If you could Redesign the Cardinals brand

[CardLogic]

Hope you'll post the results. Good luck!

Seems that we get one of these type posts every year. Can't recall any of them coming back to post their work.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I am going to throw it out there and continue to throw it out there.

Here is my name for the football team.

The Arizona Phoenix* (all rights reserved - this is the creative property of Arizona's Finest)

The helmet would have a fire bird (Much like the PHX Firebirds emblem for you Phonecians) and is catchy and a tad ironic (ya know - being that Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and all)

Get to keep the bird theme

Get to keep the color scheme

And its actually something that makes sense for the state

Take all that - AND the fact that we are such a sad sack franchise and a Phoenix "rises from the ashes" - c'mon now, thats good stuff!

 

[daves]

Of course, there is always the "Big Angry Red Duck" Helmet change

Heh! May i suggest the name, "Big Irate Red Duck", or BIRD Helmet.

...dave

 

[CardLogic]

I am going to throw it out there and continue to throw it out there.

Here is my name for the football team.

The Arizona Phoenix* (all rights reserved - this is the creative property of Arizona's Finest)

The helmet would have a fire bird (Much like the PHX Firebirds emblem for you Phonecians) and is catchy and a tad ironic (ya know - being that Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and all)

Get to keep the bird theme

Get to keep the color scheme

And its actually something that makes sense for the state

Take all that - AND the fact that we are such a sad sack franchise and a Phoenix "rises from the ashes" - c'mon now, thats good stuff!

This would all make sense except for one thing...

Even though the Cardinals train in Tempe and play in Glendale everyone, especially those outside of the Valley of the Sun considers the Cardinals to be from Phoenix. Compound that with the dumbing of America where 50% or greater of the population doesn't even know what a phoenix is.

So as it is "Arizona Phoenix" wouldn't make sense,and just doesn't work. It would be like the "New England Bostons", or the "Minnesota Minneapolis"; or something even worse like the "Houston Texans".

So if there was no city here named Phoenix then your idea would be an excellent one!

 

[BigRedMO]

"redesign(ing) the cardinals and present(ing) a cohesive branding strategy for them" can be far more than just team name and colors. There is a huge amount of unexplored territory regarding branding other than name and colors. I am sure other ideas from professional marketers would be appreciated.

 

[BigRedMO]

Some ideas occurred in regards to this question. The Cards scored third most points in NFC last year. Do you focus future player acquisition on offense and market the team as explosive and lots of points? Focus on run or pass? The Baltimore model could be followed instead to focus player acqusition on defense and market the team as a hard hitting old fashioned tough football team.

Do you pick one player as the identity of the team for marketing efforts? Who would that be? Risks involved of that player not performing or leaving.

Should the Cardinals form a strategic partnership with the other pro franchises and mutually advertise each others franchises at their own games. Would it be beneficial to offer ticket packages of combined sports events (baseball and football etc). Should the Cards have signage at other local sports venues that can be see an national tv? Should they put a spot on the jumbotron of other area teams showing Cardinlas highlights and a phne number for tickets?

What demographic do you aim your marketing at? 12-35?

Should the Cardinals do out of state marketing. If so which states? Should the Cardinals try to work out deals with airlines, rental agencies and hotels so that these out of state visitors get discounts?

Is there a particular racial group or income group you want to aim at? Should a deal be arranged to ease transportation to games with an out of area busing system?

Should there be an effort to get players in the offseason to show up at schools and malls for PR? More effort by players and team at charity work?

Ticket prices? Ticket packages?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

This would all make sense except for one thing...

Even though the Cardinals train in Tempe and play in Glendale everyone, especially those outside of the Valley of the Sun considers the Cardinals to be from Phoenix. Compound that with the dumbing of America where 50% or greater of the population doesn't even know what a phoenix is.

So as it is "Arizona Phoenix" wouldn't make sense,and just doesn't work. It would be like the "New England Bostons", or the "Minnesota Minneapolis"; or something even worse like the "Houston Texans".

So if there was no city here named Phoenix then your idea would be an excellent one!

Houston Texans is pretty bad - but if I was from Texas I would have a lot of pride in that team, especially since the emblem is pretty sick.

