Praise The Game 
And Pass The Recognition

Lexographic trivia: Look up “fan” (as in enthusiast, not air-conditioning’s forerunner) in the dictionary, and you’ll find, in that stuff following the definition, that it’s a shortening of “fanatic,” which in turn means “marked by excessive enthusiasm; obsessed.” And nowhere is the term more apt then when applied to sports fans. 

Think of all the topics that have consumed our attention in the last 10 years. Monica and Bill. Titanic. Cigars. The OJ trial. Hannibal Lechter. Survivor. Princess Di. Seinfeld. The Florida “Will the real President please stand up?” debacle. Clarence Thomas. The Phantom Menace. Desert Storm. X-Files. Tony Soprano. In each case, shows were broadcast. Books published. Magazines created. People literally couldn’t get enough. Until the next topic came around, that is. Then the previous frenzy was suddenly relegated to paper-recycling plants and remainder tables.

But none of these things even begins to approach the rabid devotion sports fans have for their favorite teams. Crazes, you see, come and go, but sports insanity is forever. Think of things you see game after game, year after year. Folks with their faces painted in team colors. Guys sitting in stadiums bare-chested in sub-zero temperatures. Women screaming obscenities at refs that would make truck drivers wince. People risking a several-story fall to hang a sign at an arena. The crowd throwing things onto the court or field. Otherwise normal humans standing several times an hour to do a collective wave. People camping out in the snow on Christmas night to be the first in line for playoff tickets. Even rioting at European soccer matches. And that’s only the really hardcore fans. There are tens of millions of others, at various levels.

The point is this: Unlike other fleeting in-vogues, sports is permanently ingrained into our everyday existence whether we realize it or not. We hear sports terms being bandied about in business every day. People have been known to cancel dates, reschedule weddings and postpone doctor appointments so as not to miss an important game. During football season, many spouses don’t speak to each other all Sunday afternoon because at least one is welded to the TV. And what’s the conversation every Monday morning entail in your office?

With sports being so all-pervasive in so many lives, is it any wonder many firms just like yours are increasingly using sports-themed promotions, complete with logoed products? The connection is as logical as Mr. Spock. There are legions of sports fans who might put off getting a new coat or pair of shoes until a big sale, but will shell out over $100 for a team jersey in a heartbeat. Others who finally save up enough for that costly luxury car, then plaster it with bumper stickers and back-shelf effluvia – most of which they buy – the next time their team comes close to the playoffs. They don’t even think of cost when it comes to sports. (Hey, somebody has to provide those exorbitant salaries players make). 

Considering all this, you don’t have to be P.T. Barnum to realize how well these folks might remember your company if you give them the same sort of products they’d gladly pull out their wallets to own. No guarantees, naturally, but it definitely puts the odds more in your favor. And something else to keep in mind: numerous studies have shown that sports fans tend to be fiercely brand-loyal in most cases.

All of this in addition to how sports promos can help foster a winning-team mentality in the workplace. That’s an added toss-in.

Are sports-oriented promotions always appropriate? Certainly not. But when they are, it’s difficult to top them. What products to use? The article in this issue, thorough as it is, is little more than a surface-scratcher. But it’s an excellent start. Look it over, consider the possibilities, and contact your counselor. It won’t take long for the two of you to develop a play that will help your firm knock one clear out of the park (See? You just can’t avoid those corny-but-fitting sports parallels).

Remember, too, that while you and your counselor are putting a sports promo together, your competitor and hers could well be doing the same. No biggie; ask your counselor how to make yours better.

Because, in today’s world, Lombardi’s Law holds true in business, too. Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.

P.S. Remember, your comments, criticisms and suggestions are always welcome.