The World Cup Reminded Me What Great Brands Do

Every four years, I have to sit through conversations about football, nodding and throwing in the occasional, "Hmm," as friends and family members debate France versus Argentina with the confidence of men who have personally trained Mbappé.

And then somebody asks the question, "So who are you backing?"

Awkwaaard...

You see, I don't "have a team;" I'm not even a bandwagonist. Sadly (or not), I could not care less about the World Cup. Everyone else does, though... people who have never set foot in Brazil will passionately defend them. People who couldn't point to Argentina on a map somehow feel personally attacked if you criticize Messi. Entire friend groups suddenly become experts on Germany, Spain, Portugal...

Nobody is making these decisions with spreadsheets. Nobody is saying, "Actually, after reviewing historical performance metrics and comparative statistics, I have determined that Spain offers the highest probability of success."

Okay, I'm sure there are people who do... but generally, people choose because something about that team means something to them, which made me realize something.

Businesses spend so much time trying to convince strangers to buy from them that they rarely ask a more important question: "What would make someone stay?"

Growth requires giving customers a reason to come back, to recommend you, to forgive the occasional mistake, to think of you first, to say, "You have to try this place!"

That kind of loyalty doesn't come from having the lowest prices, the prettiest logo, or the most followers. It comes from consistently delivering an experience people want again and again.

Think about your own life. You probably have a restaurant you'll drive past six others to visit, a hairdresser you'd rather wait three weeks for than try someone new, a brand of ketchup you'll defend with unnecessary passion, or a mechanic whose number you send to everyone.

Chances are, none of those businesses won you over with advertising. They earned something much harder, i.e., trust.

... Which brings me back to football. Fans celebrate victories, suffer losses, and stay loyal through disappointing seasons, not because they have to, but because they've formed a connection; and I think businesses could learn from that.

Growth doesn't happen just by attracting people. It requires giving them a reason to stay.

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