Previously we looked at Toronto Raptors not as a team, but as an organization and identified the root cause of the Raptors’ perpetuating mediocrity: “Shifting the Burden.” Let’s continue from where we left off…
A rising tide lifts all boats.
J.F. Kennedy
Although it is a big one, shifting the burden is not the only demon the Raptors are dealing with. The organization has a secondary systematic problem. It’s called the “Escalation archetype.” According to William Braun, the Escalation archetype occurs when one party’s actions are perceived by another party to be a threat, and the second party responds in a similar manner, further increasing the threat. Since the two parties’ actions are self-reinforcing and self-motivating, mutually threatening actions grow exponentially over time. The best-known example of the Escalation archetype was the nuclear arm race between the US and the USSR during the Cold War. Every time the US built a nuclear warhead, the USSR built two, which forced the US to built more. If it gets out of control the Escalation archetype could lead to doomsday. But as long as it is kept under control, this systematic behaviour could provide very positive results.
As the Celtics and the Lakers demonstrated, a healthy rivalry is needed for long-term success.
Escalation is not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, we can use escalation to increase healthy competition, thus promote progress. William Braun adds that the behavior of escalation is relatively simple and predictable. The actions (and reactions) of each party are similar in nature, though they become increasingly competitive as time goes by. In simpler terms, at the heart of a healthy rivalry lies the Escalation archetype. The best known business example of healthy escalation is the Coke-Pepsi case. Instead of trying to annihilate each other, these two companies constantly raised the bar and ended up dominating the global market. How does this relate to the Raptors?
Over time, the Escalation archetype results in progress.
When we look at the story of Toronto Raptors, we realize that there is no antagonist. There is no villain. During its two decades of existence, the Raptors never had a bona fide rival. Especially right now, there is no team forcing the Raptors to raise its bar, and that’s a systematic problem. When it comes to rivalries, we can talk about three types: First, there are historic rivalries that lead to greatness like the Lakers vs. the Celtics. For instance, when the Celtics assembled its Big Three, it was the Escalation archetype that forced the Lakers to trade for Pau Gasol. Unfortunately, the Raptors never had a historic rival. Second, there are geographic rivalries like Texas rivalries. Back in the day when the Grizzlies were located in Vancouver, the Raptors used to have a Canadian rival. Sadly, that rivalry ended prematurely when the franchise moved to Memphis, and the Raptors became the Canada’s team by default, not by merit. Finally, there are in-city rivalries. The best example is the City of Boston: Every franchise fight for the attention and support of Bostonians. Whenever the Red Sox or the Bruins up their game, the Celtics feel the pressure to catch up. These are all healthy effects of escalation. Any organization that operates in a competitive market needs to tap into the Escalation archetype to be successful.
Clearly, the Raptors are in need of an instigator. Who could that be? Since no NBA franchise is planning to move back to Canada, it can’t be another national NBA team. The Raptors will stay comfortably as the Canada’s team. Could the Raptors find a geographical rival? Especially during the Garnett era, the Raptors fans had a beef with the Celtics. But I doubt that Bostonians ever perceived the Raptors as a legitimate rival. Moreover, you can’t just pick a rival. The storyline needs to develop organically, over time. Alas, I don’t see any geographical rivalry emerging any time soon, which leaves us with only one option: In-city rivalry…
In an ideal world, the Raptors would have to fight for the attention and love of Torontonians. They should feel some pain when they are mediocre. The success of other Toronto-based franchises must raise the bar for the Raptors. Is there a Toronto-based rival? The obvious instigator could be the Maple Leafs. Should these two decide to go on an arms race, both of them could rise above mediocrity. But here is the problem: Both franchises belong to the same group: MLSE. While owning major franchises creates corporate synergy for MLSE, it kills a potential in-city rivalry, which could lift all boats. That’s a major systematic problem that the Raptors have to deal with. They need to find an instigator that would keep them up on their toes all the time, but there’s nobody that fits the bill…
Our next article will look at another system archetype that contributes to Toronto Raptors’ lack of success: Eroding Goals…
What do you think? Is it beneficial for the Raptors to have an arch-rival? Or is it absolute nonsense? Either way fire up your comments!
Filed under: Archetypes, Basketball, Brand Strategy, Key Messaging Tagged: brand, NBA, rivalry, Toronto Raptors
