NEWS - March 2007

A COMPANY OF CHAMPIONS, OR A CHAMPIONSHIP COMPANY
Over the past month we have experienced the AFC and NFC championships, the SuperBowl, the post-SuperBowl discussions about the game… and (perhaps more interestingly) the advertising. As we head into March, what “deeper lessons” can we take away from all this excitement?

Why Geeks Should Care About Football
On December 7, 1991, the De La Salle Spartans lost a football game for the last time.  The next season, they stopped losing. Period. Since then, Coach Ladouceur led his team to 11 straight unbeaten seasons: 151 victories, 0 defeats. During that span the team won 12 division championships and was named national champion in seven different years.

Clearly this is a pretty special streak -- longer than the pro-football record of 17, the college-football record of 47, and nearly twice the 88 consecutive games won by John Wooden's UCLA basketball teams. In fact, it is quite possibly the world's longest modern-era streak at any level, in any sport.

Football for Challenger Companies and Brands
But I don’t care about this because of football. Coach Ladouceur's accomplishment is best savored by those far removed from the halcyon days of high-school gridiron glory. Anyone sweating over the realities of running a business in today's environment will relish how this coach does it.

Here is a model for all of those companies who are outmanned, underfunded, and outgunned. It’s an inspiration for running any team where working together to succeed is important… like a company.

De La Salle is a challenger organization.  It is small (1,000 students), with almost 100% "employee" (student) turnover every four years. It's located in Concord, California, (my hometown), far from the madding chic of San Francisco, out in the sprawl of bedroom communities. The majority of Concord's citizens do not turn out for De La Salle's games; the private parochial school (of the Christian Brothers order) is resented by some vocal residents.

Four Keys to Gain Competitive Advantage When the Playing Field is Level
And yet, year in and year out, the Spartans keep winning, all the while continually seeking higher levels of competition despite their annual changeover of players, who are called "undersized" and "less talented" every year and are often disparaged by their elite rivals.
  • Start with process. In 1979, Ladouceur sized up his few small, dispirited players, who hadn't had a winning season in the school's history. "My approach was all about process," he says. "I didn't have any long-term goals. I just said to myself, 'Let's teach these guys how to win and what it takes to win, and then make it a day-to-day process.' "
  • Create small victories. Facing his players, Ladouceur said, " 'All I ask is this: by the time each practice ends, for you to be better than you were two or three hours ago.' Whether it was in the weight room or on the field, I asked them to walk off a little bit stronger, to understand the game a little more, or at least to have the plays that we were running down more."
  • Win with what you have. In business, as in football, size matters and talent makes a difference. But in a team sport such as football, as in business, size and talent gaps can be offset by intelligence and quickness. The mistake is to try to meet an opponent's strength where you are weak. De La Salle's talent pool was thin, so Ladouceur installed two offensive plays, the "option" and the "veer," both of which don't require a top-flight quarterback, giant linemen, or large, fast running backs.
  • Trust your team, by helping them become trustworthy. Trust isn't automatic. Coach Ladouceur doesn't just throw people into tight situations and expects them to prevail. " I try to be smart about it," he says dryly. "If someone doesn't have the speed or talent level, I always think they can make up for it by being smart, by being cagey, and by playing with common sense." Return to top

