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Do Coaches need to know the Game?
Originally Posted on the Pilote Sport Blog (Friday 27th June, 2008)A controversial post for Monday Morning to stimulate some debate.
I've got a problem with coaches. Not all coaches mind you, just the ones that set themselves up as motivators, but have no technical knowledge about the subject at hand. This is especially true of the trendy new job of 'life coach.'
Now a newly published study by Amanda Goodall, Lawrence Kahn, and Andrew Oswald (Opens in PDF) finds that having expert knowledge of the thing you are coaching definitely matters. The Abstract of the report says "We show that a strong predictor of a leader's success... is that person s own level of attainment, in the underlying activity... Our data come from 15,000 professional basketball games and reveal that former star players make the best coaches. This expert knowledge effect is large."
How Large? The report finds substantial evidence that the difference between having a coach who never played NBA basketball and one who played many years of NBA all star basketball is, on average, approximately 6 extra places up the NBA league table. In a league where there are 29 teams, this is significant.
The report also tries to draw some conclusions as to why this is the case. One possibility is that the same quality that drove the individual to the top of the game still exists, an 'x-factor' that determines success. Other explanations include an ability to impart expert knowledge that can only be acquired by playing the game. A third hypothesis offered is that players who are recognised as 'greats' command more respect from those who are at the top of their game in the present, whereas lesser players, or those who have never played the game would find it harder to convince current players of their credentials.
There may be exceptions, but at last there are some hard facts that show that a coach with expert knowledge will provide better results than a coach who is 'motivating' only.
Who's on Beckham's Shirt?
Originally Posted at PiloteSport.com
Quick.
Think. You've seen this image in all kinds of press. The front page of
the Sun, the back page of the News of the World, the front cover of
Sports Illustrated. So why can't you name the sponsor?If you are in the industry, or a die hard Galaxy fan, you may know the answer, but a straw poll reveals that 9 out of 10 people can not tell you the sponsor's name. So much for the use of sports properties as mobile billboards. So much for extrapolated numbers of coverage. If ever there was an argument that the 'exposure' model of sports sponsorship is flawed, this is it.
You can almost imagine the board presentation. "Next year, the world's most famous footballer will be playing in a shirt with your brand on it. Your brand will be seen by millions of people around the world. If you were to pay for that kind of exposure at market rates, you would not be able to afford it... "
Unlike a billboard, which allows other images, associations, strap lines and messages to be conveyed in the time it takes to drive past on the motorway, a logo on a shirt is just that. There is no call to action. Just an implied endorsement of the participant. Without activation, the sponsorship is lost in the noise.
So how to do it properly? Well think of a sports property and then name their sponsor. If you can, then they are probably doing it right. In fact, some may have done such a good job that you may be thinking of a sponsor who hasn't been involved for several years.
Try it with the following examples: a) Tiger Woods, b) Roger Federer, c) Jeff Gordon, d) Kimi Raikkonen, e) Andrew 'Freddy' Flintoff, d) Manchester United.... Answers below.
Answers.
LA Galaxy Team Shirt Sponsor - Herbalife
a) Accenture, Nike, Gatorade.
b) Emmi, Gillette, Jura, Mercedes Benz, Nike
c) Dupont, Nicorette, Pepsi
d) Marlboro, Fiat, Shell, Martini
e) Vodafone, Barclays Capital, Woodworm
f) AIG, Nike
Activating Sponsorship to a Wider Audience
First Posted at PiloteSport.com/BlogA great example of using a sponsorship across different markets. This distinctive yellow Aviva advertisement ties in with the company's backing of the English yachtswoman Dee Caffari.
The Open 60 yacht most recently completed the Artemis Transat and will shortly compete in the Vendee Globe.
It's great to see some joined up thinking and some good activation of the sponsorship on the water.
It's also good to see the activation outside of the sailing press. Traditionally, one would expect to see an ad like this in a publication like Yachting World, however Aviva are running the campaign in 'mass-market' publications like Time. 'Intelligent Life', the quarterly publication from the Economist is a niche publication, but importantly a non sailing title and shows that the marketing folk have considered multiple, but targeted audiences.
