MLB, MLS, NBA teams, NHL, New York Times

Brand Resurrection 101: The Chicago Blackhawks

John McDonough left the storied Chicago Cubs to go across town and inside and attempt to resurrect one of the forgotten hallmark franchises in professional sports…the Chicago Blackhawks.  Although the challenges to create the atmosphere, partnership and brand loyalty in hockey are not as clear as they are in baseball, the ability to reconnect with fans, provide exemplary service and find unique ways to make the brand relevant every day were not out of the question.  The efforts undertaken since McDonough came on board were summarized in a piece in today’s USA Today, which goes through the added brand recognition on and off the ice that the team has come forth with, ranging from a partnership with the White Sox to new TV opportunities to fan fest to the announcement of the outdoor game, all coupled with the hope of a young team and better on-ice performance.  Do you need the steak and the sizzle?  Absoulutely.  But the first step in getting there is to treat the brand as a public trust and invest in the fans.  Charles Sternberg led the battle to get that done with the Red Sox and now the Dodgers, the Philadelphia Flyers have always done the little things to retain fans and connect with their past, the Oakland Raiders embrace of their alumni has always been legendary and the New Jersey Nets do an amazing jobs of finding ways to stay relevant.   However the Blackhawks have done it in such a very short time with a leader who captured the vision as a fan and put the business plan for success in place first, while seeing the hockey side start to follow.  First class moves in the second city, with more to come.

Some other good reads…with tonight’s MLS All-Star game in Toronto, the National Post has a good piece on MLS possible expansion west in the future, led by Steve Nash…more evidence of Senator Obama looking for the sports demo to get votes and support comes from today’s New York Times, which looks at the Senator’s spend for Olympic time…it is more aggresive than Senator McCain’s entry into the space, which has seen some involvement in outdoor sports and his trip to Yankee Stadium last Sunday…