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Brand analysis of the newest AFL team
Aug
After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and youngest team, the Tasmania Devils, have finally launched their Devonport sweater, logo and colors this week.
The Devils will wear green, yellow and red kits, and their guernsey will feature a map of Tasmania with a central red “T”. The club’s logo features the profile of a Tasmanian devil, which chairman Grant O’Brien said represented the state’s “proud, tough, determined” characters.
Were there any surprises in the branding? None. Perfectly in line with the brand and what is already largely seen in Tasmania’s junior state teams.
The difference was that this was the official start of the AFL. There was no turning back. And some pretty large hurdles had been overcome, like reaching an agreement with global entertainment giant Warner Bros. over the apply of the name, colours and logo.
But why was this day so critical?
Read more: The case for a Tasmanian AFL team from an economist’s perspective
Building a (sports) brand
Sports have always been the original crowdfunding model. Without fans, there’s no team, really. So it was great to see the Devils being saintly in their marketing to their base – namely $10 for foundation membership.
Within two hours of the launch, the Devils had sold more than 40,000 foundation memberships at $10 each. By comparison, the AFL’s most recent expansion clubs, the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, had a combined 23,359 and 33,036 members respectively at the end of 2023.
Selling low-cost season tickets a few years before the team’s first match was a astute move as it allowed them to earn a lot of cash until match day and sponsorship revenues came in.
They then gain access to an extensive database, which is extremely critical for dividing members into different segments and tailoring offers to each of them.
And then of course there is the issue of commitment, which is particularly critical for the Devils as both the stadium and the team are several years away from the AFL competition – the club is set to compete in the national competition in 2028.
They need to keep these foundation members, these key supporters, committed to maintaining a high level of word-of-mouth marketing. And these members aren’t just in Tasmania – they can be found everywhere. The team only plays half of its home games, so that’s We will need fans at out-of-state gamesThe AFL needs it too.
It helps that these supporters can call themselves members of the foundation forever. Forceful word of mouth and nice branding. And over 50,000 in a few tiny hours say the market agrees.
The Devils, however, need to focus on maintaining these initial members during the long journey before the first match at Macquarie Point.
Why is branding so critical for sports teams?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are reference points in world sport, showing why details matter in sports marketing. Think “CR7” and you only think of one person. And what child would say “no” to Messi’s number 10 shirt?
They both bring tens of millions of dollars a year for its franchise from merchandise and ticket sales.
The biggest sports brands in the world, such as Barcelona FC, manage every detail of your brand image down to the actual color shade in all products of a given brand.
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, Archive
The same goes for the Devils, not least because of Warner Bros., but also to avoid Port Adelaide vs Collingwood jersey issue.
The Devils offering needed to be unique and stand out from other brands in the AFL, but also apply colours in the logo and character that would deepen the resonance between the team, fans and community.
This coloring green myrtle, yellow primrose and red rose do exactly that. This blend and the varieties are their own. They are representative of the colours of Tasmania and have been used extensively by many other sports teams from that state. Consistency is so critical in sports marketing and it was great to see that.
These colours will facilitate to evoke deeper emotional responses to your brand and keep fans engaged at the highest level, which will facilitate attract sponsors.
When it comes to brand logo, there was no other choice than the Tasmanian Devil and it’s a great choice. Almost every other AFL team builds their brand around their character and it’s something the Devils have to do sooner or later.
The initial crowd response was almost overwhelmingly positive, allowing the Devils to build a devoted fan base that would fill the 23,000 seats at each home game.
Read more: Creating jobs isn’t always a good thing. Hobart’s recent stadium could only worsen Tasmania’s housing crisis
Challenges and next steps for “Brand Tasmania”
There will be challenges that are beyond the brand’s control, such as: Growing Concussion Concerns and the growth of competition such as basketball, esports and football. These could have an impact on the brand, but will generally be handled by the AFL itself.
Locally, the brand needs to focus on delivering as many experiences as possible at touchpoints, such as meet and greets or shopping days. Tangibility adds value to sports brands in a way that most other brands envy.
This will facilitate to keep the brand community dynamic and lively, which will facilitate to deflect any political attacks on the stadium, and will also attract other fans, sponsors and the community to the team as we get closer to the start date.
Having got rid of the Devil, the challenge for the club will now be to ensure they don’t stray too far from their home turf and lose sight of just how strenuous and long they will have to wait before they catch their true quarry: that one September day at the MCG.
