Brand Identity in Sport

An organization's brand identity elements serve various purposes. In sport, they provide a means for identity, recognition, and even "community," as they can serve to bind individuals together and differentiate groups from others. In sport, particularly collegiate athletics, the use of such brand identity elements are used to achieve solidarity and community for a wide assortment of stakeholders, such as student-athletes, students, faculty, staff members, administrators, boosters, corporate partners, the surrounding community, and various other stakeholder groups.

Non-academic sport entities also have various stakeholders including fans, local citizens, ownership, management, media, business partners, and others. The benefits of a positive and well-received brand identity are both varied and many. From fans that wear team apparel, furthering perpetuating public awareness of the brand, to vendors who wish to sell apparel, thereby increasing the licensing portfolio of the brand itself, a strategically planned, promoted, and protected brand identity is the core, the centerpiece of an organization's brand and marketing programs. Examinations of various core brand identity elements are addressed throughout this book, including an examination of primary elements, such as names, logos, color palettes, and more.