Monday Musing: World Domination

It didn’t take long to become a fan of Pac 10 commisioner Larry Scott.  Using one of the signature lines from the “Jerry Maguire” film, “he had me at hello.”  Not that it would have taken much for the new head honcho to achieve an overwhelming approval rating, when you consider Tom Hansen’s lackadaisical “it is what it is” approach to marketing and growth.  But his aggressiveness has exceeded expectations, and his ability to make “yes men” out of passive school presidents is most satisfying.

Scott, already riding a wave of acceptance, has now set the bar a little higher.  Pac 10 presidents have given the okay for the commish to explore conference expansion, allowing him to embark on his mission of manifest destiny, in reverse, of course.  But settling for domestic occupation would be selling himself short, because our fearless leader has his eyes set on a bigger prize—-world domination.

“The West Coast is the gateway to the Pacific Rim,” Scott said. “We’ve got a lot of student-athletes with Asian roots. Some of our schools have a very high level of brand recognition in Asia and a lot of international interest. I think we’re going to be the first collegiate conference to have an international marketing plan.”

Taking a page from David Stern and Roger Goodell, Scott plans to market the Pac 10 globally. I’m not exactly sure how the product  is sold overseas, especially since these are “academics first” institutions, or what the demand for such would be.  But anything the University of Phoenix can do, we can do better.  Right?

And Just think, if this type of aggressive marketing was implemented years ago, 80 percent of today’s international community would have their eyes focused on the World Cup, while the other 20 percent anxiously awaited the NCAA’s verdict on USC.—Is that a reach?

打击!
(Fight On!)

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~ by Anthony on June 7, 2010.