Dan Cohen, Wheaties PR veteran, reflects on the branding genius of His Airness and ESPN’s new series.
Branding and basketball – some people might not think of them as a natural pair. As a sports fanatic and public relations expert, I think about their connection a lot. I did name my firm “Full Court Press Communications” after all.
For the next five weeks, NBA fans will be transfixed as ESPN rolls out a 10-part series on the legacy of Michael Jordan. The Last Dance looks at Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. Watching, I’ve been once again awed by the way Jordan redefined not just what was possible in the NBA universe, but also how he reshaped product branding.
General Mills capitalized on the branding genius of Michael Jordan
I connected with the greatness of Jordan during these final hey-day years. I was a part of the public relations department at General Mills and Michael Jordan was a crucial face to keep the Wheaties brand relevant. My bosses attended commercial shoots while I stayed back in Minneapolis creating press packages, doing video news releases, and pitching reporters.
Reflecting on Jordan’s greatness, I think that all communicators can learn a few lessons from His Airness on branding excellence. The following are my three favorite takeaways.
You are your brand
Jordan built a successful marketing strategy around his brand. Jordan understood the worth of his own likeness, voice, and name, and negotiated in his own favor. Long before he won his first championship, he was the face of well-known products like Wheaties. He even negotiated with Nike, the sneaker goliath, to create his own Jordan brand under the Nike umbrella. Jordan’s own celebrity grew as a result of his powerful leverage of endorsement deals.
In the 1990s, the NBA transitioned its entire marketing effort to the Jordan model. Traditionally, the league had built up the brands of its teams. Instead, it began to focus on stars like Jordan. Commissioner David Stern recognized that stars sold more tickets and merchandise than blind team loyalty. The NBA’s marketing strategy in 2020 still focuses on star power, now harnessing social media and a fan community constantly connected to the internet. Today’s strategy can be traced back to the marketing transitions of the Jordan era.
Learning from Jordan can inspire you and your brand to personalize – how does this marketing effort fill in the blank “only we …”?. Social media and modern communication offer the chance for you to market yourself as your brand. In a crowded media landscape, what identifies your company as worthy of a consumer’s attention? Experiment with this. Take a note from Jordan, and value your personal contribution to your brand.
Championships matter
Jordan pursued his first title relentlessly. Aside from being a fierce competitor, he recognized the validation that comes with winning a championship.
In the late 1990s, my team at General Mills hosted a luncheon for the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team stars. We also hosted the 1996 US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics champions. Each of these teams graced a Wheaties box. Individuals like Mike Eruzione and Kerri Strug became household names. What elevated these athletes to the same orbit as Michael Jordan was winning a title in their sport at the highest level.
For YOUR brand, validation is a crucial part of building sales and marketing success. While Jordan demonstrated this in sports, brands across markets seek the validation of a win. Books are stamped as New York Times bestsellers, or selections in Oprah’s book club Wine labels display victory badges from various wine contests. Consumers and corporate buyers are drawn to validation. If you have a way to validate your success – showcase it. If not, create a new award and go win it.
Clear messaging and purpose creates unity
Bay Area icon Steve Kerr described Jordan’s leadership style as demanding and tough. However, he also described a hunger that drove Jordan as a competitor:
“It’s like, you’ve got to compete. That’s probably the biggest thing I learned from him, watching him, he was just so fearless. He never shied away from the stigma that would come through failure. He understood fully that if he just went all out every single game and went for it on every single play, the positives would outweigh the negatives.”
Jordan’s drive unified diverse individuals ranging from Steve Kerr to Dennis Rodman. He drove them to be a stronger and more cohesive team. He also knew their buy-in was key to winning championships.
As a CEO, my team is built on individual strengths that we blend together in united efforts toward our client’s goals. We approach each with an intensity that differentiates us from our competitors. While I’m no Michael Jordan, our team knows and executes a unified strategy for each project.
If your team is struggling to define your brand and reach your goals, it may be worth evaluating if your leadership is bringing the team together. Unifying to reach a clear goal is key to successful communications and branding efforts.
The post What Michael Jordan Taught Me About Branding – Three Communications Tips from Air Jordan appeared first on Full Court Press Communications.