They tweeted a link to the survey for anyone who didn't get one. Have at it: http://www.thecrew.com/news/2012/11/black-gold-brand-survey
Tough to build a tradition if things keep changing. We need to be careful here, otherwise we could end up with something like Sporting Kansas City and their "crest."
I still think they'll be halfway smart about it and go with something like VfB Columbus. At least they know the city has a German Heritage. But, if they do this in-house (without hiring a marketing/PR consultant) it'll be AC Columbus, since that has the best "ring" to it.
If there's going to be a name change, I don't mind this one at all. The colors definitely make the team recognizable, so for me, that's non negotiable.
It's what clueless, second rate marketing people do when left to their own devices. They hold meetings. And when you put five or six mediocre minds around a table and they have no idea why they suck so badly - after all, they're all so bright and funny and clever and stylish - they decide that the problem isn't that the product stinks and they don't have the first clue what they're doing. No indeed, the problem is that the brand is "tired". Eventually someone suggests "rebranding' which is a lot better than, you know working and shit. Think of all the meetings, memos, surveys, strategies, studies, powerpoint presentations and other stupid pointless bullshit they can collectively generate. This kind of sad, ignorant crap is exactly what is wrong with American business. If I ran the team the first thing I'd do is fire everybody who has the time to come to the meetings. Everybody here has heard me say this before, but I fully intend to have it chiseled on my grave: you can spend whatever you want to "market" the living hell out of something but when push comes to shove if what you;re selling is french fried fresh dog shit people just won't buy it. Maybe you can get them to taste a sample but at the end of the day french fried fresh dog shit is still nothing but french fried fresh dog shit and people don't like the taste. So of course the Crew's solution is to put it in a bright and shiny new wrapper. Yeah, that'll work. The only thing that will change the Crew's position in the market is what KC has done: local ownership.
The Wizards have won a MLS Cup and SKC hasn't. But the rebrand worked very well for them, regardless. The crest is part of our history but it doesn't make our history.
That wasn't all it was. They got people in there who knew what they were doing. Kauffman, while rinky-dinky, was a step up, but things fell into place all at the same time for them. Stadium, branding, solid on field product. we've got a stadium. Our market brand is low, the original slogan was over-used by 1998 and we have a slipping on field product. I said to McCullers in my email that the on field product will continue to slip with RW at the helm. And fan confidence is at an extreme low with the manager - which will hurt ticket sales. Which hurts brand. I would support a change to the crest as long as they utilize the supporters groups for input and the shooting down of completely idiotic ideas. The Crew, doesn't need to change. The colors? They'd better stay. But making a change without changing the manager will also limit the potential success of a re brand. As Bill said, french fried fresh dog shit in a bright and shiny new wrapper. That is what it would be if they keep RW.
But "merde de la chien frais" has such a continental sound to it and evokes a team competing in the Champions League.
As a marketing/communications guy, my only problem was with whoever butchered the phrasing in the five point Likert questions.
I actually met one of them once in Indy. I was wearing a Crew polo and we were getting our car parked at the Indy Courtyard--the attendant did a double take when he saw the shirt and said "Did you know I posed for that?" The guy on the right. This was at least 10 years ago...
The Crew is not a brand. The Crew is a soccer club. You might re-brand but you do not re-club. I will be very disappointed if the name, crest or colors are changed.
I agree that I would be disappointed as well. But given that MLS is single entity, we're not truly a "soccer club" but something else.
I am open to changing it all. Crest, colors, names, all of it. The logo has NOTHING to do with Columbus, the region, or Ohio. Sure it's what the club has worn on its chest, but the logo is not the club. The CLUB has the tradition of being a successful professional soccer franchise in Columbus. The logo/crest is just an image and can change. Wouldn't it be nice if the Crest had SOMETHING to do with Columbus or Ohio? Of course it would. (as an aside, I can SO see devoted pre-Sporting KC fans praising eternal fealty to the "Wiz" crest and nickname and lamenting the loss of their crappy, crappy, "tradition". "Yeah its retarded but it's MY retarded and I LOVE it!!!" It's not important, people. Let it go.) But if it is to be changed, it should have some reference to Columbus or Ohio. The problem is defining what is unique about Columbus. I agree with what another poster said about "Capital City" jumping out at them. The Ohio Capitol Building with its cut off cupola is actually quite unique, and set at the corner of Broad and High. COTA now uses the building as part of its logo. I think an Everton style crest with the cupola instead of Prince Rupert's Tower could work nicely.
If you want to capture the fan's mood these days just use a drawing of Muggs. Can you get more Columbus?
The only thing I would even consider getting a makeover would be the logo. Even then, I'd lean more towards don't touch it. Maybe develop a secondary logo (better than the word mark one we sometimes use) that looks better on clothing apparel. But the rest of the Crew brand is distinguished and has history to go with it. If you're looking for a way to energize the fan base or corporate sponsors, sack Andrulis 2.0 and put an attractive, winning team on the field. The front office has done a great job and getting more season ticket holders and corporate partnerships this year, but in the end they're still pushing a product that regularly falls short of people's expectations.
agreed, i dont normally post but this has me excited. i love the crew but our crest is silly and needs to be changed. colors and name are awesome, crest is weird and unprofessional.
I don't want anything changed. We've spent 17 seasons building our identity -- I don't feel like chucking it. Besides -- for all the bellyaching we do about the league office not liking us, or the small-town potshots we take from other fan bases, we're an MLS original, and our colors and crest have lasted for as long as the league has. New York can't say that. Kansas City can't say that. Colorado can't say that. I think there's something to be said for withstanding the test of time. Not to mention -- there's always the possibility that the new logo/name/whatever could suck. Why take that chance when there's nothing wrong with what we have?