I like how he ended the interview with a strong plug about how competitive the ACC is
This. So much this. (Along with everything else he said.)
I’m a marketing guy. And one of the most important strategies I’ve employed over the years: sell a movement, not a product.
- Sell horseback riding - not a saddle.
- Sell freedom and adventure - not an SUV.
- Sell DIY home improvement - not a hardware store.
- Sell human togetherness - not fizzy soda water.
- Sell creativity - not a computer.
You get the idea (& probably recognize a few of the companies I just referenced).
Point being, when you sell your market, and not just your individual product, you do something important: you expand the size of your market, and you align yourself with that very thing you just sold.
So when more people than ever before think of wanting to change the faucets in their house themselves rather than call a plumber, they think of Home Depot. When people think of wanting to get out of the city in their car, they think of Jeep.
And they like those brands because of that association.
For years, the SEC did this (with the help of the talking heads at ESPN). And they had several “cheerleaders” like Finebaum pick up the mantle, and keep promoting the narrative. Until it was commonly accepted that the SEC “just means more,” and therefore TV should pay them millions more than other conferences. It became a self-licking ice cream cone.
I fully agree with what Brent Key said. Hell, when everyone else in the country was sh!tying on the Coastal as being the weakest part of the ACC “because we didn’t have a Clemson or an FSU,” I always said it was the other way around. The parity of the Coastal made it one of the best divisions in college football. It made for exciting games where anything could happen - AND the teams were good enough to go out and knock off a lot of our-of-conference foes. So I couldn’t see the logic in saying this side of the conference was weak, because it wasn’t lopsided. That was a fallacy, more often than not.
Now that Coastal Chaos has spread to the entire ACC (and now that Tech is an obvious lead agent of said chaos), I’m stoked to hear Brent Key calling it out. For us lately it hasn’t been the prettiest set of wins. But it has been damned exciting. And same goes for all the other games in the conference lately. You never know what you’re going to get when you turn on an ACC game - but you know it will be exciting, with players playing hard.
We need more people spreading that narrative. I hope to see other coaches (& analysts) pick that up. Because it’s true. And selling that movement is a great way to right the (incorrect) presumption that the ACC is a “lesser” conference than 2 others who field 1-2 good teams (who don’t play anyone of consequence) and a rabble of associated teams who don’t do much.
(Long post, sorry. I geek out on this, and was glad - and pleasantly surprised - to see it. Smart move by Key.)