New York Yankees. Los Angeles Lakers. Dallas Cowboys.

When you hear those names, what comes to mind? Top-notch professional programs? Over-paid superstars with über-inflated egos? Collections of prima donnas that have altered senses of what $1 million can buy?

Regardless of your affinity for professional sports, there is a likely chance that you have some preconceived opinion of these brands. For some, the mere mention of a team, player, city, etc. may evoke such a strong emotional response that only a profanity-laced monologue coupled with a variety of colorful adjectives and hand gestures can do justice in describing your true feelings. On that note…

I am proud to admit that I am a life-long fan of Philadelphia sports. Some may think, "Ah, Philadelphia: a cultural haven, rich in history and personality!" However, mention the "City of Brotherly Love" in the context of professional sports and it has the unfortunate notoriety of having the fans that pelted Santa Claus with snowballs, chucked "D-cell" batteries at J.D. Drew (who had regrettably snubbed an offer to play with the "Fightin's" two years previously), and that forced management to create a self-sustaining judicial system within the walls of its football arena.

Right or wrong, to "be a Philly sports fan" has meaning in sport circles. As does being a citizen of “Red Sox Nation”, a loyal Wisconsin “Cheesehead”, and so on and so forth. To some extent, such groups are perceived to be inseparable from the teams for which they are attributed – they are extensions of the teams’ brand identity. With that thought in mind, how might this truth apply to your business? Read on…

In a previous post, I suggested the idea that "all messages are brand messages". In other words, every message that is emitted from an organization - a customer service call, a website landing page, a direct mail piece, a Facebook rant from an unruly fan (i.e. disgruntled employee) - essentially pushes the recipient of those messages to construct a perception or opinion of that organization. While a company may tout itself as being one thing, too many experiences that offer evidence to the contrary may lead to some sort of message disconnect and, eventually, results in discontent or lost customers.

When people encounter your brand in the marketplace, what is the first thought that comes to mind? Have your messages and actions (don’t forget that part!) helped to establish your brand as one that focuses on delivering high quality? Providing sound and prompt customer service? Pursuing top-notch product innovation? Or, have you been sending mixed signals to your audience, leaving potential customers turned off to the prospect of doing business with you?

Sure, we Philly fans can be loud, sometimes unruly, and often overly (and overtly) expressive, but above all - we are passionate about our team. In other words, Philly sports fans are brand advocates. By aligning top-notch services or products with strong and consistent brand messages, your company is also able to build strong advocacy for your brand - yielding passionate "fans" that willingly extend your marketing program.

Remember, every message is a brand message. How is your company leveraging this to build your fan base?