Why do NFL players keep changing uniforms? One word–MARKETING!
The National Football League (NFL) is considered the “top brand” in all of American professional sports. Why?
They protect it” very well, ensuring consistency among uniforms, league discipline beyond even what the court of law might “dish out” i.e. Michael Vick serves almost 2 years in prison…of course not playing a down of football during those two years, and then upon his being reinstated to the NFL, was suspended for a few games at the beginning of this season.
Regarding the uniforms, this year the league has been celebrating the American Football League (AFL) which merged with the NFL in 1970 (think Joe Namath…
and the “guaranteed victory” for the upstart New York Jets vs. the “mighty NFL” Baltimore Colts). As a part of the celebration, the “original” AFL teams, now part of the NFL, have been wearing the “throwback” unis! Lots of fun…get a load of the Denver Broncos’ unis! (below, left) WOW!!!
What’s the point here? Not only do they keep “designing, manufacturing, displaying, and showcasing” new uniforms for teams on a regular basis so those die-hard fans will buy those, but an even “deeper marketing point” is the emotion this stirs in those “Baby Boomer fans” who grew up in the 1960’s rooting for their favorite AFL team! It is not only about the product itself, but it is about the emotion that it stirs in the consumer, in this case, the NFL Fan. It brings back memories of childhood, teen-age years, or early adulthood and evokes generally positive, romantic-type feelings.
SO…THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY HOW YOU CAN “DISPLAY YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICES IN NEW UNIFORMS,” BUT THE EMOTION THAT IT WILL STIR IN YOUR TARGET MARKET!
Dunbar’s number is 150.
And he’s not compromising, no matter how much you whine about it.
Dunbar postulated that the typical human being can only have 150 friends. One hundred fifty people in the tribe. After that, we just aren’t cognitively organized to handle and track new people easily. That’s why, without external forces, human tribes tend to split in two after they reach this size. It’s why WL Gore limits the size of their offices to 150 (when they grow, they build a whole new building).
Facebook and Twitter and blogs fly in the face of Dunbar’s number. They put hundreds or thousands of friendlies in front of us, people we would have lost touch with (why? because of Dunbar!) except that they keep digitally reappearing.
Reunions are a great example of Dunbar’s number at work. You might like a dozen people you meet at that reunion, but you can’t keep up, because you’re full.
Some people online are trying to flout Dunbar’s number, to become connected and actual friends with tens of thousands of people at once. And guess what? It doesn’t scale. You might be able to stretch to 200 or 400, but no, you can’t effectively engage at a tribal level with a thousand people. You get the politician’s glassy-eyed gaze or the celebrity’s empty stare. And then the nature of the relationship is changed.
I can tell when this happens. I’m guessing you can too.
WRITTEN by SETH GODIN
Recently, in order to pass Health Care Reform Legislation, President Obama met with doctors at the White House. Are these doctors wearing white because they are at the “white” house or because it is about politics or…really about marketing? It is a powerful visual image of these doctors meeting with President Obama at the White House with their “doctor smocks” on as opposed to business attire i.e. dark blue suits, dress, etc. He is “pulling out all the stops” (including marketing his legislative initiatives) as he seeks passage of such legislation.
Which has more “emotional pull” on you? A doctor in their “practice smock” or a doctor in a business suit or dress?
Well…it’s clear by this picture which one President Obama believes is most effective! He certainly knows a lot about politics, but he, also, knows a lot about marketing!
Think about the power of visuals in your business as well! It’s the “little things” that really do count!
What is so important about educating your prospective clients and existing clients? Listen to this 15 minute podcast as we discuss this on “Livin’ the Dream” Radio Show…Click Here!
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Being a Small Business Owner, I understand the challenges that other Small Business Owners face in implementing an INTEGRATED AUTOMATED MARKETING SYSTEM. I have a passion for helping Small Business Owners to do such! 