Utah team nickname/colors/logo, mascot (and related marketing)

[ponder719]

Utah Yeti is hard to say. The words are too much alike.

I really hope they don't go for this one, because my brain once briefly identified that it sounds kind of like UTI, and now that's all I hear when I say it.

That said:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796650881682743310

I have no idea where he said this, but I'm sure a more attributable tweet will show up eventually.

 

[JMCx4]

I really hope they don't go for this one, because my brain once briefly identified that it sounds kind of like UTI, and now that's all I hear when I say it. ...

If you're hearing a UTI, you need to seek emergency medical assistance pronto.

 

[red devil]

I really hope they don't go for this one, because my brain once briefly identified that it sounds kind of like UTI, and now that's all I hear when I say it.

That said:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796650881682743310

I have no idea where he said this, but I'm sure a more attributable tweet will show up eventually.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795909344300519625

 

[rt]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796689751631609870

 

[HisIceness]

Bring back the howling Coyote

 

[JMCx4]

Remember the immortal words of Joe Paterno ... "It's the name on the front of the jersey that matters most, not the one on the back."

 

[Brodie]

This is such a Mickey Mouse way of doing this lol

 

[TheLegend]

Bring back the howling Coyote

Alex Meruelo still owns the rights to all the Coyotes TMs and logos.

 

[Puckrobber]

It's only for the upcoming season. I respect the fact that Smith wants to take a year to get it right. People are gonna nag and hate anyway, so, get it the way you want.

 

[SirJW]

Maybe just maybe they are taking a cue from the PWHL that it didn't really matter none of the teams had a nickname. The league was still a success.

 

[Brodie]

I just don't think it really takes 12 months to come up with a name and logo. All just extra billable hours for marketing folks to come up with copy about how bevels represent dockworkers or whatever

 

[ponder719]

I know they're probably not doing this, but I think it'd be cool if they got dispensation from the league to adopt the team name mid-season, say after the All-Star break, just hit the ice with the new uniforms and branding out of the blue.

 

[sneakytitz]

I know they're probably not doing this, but I think it'd be cool if they got dispensation from the league to adopt the team name mid-season, say after the All-Star break, just hit the ice with the new uniforms and branding out of the blue.

Like in the Mighty Ducks 2.

 

[ponder719]

Like in the Mighty Ducks 2.

Exactly. Also like when the Penguins dropped blue from their color scheme in the middle of the 79-80 season.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I know they're probably not doing this, but I think it'd be cool if they got dispensation from the league to adopt the team name mid-season, say after the All-Star break, just hit the ice with the new uniforms and branding out of the blue.

It would be very cool - but modern merchandising rules are why it'll never happen.

 

[JMCx4]

Maybe just maybe they are taking a cue from the PWHL that it didn't really matter none of the teams had a nickname. The league was still a success.

Launching a small minor pro hockey league is a different challenge than marketing a single team in a long-standing top-flight league. The former needs to focus on a sports product as a whole, which is why the PWHL faced only temporary distractions by their team naming strategy. The "NHL Utah" team is standing alone in the spotlight of North American social media, while a very large number of established NHL BoG members are adding more pressure to key marketing & scheduling decisions that affect them all.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797698022178197903

 

[Brodie]

 

[oknazevad]

Exactly. Also like when the Penguins dropped blue from their color scheme in the middle of the 79-80 season.

Nothing will top the independent minor league baseball team that permanently changed their entire name, logo, uniform, etc. between games of a doubleheader.

 

[Yukon Joe]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797698022178197903

So are they just trying this as a trial balloon - if fans go with it keeping the Utah HC branding permanently, but if not rebranding after the first year?

Because I have to say - I don't hate that look.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Yeah, that just seems like a placeholder.

Other than shoehorning his own company into the naming mix, I really don't get how this process takes any longer than a few weeks even if they admit that the jerseys will be a short-term rather than long-term thing.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Yeah, that just seems like a placeholder.

Other than shoehorning his own company into the naming mix, I really don't get how this process takes any longer than a few weeks even if they admit that the jerseys will be a short-term rather than long-term thing.

I get it. If you're picking a new jersey/name/logo for your brand new franchise it's something that's going to stick with you for decades to come. For example, see how the Coyotes, and to a lesser extent the Canucks, came back to their original jerseys decades later even after changing them.

So perhaps it's like finding your partner - you want to date for awhile to see if it really sticks before you commit to marrying them.

TO extent the metaphor though - even though you think it's just "casual" with your boyfriend/girlfriend, things have a way of becoming serious before you even realize it.

If "Utah HC" is their branding for their first season, I give it 50/50 that becomes the final branding even if that's not what the owner expects right now.

 

[Brodie]

People seem to really like the name Colorado Avalanche and the logo they came up with in like two months in the 90s. I don’t really think it takes 15 months to come up with something that can stand the test of time

 

[Puckrobber]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797698022178197903

Not too bad. I like the version with the state behind it, top right.

 

[sneakytitz]

I dig the colors. Makes me wonder if the Jazz are going back to the powder blue jerseys too?