All the comparisons of the Netherlands’ stunning pair of victories over the powerhouse Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic are in. Baseball's version of hockey's “Miracle On Ice,” the great triumph of the underdog, David slays Goliath etc etc…Some of America's best writers, from Tom Boswell in the Washington Post, to Tom Verducci in Sports Illustrated, have chimed in on the beauty of the Classic for the baseball fan, and the great reconfirmation to the world…especially the American sports fan world…that baseball is truly a global game. So with still two rounds to go, and now with more American media eyes on them, can the Dutch team continue the ru. Do they have t. The Lake Placid hockey win for Team USA certainly launched the speaking, and branding careers of many of those who took part in the run to the Gold Medal. In the same breath, many marketers questioned the NHL for NOT capitalizing more on the grassroots and branding level for the sport at the time. The NHL brand success has really only been in the last few years for the casual fan. Today with the 24/7 newscycle, the availability of real time highlights and the WBC on in over 200 countries, the distribution of brands looking to capture the imagination and the dollar are more prevalent than ever. So can the Netherlands and some of their telegenic stars cash i. And can baseball use this, along with surprise wins by Italy, China and Australia (thus far) to really continue to catapult the sport to a new level of exposure in places like Europe and Africa, where the sport is growing but not at a quick pac. Probably a good deal will have to do with how the team does in the next round in Miami…a place where they will have a little more celebrity, a little more intrigue and a little more buzz. It may be a stretch for brand growth in the States, since American fans and American media tend to like just American players as their spokespeople. But the team has a good mix of everyman success and a little young swagger, so developing into partnerships across the continent is a possibility, especially with the support of MLB growing the game and the Baseball World Cup coming in Europe in September. Will it be a windfall for the team like Miracle on Ic. The athletic accomplishment is certainly on par, as is the “feel good story” in a time where we seem to be searching more for athletic heros than ever before. However for that to translate into big dollars will take extended success and exposure, but some nice branding from a smart regional marketer would be a hit as well.
Some other good reads…also on the baseball track, the Arizona Republic had a good piece on new Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall and his efforts to revive the team…the New York Times had a great piece on Topps continued re-invention of their brand under Michael Eisner, now with 3-d baseball cards…Sarah Talalay in the Florida Sun Sentinel has a good piece on the quick turnaround the Heat pulled off to capitalize on Dwayne Wade's “This Is My House” pronouncement…and Terry Lyons has a great wrapup of the MIT Sports Analytics Conference held this past weekend…
