Op het moment studeer ik Public Relations in Toronto, Canada, en één van mijn opdrachten was een PR gerelateerd artikel te schrijven voor een magazine (onderwerp naar keuze).
Nu zijn de meeste hier allemaal bodybuilders, fans of wannabees
maar in ieder geval deel van de directe doelgroep.
Dit artikel gaat over het (helaas) negatievere publieke imago wat bodybuilding heeft en wat daaraan gedaan werd en wordt vanuit de sport zelf.
het zijn ongeveer 2.500 woorden, dus weet waar je aan begint
The Fight for Recognition[/FONT]
After a crisis, a company’s reputation might be damaged, but the level of impact depends on their crisis management. A reputation is based on the public image of the organization and this decides whether a business can be successful or if it is doomed to fail. In order to influence the public image, the use of public relations is very helpful, actually even a necessity. However what happens when we do not talk about the public image of an organization, but of a sport? Every sport has a public image, either negative or positive, and the profession of public relations also attempts to influence public image in this business. An example of this is when a sport is not acknowledged as a sport and therefore fights for recognition. This is the case with bodybuilding. [/FONT]
Bodybuilding has its roots in the so-called “Early Years,” which was in the late 19th and the early 20th century. “The Father of Modern Bodybuilding,” Eugen Sandow, invented the art of displaying muscles. The novelty of the performance gained public interest, but the positive image did not last long. In the beginning the audience was excited to see well-developed physiques and men close to the ideal ancient Greek and Roman statues, which were used to compare practitioners during competition. Sandow was the first recognized bodybuilder and used his status to promote the sport. In the Early Years gyms were uncommon because proper equipment was not available. Sandow took this opportunity and created a business by starting to develop exercise equipment. Over the years he successfully promoted bodybuilding and is therefore still seen as its pioneer. [/FONT]
In 1925, Eugen died and was buried in an unmarked grave. To illustrate his status, a gravestone was placed in 2002 and the inscription read, “Eugen Sandow, 1867 – 1925 the Father of Bodybuilding.” Not everyone took it as serious as Eugen Sandow and practitioners had started to make fun of their own sport. On stage classic poses were exchanged for something closer to a circus act and bodybuilders were used in carnival parades. As time passed Sandow’s influence and the promotion he had done started to loose impact. The basic principles of bodybuilding became less obvious and the sport turned into a grimy subculture with a suspicious image. Up until the 1970s there were competitions, but the subculture was an underground business that was only recognized by those who participated or were familiar with the principles. Interest hardly grew and as a result neither did recognition of bodybuilding as a legitimate sport. An attempt to get bodybuilding back on the map was done in 1946, when Ben and Joe Weider founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB), responsible for organizing the yearly Mr. Olympia, which is the most prestigious professional bodybuilding competition. The reason to start the IFBB was that the previous organization, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), changed its focus towards weightlifting and gave less attention to bodybuilding. Ben and Joe were two bodybuilding fanatics that did all in their power to promote the sport, but still changes were slow to come by. It seemed like bodybuilding was a trend teetering on the edge. What it needed was a new face, a new spokesperson that could gain the public interest and change the image. The previous description sounds more like a definition of the public relations superhero, which was maybe the only thing that could save the sport. Finally in 1977, a major change took place and the superhero was found, his name: Arnold Schwarzenegger.[/FONT]
Pumping Iron[/FONT]
Arnold’s professional bodybuilding career started in 1968 and between 1970 and 1980, Arnold won the IFBB Mr. Olympia, seven times. “The Austrian Oak” was young and ambitious, and when he appeared on stage he was the crowd favourite. After five consecutive Mr. Olympia victories from 1970 up until 1974, Robert Fiore and George Butler shot a documentary showing the run-up to the 1975 competition. The documentary was called Pumping Iron, and George Butler said, “The purpose was to highlight the human side of bodybuilders and to popularize bodybuilding.” The star of Pumping Iron, which he later refers to as a “docudrama,” was Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie has become an all-time classic. Bodybuilding fanatics refer to the 1970s as “The Golden Age of Bodybuilding,” even though the public image was not restored; the inspiration, dedication and atmosphere showed in the documentary define ‘The Golden Age.’ The ‘docudrama’ contains several interviews with its main star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. These interviews give an insight into the mind of a bodybuilder and create for the general public an understanding towards his dedication. In the interviews Arnold, successfully, attempts to rectify bodybuilding’s image problem, “Obviously, a lot of people look at you and think it’s kind of strange what you’re doing, you know. But those are the people who don’t know much about it. As soon as you find out about what the whole thing is about, then it’s just like ‘another thing.’ I mean, it’s not any stranger as going into a car and trying to go in a quarter mile in five seconds. I mean that’s for me strange.” [/FONT]
