Red Wings Sell Out Their Brand (New Presenting Sponsor)

[Fugu]

As a life long Wings fan and outspoken person on the forum community, I couldn't care less.

I can't imagine ever finding myself rooting less for a team because their franchise partners with a controversial company. I don't know much about Amway, never really cared enough to learn anything about them, but this seems like a classic message board overreaction that happens whenever something happens that people don't like.

I don't like alcohol and I'm sure alcohol has done more damage to more families than Amway has, but I don't really think anyone cares that every team is sponsored by a business that supplies a beverage that ruins families and kills people every year. I realize the comparison will be shrugged off and thought of as irrational but whatever.

But sold out their brand? Hardly. If it makes you root less for the team, I feel sorry for you.

Yes, because every brand has another brand that is stamped by the first brand in every usage with the "presented by" schtick. Now poor Wings fans will be forced to accept Amway cosmetics and vitamins to boot. (On a serious note, has anybody here ever used their products?)

 

[Heaton]

Why do we have to accept it? "Presented by" means absolutely nothing to me.

 

[Fugu]

But you see this is just the start.

The Wings can now recruit other teams and get a cut of their sponsorship $$$s.

And those teams can recruit other teams and the Wings get a cut of their cut.

And those teams ...

Good one.

Why do we have to accept it? "Presented by" means absolutely nothing to me.

Well, every time you see the Wings logo now in any medium, you will see the other company's name under it. It cheapens it. I don't like the association.

You may not care, and that's fine. Your opinion is yours and you're free to state it. I think it sucks.

 

[MaskedSonja]

Yes, because every brand has another brand that is stamped by the first brand in every usage with the "presented by" schtick. Now poor Wings fans will be forced to accept Amway cosmetics and vitamins to boot. (On a serious note, has anybody here ever used their products?)

I had a couple of sample things given to me once-meh. Neither bad nor astounding quality (though the prices you'd think they'd be astounding) There are equal if not better products for cheaper at Walmart.

 

[MaskedSonja]

But you see this is just the start.

The Wings can now recruit other teams and get a cut of their sponsorship $$$s.

And those teams can recruit other teams and the Wings get a cut of their cut.

And those teams ...

AH-a loophole that avoids the CBA for extra financing from other teams "Say Toronto, we know according to CBA we can't trade salary, however, let me tell you about a little something that will put some extra money in your pocket outside the jurisdiction of the CBA"

 

[Fugu]

I had a couple of sample things given to me once-meh. Neither bad nor astounding quality (though the prices you'd think they'd be astounding) There are equal if not better products for cheaper at Walmart.

I just went to the website to see what they offered. I'm actually amazed they make money. There isn't anything there that you couldn't buy on Amazon.com, for example, at least judging from my quick look. It would seem that it's a model that would have worked in the pre-Internet age. I either go to a specific store where I know I can find X, or I use Google.

 

[FakeKidPoker*]

That's my opinion-- on the selling out of the brand.

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=587621&navid=DL|DET|home


This is supposed to add 'value'?

I can't believe something owned by Ilitch would stoop this low.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/09/amway_describes_tangible_intan.html



I think this is a first for an NHL team. As stated in the MLive article, it's more common in Europe. I guess jerseys/sweaters are next.

The Blackhawks have alot of this now too.

Blackhawks powerplay presented by Bud Light etc..

 

[Heaton]

Good one.




Well, every time you see the Wings logo now in any medium, you will see the other company's name under it. It cheapens it. I don't like the association.

You may not care, and that's fine. Your opinion is yours and you're free to state it. I think it sucks.

But not actually on the game jerseys just the practice ones, right? I guess it's annoying, but I've already accepted the fact a long time ago that teams will eventually have ads on their game jerseys.

We've already had the Belle Tire Powerplay the whatever hit of the game, the X company save(ings) of the game. Just seems like par for the course.

 

[Fugu]

The Blackhawks have alot of this now too.

Blackhawks powerplay presented by Bud Light etc..

