Our Point of Difference

Get on board or get out of the way!

The Black Ferns' recent success at the Rugby World Cup has been a fantastic and well-publicised story.

What they highlight is that the next generation is here.

Get used to it. You might even enjoy it.

I'm interested in the success of the Black Ferns - not just because of the one-off 'feel-good' factor but because of what it tells us about how our society is changing and what future success could potentially look and feel like.

There are many lessons that can be applied to the business world.

The definition of success has not changed; it just has a different personality.

The Kiwi Personality – Our Point of Difference

Rugby is a team game, but there is no denying the appeal and importance of individual personalities and the entertainment they provide.

And there is no better example of that than Ruby Tui.

There are now numerous examples of where her personality has brightened interviews that are often cliche-driven bore fests. Even better, Tui is conducting herself in a uniquely Kiwi way.

The rugby establishment might struggle with it, but having a crowd spontaneously burst into 'Tutira Mai Nga Iwi' at Tui's instigation tells us a lot about the real audience for this team and how much the Kiwi personality has changed over recent years.

Our Kiwi form of multiculturalism is what makes us unique.

It's a point of difference which you can't buy.

When you combine that with excellence, it becomes an unbeatable and unique brand that can succeed internationally.

Without that uniqueness, your brand will only ever be generic and, even worse, easily forgotten.

The Establishment vs The Up and Coming

What I find fascinating is how the Black Ferns are challenging the norm of what could be called 'the rugby crowd' and some of our society-held views.

A test in point - how do you react to this statement?

"The Black Ferns should be paid the same as the All Blacks."

Personally, I find the potential responses telling.

There are those that go straight to NO. And then proceed to find every reason under the sun as to why it cannot happen. There is something to protect, a feeling of being threatened, and a demand to acknowledge the importance of the men's game.

Then there are those that go straight to YES. And proceed to look past all the (current, not future) realities that go with a situation.

Personally, I believe the real answer lies in a question: under what circumstances could the Black Ferns be paid the same (or more!) than the All Blacks?

And that is where it gets interesting.

If NZ rugby was an investment or business, I think I might find selling the Women’s game easier.

The men’s side could be considered a cash cow, but where is the growth coming from?

Perhaps there are even elements of it that could be considered a sunset industry. The sentiment is that it is hard to be enthusiastic about men’s rugby across the board. Participation is dropping, and I imagine it’s also harder on the club side as well.

On the other hand, the women’s game has excitement to it.

Where there is excitement and entertainment, the people will follow. Eden Park sell-outs will lead to international series home and away.

The games will have their own standing independent of the All Blacks, like the World Cup. You could argue that this is your exciting start-up business with an exponentially high future value!

And a key part of your start-up is talent (the players) and how you manage it.

It seems to me that the Black Ferns are part of a wave of new talent that is in the extreme growth phase. Clearly, we now know there is a market.

Part of the challenge is for the administration to get the most out of what it has and, more importantly, what it could be.

Big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond?

One of the first things I do when a Kiwi has some form of success is to look for what the overseas media are saying about it.

It's great to positively impact the local market, but that will only ever be very small compared to the wider international market.

While there might be a significant victory in itself that mainstream TV is finally having some coverage on sports news, the real test is whether anyone overseas is taking notice.

There is a reason why the All Blacks have to travel each year to the Northern Hemisphere at full strength, whereas Northern hemisphere teams only do so occasionally and very rarely at full strength.

It's all to do with the market and the size and strength of the mighty dollar (or pound!).

It's about the money, but it's not about the money.

A common theme with success is that those outside the team (or business) have little or no understanding of the effort, dedication and sacrifice that has gone into the success.

As I often say to my clients - 'after 20 or 30 years of really hard work, you have become an overnight success!'.

Almost without exception, the underlying success factors are the same – hard work, innovation, teamwork (even for individual competitors) and excellence.

Yes, you need money, but money in itself does not solve problems.

For that, you need a talented team and a sense of purpose. And, ideally, some personality.

And that is something the Black Ferns have in bucket loads.

If you’re not convinced to get on board, let the numbers speak for themselves.

Rugby came to NZ in 1870.

The ABs first played in 1903.

Rugby turned professional after the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.

In other words, 152 years to get where we are today with men's rugby.

The Black Ferns only started in 1991. In only 31 years, they have sold out Eden Park, won 6 world cups

...and have a better winning percentage than the men's team (85% to 76% approx!).

To reiterate: Get on board or get out of the way.