Arnold earned his recognition and at the end of the movie he announced his retirement from competition, but promised to never stop bodybuilding, “because it’s a great sport.” The reason to retire was his ambition to become a successful actor. The IFBB used the suddenly occurring popularity, as a result of Pumping Iron, and more opportunities. In 1980 Joe and Ben Weider launched two extremely successful magazines, called: Muscle and Fitness, and Flex. In these magazines fitness and bodybuilding were the main topics and Arnold’s popularity was used for promotion. For years he wrote a weekly column in the magazines and up until today his old articles are still republished and credited. Joe and Ben, with the help of Arnold, created the best selling bodybuilding magazines in the world, which at this moment are published in nine languages and sold in 14 countries. It seemed there was a breakthrough with the just retired “King” becoming a pioneer. As Arnold’s acting career started to take shape, the one thing he never did, was turn his back on bodybuilding. Instead, his introduction into Hollywood was the start of a new era. In the 1980s, movies with muscular heroes gained popularity and Arnold Schwarzenegger was the leader of this revolution. Followed by actors such as Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude van Damme, a new type of actor was rising. If Hollywood could be seen as a person it would have been a PR specialist, because a new standard was set and a trend started to develop. The general public was excited seeing muscular heroes on the big screen and of course there was always Arnold, publicly supporting and discussing the importance of fitness and health. [/FONT]
Revolution?[/FONT]
A new business was created and the demand for gyms rapidly increased. In the documentary Pumping Iron, Gold’s Gym was the place where muscles were shaped; “the mecca of bodybuilding.” The gym took advantage of the increasing popularity and has now achieved a cult status. With more than 600 gyms in 25 countries Gold’s Gym is the largest chain of co-ed gyms in the world. Misty Shaffer from Gold’s Gym says they are being “freely promoted, because many well-known figures workout in Gold’s Gym and the word gets spread easily.” On their current website they describe their public relations as expressed through celebrity endorsements and list all celebrities that have been working out at Gold’s Gym over the years. Where the word promotion might have been more appropriate than typical public relations, they also say their success is dependent on their advertising campaigns. When looking at the history, Gold’s Gym has only one basic reason for its success, which is the impact of Pumping Iron. Since the documentary, the most important thing was to exploit the attention and popularity. “We don’t give all the credits to this one movie, but do know that without its existence it would have had been more difficult and time consuming as well,” says Jinan Jaber from Gold’s Gym. “To be successful you need to do your own promotion and advertising.” When Ms. Jaber was asked if they used the documentary or Arnold Schwarzenegger as an advantage in their strategies, she answered, “we are an independent and successful organization, that realizes its history, but at this moment we only refer to celebrities through our website. So, we do give them the credit they deserve, but using them in advertising strategies, no.” Nowadays, professional bodybuilders have their own DVDs, showing contest preparation. Most of these professionals train at Gold’s Gym, which leads to more free promotion. The targeted audience are likely fanatics and those are the ones willing to join a gym like ‘Gold’s.’[/FONT]
It might seem bodybuilding’s public image is slowly changing, with the influence of documentaries, celebrities, fans and promoters. Unfortunately it is not what it seems. While fitness and health became huge trends; Pumping Iron can still be held responsible. Being in shape was and still is a trend, but shape is based on another ideal than the earlier bodybuilders had. Socializing in the gym, using the treadmill for 20 minutes a day and working your abs has been the main thought of fitness. “Hardcore bodybuilding did not fit into the picture and the required material was not available,” says Misty Shaffer. “So that is why you see all the bodybuilders in the same gym, preferably Gold’s.” [/FONT]
(Preconceived) Opinions[/FONT]
