building and leveraging a loss proof brand
TRANSCRIPT
Building And Leveraging A “Loss-Proof” BrandFor Sporting Franchises."Sport Marketing Association "6th Annual Conference !Gold Coast, Australia!July 17, 2008!
Each Of These Is A Famous Brand.
But What About These? "
Each Of These Is A Famous Brand.
It Depends On How You Define “Brand.”"
It’s What Others Say/Think About Us When We’re Not Around."
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person…
You earn reputation by doing hard things well.” - Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.!
Not All Brands Are Equal. "
Utility UTILITY"
Utility UTILITY"
ESTEEM"
Utility UTILITY"
ASPIRATION"
ESTEEM"
Brands Can Transcend Utility And Become “Nations.” "
Utility
NATION "
ESTEEM"
UTILITY"
ASPIRATION"
Brands Can Transcend Utility And Become “Nations.” "
Utility
NATION "
ESTEEM"
UTILITY"
ASPIRATION"
“Apart from the spiritual powers, there is nothing more powerful than the spirit of nationality.” - George William Russell!
What Is A “Nation Brand?”"
A nation is a cultural and social community in as much as members may never meet each other, yet feel a common bond.!
! !!
Source: Definition of Nation, Wikipedia.
Nations are defined by a shared culture. Unlike a language, a national culture is !unique to the nation.!
Nation Brands Are Unique -- They Embody A Set Of Values And An Unreplicable Ethos.!
All Brand Operations March In Lockstep To Create A Consistent Culture.
Nation Brands Are Equally Engaging To Employees And Customers Alike."
BRAND"
Engages"
Inspires"
Unites"
CUSTOMERS"EMPLOYEES"
So…. Are Sporting Teams Really Brands?
So…. Are Sporting Teams Really Brands?
And… Are Any Of Them “Nations”?
“Thank You Steeler Nation.”"- Mike Tomlin, !Head Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers. !Super Bowl XLIII. !
There’s A Lot of Evidence They Are..."
Many Shared Attributes Support The Fact."
• Satellite TV and the Internet have made teams bankable brand names in ways they could only have imagined a generation ago.!
• Many teams today enjoy the same name recognition as “conventional brands.”!
• Various channels of distribution today have largely rendered a team’s geography irrelevant. !
Like “conventional brands,” they…!
• Employ large numbers of people. (Players/ coaches/ management).!
• Need to remain profitable and financially viable in their location.!
§ Rival cities or wealthy benefactors often seek to lure sporting franchises away from their home markets with the promise of new facilities and better government/ public support.!
• Seek to appeal to and satisfy a number of different stakeholders (sponsors, home cities, fans, players, management, talent).!
! ! !!
In Fact, The Similarities Are Myriad. "
Is There Really Any Difference Between A Corporation’s “Conventional Brand” And A Sporting Team’s?"
The Differences Are Subtle But "Critical Ones."
There Are Two…"UNPREDICTABILITY"
!Unlike corporations with rigid financial performance metrics, it is almost impossible to forecast how a team will perform on the field. !! !- This is a vital statistic as it !greatly influences all other !success measures.!
GLASS CEILINGS "!Unlike unfettered free markets, many sports governing bodies impose stringent salary caps and award concession draft picks designed to level the playing field.!
There Are Two…"UNPREDICTABILITY"
!Unlike corporations with rigid financial performance metrics, it is almost impossible to forecast how a team will perform on the field. !! !- This is a vital statistic as it !greatly influences all other !success measures.!
As A Result, No Team Can Base Its Brand Strategy By Simply Planning On Winning."
Teams Must Seek To Remain Appealing When Not Performing In Their Most Public Forum…"
On Game Day!!!"
But How?
By Understanding That Good Performance And Profitability Are Not The Only Measures Of Success."
A Lot Of Brands Play The Same “Sport” But Are Worlds Apart In What They Represent."
=
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The Same Goes For Franchise Brands."
=
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POPU
LAR
ITY"
PERFORMANCE LEVEL"
Generally Speaking, A Team’s Popularity "Closely Mirrors Its Level Of Performance."
But For Some Teams, Support Levels "Are Performance Agnostic."
POPU
LAR
ITY"
PERFORMANCE LEVEL"
“In baseball, even the best teams only win 50 of their 81 home games … that means you have to give them [fans, sponsors] a reason to come even when the team loses.”- Arte Moreno, !Owner, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.!
So The Challenge Is To Build A Brand That Is “Loss-Proof”.
But How?"
Comparing These Two Allows Us Insight Into How Each Forges a Strong Emotional Bond With Its Fans.
Let’s Take A Closer Look… A Tale Of Two Teams."
