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Sports Marketing! Look, I'll be honest: I'm not a big European football (soccer) fan, and while I am familiar with Manchester United as a franchise, I have no idea who Eric Cantona is (host in the promo video below). But you know who does obsessively follow Manchester United? ONE BILLION PEOPLE. This includes huge numbers of fans in China and India, in crucial emerging markets, so it certainly made sense last year when Qualcomm announced it was entering a sponsorship agreement with the club. Well... they weren't done. Today Qualcomm, Manchester United, and Adidas announced that Snapdragon is taking the coveted "front of shirt" (i.e., the front of every jersey will have a giant Snapdragon logo). This is an enormous deal in terms of exposure and brand affinity, and it comes at a time when Qualcomm is pushing Snapdragon beyond smartphones and into new markets, especially PC (and AI), automotive, and XR/spatial computing. This type of sports marketing accelerates acceptance of Snapdragon not just by consumers, but by decision makers at OEMs and channel partners. I'm expecting to have some fun on social media with the Snapdragon jersey as more details are announced, but I'm deep in the research/writing phase on multiple reports on Snapdragon X Elite PCs, Snapdragon-powered XR glasses and spatial computing, and, of course, Snapdragon phones. #branding #sportsmarketing #football #manchesterunited #snapdragon #automotive #XR #AI #copilotpluspc #smartphones #silicon

Holy $2 billion Dome. What does retirement look like for former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the eighth-richest person in the world? Buying the Los Angeles Clippers and then building them the Intuit Dome, a spaceship of a stadium that opened recently in Inglewood after a decade of construction. The 18,000-seat arena, which will host the 2028 Olympic basketball games, sports some serious tech: The jewel in its crown, the Halo Board, cost nearly $100 million. It’s a double-sided, 44,000-square-foot wraparound screen that hangs high above the court so fans in any seat can watch clear gameplay. There are 20 cashierless food spots with checkout via tap-to-pay or facial scan. Being the least demure fan in the house will be rewarded: Each cushioned seat has decibel meters that detect fan rowdiness, with the loudest receiving discounts on snacks and merchandise via the Clippers app. (Each seat also has a phone charger.) Ballmer balled out. As Microsoft’s largest individual shareholder, Ballmer chose to finance this project himself (rare). He spared no expense on the fan experience: The seats boast the most legroom of any NBA stadium, high-altitude t-shirt cannons democratize merch opportunities for people in the nosebleeds, and the entire section behind one basket is reserved for Clippers diehards. Morning Brew     #nba #basketball #entertainment #dome #la #laclippers #arena

It’s #TalkToMeThursday and let’s talk K.Dot. I have so many thoughts about last night’s Juneteenth concert, “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” but here are my top 3. It is my belief that we as business leaders can all learn something from the brilliance that was displayed last night. 1) It was MARKETING BRILLIANCE. Kendrick sold out Kia Forum, invited a bunch of his friends and did it for the culture. He even partnered with Amazon Prime Video to livestream to the world. 2) It was CREATIVE BRILLIANCE. The set list was crazy, and the fact that he closed with “Not Like Us” FIVE TIMES tells you all you need to know. And, despite doing a whole diss track set list, the message was about UNITY. 3) It was COMPETITIVE BRILLIANCE. In a world where there’s a constant battle for market share and saturation at every turn, standing out is really, really hard. What Kendrick Lamar pulled off was masterful and embodied precisely why he said there’s no big three, “it’s just big me.” #Leadership #Competition #Marketing #Creativity #Business #Juneteenth #Freedom #Music

When we talk about personal #brand and how it can elevate or crater your career, what Kendrick Lamar has done is a #masterclass. Take note. https://lnkd.in/e3a2FTMA

Powerful words to heed no matter what your business is…. “The last impression leaves a lasting impression.”