Even though things have changed, up until today it seems like bodybuilding does not get the credibility it deserves. The sports’ fan base has become huge, but besides them only those with some affinity towards bodybuilding understand and acknowledge it. To like or not to like does not seem to be the point, it is about understanding and that follows Arnold’s earlier quote. To illustrate this contradiction just look at two people answering the question, what there image of bodybuilding is. Kyra Broom, a student from Ryerson University, living downtown Toronto, “bodybuilders are too tanned men, wearing too little slips, doing weird poses on a stage and use drugs to build fake muscles.” Tadeusz Idzik a student from Seneca College stated, “my godfather was a hardcore bodybuilder, so I kind of grew up with it…I am not a bodybuilder myself, but I do workout and acknowledge bodybuilding as a sport.” Tadeusz definitely has a better understanding than Kyra, but that does not mean she is wrong. In an extreme way she described the public image and that is the reason nothing changes. There is no recognition, because there is no understanding and in order to create understanding there needs to be some form of education. The problem is that some prejudices contain a sense of truth.[/FONT]
Often, the dark side of bodybuilding is the first aspect people associate it with, namely: steroids. The use of these performance enhancing drugs is common in the world of sports, but bodybuilding is directly involved since steroids indirectly increases your strength and muscularity. In 1974 Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to using the drugs that were still legal at the time. In 1990, the US government listed anabolic steroids as Schedule III controlled substances, which means possession is illegal. On the contrary Canada listed steroids as Schedule IV, which means dealing is illegal, but possession cannot be punished. An anonymous source questioned in Seneca College’s Newnham Gym, admits usage of anabolic steroids and says, “No research has proven that anabolic steroids directly affect your health. There is a possibility for side effects, but still nothing is proven. And since Canada is not so strict and the availability of steroids stays, I won’t stop taking ‘juice.’” Ex-bodybuilding star Schwarzenegger committed to usage in his prime, even though he is now one of the biggest opponents of steroid use and since they are illegal, Arnold pledges honest competition and drug free sports. In order to do so, he organizes events, holds conferences and attends competitions. [/FONT]
In ‘The Golden Age’ there was little attention on steroid use, but since doping in sports has become more common, media attention increased, and the public image has changed and become skeptical towards every sort of performance enhancing drug or product. The skeptical image also has a connection to supplement use. Bodybuilders take many supplements to increase muscularity or get “ripped.” However, because the public does not have any knowledge on supplements, they connect it to doping. And that is a problem, especially because the world of bodybuilding is financed by the revenue supplement companies make. Words like ‘anabolic’ occur on mass building supplement wrappings. The word is often used in combination with the word ‘steroids,’ but has nothing to do with it, since anabolic comes from the Greek “anabole,” which just means ‘to build up.’[/FONT]
The New Generation[/FONT]
Confusion, misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge are the main problems bodybuilding faces. The public has a certain image, which is hard to change as long as prejudices exist. To change those perceptions, educating and engaging the public is of great importance and as we saw, a lot of people try their best to do so. Icons, such as the Weider brothers and Arnold are those who have the power and opportunity to do something, but they cannot do it alone. As long as current professional bodybuilders go along with the commercialized side of the sport, it is impossible to change the image. [/FONT]
These icons have done and still do their best to fight for recognition, but the new generation has to assist, because in the minds of the public they represent bodybuilding. Public relations by celebrity endorsement can work, but the celebrities have to be aware of their tasks. The current generation of bodybuilders is more focused on promoting the products of their sponsor instead of reaching out to the general public in an attempt to do more for the sport’s image. Recently, Jay Cutler, the Mr. Olympia in 2006 and 2007, was in the Eaton Centre, Toronto, to do a so-called guest appearance. Basically, the whole appearance was one big marketing joke. The focus was on promoting his sponsor, supplement company MuscleTech, and to let his fans quickly take a picture with him. When he was asked what he thought of the negative public image and what he did to influence it, he answered, “well, these events definitely contribute to a better image. I fly around the world to do guest poses and give seminars. So, I do everything I can to promote the sport.” [/FONT]
The answer describes the mistake made in public relations. Know your target audience, because the general public will not visit any event or seminar. If the key message is to engage the public and influence its image, you might want to ask yourself where to start and that is not with your fans. Recognize your audience in order to be recognized yourself. [/FONT]
Nu zijn de meeste hier allemaal bodybuilders, fans of wannabees
maar in ieder geval deel van de directe doelgroep. Dit artikel gaat over het (helaas) negatievere publieke imago wat bodybuilding heeft en wat daaraan gedaan werd en wordt vanuit de sport zelf.
