DEREK BEAUMONT has revealed that even he is surprised by the speed of Leigh Leopards’ success.
After earning promotion from the Championship ahead of the 2023 Super League season, the Leopards lifted the Challenge Cup that year before making the semi-final play-offs in 2024.
The Leopards brand itself was the brainchild of Beaumont that was years in the making, but it only came to fruition in October 2022.
Since then, it has taken off even beyond Beaumont’s wildest dreams.
“To be honest, it has taken me by surprise the speed of our success,” Beaumont told League Express.
“Winning takes care of everything though. That saying comes from Tiger Woods when he was up to no good and he said it would take care of anything if he won and it is true.
“I’m well aware that if we got promoted and it didn’t go that well and we hung around at the bottom of the table and struggled that it wouldn’t have been a success that it is.
“It’s definitely down to the rugby but that that then lays the platform for implementing other ideas and growing.”
So where did Beaumont get the inspiration for the Leopards brand from?
“It definitely wouldn’t have gone awry if we didn’t have that success. It wasn’t something that I flipped up there – it was something I had worked with for a period of time since I did the Super League bid in 2020.
“That’s what made me ask the question: what is this brand? If I’m building a business, there’s got to be fluidity and consistency in your brand image.
“The ‘Centurion’ was derived from the 100-year celebration in 1995 when Super League came in but it got spelled differently, the logo looked clunky and not modern.
“We had red and white stripes which is the same as Wigan. We had the pig as a mascot, how does any of that go together?”
It was the infiltration of IMG, though, that created the biggest anxiety in Beaumont’s mind.
“The real nervousness was IMG coming in, and, looking at the best 12 or 14 clubs and then putting a marker in the sand – which is what they should have done but that’s a different story.
“We thought they would disregard us if we didn’t change. I thought we needed an identity that is vibrant and new that could be marketed and more akin to what you see in America.
“We have got a stadium that is the right size whereas the most successful club (Wigan) in the game average half of their capacity having won everything.
“If we were quick with it then we could rival them and make IMG think twice. The sport should be moving towards Leopards vs Dragons etc.
“In America you support a brand, you support the player you like on TikTok, that’s what gets you engaged and what’s what grows it.
“The Leopards was always going to stick, I had made my mind up and I have a single, driven, can-do attitude once I’m convinced.
“I did the Summer Bash kit against Featherstone at Leeds with the leopards’ eyes. It was a good sensibility check so I’d already heard opinion on it.
“The original launch kit was what we had last year but I wanted something in your face to get the most noise.”
Beaumont feels that everything he is doing is geared to improving the Leopards brand on a commercial scale.
“It has surprised me, the brand enables us to do anything. If you’re a red and white hoop, how many times can you reinvent it?
“I’m always of the belief of making your away kit better than your home kit because commercially you put your home kit out before Christmas.
“Social media makes me laugh when they say ‘Leigh haven’t even got an away kit out yet’ but we already have, it’s been done.
“Why would I give you a choice before Christmas of one or the other for your family? It’s business. You will buy the home kit because you can get it for Christmas.
“Once you’ve got it you are happy with it, but then you see the new one after Christmas and you buy that one too. All these things helps the club.
“Try and get the Magic Weekend shirt right as well as the training kit. The Leopards is massive for merchandise opportunities.”