That's different. The Wings had Belle Tire as a sponsor of powerplays, or the Arby's free fries if someone scored a hat trick. This is much more nefarious. Imagine all the places you see the Blackhawks logo--- TV, magazines, tickets, shirts, etc. Now stick another company's logo under the Indian Head in EVERY one of those situations, and also that company's ads/material all over your arena. I suppose I don't mind the arena presence and giveaways, but I believe I 'buy into' the Wings brand when I buy a ticket or their merchandise. I don't want another company's logo imprinted jointly with everything Red Wings. The only reason the jerseys are off-limits is due to the NHL restriction.

 

[Fugu]

But not actually on the game jerseys just the practice ones, right? I guess it's annoying, but I've already accepted the fact a long time ago that teams will eventually have ads on their game jerseys.

We've already had the Belle Tire Powerplay the whatever hit of the game, the X company save(ings) of the game. Just seems like par for the course.

Yes. Like I just said above, it's the NHL that makes the team game jerseys out-of-bounds. I'm sure Wilson would have sold that off too, and probably for peanuts.

 

[Heaton]

Yes. Like I just said above, it's the NHL that makes the team game jerseys out-of-bounds. I'm sure Wilson would have sold that off too, and probably for peanuts.

Oh, well that's good. Guess in a few weeks when I'm in training camp I'll see a lot of Amway stuff.

 

[Fugu]

Oh, well that's good. Guess in a few weeks when I'm in training camp I'll see a lot of Amway stuff.

We need to re-set your moral compass.

 

[Heaton]

We need to re-set your moral compass.

Haha. All I care about is watching the Wings and things related to that. Unless this affects the product on the ice my apathy meter goes through the roof.

/head in the sand.

 

[Xelebes]

I just went to the website to see what they offered. I'm actually amazed they make money. There isn't anything there that you couldn't buy on Amazon.com, for example, at least judging from my quick look. It would seem that it's a model that would have worked in the pre-Internet age. I either go to a specific store where I know I can find X, or I use Google.

They make most of their money from the promotional videos they sell to their distributors. A little charisma goes a long way.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Amway? Amway?

That's just flat out embarrassing. They couldn't find a more ethical sponsor, like say some accident law firm?

Seriously.

It's one thing to be doing such a thing (for that price I don't see it as worthwhile at all), but to be doing it with those pyramid scheming villains? Brilliant job. Slap a Ford logo under the Red Wings and I wouldn't care...but Amway? Ugh.

 

[Killion]

Yes, because every brand has another brand that is stamped by the first brand in every usage with the "presented by" schtick. Now poor Wings fans will be forced to accept Amway cosmetics and vitamins to boot. (On a serious note, has anybody here ever used their products?)

Yep. I had a brilliant & extremely eccentric Uncle who for reasons unknown to all bought into the cult of Amway several decades ago, filling his basement with tens of thousands of dollars worth of wet naps & such. So, every Christmas, Birthdays, for years & years we received Amway products because he couldnt sell them to save his life yet he continued to buy them, spending 100's of thousands attending Conferences, Motivational Courses...... Mind you, he was just a complete nutter anyway (and yes, it runs in the family). Aeronautical Engineer. Once released 50 Little Brown Bats in the cockpit of a TCA Turbo-Prop aircraft full of passengers at 10,000 feet just to see how their radar would work at altitude back in 42. Something to do with the War Effort. But I digress....

Anyhoo... back to the pond scum out of Ada who shame the good people of Michigan. This is disgusting. The Winged Wheel is a recognized & highly respected icon Worldwide. A source of pride, an emblem of honor & integrity. And here their crawling into bed with this predatory, non-complimentary "presenting" sponsor whose business was built & continues to operate on borderline illegal and absolutely immoral practices in some orgy of Yormarkian corruption?. Why would the Red Wings mortgage their future as "Hockey Town" for Amways "dirty money"?. Did you know that Gordie Howe, the greatest Red Wing of All Time, Mr. Hockey himself, got roped into being an Amway Distributor after his retirement (the first one) from Detroit?. True. And it ended very badly. Like my Uncle Dick, Gordie & Colleen had their basement & garage bursting at the seams with mustache wax, reams of flypaper, white-out, car inner tube repair kits, monocle strings........

 

[RedWingsNow*]

As a life long Wings fan and outspoken person on the forum community, I couldn't care less.

