Source : the age
A raft of the Swans’ biggest sponsors have declared they have no tolerance for wrongdoing after Telstra stood down brand ambassadors Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner following breaches of club behaviour standards on Sunday night. That night is also the subject of an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault by one woman.
If the accusations are proven and sponsors flee, marketing experts have warned that Heeney alone could face a $600,000 income hit from losing his personal backers, along with those that have put the Swans as a club on notice.
Insurance giant QBE, property listings company realestate.com.au, Origin Energy and Hong Kong sauce giant Lee Kum Kee are among the brands that have expressed concern, while other sponsors such as Nike and McDonald’s have either declined to comment or not responded.
When Telstra stood down Heeney and Warner from the telecommunication giant’s brand ambassador program on Monday, it also expressed its deep concern at the police investigation.
“We will review their ambassador arrangements once the investigation is complete and will provide an update at that time,” Telstra’s spokeswoman said.
Victoria Police are investigating a woman’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted in the early hours of Monday morning at the Pullman Hotel. Sources said she had alleged she was touched beyond what had been previously agreed.
Heeney is said to be a focus of the investigation. None of the players involved has been formally interviewed by police, and there is no suggestion that the allegations are correct, only that they were made by the woman.
Telstra had recently featured Heeney in campaigns based around community initiatives including grassroots football and mental-health programs.
Five Swans players – Heeney, Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon – were suspended by the club for the remainder of the season on Wednesday morning for breaching club behaviour standards.
The players issued a joint statement on Wednesday apologising for their behaviour, which they said had let down their families, supporters, colleagues in the AFLW and wider community.
“We accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved,” the players’ statement reads. “Our focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and the community.”
A source familiar with the players’ thinking said they denied any criminal wrongdoing.
The incident threatens to compromise the Swans’ hard-cultivated identity as a progressive-minded club known for promoting women’s and LGBTQI rights.
Global marketing strategist Toby Ralph, who has previously run major political campaigns for the Liberal party among other causes, said: “The club has very deliberately sold respect, inclusion and the advancement of women as part of its institutional identity.”
“When your behaviour contradicts your advertising, a scandal becomes a brand problem,” Ralph said.
He said that while this week’s news would hurt the Swans brand, the club’s reputation was salvageable.
“In some respects their decision to dump five important players for the rest of the season, potentially damaging a premiership campaign, is exactly what a values-based brand is supposed to do. Values only become values when they cost you something.”
The Swans are the 3rd most valuable AFL club, with a value of $115 million, according to research from consultancy Brand Finance Australia.
Ralph estimated that Heeney, who is one of the AFL’s most marketable stars, could take home up to $250,000 a year from a single major sponsor, and up to $600,000 across a portfolio of deals.
The Swans star recently released a series of children’s books called Little Isaac Footy Fever, co-authored with writer Nicole Hayes.
Publisher Allen & Unwin did not respond to comment requests. Online book retailer Booktopia said it was assessing the situation.
“Our mandate is to provide a service and selection of books in the best interest of our customers,” a spokesman said. “We appreciate the sensitivity and will carefully consider any decision, together with the publisher, in due course.”
Several key Swans sponsors have released statements noting the serious allegations facing the club.
Insurer QBE, which is the longstanding principal sponsor of the Swans’ mens and women’s teams, said it “acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations that have been reported”.
“We have no tolerance for conduct that compromises the safety, dignity or wellbeing of others and we support the club’s position in condemning all forms of abuse and disrespectful behaviour towards women,” a spokesperson said. “Given there is an active police investigation it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further.”
A spokesperson for Realestate.com.au, which is a major partner, said the company was “deeply concerned by the serious allegations”.
“We are aware there are investigations currently being conducted by the relevant authorities and await the findings of those investigations,” they said.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Origin Energy expressed disappointment.
“The club informed us about this incident yesterday, and we are incredibly disappointed. While the matter is subject to an investigation, it is not appropriate for us to comment any further,” they said.
A spokesperson for Hong Kong-based condiment manufacturer Lee Kum Kee, which is also a partner, said that the company took personal safety and wellbeing seriously. “At this point we are not in a position to comment on the details of any alleged incident or the status of any investigation,” they said.
Mashoom Tait, chief executive of Adelaide Hills winery Bird in Hand, an official partner, said the company was aware of the “serious allegations” but declined to comment further given the ongoing investigation.
Other major club sponsors including Nike, McDonalds and Volkswagen either declined to comment or did not respond to enquiries.
Kishor Napier-Raman is a senior business writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously he worked as a CBD columnist and reporter in the federal parliamentary press gallery.Connect via X or email.
