Hey Reader
Firstly, hello to the new people who have recently subscribed.
I know you don’t see the backend, but this newsletter passed the 300 subscribers goal I wanted to reach. The next goal is 1000 subscribers. Alright, that’s the niceties out the way.
You ever heard people say,
“They don’t make them like they used to.”
In this context, I am talking about the Ronaldinho video with Nike, released in 2005. This was the very first video to hit the 1 MILLION view count.
Sometimes, to do future forecasting for a sport, you have to look back.
Let’s dig into 2 things.
- Why it worked?
- How does it apply to motorsport marketing?
Here is the video in question (It’s 240p, can’t do anything about it)
Why it worked?
- Football or soccer is an international language wherever you’re based. Right off the bat, that’s a point in their books.
- Having no dialogue makes it instantly shareable & universal.
- The handheld footage, or ‘fanvid’ as we know it now, made it feel like you were a fly on the wall.
- YouTube was in its infancy, a new & novel concept.
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The marketing was naturally baked into the product (The boots worn by Ronaldinho)
- Honestly, his shoes didn’t matter if you knew Ronaldinho. He could’ve worn Crocs, and we would have watched the video.
However, #5 made the video go viral. Or, in technical terms, Product Market Fit (PMF)
The marketing of the boot was not separate from the product. Make the boot so damn good so that you can perform trickery like Ronaldinho.
I will have to explain product-market fit in detail another time. But if you’re eager to learn, look up Ryan Holiday’s definition of Product-Market Fit.
Ronaldinho was the other reason this video was successful. The Brazilian had a mystic quality and spoke to people through his flare on the pitch.
This video sparked much debate about whether it was Fake or Real. He was a magician on the field, but this video was dark magic.
Nevertheless, it got people talking.
The simple fact that we thought “that could be real,” even for a second, said it all.
This concept has also been replicated several times.
- David Beckham’s 3 Balls in a Trash Can
- Steph Curry’s 5 Full Court Shots
How does it apply to motorsport marketing?
The Ronaldinho x Nike video was released on YouTube. A novel concept at the time.
They did exactly what most don’t do. When they zig, you zag. This is the growth hacker mindset. What’s unique? What’s out of the box?
Most branded content for brand partnerships is sooooo dry…zero ideas about what their audience actually likes.
It’s so easy to stick in the same lane. Share the same memes and follow the same trend as everyone else.
This is why I highly highly suggest reading Ryan Holiday’s book on Growth Hacker Marketing.
I have applied this to my daily practice by doing 2 things:
- Taking time to see what other industries are doing outside of motorsport or sports
- This one will sound crazy. (2 hours without the phone; sleeping doesn't count)
Number #1 for obvious reasons, and no #2 to just let your mind THINK.
We spend so much time lost in the sauce. Multi-tasking.
Cheers, until next Tuesday.
-Niru
