Gatorade

Prior to signing Michael Jordan to endorse its products in 1991, Gatorade which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2002 was already experiencing tremendous marketing success with the help of its great jingle, "Gatorade is thirst aid, for that deep down body thirst!" Yet its product relied solely on its relationship with sports leagues and didn't have a specific face for consumers to associate with.

When Gatorade signed Jordan and launched the "Be Like Mike" campaign, it extended its connection to sports by linking its products in an even more personal way, leveraging an even catchier jingle that begins: "Sometimes I dream … that he is me …," and concludes with, "Oh, if I could be like Mike…"

Whereas Nike implied that fans could fly if they bought Air Jordans, Gatorade utilizing the same sales theme as Wheaties said that if you, too, wanted to excel in sports, drinking Gatorade was the answer. After all, can there be a true victory celebration in sports without Gatorade being poured over the coach's head? This intimate and powerful attachment of the leading sports drink brand to the top sports personality in the world further reinforced Gatorade's impressive 84 percent market share.

Miller Lite taught us that it can be beneficial to explain the benefits as quickly as you can, whereas Coke demonstrated just how compelling a simple message can be. The simpler the message, the easier it is to absorb. Are your marketing efforts communicating a message that is too complicated for your target consumers to easily grasp?

The Apple ad caught viewers' attention better than any other to date. It immediately followed its attention-grabbing intro by telling you what to expect from its new computer. What cost-effective marketing initiatives is your business undertaking to avoid ever-increasing advertising clutter? What is it that makes your message stand out to potential consumers? Have you identified not only the proper advertising medium for your company's products, but also the most appropriate time to advertise?

Creating, implementing, and servicing marketing campaigns are extraordinarily challenging. Before any company can rise to the level of Miller, Coke, Apple, or Gatorade, it must clearly understand how and why sports can be an effective medium to use when communicating the marketing message because advertising alone seldom gets the job done.

It is also important to realize that three of the aforementioned companies Miller, Coke, and Gatorade (now owned by Coke's competitor, Pepsi) that incorporated a sports theme have invested significant resources throughout the sports world to further establish and legitimize their brands in the eyes of sports fans. They have done so because these companies realize that a single TV ad or campaign might very well be insufficient.

Miller had been the official sponsor of the NFL for 18 years until Coors signed a four-year, $300 million deal with the league in 2002. However, Miller still maintains individual sponsorship deals with numerous teams.

Coke, too, was the official soft drink of the NFL for 22 years until Pepsi signed a five-year, $160 million deal with the league in 2002. Like Miller, Coke still has the rights to many individual teams.

Gatorade, for its part, continues to invest in the latest generation of athletes including Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, and Washington Freedom forward Mia Hamm of the Women's United Soccer Association. Additionally, and to complement this presence, Gatorade's logoed cups and coolers still adorn sports sidelines, benches, and dugouts. Moreover, it has been a partner of the NFL for nearly 35 years, and has partnered with MLB and the NBA for decades.

Your organization might not have the money or inclination to utilize athletes or advertise during major sporting events. In fact, most companies are relegated to regional or local campaigns, whether it includes advertising, sponsorship, or promotion. Nonetheless, much can be learned from successful sports marketing powerhouses such as those just highlighted.

Affording the likes of Michael Jordan to help personalize your product is a pipe dream for all but a handful of companies. However, local and regional businesses of all sizes have accomplished similar results by featuring their own hometown sports leagues, teams, and athletes in their marketing campaigns, often by sponsoring a local Pop Warner football team or by purchasing signage on an outfield wall at the local Little League field.