Here’s a marketing lesson provided by athletes. It is the marketing of hopes and dreams.
To guarantee a place in sports lore, an athlete need simply guarantee victory in the face of overwhelming odds in a big game, like the Super Bowl. It is a ticket into the sports history book. “Broadway” Joe Namath did it in 1969 by guaranteeing his 16 point underdog New York Jets would defeat the mighty Baltimore Colts, led by Johnny Unitas, in Super Bowl 3. He did it and made history. He rode that wave to advertising and broadcasting jobs.
The victory prediction strategy was used over and over by “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali. He first did it in a major way by predicting the knockout of heavyweight champ Sonny Liston in the 8th round. Ali was a 7 to 1 underdog. Ali won by TKO in the 7th. While not always the underdog in future fights, he still made them interesting by poetically calling the round he would knock out his opponent.
It’s like Babe Ruth’s calling his home run shot in the 1932 World’s Series in Yankee Stadium, but doing it every fight. Ali’s fights drew massive attention around the world and his fame lasted well beyond his fighting career. (Ali was a master marketer).
How about Bobby Riggs boldly predicting champ Billy Jean King would fold under his (older) manly skill and experience? He got millions to watch the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, and likely pulled down a better payday as a result. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated. It didn’t matter he lost– the tickets were already punched.
Marketing is as much about raising expectations and hopes as about providing a quality product or service. Good marketing makes people look, great marketing makes them feel they have a personal stake.
Marketing hope draws attention to your struggle. People will want to see (and believe) it’s true– that you have what it takes to win against the long odds. Magicians from Harry Houdini to David Blaine have played the long shot odds to draw crowds to witness the seemingly impossible stunt. And people love rooting for the underdog. It is the hope that hopeth well. (Dante)
And if you lose? Certainly you can lose the game, fight or whatever, but if you are the big underdog anyway, it’s soon forgotten. You were expected to lose and you have their sympathy. (It’s the favorite who predicts victory that wears the egg if he loses) . But being the underdog in the big game allows you the rare opportunity to market hopes and dreams by proclaiming your victory. And should you pull it off, by luck or skill (it matters not), you have secured your place in history. You have turned hope to truth, dreams to reality.
Now witness Plaxico Burress. He has predicted the Giants will defeat the New England Patriots in today’s Super Bowl by a score of 23-17. Way to reserve your page in the history book, Plaxico.
(My prediction: Giants 21, Pats 20)
Technorati Tags: marketing, underdog, sports predictions
Just catching up on my reading. This is a great post with some great examples yet you missed the most important example ever!
1994. Devils vs Rangers. Devils up 3 to 2 n the best of seven series.
New York Rangers Capt. Mark Messier comes out on the front page of every paper saying, “I guarantee we’ll win tonight.”
It’s Game Six of the conference finals. If they lose the game the Devils go on towards the Cup, the Rangers would go home to play golf.
First period had the Devils up 2 - 0. Undaunted, Mark goes out and scores a Hat Trick (3 goals for you non-puckheads)
Rangers win the game, then go on to win the series, then go on to win the Stanley Cup!
So my question has to be was this just too perfect of an example or are you just die hard Islander fans?
Love Ya!
No question about it Mike. That Ranger season and Messier’s prediction definitely deserve a place at the table of sport’s history.