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Goldenberg has plenty of impressive accolades, including bringing the Brooklyn Nets to Paris and launching the #ThankYouVince campaign to honor former NBA superstar Vince Carter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Keep reading to hear why you need to take big swings in marketing, how Goldenberg matches insights with instinct, and his fascination with global brands like Oatly<\/span>.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Goldenberg got plenty of pushback when he pitched a Brooklyn Nets activation \u2014 in Paris, complete with an orchestral tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. and Brooklyn Nets-inspired pizzeria.<\/p>\n One colleague even said to him, \u201cYou really think Parisians are going to show up to a Brooklyn Nets pizzeria?\u201d (I get the hesitation \u2014 don’t they live off of escargot and croissants?)<\/p>\n He knew there could be major ramifications if the event flopped. But he believed in the concept enough to risk it all.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I’m going to get fired for anything, it’s worth [it] for an orchestral tribute to Biggie in Paris,\u201d Goldenberg told me last week. \u201cWhen your ideas are big enough and bold enough, and you believe in them to the degree that you’re willing to take a reputational risk, that’s when you’re onto something.\u201d<\/p>\n Playing it safe can be a risk in itself. But marketing thrives on standing out, which demands taking chances.<\/p>\n For Goldenberg, the payoff was massive:<\/p>\n Image Source<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Goldenberg got stakeholders on board by being blunt: \u201cYou all need to understand how important this is, not just for the Nets but for our fans and the global sports industry,\u201d he told colleagues. \u201cIt’s never been done before at this scale.\u201d<\/p>\n Sticking to the tried-and-true is tempting. But it was insight matched with instinct that landed Goldenberg his big swings.<\/p>\n Goldenberg doesn’t look to other sports teams for marketing inspiration \u2014 instead, he learns from other global brands like St\u00fcssy and Oatly.<\/p>\n As he told me, the Nets activation wasn\u2019t just about basketball; it was about spreading New York’s culture and the spirit of Brooklyn. So it didn\u2019t make sense to limit himself to what other NBA teams have done.<\/p>\n Image Source<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Whether you\u2018re working for the NBA or a small software startup, Goldenberg\u2019s advice is gold: Looking outside your industry can be the best move for evolving your own marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Marketers need to be able to tell the same story seven different ways, Goldenberg says.<\/p>\n Your CEO might want to hear about how your new marketing campaign supports the company\u2018s high-level strategy; meanwhile, your manager is eager for the nitty-gritty details of how it\u2019s all going to play out.<\/p>\n And when it comes to storytelling, pinpoint the emotion you want to elicit.Lesson 1: If you’re not risking your career on a bold marketing move, you’re not thinking big enough.<\/h3>\n
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Lesson 2: Look outside your industry.<\/h3>\n
Lesson 3: Don\u2019t tell a story \u2014 sell the story.<\/h3>\n
\u201cData will help frame your story, but it certainly isn’t going to sell it,” he says.<\/p>\n