Blink:

Bad news: The Australian brush fires rage on, while the country’s east coast has been ravaged by thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail. Good news: Week two of the AO; Roger Federer is in the hunt for another Grand Slam title. Regardless of what he does, this much I do know.

Read On:

Brand Federer, a topic I have previously addressed, keeps rolling on – ka ching, ka-ching, ka-ching!

• On – Roger’s latest brand endeavor. A Zurich, Switzerland based performance shoe company with a cult like following. Quietly, their shoe CloudTec is the second most-sold sneaker in Germany after Nike’s Air Max 270. America, thanks to celebrities, is their largest market. In addition to being a representative for the brand, Roger has invested in the company and is an advisory product designer.
• Credit Suisee – The Swiss bank came under attack that they were financing investments in coal-fired power plants. Consequently, climate activists questioned Roger for being a long-time brand advocate. Their Twitter movement #RogerWakeUpNow precipitated Roger to release before the Australian Open a well-crafted, politically correct response. Key learning for the “Maestro” and his team, brand transparency is top of mind now for global consumerism. They need to select their brand endorsements carefully.

Noteworthy, life after tennis, Roger Federer will unquestionably be the highest paid brand manager in the world.