het zijn ongeveer 2.500 woorden, dus weet waar je aan begint
The Fight for Recognition[/FONT]
After a crisis, a company’s reputation might be damaged, but the level of impact depends on their crisis management. A reputation is based on the public image of the organization and this decides whether a business can be successful or if it is doomed to fail. In order to influence the public image, the use of public relations is very helpful, actually even a necessity. However what happens when we do not talk about the public image of an organization, but of a sport? Every sport has a public image, either negative or positive, and the profession of public relations also attempts to influence public image in this business. An example of this is when a sport is not acknowledged as a sport and therefore fights for recognition. This is the case with bodybuilding. [/FONT]
Bodybuilding has its roots in the so-called “Early Years,” which was in the late 19th and the early 20th century. “The Father of Modern Bodybuilding,” Eugen Sandow, invented the art of displaying muscles. The novelty of the performance gained public interest, but the positive image did not last long. In the beginning the audience was excited to see well-developed physiques and men close to the ideal ancient Greek and Roman statues, which were used to compare practitioners during competition. Sandow was the first recognized bodybuilder and used his status to promote the sport. In the Early Years gyms were uncommon because proper equipment was not available. Sandow took this opportunity and created a business by starting to develop exercise equipment. Over the years he successfully promoted bodybuilding and is therefore still seen as its pioneer. [/FONT]
In 1925, Eugen died and was buried in an unmarked grave. To illustrate his status, a gravestone was placed in 2002 and the inscription read, “Eugen Sandow, 1867 – 1925 the Father of Bodybuilding.” Not everyone took it as serious as Eugen Sandow and practitioners had started to make fun of their own sport. On stage classic poses were exchanged for something closer to a circus act and bodybuilders were used in carnival parades. As time passed Sandow’s influence and the promotion he had done started to loose impact. The basic principles of bodybuilding became less obvious and the sport turned into a grimy subculture with a suspicious image. Up until the 1970s there were competitions, but the subculture was an underground business that was only recognized by those who participated or were familiar with the principles. Interest hardly grew and as a result neither did recognition of bodybuilding as a legitimate sport. An attempt to get bodybuilding back on the map was done in 1946, when Ben and Joe Weider founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB), responsible for organizing the yearly Mr. Olympia, which is the most prestigious professional bodybuilding competition. The reason to start the IFBB was that the previous organization, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), changed its focus towards weightlifting and gave less attention to bodybuilding. Ben and Joe were two bodybuilding fanatics that did all in their power to promote the sport, but still changes were slow to come by. It seemed like bodybuilding was a trend teetering on the edge. What it needed was a new face, a new spokesperson that could gain the public interest and change the image. The previous description sounds more like a definition of the public relations superhero, which was maybe the only thing that could save the sport. Finally in 1977, a major change took place and the superhero was found, his name: Arnold Schwarzenegger.[/FONT]
Pumping Iron[/FONT]
Arnold’s professional bodybuilding career started in 1968 and between 1970 and 1980, Arnold won the IFBB Mr. Olympia, seven times. “The Austrian Oak” was young and ambitious, and when he appeared on stage he was the crowd favourite. After five consecutive Mr. Olympia victories from 1970 up until 1974, Robert Fiore and George Butler shot a documentary showing the run-up to the 1975 competition. The documentary was called Pumping Iron, and George Butler said, “The purpose was to highlight the human side of bodybuilders and to popularize bodybuilding.” The star of Pumping Iron, which he later refers to as a “docudrama,” was Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie has become an all-time classic. Bodybuilding fanatics refer to the 1970s as “The Golden Age of Bodybuilding,” even though the public image was not restored; the inspiration, dedication and atmosphere showed in the documentary define ‘The Golden Age.’ The ‘docudrama’ contains several interviews with its main star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. These interviews give an insight into the mind of a bodybuilder and create for the general public an understanding towards his dedication. In the interviews Arnold, successfully, attempts to rectify bodybuilding’s image problem, “Obviously, a lot of people look at you and think it’s kind of strange what you’re doing, you know. But those are the people who don’t know much about it. As soon as you find out about what the whole thing is about, then it’s just like ‘another thing.’ I mean, it’s not any stranger as going into a car and trying to go in a quarter mile in five seconds. I mean that’s for me strange.” [/FONT]