According to Forbes, "In an era where digital platforms reign supreme, influencer marketing has evolved from a mere trend to a fundamental component of modern advertising strategies." This is no less true for sports teams and the Ravens make it a regular practice to seek out meaningful collaborations. #influencermarketing #influencers #socialmediaadvertising #footballbusiness #sportsbiz

Detroit Pistons fans, have you been keeping up with Jaden Ivey's performance this week? On Wednesday, he started against the Los Angeles Lakers, playing 19 minutes. The following day, he came off the bench against the New York Knicks, playing 13 minutes. In a recent vlog, I discussed how the Pistons have accumulated talent rather than built a complementary team, leading to redundancy in their roster. While Alec Burks may be a better fit next to Cade Cunningham, the player they're building around, I believe Jaden Ivey should start. Check out the link to my vlog where I discuss the Pistons, player development, the importance of the starting lineup, asset depreciation, and the trajectory of OJ Mayo. Let's keep the conversation going!

💃 Love her or hate her, it's impossible to escape her: Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm, turning seemingly everything she touches into gold (and subsequent controversy). 👀 As a result, Taylor Swift has achieved a level of brand recognition that businesses dream of attaining: so much so, in fact, that just her appearance at Chief's football games (for a whopping average of around 30 seconds per 3+ hour game) has sparked outrage from fans who think it is "too much". 👉 The takeaway? 1. Your ability to achieve brand recognition is paramount for business growth and 2. If you make your moments count, you only need seconds to create an impact. ✨ So even if you're a hater, faker, or a heartbreaker, take it from Miss Swift: you never know what you can achieve if you seize your moment and reach for the stars. #Huumanize #marketingagency #taylorswift #nfl

This day in history: Legends were made and records shattered, as we reflect on some of the most captivating moments in the world of sports. - 1960: The first televised U.S. presidential debate was broadcast, featuring candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, marking a significant moment in American political history and the intersection of politics and media. - 1969: The American sitcom "The Brady Bunch" premiered on ABC, becoming an enduring pop culture phenomenon that influenced family television shows for decades. - 1998: Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive games played, achieving 2,131 games, in a historic moment celebrated at Camden Yards. - 1908: Chicago Cubs' Ed Reulbach became the only pitcher to throw a doubleheader shutout, winning 3-0 and 5-0 against the Brooklyn Superbas. - 1931: Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics clinched their third consecutive American League pennant, highlighting their dominance in early 20th-century baseball. - 1962: The American TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies" debuted on CBS, becoming one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s and a cultural icon. - 1969: The Beatles released their last-recorded album, "Abbey Road," which, although not the last released, remains one of the most influential albums in music history. #ThisDayInHistory #SportsLegends #HistoricalMoments #PoliticalHistory #CulturalIcon #PopCulture #BaseballHistory #TVHistory #MusicLegends #SportsRecords #AmericanHistory #Inspiration #HistoricEvents #MilestoneMoments #LegendaryAchievements #InfluentialMoments

If I'm the NFL, here's how I'd sell Usher on doing the #superbowl Halftime Show... 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲. Which 𝘪𝘴 actually the case, by the way. The performers (arguably the biggest/most expensive in the world) do not get paid by the NFL to perform at the big game. Something the internet seems shocked to re-discover year after year... but I digress. Here's my pitch to Usher: 🤑 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲... this is the most coveted gig in America and only ~1 artist gets the spot each year. Every performance becomes iconic instantly. 🤑 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... we along with Apple will give you a $XX million dollar budget (something that typically comes out of the artist's pocket when on tour) to put on the greatest show on earth 🤑 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... the biggest brands in the world are lining up to spend $7M per 60-sec commercial spot. You're getting the entire halftime segment aired to +115M across the country PLUS added promotional assets leading into/out of the performance. It's not coincidence that #usher is suddenly the face of SKIMS or that he's dropping a massive new album. His Skims ambassador fee, rev-share or equity percentage alone probably more than quadrupled after he was named the #superbowllviii halftime performer. 𝗡𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 #partnershipmarketing 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 "𝗯𝗶𝗴" 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 #leverage 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.