Brand America’s Team: My Weekend on the Bus

Image of Ryan with Bus
Travelling in style on the Dallas Cowboys Tour Bus

Today the Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East with a dominating win over their in conference rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.  They enter the playoffs with an 11-5 record and a high powered offense making them legitimate contenders for the Lombardi Trophy.

Whether you are a Cowboys fan or not, if you follow sports at all its very likely the notion of America’s Team evokes some level of emotional response.  Love em, or hate em there is no denying the brand strength of this enterprise.  The Dallas Cowboys have the most valuable brand in the NFL and the 7th most valuable brand in all of team sports behind 5 soccer teams and the NY Yankees (surprised?).  Category leading brands create highly engaging, emotional reactions.  The Cowboys certainly fall into this category of one.

This fall I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend in Texas attending a couple events and traveling in style on the Cowboys Tour Bus.  Not a bad way to roll and experience brand evangelism, Texas style.  Where big is better, attending a Texas event in official Cowboys transportation is a sure way to generate interest and enthusiasm (and a minor spectacle) among the locals. They LOVE their Cowboys! And the Cowboys provide their fans with an elevated brand experience.

The brand new 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys Stadium is the most expensive in the NFL. The new stadium includes a retractable roof, glass doors allowing each end zone to be opened, and a center-hung video display board. It is the largest high-definition television screen in the world – 160 by 72 feet (49 m × 22 m), 11,520-square-foot (1,070 m2) giving every fan unprecedented access to an up close and personal brand experience.  These are but a few of the more prominent amenities fans get to enjoy on game day.

A brand is a promise…about an experience that creates expectations in the hearts and minds of customers and employees.  The Cowboys provide a compelling, unique and differentiated brand experience converting customers into loyalists every Sunday. The organization has a Passion that is on display and embedded into just about everything they do. The way they do it is special. And the Purposeis clear.  Super Bowl Champions.

And just like in business, over the coming weeks the talent and teamwork will determine the organizations ability to realize the vision.

How ’bout them Cowboys!  Check out the bus…

Read More leadership

And join our email community to receive bi-weekly insights with actionable tips and videos, new research, and inspiration and ideas for cultivating growth in business and life.