It's been several weeks since the Washington Football Team announced it was retiring its former name and logo after more than 80 years. Ever since FedEx became the first known sponsor to formally ask Washington to change its name, fans have taken to social media to voice some of their favorites among potential replacements. I spoke with several marketing experts about a few of the fan-generated names, and will use their responses to make a case for some of the most popular suggestions. This is the case for Red Hogs.
Case for: Washington Warriors
When it comes to the Washington Football Team, developing a new brand has as much to do with separating itself from the previous identity as it does creating a new one.
While the team's previous moniker provided a sense of pride and joy to some people, it was considered derogatory by others. Those offended by the name had expressed resentment for decades before the team finally decided to take action this summer. But the team only did so after its bottomline was at risk of taking a hit by corporate sponsors threatening to end their relationships with the team.
If Washington wants people to take its rebrand seriously and view it as more than a money-saving play, the team will need to completely distance itself from Native American imagery. That being considered, is Warriors a good choice as the replacement name? It depends, says Tim Derdenger, associate professor of marketing and strategy at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.
"It depends on which direction you go with it," Derdenger said. "I've read things that they want to keep the feather and go in that direction as opposed to a military warrior, more of the Indian warrior. And if they do it the latter, they're completely missing the mark on why they're changing their name."
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This conundrum highlights the different things that have to be considered when undergoing a name change. It isn't just the name; it's also the logo, the branding on team gear and uniforms, the stadium atmosphere, the fan experience, and so much more. If the team was able to rebrand itself as the Warriors without singling out a specific race or group of people, the name could work. The Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association have a great brand and don't use human imagery at all, going with the Bay Bridge as their primary logo.
Matt White, president of WHITE64, pointed to Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder's background in advertising and branding as a reason he thinks the team could pull it off.
"I think what you have to do is, do it in a thoughtful, logical manner, where you're hiring a firm, which he has relationships with that can really do a great job," White said.
The option for thoughtful branding exists in a way for "Warriors" that it doesn't for a name like "Braves." Some fans had tossed around the latter as an option because of its history as the Washington franchise's original name for one season in 1932, when the team was still located in Boston. But that's a piece of history most fans likely forgot, if they ever knew it. And a Brave, by definition, is specifically a Native American warrior. The name doesn't allow for a change in branding the same way Warriors does.
"The Cleveland Indians are already being asked to change their name. The Atlanta Braves apparently are even being looked at with that," White said. "And again, there's gotta be a solution that doesn't offend somebody but that can still capture the spirit."
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That's where Warriors could be used, like Braves, to appease the base of fans who never wanted to part with the old moniker. However, Brad Nierenberg, the CEO of RedPeg Marketing, thinks choosing that name is also a choice to please those particular fans over the people who want to see a clean break.
"If you're gonna stay close with the Redskins, I think you're gonna be staying with a fan base that ... you're gonna placate the challenge to changing the name, then the Warriors and Braves are gonna be that next step," Nierenberg said.
"I think there's gonna be people saying they didn't go far enough. That's my gut."
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This is where everything else that accompanies the name change becomes so vital. Because while it's likely true everyone won't be happy with Warriors, it's possible to win over a few more people with the proper branding and imagery.
"The logo is then going to be the key part," Derdenger said. "And what that logo will look like and how it connects back to the military warrior.
"I can't right now see in my head what a Warriors logo looks like. ... But they have to go away from the connection to the Native Americans."
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Making a case for Warriors as Washington Football Team's new name originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
