IMG looking to ditch Super League branding

[StandOffHalf]

Another option could be B LEAGUE.

B for British

[The 4 of Us]

The Big Bash League!

[idrewthehaggis]

40 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Another option could be B LEAGUE.

B for British

Its been some time since Toulouse and Perpignan were part of the Realm loosely now named Britain. Possibly some 800 years for the former, not sure about the latter.

Although I do like the word play. Definitely something to B League in.

[Veridical]

I’m in the camp that doesn’t believe the name is very important and I’m yet to hear an argument that convinces me otherwise.

But, for better or worse, IMG have the keys to the kingdom and if the name of the competition is something they want to look at or change then I don’t think it can really hurt either.

If nothing else, and assuming they do it, it would at least underscore — and hopefully connect with and amplify — whatever other changes they want to introduce to the brand and demarcate a new era. It would also receive some press attention and help IMG to feel that they have an appropriate level of ownership over the thing.

As far as suggestions for new names go, I wouldn’t want to try to add to the healthy list of options provided above. But the name that gets chosen might reflect who IMG sees as the audience they want to target. Existing fans of other sports? If so, which ones? Lapsed league fans who might return? Men? Women? Young? Old? Your answer to those questions will of course determine how you choose to brand SL.

 

 

 

[my missus]

On 15/12/2022 at 21:24, HawkMan said:

What is needed imo is a branding not used by any other sports league in the UK. The obvious word to use is MAJOR, common in the US but not here. 

Major League Rugby is a good one, aka MLR

But could that be confusing? People might expect Union, well so what, If Union have appropriated the name Rugby,  let's grab it back!

i like this but i would add 13 to this MLR13 sounds and looks good.

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by my missus

[frank]

The  name Rugby League must never be changed. 

[JohnM]

4 hours ago, frank said:

The  name Rugby League must never be changed. 

 I don't think IMG has the power to do that without the RFL / clubs agreement.

The sport will always be rugby league, whether NRL, or XRL..

....but not just X

In any case, I expect the challenge is just to rename SuperLeague.

[Yakstorm]

8 hours ago, Veridical said:

I’m in the camp that doesn’t believe the name is very important and I’m yet to hear an argument that convinces me otherwise.

I get that for rusted on fans the name is far less important as they are already heavily engaged in the sport and know where to find news or how to watch games and so on, but for more casual fans, it can play a significant role.

Whilst no one is suddenly going to start following Rugby League if IMG decides to call the top competition 'Super Mega Ultra League' or whatever they go with, if we can at least have a brand we can own, people can more easily find us, whether it be on the Internet or even looking up where to watch the sport or when it gets mentioned in the media, the name stands out more. 

Currently if you search for Super League, you get a lot of content for sports that aren't Rugby League... makes it hard for them to suddenly follow the sport if they see something that sparks their interest.

There is also the impact it has on sponsors, positioning, perception and so on. Whilst I know a number of people on this forum don't consider those items hugely important, they can massively move the needle when it comes to attracting sponsors or getting broadcast revenue. 

[RP London]

8 hours ago, Veridical said:

I’m in the camp that doesn’t believe the name is very important and I’m yet to hear an argument that convinces me otherwise.

But, for better or worse, IMG have the keys to the kingdom and if the name of the competition is something they want to look at or change then I don’t think it can really hurt either.

If nothing else, and assuming they do it, it would at least underscore — and hopefully connect with and amplify — whatever other changes they want to introduce to the brand and demarcate a new era. It would also receive some press attention and help IMG to feel that they have an appropriate level of ownership over the thing.

As far as suggestions for new names go, I wouldn’t want to try to add to the healthy list of options provided above. But the name that gets chosen might reflect who IMG sees as the audience they want to target. Existing fans of other sports? If so, which ones? Lapsed league fans who might return? Men? Women? Young? Old? Your answer to those questions will of course determine how you choose to brand SL.

 

 

 

I'd agree with a lot of this. I would guess, but only a guess, that much of the consultation will be around "do you know what this is?" to the wider public and about grabbing the attention. Rather than a wholesale name change I can see it being much more about the demarcation of a new era and trying to get it out to people almost as something "new", a relaunch etc, to re ignite the imagination and interest. 

A lot of companies do it from time to time at some level or another, be it a whole facia change, name change or just moving in a different creative way in terms of look and feel for advertising. It tends to just kick people out of the rut of the same old same old. 

