With World Cup 2010 upon us, I was recently reminded of Brazil's incredible Football brand during previous tournaments.

Generally speaking, Brazil waltz through the group stages with a large margin of safety. This often leaves them with 10-15 minutes at the end of a game, or even the entire third and final group match, as pretty meaningless in the overal context of the cup.

Many teams would be happy to substitute their top players and coast - not Brazil! For the world famous yellows this is an opportunity to shine and dazzle, to engage in their own brand of "playground ball".

Its this willingness to indulge and go the extra mile that has seen Brazil regularly recognised as playing the best football, without always lifting the trophy. This is a great lesson to any brand looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive world where "winning" outright can't always be guaranteed.

Matt

Photo Credit - Alex France via Creative Commons