"Why Robin Hood and Manchester United Have A Similar Problem!"

"Why Robin Hood and Manchester United Have A Similar Problem!"

Although Robin Hood and Manchester United appear to have little in common, they are both world famous icons in their own right and, ironically, they both share the same basic problem of how to get the maximum potential benefit from their respective huge global fan bases.

Marketing industry expert Tom Silk recently stated that the Manchester super-club "needed to convert its 330 million "followers" into actual fans and paying customers" and this advice to the football giants also mirrors a similar challenge facing Nottingham City Council as they seek to maximise on the economic benefits that the Robin Hood connection can bring to local business and commerce.

From Nottingham's perspective, Robin's millions of followers need converting into potential visitors to the City and a more effective and innovative use of the "brand" needs to be creatively marketed and applied to a whole range of business, community, artistic and educational opportunities. For a City that has such a vibrant reputation for its diverse creativity in the arts and sciences, its on-going failings to make the most of the legendary Robin Hood connections remains its much-criticised Achilles heel!

So what can the two global icons of popular culture learn from one another ? Well, perhaps Manchester United should adopt more of Robin Hood's legendary reputation of "giving to the poor" and divert some of the grossly inflated salaries that their star footballers earn to champion more needy and worthy causes!

As for Nottingham, it needs to realise what a truly phenomenal global marketing "icon" Robin Hood really is - with a reputation as equally well-known and respected as Manchester's footballing super heroes. The City just needs to stop "making a molehill out of a mountain" and avoid scoring own goals with a global brand it has been given "for free"!