Empty seats. Sub-par performance. Fiscal losses. These are all characteristics of oh so many franchises in professional sports, struggling to find a competitive advantage in leagues gravitating toward monopolistic tendencies. The former Florida Marlins suffered from all of these problems as of late. Even though they have had relative success in the last decade and a half including two World Series Championships, their recent mediocrity delved the franchise into a rut that has recently been blown up by a re-brand to end all re-brands. This current shot of energy for the new “Miami Marlins” has revived a city of baseball fans into a frenzy of great proportion. Every business needs a market, and this re-brand is very market oriented. “Los Marlins” are using what they have around them to attempt to propel the franchise into a competitive successful team.
There is no denying the cultural make up of Miami, Florida. The
list could go on and on with the melting pot of people that gravitate toward
the town. It is a city that is predominately
abundant with Cuban, Latin, Hispanic and Dominican flavors. This cultural
tendency is what the Marlins franchise is attempting to market, and in a very noticeable
way. From the logo to the location of the stadium this is a complete re-brand
with the cultural of the city leading the charge.
The logo of a team is the most outward representation of
the brand. For instance, everyone knows the the Yankees’, Cowboys’ and Lakers’
logos look like. They are iconic, never changing and marks that will always be
synonymous with their overall team brand. The Marlins are taking a step in the
right direction by creating a logo and uniform set that embodies the city of
Miami. The bright colors and overall look bring to mind the bright lights of
South Beach and the colorful Latin heritage that is so prominent in the city. The
logo has a “Miami Vice” feel and the uniforms mirror that as well. The
lettering is modern with a small deco feel, again playing to the heritage of
the city.
The outward markings are not the only cultural flavor being
injected into the team. The recent personnel moves have made a splash not only
in baseball but also in the ethnic community. With the hiring of Ozzie Guillen
as the manager of the club once it moved to Miami was a huge step in telling
the population of Miami their dedication to honor the culture of their
namesake. Guillen, born in Venezuela, has been one of baseball’s outspoken and
successful managers. For the Marlins to get him to start their new era off
right was a huge step not only baseball wise but community wise as well.
Later in the offseseason, the Marlins made a big splash at the
annual winter meetings. After unsuccessfully trying to attain the most coveted
free agent in recent memory (who happened to be Dominican) they set their
sights successfully on Dominican shortstop Jose Reyes. This acquisition further
enhances the Marlins goals of creating a ethnically diverse team to identify
themselves. To acquire a player and an icon like Reyes truly was just another
notch in the re-branding belt.
So, what does all this mean for a franchise struggling to
find its place? First of all there will be tremendous interest in the team.
Their new ballpark, conveniently located in the Little Havana neighborhood of
Miami, will be packed. A cheap ticket coupled with a ethnic location and ethnic
interest in the team can only mean a new base of passionate Cuban, Dominican,
and Latin fans that will embrace the new culture of the team. To see a re-brand
like this take place, with such a clear goal is quite interesting. The new
Miami Marlins set out to create a new identity for themselves and they succeeded
greatly. Incorporating the city or Miami and its culture into the city’s
baseball club is no easy task, but the Marlins did it, and did it very well.
