Play Like You Practice

And Other Ways Brands Need to See the Soccer Field

All of this World Cup hype has me nostalgic for the days I played soccer in middle and high school, and the very distinct memories of summer soccer camp during the World Cup where we all got sorted into countries…

I learned a lot from soccer as a game and from coaches that has shaped how I think about things.

Play Like You Practice

This one’s for Scott Rosenbaum, who in a footnote mentioned that Brand Guidelines are a way to blame people when things don’t look or go right. And he’s not wrong.

When your company’s actions don’t align with the brand you’re trying to build, you end up showing up like Qatar in their game Canada (they lost 0-6).

When you put your brand on paper (from visuals to strategy) you’ve got to practice living it every day. If you don’t, when you need your brand to show up in a way that catches consumer attention (on shelf, at an event… you name it) it’s not going to play well. Every touch point with a consumer is a chance to practice telling your brand story. When they’re primed to buy, if you’ve been practicing like you want to play, you’re sure to score, or rather, sell.

Shoot Your Strategic Shot

Most of soccer is played running back and forth across the field, not close to goal at all. But when it is, there’s a lot of tension, and even more pressure to shoot. Most players want to take the shot.

A player gets down the field and takes aim on goal. Suddenly they find three defenders between them and the goal. While I love a good “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” moment, sometimes strategically passing back to a better positioned teammate is the play.

Okay, but this is about brand building…

Don’t jump at every sampling, tasting, or influencer gifting opportunity there is just because it’s in front of you.

Shot in a way that follows brand strategy (back to practicing like you play). It may be that an event opportunity that looks good on paper isn’t going to create a return on it’s own. Instead pass it back and come at it from another angle to with a better plan. Finding ways to leverage tickets, promotion opportunities, and data can turn a one off consumer touch point into a major brand experience.

It’s Not Always Fair

As a player, I have absolutely yelled at a referee for an unfair call. But I was also a referee (10/10 do not recommend reffing the 6 year olds - the kids were cute, the parents acted like each game was the World Cup final).

Yes the game should be fair and there’s rules to keep it that way, but you’re not always playing a fair game. Even when there’s no intentional bias, refs blink. They don’t see the play from every angle, and calls aren’t always fair.

Building a brand is the same. You can blame the algorithm or some luck that went your key competitors’ way. But you’re playing from the circumstance you’re in, not a perfect world. Being pissed at the ref won’t change the fact that you’re back on defense. Taking action will.

Honorary mention to “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re running laps” lesson. It doesn’t apply to brand building, but my middle school soccer coach drilled that into our team so hard that I am notoriously anxious if I’m not early.

A note, all opinions are my own!