All The Knight Moves

Dear subscriber,

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In the early '80s, the Association of Tennis Professionals (the ATP) had a problem.

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This problem stood at 5 feet 11 inches, weighed 180 pounds, and swore like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

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The newspapers called this problem:

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The Super Brat!

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I’m, of course, talking about the one and only John McEnroe.

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Back in those days, there was hardly a match where McEnroe didn’t get fined, lambasted by the media, and threatened with being yanked from the tour.

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Paying hefty fines for bad behavior became just another part of McEnroe’s weekly routine - like Trump appealing lawsuits.

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Now, dear subscriber, let’s take a brief pause for a learning moment:

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There’s an old saying that goes, “Put one man in a garden of wildflowers, and he’ll only see weeds, while another will see blooms.”

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Well, while the ATP saw McEnroe as a weed that needed pulling, there was someone standing in the wings who saw him as a blooming flower!

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And that man was none other than the great sneaker man, Phil Knight.

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Unlike the ATP, Phil Knight understood marketing, and every time he saw McEnroe throw a tantrum, he saw dollar signs.?

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In other words, Phil Knight saw an opportunity while the ATP saw a problem.

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Yup, the suits at the ATP had their heads so far up their arses they couldn't see that every outburst, every cuss word, and every racket thrown was making the game of Tennis popular!

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McEnroe's bad behavior was growing the viewership, and popularity of the game, thus making the ATP money!

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Listen, the only thing you can be absolutely certain of is that the marketing strategy created by a sports committee will be wrong!

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And in this case, the ATP's marketing strategy was more off-target than a Stormtrooper's aim.

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Meanwhile, Nike was making out like bandits thanks to the marketing savvy of Phil Knight.

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Here's a snippet from a recent John McEnroe interview I think you'll find interesting:

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McEnroe:

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"When I was the number one player in the world, they were trying to suspend me for a year! Suspend me for a year!!? I'm the best f*#king thing you have!, is what I was thinking. At that time, whenever I got in trouble, Phil Knight would call me and he'd go 'John, it's Phil Knight.'

I go, 'Phil, what's up?' He'd say, 'John, keep doing exactly what you're doing', and then boom - he'd hang up."

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***

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Phil gets it - humans are drama junkies.

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Plain and simple.

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It’s baked into our DNA. Whether it’s Shakespeare in the park, a street fight outside a dive bar, or a Nike ad that makes you want to lace up and take on Mount Olympus, drama is what makes us tick.

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Listen, Phil Knight once said there’s no drama quite like the drama on the athletic field.

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But here’s the question:?

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How does a marketer create that same kind of drama in their advertising?

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Even I, the great Papa Maverick, can’t boil that down to a one-liner.

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But I will tell you this:

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Inside the January issue, you’ll find a powerful marketing technique that builds an incredible amount of drama - one that, when executed properly, doesn’t just help boost engagement and sales but can also spark word-of-mouth marketing that spreads like an STD during Spring Break.

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Kelvin, do you have to use such gross similes?

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Nope.?

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But it sure does make things a little more dramatic, doesn’t it?

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Oh, and one more thing:

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It’d be irresponsible of me not to mention that this marketing method I’m talking about is not easy to pull off.?

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And... it's risky.

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But you know the deal - high risk, high reward.

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By the way, don't sleep on this issue.?

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I'm heading off for a holiday soon and I'm not taking my computer.

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So, this issue is dropping about two days earlier than usual.?

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Call it a punctual surprise or just me trying to stay ahead of the curve for once.

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Anyway, if you’re interested in bagging these monthly issues, you can see how that works here:?

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www.kelvindorsey.com

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Your friend,?

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Kelvin ?

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Email Marketing Maverick