Comparing These Two Allows Us Insight Into How Each Forges A Strong Emotional Bond With Its Fans."
Let’s Take A Closer Look… A Tale Of Two Teams."
Each Team Represents A Unique Idea, Relevant To Its Home Market."
Favorite NFL Team by Ranking !
1st! 1st! 4th! = 1st! 2nd! 2nd! 2nd! 1st!2nd! 3rd! 1st! = 1st! 1st! 1st! 4th! 4th!
1998 1999 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: FAVORITE NFL TEAM: The Harris Pollｮ #95, October 1, 2007. !Available at: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=811!
These rankings came during eras of largely unremarkable performances for each team."
Having A Distinctive Brand Has Seen Each Top A Poll Of Favorite Team Rankings In The Past Ten Years. "
The Cowboys And The Packers Bear Stark Contrast To Many Other Teams."
The Cowboys And The Packers Bear Stark Contrast To Many Other Teams."
Brand Strategy Errors!
• No apparent brand positioning.!
• Not unique.!• Not targeted/relevant to
anyone in particular."
• Is ambiguous.!• Lacks relevance. !• Franchise appeal
fluctuates based on playing roster and game day performances."
The Brand…!
The Cowboys And The Packers Bear Stark Contrast To Many Other Teams."
Brand Strategy Errors!
• No apparent brand positioning.!
• Not unique.!• Not targeted/relevant to
anyone in particular."
Team Brands Become Loss-Proof By Being Both Unique and Relevant. "
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
UN
IQU
E"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
Most "Brands"
Dead "Brands"
Failing To Do So Is A Trap Many Teams Fall Into Today."
UN
IQU
E"
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
Popularity ebbs and flows with on-field success!
UN
IQU
E"
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
Popularity ebbs and flows with on-field success!
The Abyss."• Susceptible to!relocation/extinction.!
UN
IQU
E"
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
Popularity ebbs and flows with on-field success!
UN
IQU
E"
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
The Abyss."• Susceptible to!relocation/extinction.!
NATION BRANDS
Popularity ebbs and flows with on-field success!
Loss-Proof Brands.!• Loved and !irreplaceable.!
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
UN
IQU
E"
IRRELEVANT"
The Abyss."• Susceptible to!relocation/extinction.!
LOSS-PROOF BRANDS"
So How Can Teams Become More Relevant And Unique?"
UN
IQU
E"
RELEVANT"
UN
OR
IGIN
AL"
IRRELEVANT"
By Conducting A Holistic Synthesis Of A Team’s Past, Present and Future."
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
FRANCHISE HISTORY
• Traditions • Icons • Ownership • Dynasties
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
• Market mindset!• Fan archetype!• Unique attributes!• Cultural beliefs!
MARKET ETHOS"
• Market mindset!• Fan archetype!• Unique attributes!• Cultural beliefs!
MARKET ETHOS"
PERFORMANCE AGNOSTIC
ASPIRATIONS"
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
• Market mindset!• Fan archetype!• Unique attributes!• Cultural beliefs!
• Role in community!• Legacy goals!
MARKET ETHOS"
PERFORMANCE AGNOSTIC
ASPIRATIONS"• Role in community!• Legacy goals!
PERFORMANCE AGNOSTIC
ASPIRATIONS"
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
• Market mindset!• Fan archetype!• Unique attributes!• Cultural beliefs!
• Role in community!• Legacy goals!
MARKET ETHOS"
LOSS PROOF BRAND"
PERFORMANCE AGNOSTIC
ASPIRATIONS"
FRANCHISE HISTORY"
• Traditions!• Icons!• Ownership!• Dynasties!
• Market mindset!• Fan archetype!• Unique attributes!• Cultural beliefs!
• Role in community!• Legacy goals!
MARKET ETHOS"
The Synthesis Of These Three Factors Make Loss-Proof Brands Memorable."
The Brazen, Big City Bullies.!
The Unpretentious, Hardworking, Spirit of the Midwest.!
Hope and Heartbreak for the whole Family.!
Showtime and Southern Glitz.!
The Hard-Nosed, Blue-Collar, Backbone Of The Steel City.!
What Can New Or Undeveloped Franchises Learn From All This?"
• Clearly articulate what your brand will represent.!• Pay homage to history.!• Reflect the ethos of your home market.!• Aim higher – seek to bring a a new POV to what it means
to be a franchise in your league.!• Differentiate from existing brands in the league.!
• Use the brand to drive all decisions regarding the operation. !• Draft talent that reflects the ethos of the team.!• Iconography!• Stadium!• Major sponsors!• Marketing!• Etc. !
Thank You.
