If you followed the 2016 World Series, you know it was a nail-biter. Two perennial underdog teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, went down to the wire before the Cubs pulled off the win and ended a 108-year-old championship drought.

Cubs fans were elated. Indians fans were heartbroken. And one Indians fan found himself with a permanent reminder of making a premature assumption with a tattoo of the Indians logo and the words “2016 Champions” on his arm.

Some people would call this team passion. Others might think more in terms of putting the cart before the horse. Either way, there’s a definite brand lesson to learn here: before you spend a great deal of time, money and energy on your brand, you need to know a few things first.

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