I can't imagine ever finding myself rooting less for a team because their franchise partners with a controversial company. I don't know much about Amway, never really cared enough to learn anything about them, but this seems like a classic message board overreaction that happens whenever something happens that people don't like.

I don't like alcohol and I'm sure alcohol has done more damage to more families than Amway has, but I don't really think anyone cares that every team is sponsored by a business that supplies a beverage that ruins families and kills people every year. I realize the comparison will be shrugged off and thought of as irrational but whatever.

But sold out their brand? Hardly. If it makes you root less for the team, I feel sorry for you.

Good for you. By the way, you're not outspoken. When all you do is support whatever decision the franchise makes, you're the opposite of outspoken. You are a flunky.

There are a lot of legit businesses in Michigan. Many who've played an important part in the nation's history. Ford. Chrysler. GM. Then there are wholly Michigan companies, like Meijer.

But the Wings chose some BS pyramid scheme company that is run by some people that are practically lightning rods.

Methinks that some of the illitches were up at the Mackinac Center and got their eyes glazed over.

This is a bad deal for the Wings.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

But not actually on the game jerseys just the practice ones, right? I guess it's annoying, but I've already accepted the fact a long time ago that teams will eventually have ads on their game jerseys.

We've already had the Belle Tire Powerplay the whatever hit of the game, the X company save(ings) of the game. Just seems like par for the course.

Belle Tire is just a business. It's not a scam.

 

[VanIslander]

"The pre-game skate is brought to you courtesy of Depends undergarments. Before you perform, put on Depends."

 

[wpgsilver]

At first I thought this was absolutely nothing to get worked up over, to be honest I didn't think it mattered at all. Then I went to the wing site and saw the amway logo sitting below the wings logo and I cringed a little bit. Then two seconds late I realized it really doesn't matter. When I watch a wings game I could be totally unaware of the association, it will have no impact on their "brand" when it matters...game day. I understand why wings fans are sick to their stomach, but to me it's a natural progression.

One final thing I will say, it does bother me that it's Detroit. Had it been a team not steep with so much tradition and history I wouldn't care at all. Something about an O6 team doing this makes it somewhat un-Kosher.

 

[Killion]

There are a lot of legit businesses in Michigan. Many who've played an important part in the nation's history. Ford. Chrysler. GM. Then there are wholly Michigan companies, like Meijer.,,,But the Wings chose some BS pyramid scheme company that is run by some people that are practically lightning rods.

Precisely. I dont really have a problem with the concept per se' provided its complimentary instead of controversial; done with taste & tact. Less than 2% of the people that get involved with Amway (all of them at the top) make any real money. In short, its a Fleece Factory. How do you reconcile that with the polar opposite of a proud franchise like the Detroit Red Wings?. I expect this sort of thing from Yormark in Florida (or his twin brother in Jersey with the Nets) but not with the llitch clan. "The Panthers Off-Season is brought to you by JetBlue", "The Ice Surface is Sponsored by Lexus" etc. They need the bread & at least show some decorum in presentation & selection in who they pitch. Its an orgy of corporate commercialism, guys like the Yormark's & now Wilson leading the charge.

 

[Poignant Discussion*]

But you see this is just the start.

The Wings can now recruit other teams and get a cut of their sponsorship $$$s.

And those teams can recruit other teams and the Wings get a cut of their cut.

And those teams ...

Got to think this is short sighted of the Wings, Amway of all companies...wow

 

[MaskedSonja]

Just wondering, something that occurred to me-anyone know if this also means Amway will have a little booth on the concourse, alongside the souvinier(I can't spell today) stands (and will those Red Wings hockey pucks and keychains for sale have the Amway logo on them?)?

Just wondering if truly this agreement gives Carte Blanche to put the Amway logo on EVERYTHING (except hockey jerseys as stated above)?

 

[Debrincat93]

People whining that the Wing's did this need to get a grip with themselves. Wah, who really cares about this? Will their be a crest of it on their jersey? No. So who really cares? They can make some extra money and we, as fans, can pray they KEEP costs of everything at the Joe the same for once. For all this organization has done to our lives, quit the *****in.

 

[nyrmetros]

Keep costs down? Hahahaha