A soccer match lasts 90 minutes, which includes two 45 minutes halves with very minimal interruptions.  This leaves very little time for commercials to air advertisement.  In most televised sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and golf – there are regular breaks during the game allowing networks to sell airtime and companies to market their products to viewers.  Unfortunately, the game of soccer is not structured to accommodate standard commercial advertising In my opinion this is one of the main reasons soccer is not regularly broadcasted on TV.

Advertisers and networks should explore alternative advertising methods that satisfy the advertiser and compliment the sport.  In similar fashion to NASCAR, MLS recently implemented the sale of advertising space on soccer jerseys and warm-up gear.  This gives advertisers the opportunity to purchase ad space and place company logos directly on the players, for an entire 90 minutes, not just 30 seconds of air time.  Networks could benefit by incorporating advertisements in the scoreboard graphic overlays or tickers in the bottom of the screen during the games.

As my colleague stated, why should we have to wait another four years to cheer on our favorite soccer teams?  Advertisers and networks should embrace America’s growing love for soccer, by seeking alternative advertising techniques and televising more matches!

I was fortunate enough to travel to South Africa and experience the World Cup in person.  The pride and joy that many of you saw on television, was bigger and better then you can imagine.  The hospitality and kindness that I experienced was something I won’t soon forget.  Meeting so many people from different countries and being able to watch the world come together to celebrate was great. However, the connection I felt to those around me was truly magical.

I’m fortunate in that this was my second trip to the continent of Africa.  My first being a summer abroad when I was in high school, living with a host family in Tunisia.  I was blessed to have parents who saw the importance of introducing their children to other cultures and making us realize that our similarities to people around the world are much greater than our differences. The memories I took away from both experiences will last a life time.  However it made me think: Do I have to travel across the globe to feel that way again?

The answer is no. We can all experience a great connection to one another without ever leaving town.  I encourage everyone to expand your horizons.  Move outside your comfort zone and experience something new.  Whether it is volunteering at a cultural center, teaching English as a second language or hosting a foreign exchange student, there are countless ways we can shrink our world and enrich our lives.  Below are just a few resources which offer these opportunities.  Go out and experience different cultures.  Learn to respect our differences and embrace our similarities.  Let’s not wait another four years to experience World Cup fever!

AFS: http://www.afs.org/afs_or/home

AYUSA: http://www.ayusa.org/

TESOL: http://www.tesol.org/

It was just over a decade ago, when armed with your office phone and Rolodex you thought you could conquer the world.  When your lines of communication were limited to just two: phone or in-person.  Now we can email a client twenty times a day, or interrupt a co-worker with an IM, all without ever getting up from our desk.  So what’s the problem?  The problem is we are missing the handshake.  We are missing the opportunity to say “I like your new hair cut” or “ have you lost weight?”.  We are missing the way we’ve interacted with our friends and associates for centuries.  We are missing the face-to-face communication.

As an account executive with Belding, it is imperative that I keep in touch with clients and associates.  However, sometimes email is simply not enough.  Being able to visit clients in person has enabled me to better communicate our services and more importantly, listen to my clients and better understand their goals and challenges.   Things you just can’t get in an email.

A funny thing happened last week that highlights what happens when we rely solely on electronic communications.  I had recently attended my twentieth high school reunion and a friend had posted some photos from the event on Facebook.  An old classmate who wasn’t able to attend the event was viewing the photos and happened across my friend list.  She noticed that one my friends on Facebook was a co-worker of hers.  She immediately posted a message on my wall, asking how I knew her co-worker.  After looking through some old emails, it turns out we (my classmate and I) had been emailing each other for over three years and never made the connection that we were once classmates and dear friends.   After a few “OMG’s” and some weak excuses about married names, we both agreed that had we not discovered this connection, we would have gone on for at least another three years emailing each other – never knowing who the other person was.

What’s the moral of the story?  Next time you are about to click “send”, think about how you would have communicated this information a decade ago.  When possible, get up, walk down the hall, or down the street, and knock on the door.  Don’t fear face-to-face interactions.  Dust off the Rolodex and call or visit an old contact.  You may be surprised to learn who they really are.