"If the Red Sox should win the World Series several years in a row, the brand would suffer potential damage nationally." 10/19/05

Statement from Wharton Marketing Newsletter by professor David Schmittlein who also said:

• "If they were to perform in a dynastic fashion like the Patriots, it could well undermine the brand."

From the newsletter:

• "Lucchino, however, urged the marketing people to promote the players' personalities in an effort to give validation to the hero worship of the fans. Unlike the corporate, buttoned-downed New York Yankees, the Red Sox are a rag-tag collection of iconoclasts with long hair, beards and personality quirks that management has encouraged rather than muted. Although they couldn't have planned for Johnny Damon to grow his hair long and become a local heartthrob, or Kevin Millar to create the "Cowboy Up" spirit in 2003, the owners didn't hesitate to embrace idiosyncrasies."

What they can take credit for is a temporary marketing plan. They shipped out or are trying to ship out the long-haired iconoclasts. Again from the newsletter:

• With a World Series championship banner now flying over Fenway, the biggest challenge for the team is to sustain the positive impact on the brand. According to Steinberg, this is an ongoing discussion in the front office where they have debated at length about empires and why they fall. "We have dissected this issue and talked about the Greeks and the Romans and the Blue Jays and the Orioles," Steinberg says.

I was unable to create a link to this document. How I obtained it: google, "Sports fans experience euphoria." It was the 4th item.

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