Business Game Time

As Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland was hit by an escort vehicle at the Tour De France, here’s how “escort vehicles” hit in our organizations and how they hurt those they were meant to support.

Filed under: cycling by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: barbed wire fence • cycling • dutch • finance • holland • hr • johnny hoogerland • juan antonio flecha • legal • netherlands • production • sales • staff functions • strategy • summer thoughts • support • tour de france • tv car

Zonal defense is the dominant defensive tactical approach both in football and in soccer. Businesses can learn a lot from, especially when it comes to communication and supporting each other. Here’s how.

Filed under: (american) football, soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: (american) football • baseline • communication • defenders • fallback position • flexibility • hierarchical organization • juncture • line organization • lines • market • oliver williamson • organization • receivers • responsibility • ronald coase • slant route • soccer (football) • structure • support • team work • transaction cost theory • zonal defense • zones

“Never change a winning team!” or: “Never change a winning business!”. Why is it so hard to innovate in successful companies, what can be done against it and what is Andy Grove’s approach?

Filed under: misc by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: adapt • andrew grove • andy grove • change • change management • dedication • failure • fear • improve • improvement • inflection point • innovation • innovation management • intel • leadership • lose • momentum • only the paranoid survive • paranoia • risk • support • team • trust • win • winning • winning streak

Bobby Cox, the most rejected MLB manager of all time, just retired. His leadership lesson: Show unequivocal support to your team, protect them and create a work environment that enables the team to deliver their best.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: atlanta braves • baseball • bobby cox • decisions • divisional series • emotions • jeff francoeur • leadership • manager • mlb • national league • nlds • playoffs • protection • referee • regular season • responsibility • san francisco giants • support • umpire • work environment • world series

Fans at the Ryder Cup in Wales this weekend supported their team but also cheered for the opponents. Here’s what’s so good about it and how you can use the same approach in business meetings.

Filed under: golf by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: boring • business meetings • celtic manor resort • consideration • fair • fairness • golf • neutral • neutrality • point of view • points of view • rain • ryder cup • soccer (football) • spectators • support • take position • team europe • team usa • wales • win

The “derby boycott” I recently discussed raised the question in me what relationship there is between highly involved fans and a brand. Here’s why customers are more and more becoming part of products and, as a result of this, companies have to give away some control to their customers if they want to be successful.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: acceptance • apple • borussia dortmund • boycott • brand • brand relationship • bundesliga • choice • colorful • community • connect • connection • control • critical mass • cult brands • customers • dedication • derby • derby boycott • devotion • dictate • douglas atkin • emotional behavior • facebook • fanaticism • fandom • fans • fascination • fc schalke 04 • fc st. pauli • followership • fred wiersema • germany • groups • interaction • involvement • iphone • loss of control • mark zuckerberg • membership • metcalfe’s law • michael treacy • nokia • ownership • perceived value • pricing strategy • product • religion • rituals • rivalry • rivals • self-confidence • seth godin • soccer (football) • social links • social networks • sociological • sociology • starbucks • stickiness • support • supporters • the culting of brands • ticket prices • tickets • value dimensions • value perceived • violence • web 2.0

Fans of German Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund will boycott their team’s match against arch-rivals Schalke 04 because they do not support the rising ticket prices anymore. Like soccer clubs, you may choose your customers. Here’s how going for the short-term profit can put your business at risk.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
6 Comments » Tagged with: attractiveness • borussia dortmund • boycott • broadcast income • bundesliga • cheap • choice • christian seifert • colorful • core value • customer groups • customers • derby • english premier league • existing customer base • fan clubs • fan orientation • fans • fascination • fc schalke 04 • germany • kpi's • management positions • match-day revenues • nfl • product • reporting periods • residence times • risk • rivalry • rivals • short term profits • silent • soccer (football) • sponsorship receipts • support • supporters • ticket prices • tickets • veltins arena

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
1 Comment » 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