Across nearly every sport right now, the same debate is playing out: tradition versus innovation. The teams embracing change are winning. The brands doing the same in marketing are pulling away from the competition. The ones protecting the old playbook are falling behind — often without realizing it yet. Sports Is Having Its Innovation Moment. So Is Marketing. Watch any major sport right now and you'll find the same tension: the way things have always been done versus the way the data, the...

Most brand managers are still fighting for the end-cap. Meanwhile, the most valuable piece of retail real estate in America is a porch. The Shelf Isn't Where the Decision Gets Made Anymore For decades, the grocery store shelf was the finish line of brand marketing. You fought for placement, paid for positioning, and hoped a consumer's eyes landed on your product before they grabbed a competitor's. The model worked — until it didn't. Grocery e-commerce has fundamentally rewired the shopper...

Guest Post: by Nedra McDaniel Have you ever been curious about why companies use sports to build business relationships and how it plays out during a sporting event? I was invited by BAM to experience a behind-the-scenes look at how their business connects racing to their brands during race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. I’m a bit of a NASCAR novice, but previous travel experiences, races, and visits to destinations with racing history have been layering a greater...