BUSINESS MARKETING: Management lessons learned from watching football

This time of year it seems a majority of people I talk to have football on the brain.

Next week’s Super Bowl will have the biggest TV audience of the year. I wonder how many pizzas, hot dogs, bags of chips and gallons of beverages are consumed in that brief period. But beyond the entertainment, if you watch from a different perspective, there are management lessons to be learned.

The 'competitive analysis' lesson

We know the teams watch their opponents' game films to discover and analyze plays and formations to develop methods of exploiting weaknesses, to figure out how to take advantage of various mismatches among opposing players and to create ways of fooling the other team into thinking one thing is going to happen and then doing something else.

The 'culture analysis' lesson

All teams have developed a culture – some for being highly spirited, others for a more methodical manner. Opposing teams, knowing the culture of their opponents, attempt to use their culture against them by disrupting the way the other team wants to play the game.

The 'strategy analysis' lesson

By knowing, or at least having a good idea, how your team and each player on the team matches up against their opposing player and understanding the culture, coaches can design a game strategy to maximize opportunities and minimize threats.

Now into the locker room

Think about your job as if you were head coach of one of the contending Super Bowl teams. You’ve done the competitive analysis, the culture analysis, and the strategy analysis. What is your game plan for beating your competition?

Instead of getting off the couch at the end of the big game full of pizza, chips and liquid refreshment, look at the Super Bowl as a business management lecture and consider how you are going to face your competition on Monday. Do a competitive analysis, a culture analysis and a strategy analysis. If you do it right, you will be able to afford tickets for next year’s Super Bowl (and take me as your guest!).

Meanwhile I’m getting ready for next week’s game, pass the chips please!