5 brand lessons from the Chicago Cubs

Spring has sprung and baseball season is underway. And what a season it’s poised to be with the Chicago Cubs odds-on favorites to win back-to-back titles—a feat no team has done since the New York Yankees were World Series champs in 1999 and 2000. No pressure.

But as lineups are finalized and pitching rotations set, it’s impossible not to wonder how the Cubs will look, how they’ll act and what they’ll do after last year’s Cinderella story. All eyes are on them—and for good reason. They have the talent and leadership to be successful for years to come, but anything less than another championship will be considered a failure by many.

It’s not just the Cubs that face the fear of being a flash in the pan. Singers and authors become one-hit wonders all the time when their first album or book tops the charts only to have their second and third offerings fall flat. Brands are no exception. Some fade away after one incredible product launch, and others struggle with follow-up products or line extensions that miss the mark.

So how can a brand score a home run with the launch of a follow-up product or campaign? It’s a winning combination the reigning World Series champions set in motion months ago, and one that—if followed—should lead to success on and off the field.