The document discusses how innovation in sports marketing can come from unexpected and diverse sources outside the industry. It advocates creating an "open-source think tank" by identifying a diverse group of individuals from various backgrounds to generate new ideas. This includes fans, people in other sports/industries, top chefs and more. Gathering insights from such a wide range of people can uncover creative solutions and opportunities for innovative programs that engage sponsors and fans.

1. Unexpected, diverse sources can open universe of opportunity http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=art...
Opinion
Unexpected, diverse sources can open universe of
opportunity
Published June 22, 2009 : Page 20
At a recent industry gathering in New York City, you couldn’t help but notice a common
theme: Leagues, agencies, brands and sponsors were all saying that the most important
way to survive the recession is through innovation.
In the face of politicians questioning the effectiveness of sports marketing and more
stringent ROI guidelines, innovation that drives new revenue while delivering higher
impact will be the guiding light. We can no longer rely solely on the passion sports
marketing provides to do our jobs. We need to harness sports’ energy and use it to
build unique initiatives that can drive business for our brand and agency partners.
Innovation can come from diverse and unexpected places: from consumers to reality TV
producers to bloggers and Web video publishers. Nike CEO Mark Parker is a great
example of how this practice can keep a brand on the cutting edge. Parker, 52, uses a
global network of friends — including tattoo artists, DJs, designers and other early
adopters — for tips on what’s au courant.
In Frans Johansson’s book “The Medici Effect,” he discusses how breakthrough ideas
often come from the most unsuspecting places. He proves his point by looking at
examples ranging from hospitals analyzing NASCAR pit crews to improve patient
transfer times, to Speedo’s LZR Racer swimsuit, which drew inspiration from NASA and engineering
simulation software company ANSYS. Johansson discussed at length the importance of getting
uncomfortable and stretching beyond current networks to search for new viewpoints, ideas, inspiration
and stimuli.
While most of Johansson’s examples don’t specifically speak to sports marketing, they do strengthen the
notion that to innovate, we must look outside of our industry. So, if innovation is coming from diverse and
unexpected places, shouldn’t we be seeking out insights and ideas from those places? Of course we
should. The question then becomes how.
The open-source movement started when computer
programmers threw open their doors and began
collaborating to build new technical systems. They
shared ideas with one another, and it led to
staggering results including the Linux platform,
which remains the poster child for open-source.
Open-source models have evolved well beyond the
tech world and are now used across various
industries. Select newspapers are written by the
public in an open-source method. Wikipedia, the
online encyclopedia, is an open-source model fueled
by users continuously updating and improving its
content. Even the recent presidential run by
President Obama has been called an open-source
Johansson used Speedo’s NASA-inspired
campaign, because of its viral nature, online social suit as an example of ideas coming
media tactic and the unprecedented grassroots from unsuspecting places.
involvement.
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2. Unexpected, diverse sources can open universe of opportunity http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=art...
While the end product may differ, each approach maintains the integrity of the original open movement:
They are built to allow input of diverse agendas, approaches and priorities in order to ultimately drive
innovation.
If this methodology can be used for other industries, then certainly it can be adopted successfully by the
sports marketing community. The best part is that it’s not difficult to do.
Here’s how to create your open-source think tank:
Identify a group of unexpected individuals and partners who you feel have earned a right to a point of
view. Consider everyone from fans of your sport and others to people who develop properties for other
sports, and those who develop properties in different industries. You should try to aggregate a diverse
team that will help spark original ideas.
At BigHeads Network, an advertising and innovation company that utilizes open-source collaboration
techniques to uncover and create unique brand solutions, we leveraged our diverse set of relationships
and built a network of individuals who are leaders in their chosen fields. Top chefs, TV producers, fitness
gurus, soccer moms, academics and engineers — these individuals are the backbone for stimuli and
inspiration used to generate and develop innovative ideas for our clients.
Figure out the best way to tap into your team for insights, ideas and inspiration. Consider creating an
online community, holding in-person workshops or just reaching them via e-mail with online
questionnaires. Try all different approaches.
By rounding out your expected and necessary sources for insights and ideas with unexpected and diverse
sources, you will uncover a universe of untapped creativity, potential and opportunity. That will result in
innovative, informative and energetic sports marketing programs that will be remembered, embraced and
celebrated by sponsors, fans and consumers alike.
Lonny Sweet (lsweet@connectsportsent.com) is the president/CEO of Connect Sports & Entertainment.
John Palumbo (john@bigheadsnetwork.com) is founder and chief creative officer of BigHeads Network.
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