Bradley Branding

[JMM28]

I think it is a good thing to update the Bradley brand. I don't know why it has taken so long to make changes. We have a bland logo with the emphasis on not offending anyone, we have no mascot, and we've done a poor job of promoting the products. But I do agree that this could be the worst possible time to do this, having bottomed out in the worst period in the history of Bradley athletics.

Agree with the first half. This should have been done back when the NCAA was out witch hunting the schools with Braves, Warriors, Orangemen, etc.

I do think this is a great time to be doing it. Let's be honest. Basketball is driving this train. So you have the program at a very low point. You rebrand, work the kinks out on everything, and actually have a solidified brand in place when the program returns to winning ways ready to capitalize on the success with merchandise sales!

Ideally this would have been done when Les took over for Molinari for similar reasons. Maybe some branded merchandise could have been sold after the S16 instead of generic Champion or the every sport for itself merchandise.

[SFP]

Agree with the first half. This should have been done back when the NCAA was out witch hunting the schools with Braves, Warriors, Orangemen, etc.

I do think this is a great time to be doing it. Let's be honest. Basketball is driving this train. So you have the program at a very low point. You rebrand, work the kinks out on everything, and actually have a solidified brand in place when the program returns to winning ways ready to capitalize on the success with merchandise sales!

Ideally this would have been done when Les took over for Molinari for similar reasons. Maybe some branded merchandise could have been sold after the S16 instead of generic Champion or the every sport for itself merchandise.

I agree with JMM28. Yes it is always best to re-brand during the high end as if to show you are not satisfied with being number 1 but second best time is when you are at the bottom. You really do not have anything to lose and at least on a PR front you have something to talk about. I hope the master plan has a national outlook to it. The branding exercise does not have to be exclusively pinned to basketball even though we all know a winning program could do this exercise wonders.

[Braves4Life]

I'd be curious to know how much Bradley has paid someone (and who they are) to come up with this whole re-branding thing.

[JMM28]

The branding exercise does not have to be exclusively pinned to basketball even though we all know a winning program could do this exercise wonders.

This exercise is actually pinned on the idea of all sports using 1 logo, 1 font, 1 mascot, 1 brand, et cetera with the hope of getting an all department contract from a Nike, Under Armour, or the like.

Right now it is just a hodgepodge of Nike and adidas with random fonts, brands, logos, and merchandise.

[abesimpson]

Agree with most who dislike the BU logo with the "Braves" script. I've never liked it and always thought it looked amateur compared to other universities that focus on a monogram logo (Xavier, Princeton, Yale, Arizona, even Wisconsin's red "W").

I'd drop the "U" and the "Braves" and focus on doing something with just a "B", but a smiley face would be better that what we have currently in my opinion.

[Old Coach]

Agree with most who dislike the BU logo with the "Braves" script. I've never liked it and always thought it looked amateur compared to other universities that focus on a monogram logo (Xavier, Princeton, Yale, Arizona, even Wisconsin's red "W").

I'd drop the "U" and the "Braves" and focus on doing something with just a "B", but a smiley face would be better that what we have currently in my opinion.

You might be on to something Abe.

[amettrick]

Does anyone know a timetable on when they will go public with the new logo?

[Old Coach]

Does anyone know a timetable on when they will go public with the new logo?

I think it depends on how all of the pieces come together, but I would expect to see it on apparel this Fall.

[tornado]

Bradley has a lot of tradition, a lot of older fans who love that tradition and want to see references to the greats of the past and even have them back on campus if we can get them to come back, and some pretty good successes in the past - even the recent past...
...so just what all is meant by rebranding, I am getting mixed signals...

Some of the very same people/fans who say they are unhappy about how things are going right now - were the same ones who were unhappy 4-5 years ago and wanted all these changes, shuffling, firings, etc.