New "look and feel" is more likely what they will look at including how heavily the word "rugby" should be utilised, or the word League for that matter. Whatever they do the relaunch is the big thing, it can spark interest and get news outlets interested. The RU Premiership are doing it as they know they need to do something to spark some interest in it, the football premier league have done it in the past granted its often around the change in naming rights which is a great excuse, but only if you sign long contracts for that type of thing etc

In isolation it looks like "fluff" but done along with other changes this sort of thing can be the icing on the cake that really helps make it stand out.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, JohnM said:

 I don't think IMG has the power to do that without the RFL / clubs agreement.

Has IMG got the power to do anything without the RFL / clubs agreement?.

[steve oates]

58 minutes ago, Yakstorm said:

Whilst no one is suddenly going to start following Rugby League if IMG decides to call the top competition 'Super Mega Ultra League' or whatever they go with,

if we can at least have a brand we can own, people can more easily find us, whether it be on the Internet or even looking up where to watch the sport or when it gets mentioned in the media, the name stands out more. 

Exactly, we all need to think about how did we become active paying fans of Superleague. Even today I am sure it doesn't happen because someone sees something on the Internet. Besides that how can they follow up any interest if they are 200 miles away from the M62.  If they are close to the M62 they will of course know what RL is and where they can find it......

 The branding thing is nonsense

[JohnM]

Has IMG got the power to do anything without the RFL / clubs agreement?.

I don't know. I can see trouble and delays and failure ahead if IMG have to put every little detail to the clubs.

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by JohnM

[steve oates]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

Rather than a wholesale name change I can see it being much more about the demarcation of a new era and trying to get it out to people almost as something "new", a relaunch etc, to re ignite the imagination and interest. 

Whatever they do the relaunch is the big thing, it can spark interest and get news outlets interested. 

In isolation it looks like "fluff" but done along with other changes this sort of thing can be the icing on the cake that really helps make it stand out.

You are really losing it here, All along the M62 everyone knows about the game and many follow it on TV across the country and at grounds if they live in the north. The game is on TV on SKY and on the BBC and has been for years.

Some tin pot ad people we don't trust as we ain't paying without results "relaunches" the game (please do explain that one) and you start falling for it. Good job you don't have the purse strings of Superleague, you'd bankrupt it.

OK so you would pay out tens of thousands to IMG Ad men to do what exactly? Over to you??

What would you re-name the game and where would you spend the money looking for new fans, and why would they bother??

[dealwithit]

R League?

[whatmichaelsays]

27 minutes ago, steve oates said:

Besides that how can they follow up any interest if they are 200 miles away from the M62.  If they are close to the M62 they will of course know what RL is and where they can find it......

This is the very problem that, amongst other things, brand helps to solve. 

It's currently very difficult to "buy" RL if you're not in the heartlands. The sport is poor on many areas that would allow us to break through our geographical barriers, including digital, content, merchandising and branding.

Move away from the goal of RL being about selling tickets and matchday attendances, and towards the idea that the goal is to build an audience. That's what IMG bring to the party and that's where all of those things above become so important. Because if we can build an audience that appreciates RL irrespective of where they actually live, that makes it easier to sell our media rights, our sponsorships and the product when we take it away from the heartlands. 

So things like "people seeing it on the internet" become important, because if we can package our content in a way that people enjoy it, can find it and - importantly - recognise it as ours, that's how we address the core problem of "how do people 200 miles away stay connected with RL". 

That's where branding is important because if you see something online that impresses you, say a brilliant corner-flag finish from Tommy Makinson, recognise it very clearly as being from "Super League", that builds salience that makes it more likely that people will see the next piece of content we produce, and the next.  Before you know it, you have an engaged audience that you can package up and sell. 

That's where the branding isn't nonsense because, taking that content as an example, the branding, the logos, the typography, the soundtrack, the presentation and everything else, helps us own that narrative and allows us to move to a situation where people think that RL is where you see that sort of skill. It's the same reason why when you see two golden arches, you think "burgers" and when you see a swooshed tick, you think "trainers". What we want is for someone to see what makes RL great, and think that's from "Rugby Super League". 

[whatmichaelsays]

13 minutes ago, steve oates said:

All along the M62 everyone knows about the game and many follow it on TV across the country and at grounds if they live in the north.

No they don't. Rugby League has extremely poor market penetration even in its heartland areas - particularly with younger and more diverse audiences. 

[The Future is League]

2 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

No they don't. Rugby League has extremely poor market penetration even in its heartland areas - particularly with younger and more diverse audiences. 

