Okay, so a few hours ago I read yet another story from the national press about how Brett Favre will be forever hated by Cheeseheads everywhere, if… he follows through and plays for the dreaded Vikings.
Yes, the story goes… in the eyes of the Green and Gold faithful, this would be akin to committing the unforgivable sin.
Really?
Since this scenario really caught fire a month or so ago, I have YET to speak WITH ONE Packer’s fan who doesn’t want to see him come back… even in purple!
Now, of course, we may have different reasons. Some want Brett to exact revenge on Ted Thompson, the GM who traded him to the Jets last season.
On the other side are fans who feel rejected and want the Pack to teach Brett a lesson he’ll never forget… in fact, twice this year. Yes, they’re mad, but… they still want him to come back.
And then there are those that just want to see Brett snatch the all-time consecutive starts record from Jim Marshall, the defensive-end who, as a member of the Vikings, messed things up for the Packers in plenty of games over eighteen seasons.
But, whatever the motivation… everyone I’ve spoken with wants him in a purple “4” jersey come September. Even me, and Minnesota is my LEAST FAVORITE team!
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So, why then all the stories from the mainstream sports media..? Well, the truth is that they are reporting the story they want to tell… not necessarily the story that really exists.
They have written the narrative, and must now attempt to squeeze the facts into line. They have too much invested to be bothered by the truth.
As marketers, we often do the same thing.
We determine ahead of time what story we are going to tell, and what product or service we are going to sell… long before we reach out and ask the fans (our present and potential customers) what they are really thinking… and what they really want, or need.
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So, what’s the solution?
The key is to ask the right questions… and then boldly… fearlessly… relentlessly… listen for the answers. And pay special attention if they are not the answers you expected… or wanted… to hear.
And as for Brett… yeah, I’d say we’ll be seeing him again… and not too far down the road!
I look forward to speaking with you soon.
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