Brand & Positioning

INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD

Real-world perspective on strategy, growth, competitive pressure, and leadership under constraint. No theory. No recycled frameworks. Just lessons from the work — and what actually holds up when decisions carry real consequences.

Inside The Lines — All Posts
Brand & Positioning
Racquet Sports
Case Studies
Growth Strategy
Padel Industry

Three racquet sport paddles and a pickleball resting on a court surface — a tennis racquet, a padel racket, and a pickleball paddle representing the three fastest-growing racquet sports in the U.S.

The U.S. Racquet Sports Market Looks Different When You See the Global Data

The 2026 global racquet sports participation data is out. Here's what it actually means for tennis, padel, and pickleball operators, investors, and brands navigating the U.S. market right now.

Apr 277 min read

Aerial view of a large outdoor pickleball facility with approximately 20 courts

Courts Don't Create Demand: The Pickleball Facility Marketing Problem Nobody Talks About

Most pickleball operators are over-built on courts and under-built on brand. The operators who win the next five years will treat pickleball facility marketing as seriously as they treat site selection and construction.

Apr 75 min read

Billboard reading “Bread, Amplified” with a guitar amplifier and a package of Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds against a clear blue sky.

Scaling a Challenger Brand in a Commodity Category — Without Sacrificing Margin

Scaling a challenger brand inside a commodity category isn’t about making more noise. It’s about protecting differentiation while expanding reach. Here’s how disciplined positioning and integrated execution drove +15% dollar growth on the most profitable product line in the portfolio — without sacrificing margin.

Feb 253 min read

Racquet Sports Rebrand: Rebranding a 97-Year Institution Under Competitive Pressure

Rebranding is never just a marketing exercise—especially when the organization has nearly a century of history and a membership base that cares deeply about how things have always been done. That was the situation at the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) when we undertook a full enterprise rebrand from the USPTA to the RSPA—one of the most important transitions the organization had faced in decades.

Feb 45 min read

Defending Position and Purpose When Competitive Pressure Hits

Competitive threats rarely arrive out of nowhere. More often, they come from places you know well. That was the reality the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) faced in mid-2025 with the launch of USTA Coaching—a new initiative from the sport’s most powerful governing body, backed by significant resources and national visibility. For decades, the relationship between the USTA and the RSPA had been complementary.

Feb 43 min read