Times brand ‘Jo Rodan’
I would say The Fiji Times created the brand “Joe Rodan”. These were the words of former national athlete Joseph Rodan Senior — who credits the newspaper for lifting his profile from an athlete to a sports icon.
Rodan said all the achievements he amassed in a 16-year career where he won 14 gold medals, 19 silver and five bronze were all highlighted in The Fiji Times.
“The media played a very important part and at that time it was The Fiji Times,” he said.
“I became successful in sports and when my stories were in the papers — that really created me as a brand.
“To have a successful brand you need the media and for me, while I was developing and trying to compete and be successful in sports, The Fiji
Times promoted me by advertising my efforts, by putting me on the front and back page.
“And for any young Fijian growing up at that time, to be on the papers is something — that in itself is a big motivation for you to carry on and continue trying to do your best.”
He added that appearing in the newspaper helped him develop and grow by instilling a desire to continue pushing his boundaries.
“If you’re reading about yourself, that itself fulfils one of your motivational needs — to be recognised. In marketing you need the media to promote you and for me The Fiji Times played a very important part and at the same time I played my part to be the best.
“The media will only do a story on you because you are the best in what you do — not only in track and field but it has also helped me do the best in my education.
“I did not only want to be good in sports but also be known to have excelled well in my education so that people associated with sports would also realise educationwise, I was successful as well.”
Today, Rodan is the general manager Sales and Corporate Affairs for
Paradise Beverages. He said visiting customers and consumers throughout Fiji had been very easy for him.
“When I would go and see my customers probably up in Labasa, they would say “hey I’ve read about you in The Fiji Times” so that breaks the barrier of introduction,” he said.
“That to me helps a lot in promoting or selling brands in terms of what I do.
“That’s what brand awareness is all about — creating awareness of the brand and to create awareness of the brand — you need the media to do it. I’ll go back to people like Waisale Serevi, our rugby players — why are they well known? Because of the media.”
Rodan said growing up in a challenging neighbourhood in Lami made him develop a sense of street-smartness and it was even in his personal life that the media also played an important role in helping shape his character. “Because I was being promoted by The Fiji
Times, it made me realise that I had to be careful in the decisions I made and what I did in my private life and also in the public arena.
“I couldn’t be seen mixing with the wrong crowd because of all the publicity and, personally, I felt that as a role model to many young sporting people I wanted to create a positive image. If it wasn’t for The Fiji Times, no one would have known me and that’s what the media does.
“I give a lot of credit to The Fiji Times during the years I was growing up. From when I left Marist Brothers High School (MBHS) to when I first began to take up athletics seriously, I started to see my photos and name in the papers. That itself is a motivational factor for me to do better.”
Rodan adds that sports should not be the be-all and end-all. One could be successful in sports and, at the same time, also be successful in education and forge a very successful career.
“At the end of the day — and this is my message to all sporting people — sports is a short-term thing. Use that short-term ability of yours, that God-gifted ability in sports, to develop you and prepare you
for the future.”