Category — Sports
The New NASCAR
Steve Phelps navigates innovative pathways at NASCAR. By Tim Manners. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey — all are great American pastimes with amazing stories to tell. But it’s hard to name a sport more organically rooted in American popular culture than stock-car racing — popularized, as it was, by bootleggers trying to outrun revenuers in the 1930s and ’40s.
When that race ended, it was only the beginning of what is now, after football, the second-most watched sport. Today, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — NASCAR — claims tens of millions of fans across more than 150 countries.
And yet, as with any enterprise, keeping up demands new thinking. The 2008 economic meltdown was especially painful for NASCAR, striking as it did at the automotive industry, its very heart. Sponsorship and viewership flagged … read >>
January 1, 2012 1 Comment
Game Changer
The future of sports is in the hands of fans, not team owners. By Rick Burton. The death of Steve Jobs and the subsequent publication of his biography by Walter Isaacson quickly moved the discussion of general innovation into the forefront of numerous water-cooler and cocktail party conversations. Where, we seem to have started asking, would we be without the invention of iPods, iPhones, iTouches and iPads?
From there, someone invariably talks about how entire industries such as music, literature and film have been transformed in the ways that suddenly allowed the masses to custom-order the exact product they wanted for use any time or anywhere … read >>
January 1, 2012 Comments
Fly, Eagles, Fly!
The Philadelphia Eagles ascend to higher purpose and win both on and off the field. By Dori Molitor. The row of vertical wind turbines that will soon be perched atop the perimeter of Lincoln Financial Field will be just the most visible sign that there’s something different about the football team that plays there. The solar panels will be a bit unusual, too.
The team is, of course, the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the most successful organizations in the National Football League. Under the team’s ownership — Christina and Jeffrey Lurie — the Eagles have made the playoffs ten times in last 15 years. Their fan base, according to Forbes magazine, is among the most loyal in the National Football League … read >>
January 1, 2011 Comments
The New Swoosh
Nike retail chief Jeanne Jackson sees big global growth in small local stores. An exclusive Q&A interview by Tim Manners.
(pdf) or (text)
July 1, 2010 1 Comment
The Hub 27
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The entire Nov/Dec ’08 issue of The Hub magazine (40 pages), centered on loyalty, including an interview with David Niggli of FAO Schwarz and 11 other articles. (download pdf) |
November 1, 2008 Comments
Citius Altius Fortius
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Rick Burton promotes peace, love and the Olympic Games as marketer-in-chief of the U.S. Olympic Committee. An exclusive Q&A interview by Tim Manners.
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July 1, 2008 Comments
08.08.08
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The four fronts of the upcoming Olympic brand battle. By Zoran Svetlicic and Frank H. Vial.
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July 1, 2008 Comments
The Hub 25
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The entire Jul/Aug ’08 issue of The Hub magazine (44 pages), centered on brand identity, including an interview with Rick Burton of the U.S. Olympic Committee and 12 other articles. (download pdf) |
July 1, 2008 Comments
Heineken’s Diamond
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Heineken makes champions of a billion soccer fans. By Scott Goodson. (download pdf) |
May 1, 2007 Comments
Lisa Baird
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Lisa Baird, senior-vice president of consumer products and marketing of the National Football League, says innovation is the name of the game. An exclusive Q&A interview by Tim Manners. (download PDF) |
January 6, 2007 Comments
Adidas Disrupts
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Adidas delivers brand experiences to match the passions of World Cup fans. By Laurie Coots. (download PDF) |
January 6, 2007 Comments
