Business Game Time

Why marketing is not as easy as it seems and why McLaren won the race in Shanghai.

Filed under: motor sports by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: big picture • complexity • data • data models • drs • durability • execution • facts • five forces • flexibility • formula 1 • formula one • information • kers • kinetic energy recovery systems • lewis hamilton • marketing • michael e. porter • michael porter • pirelli • prioritizing • product • rear wing • red bull • rules • scientific • shanghai • tactics • team strategy • tires • u curve • winning

While it was an unusual, unexpected decision by FIFA to host the 2022 World Cup at Qatar, from a purely economical perspective, it may be one that makes sense. Here’s why.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
3 Comments » Tagged with: 2018 • 2022 • 2022 world cup • atlanta • atmosphere • bid • boca juniors • campaign • celtic glasgow • coca-cola • conspiracy theories • decision • england • fenerbahce istanbul • fifa • fifa executive committee • fifa world cup • galatasaray istanbul • germany • glasgow rangers • host • hosting • india • market • marketing • middle east • monopoly • natural resources • olympic games • product • qatar 2022 • reach • riverplate • russia • soccer (football) • south africa • spain • the netherlands • tournament • untapped • world cup final

The NBA banned Athletic Propulsion Labs’ Concept 1 shoe because it creates an “unfair competitive advantage”. The way APL turned this into sales success shows how to deal with market entry barriers by breaking market rules.

Filed under: basketball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: adam goldston • adidas • advertising spending • apl • athletic propulsion labs • ban • basketball • brand • calculable • change the rules • concept 1 • concept one • distribution • dynamic • fuzzy • jump • los angeles • market entry • market entry barrier • marketing • nba • nike • product • reebok • ryan goldston • shoes • sports apparel • supply chain • unfair competitive advantage • unpredictable • vertical leap

The Cleveland Indians offer “Lunch and 3 Innings”: Watch a game for $15 and get a $10 voucher on top. Is this a good strategy? What the Indians miss: Rebates may be important part of your pricing strategy, but how can you expect your customers to show belief in your product if you don’t?

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: activating new customers • albert belle • attendance • baseball • belief in the product • charles nagy • chicago white sox • cleveland • cleveland indians • community • convenience • creativity • critical mass • demand • facebook • giffen goods • identification • jacobs field • jim thome • kenny lofton • lunch and 3 innings • lunch and three innings • manny ramirez • marketing • merchandising • metcalfe's law • mlb • offer • omar vizquel • orel hershiser • playoffs • price • price reduction • price sensitivity • pricing • progressive field • purchasing decision • rebate • rebuilding • roberto alomar • sandy alomar jr. • self-esteem • social event • tribe • value perceived • voucher • world series

Not only does this article explain how a “Mexican Wave” or “La Ola” is created in stadiums, it also uses this analogy to explain why the old broadcasting model of marketing communications is dying and why the business models of Facebook and Twitter’s are so successful: It’s all because of the waves!

Filed under: baseball, soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: (american) football • activate • activating • activation • activation threshold • ballpark • baseball • biological physics • broadcasting model • budapest • business model • communication channels • differentiation • distance • divorce • eötvös loránd university • excitable media • excitable units • external stimulus • facebook • fascinating • fifa world cup • followers • greenberg-hastings model • hastgas • hungary • illés j. farkas • instant reality check • interesting • kevin kelly • la ola • marketing • marketing communications • media landscape • mexican wave • mexico • movie • noise • oakland a's • outstanding • south africa • stadium wave • tamás vicsek • triggering group • twitter • vuvuzela • washington huskies • when harry met sally

Mascots and logos of the 2012 London Olympics are bad as they do not support the brand. This article examines how a good mascot works by checking the example of the Phillie Phanatic. By the way it also looks at what a brand and brand personality are all about.

Filed under: baseball, misc by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: baseball • beijing • beijing 2008 • bracelets • brand • brand identity prism • brand personality • david a. aaker • david buck • david montgomery • david ogilvy • fans • father of advertising • jean-noel kapferer • liberty bell • logo • logos • london • london 2012 • london taxi • major league baseball • mandeville • marketing • mascot • mascots • mlb • olympic games • olympic rings • olympic stadium • paralympic games • philadelphia phillies • phillie phanatic • physique • picture of the recipient • picture of the sender • reflection • relationship • rocky balboa • soul • spirit • support • symbol • teletubbies • the new strategic brand management • visual symbols • wenlock

Why 80.000 people turn up at a hockey game, the creation of a new selling proposition, sticky messages and why there is no “Dislike Button” on Facebook.

Filed under: (ice) hockey by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: (ice) hockey • alex ovechkin • alexander ovechkin • amplifier • arena auf schalke • basketball • canada • capacity • chip heath • cologne • common ground • critical mass • dan heath • david • dislike button • europe • event • facebook • fenway park • gelsenkirchen • germany • goliath • groups • hand ball • heath brothers • hockey • hype • köln • kölnarena • lanxess arena • like button • made to stick • marketing • mass dynamic • mass phenomenon • message • new selling proposition • nhl playoffs • nhl usa • nhl winter classic • olympic winter games • opening match • overtime • perception • players • reality • scale • scaling • social psychology • spectators • sticky message • story • storytelling • super bowl • switzerland • tournament organizers • user community • vancouver • veltins arena • washington capitals • world championships

Here’s a basic rule in marketing: Make it easy, convenient and enjoyable for your customers to buy from you. Anyone who does not agree? Let me tell you a story from one of my recent purchases: I just bought a pair of tickets for Wimbledon, the most important tennis tournament in the world. Actually the [...]

Filed under: tennis by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: access • all england lawn tennis and croquet club • all england lawn tennis championship • brand • centre court • choice • complicated • convenience • conversation • customer engagement • engagament • gold dust • identification • international reply coupon • internet based commerce • involvement • marketing • myth • order form • outside court • public ballot • social media • sold out • tennis • tickets • tournament • tradition • wimbledon

A few weeks ago I was sitting in a Argentinian restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium on a cold winter night. While I was eating my wonderful steak, my eyes wandered along the memorabilia on the walls. One item caught my attention: A poster with the picture of a former soccer player and just two words written [...]

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
6 Comments » Tagged with: 1986 • alcohol • antwerp • argentina • azteka stadium • belgium • boca juniors • buenos aires • che guevara • cheating • cocaine • cuba • curiosity • d10s • dancing with the stars • diego armando maradona • diego maradona • england • fascinate • fascination • fidel castor • fifa world cup • forbidden fruit • god • hand of god • head coach • hepatitis • hugo chavez • italy • journalists • luxury • marketing • mastery • mexico • mystique • peter shilton • play maker • power • prestige • rehab • sally hogshead • soccer (football) • steak • taxes • vice