to be employed . The Football Associations want to dictate , the press and fans are forever giving their unsolicited opinions loudly . The coach must have blinders to make the right decisions for the team and country .
This provides us with an important lesson in brand building . One must focus on the objective , plans , tasks , tactics and avoid being distracted by all the noise in the market place especially competitive action . There could be internal pressure as well from other departments that may not understand the role of marketing . One must filter the noises and keep the eye on the ball .
The Market Place
The third lesson is that the rubber meets the road in the market place where the consumer makes the purchasing decision . It ’ s on the pitch where the game is played . It ’ s the arena where winners and losers are decided . All the practice and strategies are laid bare on the pitch . It ’ s here where heartaches , muscle aches and crushed dreams or spirits are uplifted . Who can forget the tears of Neymar , Suarez , Ronaldo and Rodryo or the jubilation of Morocco and the African Continent ?
This shows that even the best laid plans don ’ t always bear fruit . One must adapt and change tact as the situation demands . The coach must make substitutions or re-look at the playing format as the game progresses . There are many decisions that coaches make that turn the game around . For example when do they substitute ? Who goes in and who comes out ? When they score do they defend the one goal ? Do they change the format from say 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 as the game progresses ?
These decisions may bring in the desired results sometimes or fail to . But they must be made . As an example , in the finals , the Coach of Argentina Lionel Scaloni started De Maria on the flank . As the French team were focusing on Messi , De Maria was left almost alone and he was devastating scoring one goal and earning a penalty which Messi put in . Once in a while a marketer may launch a fighter brand which the competition focuses on to protect their key brand . Such tactical decisions done quickly on the go build steam that keep the brand on its long term goal of winning in the market place .
Emotional Connection
The fourth lesson is that the brand resides
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One must focus on the objective , plans , tasks , tactics and avoid being distracted by all the noise in the market place especially competitive action . There could be internal pressure as well from other departments that may not understand the role of marketing . One must filter the noises and keep the eye on the ball .
in the minds and hearts of the consumer . Strong brands have an emotional connection that defies logic or rational thinking . The fans illustrate this point clearly . Apart from the fans whose teams were participating in the tournament , most teams had millions of diverse supporters all over the World not in any way connected to the team ’ s country of origin . For example , Brazil , Argentina , and France have fans that look for a connection such as the origin of the players or the way they play the game . France for instance is seen as an ‘ African ’ team and hence the massive support it enjoys in the continent .
When it comes to players the one way connection is even more . Messi more than Argentina , was a favourite of many not just the way he plays but his character as a person . Many hoped that Messi would lift the trophy and put laid to rest the debate as which of the two between him and Ronaldo is the GOAT . The task then , marketers , is to build a brand that goes beyond rational benefits and steals the hearts of the consumers . Saatchi & Saatchi , a marketing agency , called such brands ‘ Lovemarks ’. Messi then can be described as a ‘ Lovemark ’ to his endearing fans .
It ’ s A Long Road Ahead
Lastly strong brands are built over a long time and marketers must learn to have a long-term view . There is no overnight success , unless the product is a fad that fizzles like dew come the morning sun . The success of Morocco team was not built in day . This was articulated by Sunny Bindra , the Consultant and writer , in a Sunday Nation 8th January , 2023 article . In his article he illustrates the long calculated and determined journey the team has taken to be where it is . This sojourn started 14 years ago when the King of Morocco realised he needed to take his country to football success . He started by appointing Nasser Larguet who had experience in France as the key driver of this mission .
They invested heavily in the search for talent across the country , facilities , and the right supporting team . One such person is the current coach Wahid Regragai . The success was there for all to see as the team did away with highly rated teams of Belgium , Portugal and Spain , on their way to the semi-finals .
The lesson is clear and present for all to learn ; it takes long calculated plans not just passion and love of the game . The King too has taught us of the need to have a brand champion who is the vision carrier , taking the team to places that they may not see or believe possible .
Conclusion
As we end it is important to remember that in the journey of brand building there will be setbacks that one must overcome and being resilient is critical . Argentina for example lost their first Group match to Saudi Arabia but they learnt from their mistakes made the necessary changes and more importantly the team never lost selfbelief . It ’ s never plain sailing and even if a brand is a market leader it must continue protecting its turf .
Sports tournaments will come and go but the brand building and even life lessons will endure . For all of us , and marketers in particular , next time you are watching a game , not just football , try and decipher some brand building nuggets . And kindly share them with us through Marketing Africa magazine . We are in this game together .
Robert Wamai is a trainer and advertising consultant , a passionate consumer advocate and believer in the power of brands . You can engage him on this or related matters via email at : Wamai . Robert @ gmail . com .