[ad_1]
Everybody’s eyes are on Coach Prime this fall. Deion Sanders, a pro player-turned-coach Hall of Famer, has captivated football fans throughout his career with his larger-than-life talent and personality. As for career success, Sanders is the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
In the last year, he left his head coaching job at Jackson State University after a conference championship and undefeated record for the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder Buffaloes. The season is still young, and the ‘23 Buffaloes story is far from written (3-1), but home tickets are sold out and we’re in for one hell of a show. CU-Colorado State University was ESPN’s fifth most-watched college football game ever, shattering records for late prime window and regular season viewership.
Pundits are calling Sanders either “all hype” or “the real deal,” and while many love seeing him win, others hope he’ll fumble. Regardless of the final score, I’m a believer. I’m from Colorado, watch a lot of football and, as a student of great brands, I know one when I see it.
And man, does he have a great brand.
In fact, he’s giving us a masterclass in marketing, winning at those ubiquitous and inevitably vague tenets of brand excellence: authenticity and consistency. Which is to say brands and businesses should tune in, too. Here are a few key lessons from Sanders’ brand playbook.
Dominate
Always dominate. Every time, everywhere. This is the name of Coach Prime’s game.
𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞. 🗣️#CoachPrime | #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/QeqtfB7hwK
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) May 28, 2023
If you’ve followed his career as a player and a coach, you’ve heard him say time and time again that domination is how you win. Reminds me of one of marketers’ own OG branding playbooks, Byron Sharp’s How Brands Grow, which says winning comes from dominating mental and physical availability. Be memorable and ensure that what you’re selling is easy to buy.
