Branding Advice from the G.O.A.T.

NBA basketball is back on NBC this year for the first time since 2002 after a shakeup with the league’s TV contracts, and they are doing two things I absolutely love.

First, they are playing the greatest theme song in the history of TV sports, “Roundball Rock” by John Tesh (we prefer the Tesh Brothers version in this house):

Second, they got Michael Jordan to sit down for an interview with Mike Tirico, and they are sprinkling clips from this interview throughout the season.

People have been somewhat critical of the approach of chopping up one interview, but I don’t mind it because Michael Jordan has had one of the most unique lives of any human in the history of humanity, and he says really fascinating things that stick in my mind as I continue to mull them over throughout the week.

For example, in the first segment Michael describes a recent experience of feeling nervous.

Now, feeling nerves is a very human emotion. But, if you’ve ever seen Michael Jordan play basketball, you’re probably used to thinking of him as something more than human. “That wasn't Michael Jordan out there,” even the great Larry Bird said. “That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.”

The situation where Michael feels nervous is that he is asked to shoot a free throw shot on a court in the backyard of a house he is renting while a family watches and videotapes.

Now, while the circumstances are highly specific to Michael’s stature in the collective consciousness, I find it really easy to identify with the way he describes feeling. His folk hero status, the ubiquitous success of Jordan Brand, and the lionization in memory and popular culture make it difficult to remember that he’s just a person, and I think there’s a lot of value in hearing universal experiences from a person who has pushed the boundaries of what a person can do.

Tuesday night on NBC as our Celtics stuck it to the Knicks, the man who put the Swoosh on the map and now is identifiable all over the world in silhouette gave us the true secret behind brand strategy:

Be great at what makes you, you, and then tell stories about that to the people who need what you offer. That’s a very well crystalized version of what makes all of our clients special, and what makes it so much fun for us to work with them.

For example, when an oncologist is as smart and dedicated as our client Dr. Ryan Weight at The Skin Care Institute, who sits down with each new patient and draws a diagram of the skin as well as their specific cancer because he knows that information helps people connect with the care they’ll receive, then it’s easy for us to create a brand that meets patients and their families with warmth during a scary ordeal.

Sharon & Rex ran an art gallery for decades during which time Sharon produced hundreds of paintings in pursuit of mastering her craft. Erika has such a unique perspective on AI and making sure women have equitable access that she’s being booked to speak on national stages. Natalie has a brand strategy blueprint that she uses to break down big challenges into solutions that work, and I’ve read all the case studies that prove it.

Brian pursued his vision of a VC firm that didn’t suck and now works to bring more peace to the world. Stefani has more hairstylists than ever trying to work for her salons because of her vision for what it means to care for clients.

I could go on. Heather is the Michael Jordan of party planning, just like Liz is the Michael Jordan of helping people find homes in North Denver, just like Caitlin is the Michael Jordan of helping people find homes in Sloan’s Lake. Jennifer has the knowledge, empathy, and experience to make conversations about mortgage lending feel safe and empowering. Sean is a librarian with a command of genres who writes amazing novels and stories.

Kris and Brett have made Little Machine a community haven, Alexis is a nationally recognized PR superstar, Shawn brings actual joy to inspecting homes, and Emily welcomes anyone in pain or struggling to move to find growth through pilates.

Talk to any of them and you’ll see the same kind of joy, expertise, and focus on doing the work they love and are great at, just like Michael says.

When it comes to brand strategy, too many people want to complicate it, even though MJ keeps laying it out for us as simply as he can:

Be like Mike. Just do it.

Want to talk basketball and/or branding? jed@kindandfunny.com.