Lessons that sports can teach us about business
Having loyalty for a brand is one of most important features a business can have. It is passed down from one generation to the next. There is one particular business that has enjoyed such brand loyalty, even when performance has lagged: professional sports.
Professional sports leagues have been in the United States for over 150 years, and many teams can trace their lineage over the past two centuries. It began at a time when they were literally the only game in town: if you wanted to see a baseball game, you went to the stadium or the team closest to you; going to another city was almost impossible. That environment itself created brand loyalty in itself: the “old town team”. Thus, team loyalty could be passed from one generation to the next.
Now, we live in a world where we have access to essentially every team in every sport, so competition is greater than before. Every team’s game can be viewed for almost everywhere in the world. Many teams offer travel packages to see a game in their location live, since travel is easier. Putting up a sign at the local ballpark saying “Game Today” is not enough.
Here of examples of success in the sports world and how they can translate to the business world:
DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL BRAND CAN HELP YOU IF GOALS ARE NOT ALWAYS ATTAINABLE. The Dallas Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl in over thirty years, but have built a brand that is among the most well-known, and profitable, business in the world. It was begun by Tex Schramm, the Cowboys general manager, who put the team on high profile days such as Thanksgiving, added cheerleaders that became an attraction all their own, and made Dallas a recognizable destination for exciting football. These traditions have been carried on and expanded by the current owner of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones.
SOMETIMES CONSISTENT SUCESS IS NOT ENOUGH. The New York Yankees recorded their thirtieth consecutive season with a winning record, the longest current streak in American sports. Ask a Yankee fan how this past season went, and they will say it is a failure because they did not make the playoffs. A team like the Yankees, who lead their promotions by bragging about their past successes, can create such high expectations that consistent performance is meaningless. Many times, when a team achieves the ultimate success, an occasional failure is more tolerated. You have to be aware that the demands of your clientele may differ from similar businesses.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TEAR DOWN TO REBUILD. You have to be afraid not to fail in order to succeed, because lessons can be learned from defeat. Many a franchise have allowed themselves to be disassembled and rebuilt from scratch, with the belief that brand recognition and loyalty will carry them through hard times, as long as there is a promise of better days ahead. This is known as a “rebuild”.
MAKE SURE YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT IS APPEALING TO ENTICE A CASUAL FAN.
Having outstanding facilities can be a draw. The Dallas Cowboys created vastly modern stadiums twice in order to make their product more appealing: Texas Stadium in 1971, and Cowboys Stadium in 2009. The Baltimore Orioles opened Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992, known as a “retro stadium”, and almost every other team would follow suit with new stadiums over the next twenty-five years. These buildings create repeat customers by delivering enjoyable visits regardless of the final score.
Combining a good product, through research and development, with providing an enticing environment can result in a successful product, that may just lead to a championship. Reach out to use to help give you that championship edge.
Lawrence Miles is a writer living in White Plains, NY. His collection of essays can be found at https://lawrencemiles.substack.com, and it continues to grow. He is also a published poet, whose works have appeared in journals such as Maintenant #15, 2022 New
