"It's a bit of a gamble to walk away from such an iconic event that has been such a big and critical part of their marketing program, " says Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill.

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The Bobcats recognized the power of Jordan when this year it launched its Level 23 marketing program.

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Recently, I also started working with a team on building a marketing program and app for Sundance Film Festival.

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