The Detroit Pistons Didn’t Make the Playoffs But They're Winning Off the Court

A story about the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons aren’t making the playoffs this year. In fact, they’ve only made the playoffs twice in the last 12 years.

However, according to ESPN, the Detroit Pistons sit under the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets in total home attendance for the season—two teams in larger markets and with MVP-level players. How are the Pistons managing to attract crowds as the team continues to find itself on the court?

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It’s about the people

While there are many things that have contributed to this, the best answer is simply culture.

Specifically, Detroit culture, which is rooted and driven by Black Detroit. The Pistons made the move from Auburn Hills (a suburb 30 miles north of the city) to downtown Detroit in 2017 and expected the city to support them, without taking the time to embrace the city, its people and the unique culture that makes Detroit, Detroit.

According to the 2020 U.S. census, Detroit’s population is 77.2% Black, making it one of the most predominantly Black cities in America. This meant the Pistons had to start doing things differently to connect with the fans in their new backyard.

How do you change perception and tell new stories? With marketing, of course.

It all started with a new campaign, “D-Up,” that highlighted people within the city and set a new tone for what the Pistons wanted to champion—the Detroit community and what it represents.

It’s about the fans

But the Pistons didn’t stop with a new campaign—they built off this new narrative and hired Detroit rapper Big Sean as the creative director of innovation. In this role, Big Sean not only acts as a brand ambassador with his more than 14.6 million Instagram followers, but he also works closely with the organization on team apparel and in-game experiences.

This brings us to the start of the 2021-2022 season. During the Pistons’ season home opener, the team reached out to an array of artists, celebrities and influencers with followings big and small—Kash Doll, Sada Baby, Babyface Ray and Detroiter and former NBA player Jalen Rose, plus Pistons legends Isiah Thomas, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace.

They stayed busy during the season with a handful of collaborations. On the merchandise end, the Pistons released a custom capsule with the TV show, Martin, which was set in Detroit and inspired by Pistons announcer John Mason’s radio career. They also highlighted the historical impact and legacies of legendary Detroiters Rosa Parks and Joe Louis.

It’s about swag that speaks

With this new focus on culture and Black Detroit, the Pistons had one of most viral in-game experiences this year with the introduction of the Swag Cam.

The Pistons made the decision to shift their brand and marketing strategy and leaned into the culture of Detroit—and then they went to work.

—Philip Pirkovic, creative strategist consultant

There’s no doubting Detroit’s impact on fashion. In fact, Detroit is one of the most slept-on cities when it comes to fashion, but they got it—and the Pistons wanted to highlight it.

During games, they would bring out the Swag Cam, where fans show off their gear and their jewelry. These video clips ended up across SportsCenter and Bleacher Report.

Not bad exposure for a team that only had one nationally televised game this year. The Pistons doubled down on their efforts and even had their mascot, Hooper, come out with a diamond tester during home games. They even partnered with Hutch’s Jewelry, a staple in the Detroit community, to give away a custom 3-1-3 diamond necklace.

It’s about supporting local

While the in-game experiences, halftime shows and merch collaborations are fun, the most important thing the Pistons have done this year is launch a partnership with Shopify and a year-long campaign called “SHOP313.”

The program highlights local businesses and entrepreneurs in Detroit. And with a focus on the Black- and women-owned businesses, the opportunity provides businesses owners with complimentary access to Shopify and, more importantly, the Pistons fanbase and reach.

During each game of the season, the Pistons highlighted a local business, gave them shout-outs on social media and even provided them with space in the area to sell their products during home games. It’s one thing to have a platform—it’s another thing to lend that platform to others.

This has been their formula all season—connecting to culture and impacting the community. The Pistons made the decision to shift their brand and marketing strategy and leaned into the culture of Detroit—and then they went to work.

It’s about the long game

Brands today realize the importance of culture and community now more than ever. In fact, those are two words we see thrown around all the time.

But most brands get tend to get it wrong. They think culture is something they can latch themselves onto, use and create. But the truth is culture isn’t created by brands—it never will be. It’s created by people and communities.

That’s why contributing, amplifying and uplifting is the key to brands and culture coexisting. Above all, connecting to culture takes a commitment. It isn’t something that you can do once and expect people to embrace you. The Pistons have been working on this for the last few years, and it’s just now starting to pay off.

At the end of the day, you can’t fake the funk, especially when it comes to culture. Brands want to be culturally relevant, but they aren’t taking the time to figure out how to use their platforms to champion the people who represent culture. The Pistons have—and it’s working.

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