DocSherrin wrote:
Don't worry - Ian's done alright out of Carlton...although he largely has Richard Newton to thank for that. Got a pretty little bonus with the clubs buyback of the 'Blue Boys Unit Trust' for $6 per share in 2012 - an above average salary for a person whose Communications Manager function was largely done by (for the most part) competent staff; and associated speaking engagements in 2012 which were designed to better promote the clubs success in breaking new ground in sport-related communications actually made outsiders look at each other during his PowerPoint presentations and associated Q&A thinking 'WTF?...how on earth is this guy GM - Communications?' I attended one. Ian Coutts - keynote speaker. As a public speaker - he goes ok...but his message often had naught to do with communications. His knowledge of building fan engagement and how to turn that into revenue was next to zero. It was 'we met with ____, we gave them an outline of what we wanted to do, we launched it in ____ and by ____ we had ____ hits. We estimated that __% of Carlton supporters viewed the ____ and stayed online for approximately ___ minutes. A huge success and a world first! (muffled giggles/bemusement from the audience as they know the Seattle Mariners did the same thing 2 years ago).
As a media manager in the 90's/early 2000's - Ian had found his niche. His rapport with the media was great and his weekly spot with Andrew Kuuse on 927 had the board convinced this was the man who communicated the best with the clubs supporters. But the world grew and so did ways to communicate with a myriad of stakeholders. Like a lot of smaller organisations - certain aspects of the club operations were trapped in a permanent time warp.
When the BluePrint (Strategic Plan) outline was released in 2011 the first thing that sprung to my mind from reading that document was that you can only push the boundaries and set the agenda with regard to INNOVATION, LEADERSHIP, EXCELLENCE and (best) PEOPLE if you get rid of the people holding you back. Ian Coutts was the first that came to mind. In the rebuilding phase that Carlton 'had to have' it needed to be savvy in the way it communicated to the outside world. It didn't do that. That Kernahan and Coutts survive the Elliott regime by a decade is sad when the broom had the chance to sweep both away multiple times.
So while this is good news for Carlton - there's a stain remaining that it lasted so long. This is a business. Not a club for the boys. Bring on 2013!
Brilliant, Doc!
Said with so much more grace and eloquence than I'd be able to muster, especially on this subject.
Login
Register
FAQ