WANT MORE OF THIS?
There’s more where this came from… You can read Don Wallace's book One Great Game: Two Teams, Two Dreams or When the Game Stands Tall by Neil Hayes and Tony LaRussa.  Or you can hold on till our next issue. Next month is “March Madness” (I know it’s a different sport)… so we’ll take you to the “Final Four” ways to create competitive advantage – even if the field is sloped against you. WHISPERS IN THE HALLS
Here are eight great opportunities we know about from one coast to the other.
  1. Marketing Director, ATX Group – reports to CMO Develops marketing plans, helps set company strategic direction, and provides support to the accountteams for Mercedes, BMW, others including DM management with SAP analytics. Requires prior automotive experience plus internet, business development and marketing strategy. Contact David Friedman at dfriedman@atxg.com or 972 804-6745.
  2. Director, Marketing, Medical Device Company, Southern CA: founded by Alfred Mann, innovator in rehabilitation, their products assist patients with neurological disorders, particularly in functional electrical stimulation (FES). Reports to VP, Sales & Marketing, develops and manages D2C and Rx campaigns. Requires breadth of marketing experience in medical device industry, including 7+ years in marketing, product management, strategic planning, sales management. Balance of big company “corporate skills” with entrepreneurial experience and spirit. MBA desirable. Competitive base salary, performance bonus and significant stock options. Contact Barbara Gorkis at 480-840-1594 or bgorkis@saengerassociates.com.
  3. Director of Account Planning, International Interactive agency, San Francisco: Looking to start planning function; interactive expertise not a must. Salary up to $150K. Fortune 100 or healthcare experience a plus; MBA preferred. Contact: Saul Cohen at saul@cohensearch.com or 415 898 3123.
  4. Director of Strategic Planning, NY/NJ International Agency: Lead US / Korean agency and client management to implement high level strategies with a team of planners on consumer segmentation, competitive intelligence and industry trends. Requires 15+ years’ agency / consulting experience; experience in consumer electronics, wireless or high technology highly desirable. MBA preferred. Contact Brian Mickley at (203)319-4300 or bmickley@smithhanley.com
  5. Marketing Communications Manager, San Francisco: Manage customer email newsletters, direct marketing efforts, collateral, promotions plus customer surveys and live trade show and event planning for Prosper, America's first online people-to-people lending auction platform. Requires 3-5 years experience as marketing manager. Competitive compensation and equity incentives. Contact Rob Klapper at rob@prosper.com or (415) 593 – 5442.
  6. Product Manager, Peet's Coffee, Emeryville CA: Responsible for Peet’s Cards including maximizing sales, managing P&L, increasing customer loyalty and implementing new card programs and initiatives across retail, grocery, and home delivery. Reports to GM, Direct Marketing, 6+ years business experience; knowledgeable about web and ecommerce technologies; MBA and technical background a plus. Contact jobs@peets.com . Please put your name and "Product Manager-Peet’s Cards” in the subject line. 
  7. VP Sales, home entertainment product company: entrepreneurial culture that values true teamwork, superior work ethic, and a humble spirit; “customer educator” with solid field sales and operational experience to work with the founders & management to grow the dealer network towards $1B sales goal. Must have $100M+ sales management experience with 20-100 sales professionals in a fast growth environment. Bachelor’s degree; Master’s preferred. Residence near an airport; willingness to travel. Competitive base salary, bonus/profit sharing, and significant stock options. Contact mbell@saengerassociates.com or Katherine Hayes at (661) 284-3818.
  8. Brand Development Director, Indiana agency: National Brand. Foodservice experience preferred. Salary range up to $100K. Relocation expenses possible. Contact hank@hankblank.com.
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WWW.OOPS.COM: A URL BY ANY OTHER NAME, WELL, STINKS!
A rose by any other name… could get you in real trouble! Especially if it’s your URL. Consider, if you will, the following REAL website naming scenarios… and resulting surprise and gnashing of teeth in ‘URL hell’. These are real. The names of the guilty have not been changed. They are listed on their websites! This list comes by way of the personal experience of Gary Glenn (gary.c.glenn@sbcglobal.net), who assembled a group of playwrights called The Playwrights Exchange to read and share new work. It wasn’t until the namesake URL was purchased and the site was up that they noticed that they had, well, ‘crossed the chasm’… Perhaps fittingly, www.oops.com is already taken.AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
From the tale of two cities we bring you the tail of two cows…
  • CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.
  • AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one. You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up.
  • DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow which was a gift from your government.
  • BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours the milk down the drain.
  • DEMOCOWS: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. Barbara Streisand sings for you.
  • REPUBLICOWS: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none… So what’s your point?
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In this issue:

A Company of Champions, or a Championship Company: Four lessons about the longest winning streak in history that can help you get a product to market on time, overcome recruiting challenges, or lead a challenger brand against formidable competition.

WWW.Oops.com: A URL By any Other Name, Well, Stinks!:  It's been said that, on the web, no body knows (if) you're a dog. So what were they thinking when they came up with these REAL website names?

Whispers in the Halls: Eight great marketing jobs in companies and agencies across this great land of ourshis great land of ours

And Now for Something Completely Different!: From a tale of two cities comes a tail of two cows…