I disagree on your point though. I think most people would find it a clever play on words, the team essentially plays in North Phoenix and in University of Phoenix stadium. PLus the firebird on the helmet would be a pretty dead give away that its supposed to represent the mythical firebird.

Do people really not know what a "Phoenix" is? Didn't anyone else read X-men as a kid in this country?

 

[moklerman]

The Arizona Phoenix* (all rights reserved - this is the creative property of Arizona's Finest)

I actually like this "idea" but it sure doesn't roll off the tongue. There's a college team named the Green Bay Phoenix and it just makes the brain turn sideways hearing it. At least for me, anyway.

It sounds like this has all probably been covered but I found it interesting that the Cardinal is the state bird of Illinois and not Missouri. I knew the football Cardinals came from Chicago but did the baseball team?

Along those lines, I thought using the state bird and colors of Arizona would be a good idea but a blue and old gold cactus wren doesn't seem like much to work with. A tiny bird that is know for it's hiding isn't really the persona you'd want for a football team.

There's really no need to stick with a bird theme though but for some reason some of the other indeginous related teams from Arizona just haven't worked for me. I'm sure it's because they aren't my teams. With many of the newer teams llike the Jaguars, Panthers, Diamondbacks, Devil Rays...I don't know what it is. They are all intimidating creatures but they just don't seem to fit in with things to me.

Would it even be possible to suggest an indian/aztec related theme in today's PC world?

 

[earthsci]

Would it even be possible to suggest an indian/aztec related theme in today's PC world?

I think that you could get away with it if you worked with the tribe, like the Florida St. Seminoles. Imagine The Arizona Apache.

 

[moklerman]

I think it could work. I'm not a Chiefs or Braves fan but it's always been pretty admirable to me to watch them play when the crowd really get's into it and starts chanting all together. A warrior tribe of some kind is much more in tune with a football mentality than most birds are(IMO). Eagles, Seahawks, etc. may be majestic but you can't really get that crowd theme going with bird sqwauks.

 

[earthsci]

To be clear though, I still prefer The Cardinals. Any marketing scheme is going to, perhaps, provide a temporary surge in sales. Winning will provide the long term answer. Fifteen years ago you never saw a Patriots jersey. Now I see them all of time. Winning provides a stronger, larger fan base that will buy your products (jerseys, tickets).

 

[chickenhead]

My biggest problem with the Cards redesign is that I don't think the jerseys look as good on fans. Die-hards are going to wear them, but there are probably a lot of consumers who choose not to. On Sundays in Manhattan you see the jerseys of almost every NFL team, but the ones you see the most of are the ones that actually look the best on fans (surprise, they tend to be classic designs). Lots of Steelers, Browns, Raiders, Jets and Giants, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, etc.

I do NOT see as many Broncos jerseys, for example, despite their popularity. And when I was last in Philly on a playoff weekend, I couldn't believe how many kelly-green jerseys I saw.

Just a thought.

 

[BigRedMO]

I actually like this "idea" but it sure doesn't roll off the tongue. There's a college team named the Green Bay Phoenix and it just makes the brain turn sideways hearing it. At least for me, anyway.

It sounds like this has all probably been covered but I found it interesting that the Cardinal is the state bird of Illinois and not Missouri. I knew the football Cardinals came from Chicago but did the baseball team?

Along those lines, I thought using the state bird and colors of Arizona would be a good idea but a blue and old gold cactus wren doesn't seem like much to work with. A tiny bird that is know for it's hiding isn't really the persona you'd want for a football team.

There's really no need to stick with a bird theme though but for some reason some of the other indeginous related teams from Arizona just haven't worked for me. I'm sure it's because they aren't my teams. With many of the newer teams llike the Jaguars, Panthers, Diamondbacks, Devil Rays...I don't know what it is. They are all intimidating creatures but they just don't seem to fit in with things to me.

Would it even be possible to suggest an indian/aztec related theme in today's PC world?

Baseball Cardinals have always called St. Louis home. Thr organization credits 1892 as the year of their founding with 1900 as the year when they became the Cardinals. I am pretty sure that predates states naming offical birds, flowers, etc. I think Illinois chose the Cardinal as their state bird because they are secretly jealous of the much more successful baseball Cardinals and would like to trade the Cubs for the Cardinals.