Not all clubs even do match day awareness in their own area. They just expect people to turn up on match days

[RP London]

13 minutes ago, steve oates said:

You are really losing it here, All along the M62 everyone knows about the game and many follow it on TV across the country and at grounds if they live in the north. The game is on TV on SKY and on the BBC and has been for years.

Some tin pot ad people we don't trust as we ain't paying without results "relaunches" the game (please do explain that one) and you start falling for it. Good job you don't have the purse strings of Superleague, you'd bankrupt it.

OK so you would pay out tens of thousands to IMG Ad men to do what exactly? Over to you??

What would you re-name the game and where would you spend the money looking for new fans, and why would they bother??

oh do shut up.. every time someone (usually me... if you want to ask me out on a date just DM me, its much easier) has something positive to say about IMG you come back with utter tosh like the above. We get it, you dont like or trust IMG. yet they have a good track record.. but your view is not changing, there are many people like you, they used to be called ludites maybe it should Oatesies now.. 

The questions you pose cannot be answered by me, they cannot be answered by IMG right now either because they are doing research so they can, and so they can get it right.. its really not hard to understand.. They havent said they will rename it either (but lets not let facts get in the way of a good moan) they are just looking into it, which is what I would expect someone like them to do.

anyway i wont get back into the way you "discuss" with people as you end up picking things up out of context and arguing something no one has said with "facts" based on the actual fact you just dont like IMG and dont trust them to do what they are known for, get paid for (by many organisations) and can earn money from us by getting right. 

 

 

 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

14 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Its been some time since Toulouse and Perpignan were part of the Realm loosely now named Britain. Possibly some 800 years for the former, not sure about the latter.

Although I do like the word play. Definitely something to B League in.

We only recognised the French Republic in 1802. Until then, British government policy was that France was ours and merely being run temporarily by some usurpers

Personally, I think it’s time we tore that Treaty up and popped back over to sort a few things out, but what do I know? 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

15 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

Another option could be B LEAGUE.

B for British

B League sounds like a step down from the A League.

And it's not a British league anyway

1 hour ago, dealwithit said:

R League?

However, this works.

Works worth the current ouRLeague branding too.

Best one so far IMO, until we can get The Rock on board for the XRL or Tony Khan for AER...

[The Future is League]

5 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

B League sounds like a step down from the A League.

And it's not a British league anyway

However, this works.

Works worth the current ouRLeague branding too.

Best one so far IMO, until we can get The Rock on board for the XRL or Tony Khan for AER...

European Rugby League premiership. It ticks all the boxes.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

9 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

European Rugby League premiership. It ticks all the boxes.

Not really.

1. It's too long.

2. It uses the word "Premiership", which could mean any of be the dozens of Premierships (including the other code), so is just as if not more confusing than Super League.

3. "European" is quite controversial in post-Brexit Britain (ridiculous, I know). Might be best to avoid location.

 

You've said "rugby league" though, so you're halfway there

[Wellsy4HullFC]

1 hour ago, dealwithit said:

R League?

Again, I think this works on so many levels.

It's short and simple.

You know it's a league.

You know the R stands for "rugby".

There's no location attached, so can expand to wherever it wants.

It's a simple but obvious difference between the sport and the league.

If it's shortened to The RL, it seems superior to The NRL because ours isn't held by the boundaries of a nation!

 

Throwing this in as the best one. Well done.

[Adelaide Tiger]

2 hours ago, steve oates said:

You are really losing it here, All along the M62 everyone knows about the game and many follow it on TV across the country and at grounds if they live in the north. The game is on TV on SKY and on the BBC and has been for years.

Some tin pot ad people we don't trust as we ain't paying without results "relaunches" the game (please do explain that one) and you start falling for it. Good job you don't have the purse strings of Superleague, you'd bankrupt it.

OK so you would pay out tens of thousands to IMG Ad men to do what exactly? Over to you??

What would you re-name the game and where would you spend the money looking for new fans, and why would they bother??

Come on Steve, don’t be shy.  Tell us your plan to grow the game.

[steve oates]

1 hour ago, whatmichaelsays said:

No they don't. Rugby League has extremely poor market penetration even in its heartland areas - particularly with younger and more diverse audiences. 

Well you added your voice to the usual suspects. The heartlands of Rugby League are not even in the north

They are in Hull, West Yorkshire and West Lancashire. We are up against Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Manchester city, Hull City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. These are bigger richer clubs, some of them World class clubs. And they are the market leaders....They are the people we are up against 

We do a hell of a job to penetrate that market, and get the crowds we get.