Old Vancouver Grizzlies never die — they just claw their way to Memphis, Tennessee.

The Vancouver Grizzlies played their last Vancouver game on April 18, 2001, later re-emerging in Tennessee. The Memphis Grizzlies unveiled their new logo in public today. Developing and marketing the new Grizzlies logo.*
took three years of focus groups, NBA negotations, player feedback, staff surveys, trademark searches, intellectual property protection applications, and Reebok prototyping.

Focus groups revealed that Memphians wanted their team logo to represent the city, not just the team. The team and the design company cite “authenticity” as key to the process. The new logo uses “Memphis Blues” and Egyptian gold, drawing from the city’s Egyptian namesake city. Grizzly bears are not native to Memphis, though, so the team has focused on symbolism: “strength, power and courage, character, tenacity and fearlessness”. And, although it may seem odd to market grizzly bears in Memphis, there are few raptors in Toronto, and I doubt many people have ever seen a clipper or laker dart across a Los Angeles waterway. (If you have a moment, learn more about the  history and origin of sports team names).

For any organization — whether an NBA franchise, a start-up, an established firm, or a non-profit — choosing a logo can be hard work. That’s why it’s important to choose a marketing professional with a strong background in strategy, market research, positioning, communications, vendor management and logo development. A skilled marketer can help your firm build a brand — and a logo — that resonates with your target market and helps you meet your business goals. From testing the logo on potential customers to working out legalities, a skilled and experienced marketer can help you manage would-be headaches. Established marketers can also point you to graphic designers, printers, and other professionals. As a result, your logo should be ready in short order — much faster than the three years involved in
developing the Memphis Grizzlies logos. Good marketers jump through hoops, but shooting hoops takes a little longer…and the NBA’s approval.

(c) 2004 by Andrea Coutu. Vancouver Marketing Consultant. All rights reserved.

Expired link originally referred to http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/identity_040617.html