College Football Playoff Predictions Apply To Marketing

From all of us at Main Street ROI, I want to wish you a Happy New Year!

The holidays are over and now it’s time to buckle down, clear our minds of last year’s missteps and focus on what’s most important in the days ahead… In my house, that means turning on the NCAA football bowl games! :)

That’s right, it’s officially “Bowl Season” and this year we have the new 4-team playoff format. The goal of the new playoff format is to bring us a little closer to crowning the “real” best team in the NCAA as the coveted National Champion.

So which team will be the best this year? There’s an old saying in football that “offense sells tickets, defense wins games and special teams wins championships.” If that holds true this year, then Ohio State should come out on top according to their special teams ranking.

It sounds strange considering offense scores the points, but strong defenses and disciplined special teams tend to win out in the end. Let’s take a look at why that’s the case and how this applies to your marketing in 2015.

Defense Wins Games

I’ll start with the defensive side of the ball. When you watch a football game, then I’ll bet you don’t really watch the defense. I’ll admit, it’s not very exciting, and to the casual spectator it probably just looks like a bunch of guys chasing the man with the ball.

But if you played or ever studied what’s really going on, then you know there is a lot going on before and after the snap. Think about it, the offense knows exactly where they’re going since they are calling the play. The defense has to react on every play.

In marketing, the defense is all the “boring” stuff that happens before the sale. For example, all the planning that goes into determining your target market, your ideal customer avatar, and your irresistible offer. That’s the pre-snap analysis.

Then there’s everything post-snap, like following up with prospects, addressing objections, and then following up some more. :)

Again, this is the behind the scenes marketing and sales work that is truly responsible for winning the customers.

Offense Sells Tickets

Fans buy tickets to see their favorite team score touchdowns. Our eyes naturally focus on the offensive side of the ball because that’s where all the excitement is.

As you probably guessed, with marketing the offense is the actual sale. It’s what we measure, celebrate, and incessantly dwell on. Sure, we need to close the deal, but that final step in the sales process is the least important one! All the boring work before that step is what truly matters.

Special Teams Wins Championships

When you think about the special teams – kickoff, kick return, punt, and punt return – then what are the exciting plays? How do they typically play a role in a game?

It’s usually when something goes wrong! For example, a punt block or a kickoff return for a touchdown are two devastating plays that can easily determine which team wins or loses. When you watch the replay, then you’ll see that these plays are typically the result of just one small mistake. Therefore, special teams are a good measure of a team’s attention to detail and discipline.

In marketing, winning championships is like dominating your industry. Not only do you need a strong defense, but you’ll also need to pay attention to the finer details like special teams.

Here we’re talking about accurate tracking to measure KPIs (key performance indicators) and relentless conversion rate optimization via split testing. Businesses that focus on and stay disciplined in these areas have a huge competitive advantage that ultimately leads to winning championships.