How the Savannah Bananas built a brand people love
Jesse Cole of the Savannah Bananas talks with Masters of Scale about building a beloved sports brand by prioritizing fan experience over revenue through constant experimentation.
The gist
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Cole spends zero dollars on paid marketing and instead creates memorable moments that fans share on their own.
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He keeps ticket prices at $40 to $60 with no fees, even though resale prices top $200, to protect long-term fan loyalty.
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Cole uses a Saturday Night Live style process, generating new show ideas every week and learning through doing rather than planning.
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He separates creative and operational leadership, modeled on Walt Disney and Roy Disney, so each role can focus on what it does best.
Also mentioned
3:13
Savannah Bananas
· "We started the bananas, failed miserably, lost everything, and then after many years, made it successful,..."
7:21
Saturday Night Live
· "We follow a Saturday Night Live model. We generate ideas on a Tuesday all day idea sessions and we have a..."
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