[Da Coach]

Also, I realize this isn't exactly the same but it might be relevant. Late in 2006 there was a protracted effort to develop a new mascot for Bradley. Do others recall this? The administration took suggestions from the public for a new mascot, and received over 300 suggestions. Then they narrowed the choices down to 8 options that included the following-
Braveheart, Clock, Firefighter, Gargoyle, Military Figure, Squirrel, Superhero or no mascot.

Then a voting system was set up to select the winning mascot.

There were passionate arguments among fans and alumni. Here is one thread with arguments we had right here-

http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2202

In the end, a lot of long time and older fans were completely turned off by the whole idea and the mascots that were suggested. The overwhelming winner was "no mascot", and thus the whole effort to select a mascot came to a sudden end.
I was also told that there were significant numbers of older alumni who actually threatened to stop donating to Bradley if a silly mascot like a clock, squirrel, or the other options was named. Some were distinguished alumni and some were large money donors.

Then, a couple years ago, Bradley students tried to revive this mascot effort, but it was snubbed by the administration.

http://www.pjstar.com/columns/x210267072/Luciano-Suggestion-for-new-BU-mascot-Go-nuts

Since there remain a large number of older alumni who are fans and who provide the majority of donor support for Bradley, and since these older alumni are often strongly opposed to changes, I would not be surprised if we will see some of the same resistance we have seen in the past. I hope the admins are prepared for this.

[Old Coach]

Also, I realize this isn't exactly the same but it might be relevant. Late in 2006 there was a protracted effort to develop a new mascot for Bradley. Do others recall this? The administration took suggestions from the public for a new mascot, and received over 300 suggestions. Then they narrowed the choices down to 8 options that included the following-
Braveheart, Clock, Firefighter, Gargoyle, Military Figure, Squirrel, Superhero or no mascot.

Then a voting system was set up to select the winning mascot.

There were passionate arguments among fans and alumni. Here is one thread with arguments we had right here-

http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2202

In the end, a lot of long time and older fans were completely turned off by the whole idea and the mascots that were suggested. The overwhelming winner was "no mascot", and thus the whole effort to select a mascot came to a sudden end.
I was also told that there were significant numbers of older alumni who actually threatened to stop donating to Bradley if a silly mascot like a clock, squirrel, or the other options was named. Some were distinguished alumni and some were large money donors.

Then, a couple years ago, Bradley students tried to revive this mascot effort, but it was snubbed by the administration.

http://www.pjstar.com/columns/x210267072/Luciano-Suggestion-for-new-BU-mascot-Go-nuts

Since there remain a large number of older alumni who are fans and who provide the majority of donor support for Bradley, and since these older alumni are often strongly opposed to changes, I would not be surprised if we will see some of the same resistance we have seen in the past. I hope the admins are prepared for this.

Most agents of change are prepared to meet resistance.

[Old Coach]

Bradley has a lot of tradition, a lot of older fans who love that tradition and want to see references to the greats of the past and even have them back on campus if we can get them to come back, and some pretty good successes in the past - even the recent past...
...so just what all is meant by rebranding, I am getting mixed signals...

Some of the very same people/fans who say they are unhappy about how things are going right now - were the same ones who were unhappy 4-5 years ago and wanted all these changes, shuffling, firings, etc.

brand/logo/mark

The BU Braves logo that is seen on many a crusty, old red sweater needs to be retired.

Nickname and mascot options are completely different stories.

[Da Coach]

Are they prepared for the fallout?
It seems they were unprepared for the fallout the last time.

[Beninator]

brand/logo/mark

The BU Braves logo that is seen on many a crusty, old red sweater needs to be retired.

Nickname and mascot options are completely different stories.

I very much agree. All I ask is that we select a logo etc that doesn't suck!

[Old Coach]

Are they prepared for the fallout?
It seems they were unprepared for the fallout the last time.

You guys sure love the word fallout.

I'm not sure what they would do to be prepared for fallout, but I'm fairly certain that it's understood that not everyone will ever get on board 100%.