A few years ago Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball took baseball fans inside the different views that Oakland Athletics’ General Manager Billy Beane had about the salary situation in baseball, and how it could positively and negatively effect a team and on field success. While the reviews were generally positive, and Lewis’ writing stellar as usual, many in the marketing community felt that the onfield persona of building stars and then watching them leave would hurt brand value for the team. That of course was before the current financial crunch, where now the goal is always to do more with less, create more experiential value for fans and partners and find new ways to engage and grow the fan base.this week the A's announced a partnership with the Japanese League team the Rakuten Eagles, to train, share information and explore other ideas to share and learn. For the A's this is a very smart move as the ever-growing Asian community in the Bay Area may take another look at them with a stronger Japanese tie.?Also as baseball grows globally, having ties to a fan base BEFORE they arrive in this country will also help, and by finding a growing brand in Japan…not th.established Yomiuri Giants but a team looking for opportunities…the A's have a nice upside. Like their partnerships with the Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League and the San Jose Earthquakes.this may only help and not damage the brand.Yankees and Manchester UnitedHere you have hungry brands looking to grow, and in baseball, the growing world marketplace for the game plays directly into what a hungry brand like the A's i.trying to do. Good lesson with hopefully more MLB/non-American partnerships to come..?
Some other good reads…the Boston Globe has a very good look at the growth of the D-League…the troubling story of the Bonham Group, one of the most widely known agencies in sports marketing, shutting their doors this week, is worth a read from the Denver Post…with Monday's Baseball Hall of Fame voting being announced, si.com Joe Lemire talks to several wanna-be's on the frustration of waiting…and the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro has a good piece on why he roots for his alma mater, St. Bonaventure…
