Cleveland and Washington Are the Future of Sports Branding

The Cleveland Indians became the second professional sports franchise this year to announce their intent to adopt a more inclusive brand identity, following Washington’s NFL team making the same call in July. In a letter to fans on Dec. 14, owner Paul Dolan said Cleveland will find a new name to “better unify our community” following a review that began in June. But, unlike the Washington Football Team, Cleveland will retain the Indians name until it determines its new identity. And given spring training is just two months away, fans will likely have to wait until 2022 to cheer for their new team. It's been a major year for the changing of controversial mascots. But unlike the half dozen CPG brands that have made similar moves in 2020, the challenge for Cleveland’s MLB team lies in forging a new identity that appeals to a broad base of fans who genuinely love the team—and, in some cases, consider it part of their own identity. A year of change Like other sports franchises with names based on Native American stereotypes, Cleveland previously attempted an update without a complete overhaul by dropping its Chief Wahoo mascot following the 2018 season. This makes the choice to temporarily retain the Indians name easier to understand, said Joe Favorito, a lecturer in sports management at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. “Keep in mind there was no pressure to change now like Washington, so they will not need the transition step [using a temporary name] taken in D.C.,” Favorito added. “They can go from one brand to the next one.” Indeed, the summer of 2020 was a time of reflection for many brands following protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As a result, consumer support for Black Lives Matter was up markedly, prompting PepsiCo to acknowledge its Aunt Jemima brand was “based on a racial stereotype” and inspiring brands like Uncle Ben’s and Cream of Wheat—which are similarly rooted in nostalgia for slavery—to conduct internal reviews. Eventually, the once-defiant Washington Redskins bowed to the groundswell, too, in part because Nike stopped selling team merchandise online and FedEx, the title sponsor of its stadium, asked for a change. Gartner analyst Chris Ross agreed the decision to temporarily remain the Cleveland Indians name is logical given how challenging it is to rebrand. Estimates vary, but experts say the franchise rebrands will take about a year or two, and complexity will vary depending on whether the teams pick an existing name or opt for something new, which will require an entirely new brand identity. “It would still be a huge effort to rebrand to an interim non-brand while waiting for the longer-term solution,” Ross added. A mascot-less sub-brand But that’s precisely what the Washington Football Team has pulled off this season, ringing in 2020 without a mascot and playing 13 games. The interim brand gave Washington additional time to carefully consider its next move, making it unlikely that they'll get a new name until after the Super Bowl, according to Favorito. “You never hear the Redskins name mentioned anywhere anymore,” he said. "[The Washington Football Team] has really taken hold, which has been a real surprise to people." In fact, Favorito said Washington has created a mascot-less sub-brand that could be on par with some of the biggest soccer (or football) teams in the world. “Manchester United, or Arsenal or Real Madrid, are known by the club—they're not known by their mascot,” he said. That means regardless of wins and losses, one of Washington’s 2020 triumphs will be proving—at least in the short term—that U.S. teams can grow a brand and connect to fans without a mascot. An inevitable shift For its part, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commended the news out of Cleveland. In a statement, NCAI president Fawn Sharp said, “Today’s announcement represents a monumental step forward in Indian Country’s decades-long effort to educate America about what respect for tribal nations, cultures and communities entails and how sports mascots like the Indians prevent our fellow Americans from understanding and valuing who Native people are today, what makes us unique and the many contributions we make to this country.” Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of the nonprofit IllumiNative that promotes authentic representation in pop culture, expressed similar support in her own statement, but noted that Cleveland is just the next step in a larger journey—and she called on remaining teams to end systemic racism against Native peoples. Meanwhile, the MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs have thus far removed offensive components of the team experience without announcing full-scale rebrands. Insiders, however, say the news out of Cleveland makes it harder to retain this stance. Ross pointed to what he called “a continuum of offensiveness” with the name “Redskins” at one extreme and noted the remaining teams—along with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks—are likely once again pondering where they land, as well as whether “they can make minor changes and make their brands a little more acceptable.” “Every time one falls, the club shrinks—and you don’t want to be part of a club that’s only you,” Favorito said of an eventual shift among all teams. But the moment also presents an opportunity to refresh team identity while leveraging some of the equity of the old brands, much like rice brand Ben’s Original—formerly Uncle Ben’s—has done in retaining its font and color scheme. Ross, however, conceded there’s a challenge for these teams in striking the right balance of appealing to fans whose sentiment on the issue varies widely—but he also said the effort is worth it. “I think a smart brand doesn't want to be seen as somebody who's dragged kicking and screaming into enlightenment,” Ross said. “You want to be a brand that says, ‘Okay, this doesn't make sense anymore,’ and use [the moment] in a positive way.”