March 09, 2020
74 | The Harlem Globetrotters – how the legacy brand lost its way and what it’s doing to regain focus and stay to who they are – with Brent Baldwin
Why you’ve got to listen to this episode:
With almost a century of entertaining families all over the globe, the Harlem Globetrotters is considered a legacy brand. One of those brands that have enviable high levels of brand recognition, and at its height of popularity even had its own cartoon show.
But being a legacy brand also means you have to work hard to remain relevant, to not be taken for granted and to attract younger audiences.
In their efforts to do just that, the Harlem Globetrotters tried to appeal to everyone and almost became irrelevant to everyone.
In this episode, I speak to Brent Baldwin, head of brand marketing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Brent shares the history of the globetrotters, the evolution of the brand and how focusing on their purpose is helping the organization create clarity on who they are and attract the right audience and talent.
Who can benefit from listening in:
Learning from a brand on how to navigate change, bridge the gap of generations and ensure you stay clear on who you are and what your purpose is, is incredibly helpful to anyone managing or building a brand.
Learning from the mistake’s as well as the wins of other brands can help us avoid mistakes and strengthen our own brands.
It’s easy to think a brand will be around for ever, but the reality is, very few brands manage to last long, let alone almost a century as the Harlem Globetrotters have.
Key takeaways from this episode:
- “Good brands tell their story, but great brands have their customers tell their story.” Brent Baldwin
- If you try to appeal to everyone, you won’t be meaningful to anyone.
- Everything you do has to connect with your purpose and values.
- “We’re a brand that stood for something before it was cool for brands to stand for something.” Brent Baldwin
- Our story is not about what we do, it’s about how we make the audience feels.
Links to resources mentioned in this episode
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