Arnold earned his recognition and at the end of the movie he announced his retirement from competition, but promised to never stop bodybuilding, “because it’s a great sport.” The reason to retire was his ambition to become a successful actor. The IFBB used the suddenly occurring popularity, as a result of Pumping Iron, and more opportunities. In 1980 Joe and Ben Weider launched two extremely successful magazines, called: Muscle and Fitness, and Flex. In these magazines fitness and bodybuilding were the main topics and Arnold’s popularity was used for promotion. For years he wrote a weekly column in the magazines and up until today his old articles are still republished and credited. Joe and Ben, with the help of Arnold, created the best selling bodybuilding magazines in the world, which at this moment are published in nine languages and sold in 14 countries. It seemed there was a breakthrough with the just retired “King” becoming a pioneer. As Arnold’s acting career started to take shape, the one thing he never did, was turn his back on bodybuilding. Instead, his introduction into Hollywood was the start of a new era. In the 1980s, movies with muscular heroes gained popularity and Arnold Schwarzenegger was the leader of this revolution. Followed by actors such as Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude van Damme, a new type of actor was rising. If Hollywood could be seen as a person it would have been a PR specialist, because a new standard was set and a trend started to develop. The general public was excited seeing muscular heroes on the big screen and of course there was always Arnold, publicly supporting and discussing the importance of fitness and health. [/FONT]
Revolution?[/FONT]
A new business was created and the demand for gyms rapidly increased. In the documentary Pumping Iron, Gold’s Gym was the place where muscles were shaped; “the mecca of bodybuilding.” The gym took advantage of the increasing popularity and has now achieved a cult status. With more than 600 gyms in 25 countries Gold’s Gym is the largest chain of co-ed gyms in the world. Misty Shaffer from Gold’s Gym says they are being “freely promoted, because many well-known figures workout in Gold’s Gym and the word gets spread easily.” On their current website they describe their public relations as expressed through celebrity endorsements and list all celebrities that have been working out at Gold’s Gym over the years. Where the word promotion might have been more appropriate than typical public relations, they also say their success is dependent on their advertising campaigns. When looking at the history, Gold’s Gym has only one basic reason for its success, which is the impact of Pumping Iron. Since the documentary, the most important thing was to exploit the attention and popularity. “We don’t give all the credits to this one movie, but do know that without its existence it would have had been more difficult and time consuming as well,” says Jinan Jaber from Gold’s Gym. “To be successful you need to do your own promotion and advertising.” When Ms. Jaber was asked if they used the documentary or Arnold Schwarzenegger as an advantage in their strategies, she answered, “we are an independent and successful organization, that realizes its history, but at this moment we only refer to celebrities through our website. So, we do give them the credit they deserve, but using them in advertising strategies, no.” Nowadays, professional bodybuilders have their own DVDs, showing contest preparation. Most of these professionals train at Gold’s Gym, which leads to more free promotion. The targeted audience are likely fanatics and those are the ones willing to join a gym like ‘Gold’s.’[/FONT]
It might seem bodybuilding’s public image is slowly changing, with the influence of documentaries, celebrities, fans and promoters. Unfortunately it is not what it seems. While fitness and health became huge trends; Pumping Iron can still be held responsible. Being in shape was and still is a trend, but shape is based on another ideal than the earlier bodybuilders had. Socializing in the gym, using the treadmill for 20 minutes a day and working your abs has been the main thought of fitness. “Hardcore bodybuilding did not fit into the picture and the required material was not available,” says Misty Shaffer. “So that is why you see all the bodybuilders in the same gym, preferably Gold’s.” [/FONT]
(Preconceived) Opinions[/FONT]
