Brand perception is not only one of the most important assets to an athletic department, but it is one of the easiest assets to change as well. Darlow describes
in his book that perception, recruiting, winning, and money make up the four phases of an Athletic Program Life Cycle, in that order. All four phases are interrelated, yet the ability to affect the different phases is not equal. It is difficult for an athletic director to wake up and say, "I want to make 20% more money this year." It is more realistic for an athletic director to say, "I want to improve my brand perception." Perception in turn affects recruiting, which affects winning, which affects revenue. Each phase is most greatly influenced by the preceding phase.