I received my Illini season tickets in the mail last weekend, which means football season is right around the corner. The next day I read an article about Joe Paterno being injured when a receiver accidentally knocked him down during practice. At 84 years old, JoePa certainly would not have been blamed if he just “phoned it in” that day and left the coaching duties to his assistants.  But he didn’t. He literally called in to offer coaching advise from his hospital bed. In today’s world, that type of dedication…and PASSION…is becoming harder and harder to come by.

Passion is a big part of what has made JoePa one of the most successful college coaches of all time. He holds the record for the most victories by a Division 1-A football coach and was the first to reach 400 victories. He also has coached more bowl game wins than any other coach in college football history.

What does this have to do with marketing? Well, what seems to be missing a lot in today’s marketing is the passion. With budgets slashed and increased pressure on everyone for results, the passion that leads to outstanding creative feels somewhat lost as everyone works harder, faster and more efficiently. Playing it safe has become acceptable.

However, most successful coaches will tell you, you don’t win championships by playing it safe. You have to outsmart your rivals, outperform your opponents. Top marketers do the same. They study their competition: expose others’ weaknesses and capitalize on their own strengths. Winning takes innovative thinking, a smart game plan, and going for the “big play” every once in awhile. In marketing, the “big play” is the big idea…the game changer that will put your company and your brand on the map. Even if you think strategically and execute flawlessly, if you don’t have the big idea, your marketing very likely will get lost. Don’t be afraid to throw up a “Hail Mary” every once in awhile and see what results.

Another thing we can learn from JoePa is the value of long-term relationships. He became the head coach for Penn State when I was just one year old and remains an icon in Happy Valley. That kind of long-term tenure is impossible to come by in sports today. And, it seems, for the agency-client relationship. But there’s something to be said for building a relationship with your team. The longer you work together, the better your agency will understand your wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses. And that should translate into advertising that’s on-target not just for the marketplace but also for your company.

Remember, reputation is everything. Talented kids want to come play for the Nittany Lions because of JoePa.  As a business, your reputation is key to keeping clients and attracting new ones. A strong agency partner knows how to make your marketing accurately reflect who you are and what you represent…all while grabbing sales.

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