The evening started with doors opening to Soldier Field’s club level, which led the first 100 attendees to run in, either to claim their first player autograph, or to get in line for their complimentary gift bag.

For the next 90 minutes, the sold-out crowd of 850 women ate a light dinner, enjoyed wine tasting, and took tours of the Bears’ locker rooms. Most of these minutes were spent waiting in line – for food, wine, tours, autographs, and gift bags. But, the women didn’t seem to mind: they were just thrilled to be in the same room with Matt Forte, Mark Anderson and other Bears.

About halfway through the event, the “presentation” portion started, by far the coolest part of the evening. We watched game tapes, listened to players describe why they made the decisions they did, and got a chance for some Q&A. It was intriguing – not just because the content was engaging but because this event clearly filled a unique need of their fans.

And so, since that evening, I find myself thinking a lot about sports marketing. Not the boring run-of-the-mill marketing like naming a stadium or hanging banners behind home plate, but the potential unique sports marketing opportunities. Given creative minds and clear objectives, I am convinced that Best Buy’s most effective sports marketing opportunities will provide more than brand awareness – they will compliment our growth strategies and create unique brand positioning among fans.

After the Soldier Field event, we headed to the South Loop Best Buy store for what I referred to as an afterparty. (Marketing materials referred to it as an exclusive shopping event.)  In any case, women shopped the store, enjoyed snacks, won raffle prizes, and finally had their opportunity to take pictures and even chat a bit with Bears players. Overall, a successful night.

At the store, I met Daniela, who greeted me shyly, but warmly, in an effort to help me shop. After introducing myself – and my role in making Best Buy a better place for women – her demeanor changed. She now had something to SAY.

Daniela told me how, on occasion, she has been frustrated as female customers assume that she doesn’t have deep knowledge about the products she sells. She also talked about how much she enjoys her job, how her manager listens to her ideas, and how she never wants to leave the company. Daniela’s excitement about reaching her local Hispanic market was contagious; by the end of our conversation, I was convinced that she alone could drive this store to meet its growth plan.

And then, she floored me: Daniela has worked at Best Buy for one month.

Something is happening here. Daniela’s passion wasn’t the result of a talented recruiter. Or new employee training. Or big posters proclaiming Best Buy’s vision and values.

No, Daniela has connected with Best Buy. Somehow, after 30 days on the job, she embodies all that we want to strive to create: Passion. Empowerment. Engagement. Customer Focus. Drive for Growth.

Now, all we need to do is uncover the magic that brought Daniela to the place where she is. And then replicate that magic another 100,000 times. Because the more Danielas there are, the faster Best Buy will grow.