Whether the Cubs go deep into the post season or if they don’t make it at all, they’ve got Chicago excited again by being near the top of their division for the past few weeks.

Being a lifelong White Sox fan, it feels strange to be writing about the Cubs. But from a marketing perspective, the Cubs are in an enviable position, regardless of their position in the standings. They are sole owners of a clear position in the minds of baseball fans: "The Loveable Losers.” This brand is one of the strongest in all of sports. In fact, it even transcends the sports world and extends to the general population. Ask someone about the Cubs and most will reply with a comment about the team’s record of futility.

I believe the Cubs’ position as the “loveable losers” is critical to their continued financial success. In fact, from a marketing perspective, the most important thing the Cubs can do…is to keep losing.

Until 2004, the Cubs shared this position with the Boston Red Sox. We all know what the Red Sox accomplished that year. Then, in 2005, the White Sox, the only other team with a similar record of futility, won it all. That left the Cubs alone in their category. They have acquired what most companies attempt but rarely accomplish…sole ownership of a clearly defined position.

To effectively brand your product, you must own a position in the mind of the customer. To own that position, you must find a way to differentiate your product from the competition. The Cubs own the position of “losing,” and that has tremendous value.

Cubs fans point with pride to sticking with the same team that has disappointed their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. That kind of customer loyalty is something that marketers spend significant time and money to accomplish.

The ultimate expression of such loyalty is when customers associate themselves with your brand. When they buy into what you’re selling, you’ve succeeded as a marketing professional. But when what you’re selling changes, be prepared for rocky times ahead.

That’s why the Cubs must keep losing. Once they win the World Series, they lose their point of differentiation. Their long tradition of losing – passed down from generation to generation – is wiped clean. At that point they become just another team trying to get back to the World Series. Customer expectations will change. Winning will be expected. The “badge of honor” that Cubs fans have worn for 99 years, for sticking with them through thick and thin, vanishes.

Ask Red Sox fans what things are like now, more than two years since they won it all. It’s not the same, they say, it feels different. The curse is gone and with it, their point of differentiation. For the White Sox, it’s a completely different situation. They never owned the “loveable loser” brand. The reasons why could fill another column.

At the end of each baseball season, as yet another World Series victory eludes the Cubs, their faithful fans cry, “Wait till next year!”

Be careful what you wish for, Cubs fans.

Mark V. Campbell is President of Marketing Spark, a Chicago-based agency focusing on strategy, branding and positioning. He has helped develop successful marketing strategy for ABC Radio, Anheuser-Busch, Red Bull, Westwood One and other Fortune 500 companies.

Source: www.articlecity.com