Comments on: Applying the P&G Formula to a Baseball Team?

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:15:26 +0000

Right, Janine. Good marketing practices can cross from one sector to another, just as strong management practices can, and a number of other skill sets. In fact, the fresh perspective organizations can gain from hiring outside their own sectors, as Julie pointed out, can be the very thing they need. Thanks for giving us the insight of someone who’s had the experience of working with P&G, and for sharing it with us.

By: Janine

Janine — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:55:42 +0000

When I worked on P&G brands at one of their agencies, one of their mantras was “search and reapply”. In other words, if something worked for a brand in another product category, apply those learnings to your brand. This is what the Rays have done with success.

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:40:59 +0000

Great point, Julie. Sometimes companies can gain great insights and addes strength if they hire competent marketers from other industries. It can be a “breath of fresh air”, as you put it. New perspectives are important and sometimes it takes bringing people in from other sectors to gain them. Thanks for weighing in, Julie.

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:35:38 +0000

What excites me most about this example is that the Rays felt comfortable hiring a marketing person with experience outside the normal (in this case, sports) industry. This has added a new level of thinking and brought new ideas into their strategic planning. So many companies insist on hiring marketing people who only have same-industry experience. This is indeed a breath of fresh air and the results speak for themselves.

By: Neil Anuskiewicz

Neil Anuskiewicz — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:05:46 +0000

Agreed. Government and non-profits need to get on-board. Listen to Drucker!
BTW, I am a big fan of the Nature Conservancy. It is a Teddy Roosevelt style conservation organization. I don’t care if you are liberal, conservative, etc., donate to this organization.
I have talked to many conservatives and liberals who donate.
http://www.nature.org/

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:31:52 +0000

Neil,
Thanks for adding your thoughts to this post. How about non-profits and charitable organizations perhaps benefitting from using this kind of analysis? If they can make their messages more relevant to their target audiences, how much better might they be able to do in raising funds for important causes? Many have been using the same approach and messaging for a long time, and like everything else, a refreshed brand might go a long way to reaching people in a positive way.

By: Neil Anuskiewicz

Neil Anuskiewicz — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:33:04 +0000

* What other kinds of businesses, besides consumer products and services, might benefit from these kinds of strategies?
How about government services of various sorts? I mean Federal, State, and local. We are always going to need government but it can be made much better.
I especially like the last three on your list of PG&E staples:
* On-going analysis of consumer touch points with the brand
* Product improvement
* Constant monitoring of customer satisfaction

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:06:40 +0000

Hey, welcome back, Patricia. You betcha: Go Phillies!

By: patricia

patricia — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:30:15 +0000

GO PHILLIES

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:52:24 +0000

Of course you’re right, Paul. A number of factors have led to the Rays’ success this season. I just thought it interesting to focus on the marketing angle, though. It sure helps to have an ex P&G marketer join a professional sports organization to lead the way. New positioning, branding and the whole idea of delivering great fan experiences are just what the doctor ordered for an ailing team with an identity crisis!
BTW: As a native of Philadelphia, I’m sure you can guess who I’m rooting for in the World Series! Thanks, Paul, for weighing in. Much appreciated.

By: Paul Barsch

Paul Barsch — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:45:24 +0000

Ted, as with any marketing effort, “results” come from a diverse set of influences. For the Rays, years of mediocrity have lead them to high draft picks (that helps). They also have a very seasoned manager (former Angels bench coach). And of course, winning never goes out of style – so that helps too.
All this said, the marketing and rebranding has definitely helped increase sales and put the Rays on the map. As detailed in the Ad Age article, their constant attention to customer focus via 30 areas of service quality, is an excellent best practice example of the need to look at all aspects of the brand experience.
Loved the post, thanks for the eye opener of how P&G branding techniques can be transferred to MLB!