and believe any old sh*t. This is Liverpool FC. We deserve better and FSG could make a start by not insulting our intelligence and love of the club by sledgehammering it's ghastly and cringeworthy PR on us.

Wow! That really is from the heart and to be frank, absolutely spot on! The gap grows ever bigger, because your average supporters may earn 20k a year, but these primadonas are on frankly obscene money, so how can they "connect"?

To the majority of players, it's a job, albeit a F***ing good one. How many actually play for "their teams" though?

These players aren't just players anymore. They see themselves as celebrities and they love it!

Nobody sent you a nasty message, don't be such a soft lad.

 

Nah mate,i meant you getting upset cos ya mates were sending ya messages,that kinda stuff ain't worth bothering about is it?

 

If ya don't wanna be offended by what the club puts out don't read it,i had no clue about that wall photo till you posted it.it's f**king shockingly sh*te but i'm not gonna bust a ball over something that is clearly not aimed at me.I don't think what the club is doing is any different to any other club,look it doesn't sit right with me either, i never liked that they put newspaper rumors on the official site but ya can't ignore the hoards of people that like that  stuff. life's to short to worry about this stuff.

Again, it's about how the club is presented, because WE CARE.

 

Nah mate,i meant you getting upset cos ya mates were sending ya messages,that kinda stuff ain't worth bothering about is it?

They're not nasty it's just ammo in the battle to take the piss out of each other, and sadly for me Fenway keep loading the bullets with their cringeworthy sh*te.

It's not important but it just goes to show a lot of people are picking up on how cheesy we have become.