??? Basketball, personal brands, + legacy

Let me start off this email by sharing that I’m not really a sports person…

I don’t follow any sports teams, barely keep tabs on major sports leagues, and what I do know about sports are the brands built around players, the Superbowl half-time show, and any fun pop culture facts (that are random).

So this email isn’t really going to get into basketball… but rather:

• ? Personal brands
• ? Cultural phenomena
• ? Legacy

So, ready to dive into this week’s lesson on personal branding featuring one of the greatest basketball players of all time… Michael Jordan? ??

This weekend I watched the movie Air , featuring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, and Jason Bateman… and I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF THE MOVIE.

To give you a short synopsis (no spoilers), the movie recounts Nike’s partnership with Michael Jordan in the 1980s that completely revolutionized the sports industry, personal branding, and contemporary culture.

Here’s what the movie solidified for me around personal branding:

• ?? YOUR IDENTITY IS YOUR BIGGEST ASSET

In the world of marketing, it’s easy to think about key performance indicators, return on investment, and conversion rates… but a personal brand and TRUE brand awareness marketing goes deeper than that.?

Marketing, specifically personal branding, is about human connection, tapping into the deep emotions of your ideal clients, and changing the game. Your marketing is igniting something in your ideal clients that shifts their perspective and gets them to take action.

The movie Air completely captured this by focusing on Michael Jordan’s IDENTITY as an 18-year-old rookie basketball player, his nonchalant confidence, and who he is. If you’re building your personal brand, the perspective you bring, your culture and identity, as well as your story and experience are your biggest assets because you bring a whole different outlook to your industry.

• ?? YOU (AS THE PERSONAL BRAND) HAVE THE POWER TO SHIFT CULTURE

When Air Jordans were first released… no one expected the success it would have in the first year. Due to Michael Jordan’s brand - his greatness on the court, his story, and his unique playing style… the Air Jordan brand went on to make $126 million in YEAR ONE (mind you, Nike’s original goal was to make $3 million over the span of four years)...

Thus, not only was this amazing for sales… it completely changed the culture around sports and basketball. Yes, it changed what shoes people associated with basketball… but it also changed the industry for professional (and college athletes) and the brand deals they have with larger corporations. I won’t share this part because it could be a spoiler, so if you watch the movie, you’ll know just how revolutionary Michael Jordan’s partnership was…

Think… money back into the hands of PEOPLE and not just using your personal brand and identity to make large corporations more rich!

• ?YOU LEAVE A LEGACY

Yes, Michael Jordan is considered one of the best basketball players of all time… and Nike is considered one of the best sports brands of all time… but outside of sports, let’s look at the legacy of BOTH brands thanks to their partnership….

Both Nike and Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans expanded outside of sports culture into entertainment, streetwear culture, fashion, and lifestyle. The impact of Michael Jordan’s personal brand took Nike to an even bigger culture-shifting impact. I mean… when you think of street style… I always think about Nike being a staple brand.

I’m getting excited writing this email because I’ve been thinking about it all weekend!! But this email isn’t just to teach you about the revolutionary partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan… I gotta add a marketing hot take in here!

So here it is, your MARKETING HOT TAKE ??? - your personal brand can revolutionize HOW companies, people, and culture do things. Just like Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike was unheard of for athletes (watch the movie to know what I’m referring to!!), you can push back on ‘how things have always been done’ to build something different.

Yeah, sounds big and grand… but I believe this to be true. So, what do you say? Do you have a message to share, an industry-shifting perspective, or something else?

Let’s work on your Industry Influence Thought Leadership Strategy together. Schedule a Clarity Call to see how we can work together. We have 1 spot in October to start.

Until next time…

#stayextraquirky??

Cassandra

P.S. Want to work with us 1:1 on developing your thought leadership strategy? Let’s get on a Clarity Call to talk about what this looks like!

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