Even though things have changed, up until today it seems like bodybuilding does not get the credibility it deserves. The sports’ fan base has become huge, but besides them only those with some affinity towards bodybuilding understand and acknowledge it. To like or not to like does not seem to be the point, it is about understanding and that follows Arnold’s earlier quote. To illustrate this contradiction just look at two people answering the question, what there image of bodybuilding is. Kyra Broom, a student from Ryerson University, living downtown Toronto, “bodybuilders are too tanned men, wearing too little slips, doing weird poses on a stage and use drugs to build fake muscles.” Tadeusz Idzik a student from Seneca College stated, “my godfather was a hardcore bodybuilder, so I kind of grew up with it…I am not a bodybuilder myself, but I do workout and acknowledge bodybuilding as a sport.” Tadeusz definitely has a better understanding than Kyra, but that does not mean she is wrong. In an extreme way she described the public image and that is the reason nothing changes. There is no recognition, because there is no understanding and in order to create understanding there needs to be some form of education. The problem is that some prejudices contain a sense of truth.[/FONT]
Often, the dark side of bodybuilding is the first aspect people associate it with, namely: steroids. The use of these performance enhancing drugs is common in the world of sports, but bodybuilding is directly involved since steroids indirectly increases your strength and muscularity. In 1974 Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to using the drugs that were still legal at the time. In 1990, the US government listed anabolic steroids as Schedule III controlled substances, which means possession is illegal. On the contrary Canada listed steroids as Schedule IV, which means dealing is illegal, but possession cannot be punished. An anonymous source questioned in Seneca College’s Newnham Gym, admits usage of anabolic steroids and says, “No research has proven that anabolic steroids directly affect your health. There is a possibility for side effects, but still nothing is proven. And since Canada is not so strict and the availability of steroids stays, I won’t stop taking ‘juice.’” Ex-bodybuilding star Schwarzenegger committed to usage in his prime, even though he is now one of the biggest opponents of steroid use and since they are illegal, Arnold pledges honest competition and drug free sports. In order to do so, he organizes events, holds conferences and attends competitions. [/FONT]
In ‘The Golden Age’ there was little attention on steroid use, but since doping in sports has become more common, media attention increased, and the public image has changed and become skeptical towards every sort of performance enhancing drug or product. The skeptical image also has a connection to supplement use. Bodybuilders take many supplements to increase muscularity or get “ripped.” However, because the public does not have any knowledge on supplements, they connect it to doping. And that is a problem, especially because the world of bodybuilding is financed by the revenue supplement companies make. Words like ‘anabolic’ occur on mass building supplement wrappings. The word is often used in combination with the word ‘steroids,’ but has nothing to do with it, since anabolic comes from the Greek “anabole,” which just means ‘to build up.’[/FONT]
The New Generation[/FONT]
Confusion, misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge are the main problems bodybuilding faces. The public has a certain image, which is hard to change as long as prejudices exist. To change those perceptions, educating and engaging the public is of great importance and as we saw, a lot of people try their best to do so. Icons, such as the Weider brothers and Arnold are those who have the power and opportunity to do something, but they cannot do it alone. As long as current professional bodybuilders go along with the commercialized side of the sport, it is impossible to change the image. [/FONT]
These icons have done and still do their best to fight for recognition, but the new generation has to assist, because in the minds of the public they represent bodybuilding. Public relations by celebrity endorsement can work, but the celebrities have to be aware of their tasks. The current generation of bodybuilders is more focused on promoting the products of their sponsor instead of reaching out to the general public in an attempt to do more for the sport’s image. Recently, Jay Cutler, the Mr. Olympia in 2006 and 2007, was in the Eaton Centre, Toronto, to do a so-called guest appearance. Basically, the whole appearance was one big marketing joke. The focus was on promoting his sponsor, supplement company MuscleTech, and to let his fans quickly take a picture with him. When he was asked what he thought of the negative public image and what he did to influence it, he answered, “well, these events definitely contribute to a better image. I fly around the world to do guest poses and give seminars. So, I do everything I can to promote the sport.” [/FONT]
The answer describes the mistake made in public relations. Know your target audience, because the general public will not visit any event or seminar. If the key message is to engage the public and influence its image, you might want to ask yourself where to start and that is not with your fans. Recognize your audience in order to be recognized yourself. [/FONT]
