Brand Agassi Has Tremendous Value For A Different Generation

November 9, 2009 by Joe Favorito · 1 Comment 

He came of age with the “Image Is Everything Campaign” eventhough his best tennis was years ahead. He came back from the bottom to be a successful professional, and even without a formal education made education is legacy in his hometown. Yes now that Andre Agassi writes an honest accounting of his life and career, a life which not many people on the inside would dispute as being controversial, many tennis lifers have seen to push his accounts to the side and shame him. Shame Agassi? Shame on them. In reality, Andre Agassi’s brand should be stronger today that at almost any point in his Hall of Fame tennis career. He is a role model for the serial athlete and has emerged as being sincere and creating life changing experiences for a new generation of children, not serial athletes. What the Agassi brand stands for today is what most successful people should aspire to…admitting ones flaws and looking to make the lives of those around you better with the success you have had. Agassi admitted drug use. Given the culture of athletics in the ’80’s…a time pre WADA and all glamour? Would that be surprising, especially for a rock and roll lifestyle that individual sports like golf or tennis lead professionals to? Not at all. As a matter of fact, most who followed Agassi’s career at that stage would probably not have been surprised at that time about the usage. What the Agassi brand should be remembered for and what it could be going forward is for resilience. A resilience and rededication to a career and a spirit to sincerely give back that is not just rare in athletes, it is rare in most high net worth individuals. Now one can be assured that Andre Agassi does not need more endorsement dollars, nor would he probably court the spotlight. However if there are brands looking for a role model for where America is today…a country on the rebound and dedicated to growing a generation, one may not look farther that Andre Agassi. He reinvented a career and a life and has come out as a man that not just had a Hall of Fame athletic career, but may be in a philanthropic Hall of fame at some point as well. Not a bad role model for today’s challenged times.

Another Vision Realized: Ebbsfleet United

November 9, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Like the Million Dollar Arm, another example of a unique idea riding a wave of popularity is the people’s soccer club, the UK’s Ebbsfleet United.  Almost a year ago, the idea was pushed forth in Portfolio and other places by an entrepreur to have a soccer team where fans could buy in and make the day to day decisions of the club.  As chronicled in the New York Times this week, the Ebbsfleet idea has worked wonderfully in the first year, with the club achieving onfield success never seen before while garnering over 30,000 “owners” who have a say in the business.  The idea worked this time because of a perfect storm of situations prior to the recent financial crisis…growing popularity of smaller clubs in Europe, a dearth of opportunities for fans to activate with larger clubs, fans frustration wih management, the emergence of fantasy play and a price point that made sense for people to try the idea with little downside.  Although most people aren’t active owners, the ability to participate does exist, and the club manager has basically run the team with little to no issue.  But the fantasy of ownership for the common man is real, and the amount of working capital the team got through the process was tremendous.  Now will there be commerical branding oppts. for Ebbsfleet going forward?  Can the success on the pitch be sustained when they become the hunted and not the hunter?  Can the “owners” not try and get overly involved?  Most importantly can the process be replicated successfully in minor league sports in the US like baseball?  All to be seen.  A few efforts to immediately repeat the process in soccer in the U.S. have not gone well, as the Ebbsfleet model is still based on a club with a 120 plus year history.  But the fact that it did work well once, with all the pieces falling into place in year one, shows that the effort, if managed properly, can be a successful run for those who take the time to find a property and grow with it.