‘Keep cheering on City or the Bears and keep the real brand identity of your club alive’

Here’s a thought for any Bristol City fans out there who are upset about their new brand identity.

Don’t be, and don’t worry. For if your club has a strong identity based on a proud tradition (and I know it does) – that will shine through any fancy new graphics or artworks.

How can I be sure? Well look what’s happened to us this season.

By us I mean Bristol Rugby. After more 100 years as plain old Bristol (apart from a disastrous period when we were named the Shoguns after a 4×4 car, don’t get me started on that…) we’ve became Bristol Bears.

New name. New logo. New brand. It was a bold move, and it annoyed some people and delighted others.

Whatever your view, after a tactless and insensitive launch, it has been executed with conviction and coherence across every ‘brand touchpoint’ (sorry for the jargon; full disclosure: I do work in the marketing industry).

So what’s happened this season with that Bears brand?

Well to my mind it’s been fascinating to watch Bristol completely dominate the Bears in terms of the brand identity. Bristol has bossed that breakdown.

Here are a few examples of what I mean:

• The team play the Bristol way. The way of the Blake era and the famous teams of the early 80s and 90’s. It’s fast, exciting, heart in the mouth stuff. It’s what we grew up on watching at the Mem and it’s so good to see it back.
• The crowd chants “Bristol! Bristol!” – and how spine tingling it is to hear both live at the Gate and via the TV. I haven’t heard a Bear roar yet. Maybe it’ll come. Maybe the Bears are still hiding down in the woods today. But I’m willing to bet that the shouts of “C’mon Bris!” and the guttural, rolling ‘r’ Bristol roar is here to stay.
• As is playing Drink up thy Cider at the end – which, fair play, is a really great move by the club. One which acknowledges our geographic and historic traditions. I mean, they could have played The Bare Necessities after all.
• On the subject of singing, the team sing Blackbird. These guys from all over the world, who have come to Bristol to make a living and play for our club, sing that staple of sticky floored cider houses and pubs across the city and region. They sing it with gusto and pride and you get the sense that they’re a bunch of mates who ‘get’ the club, and us, and the city. Because we’re not fancy dans, nor ever have been. We leave that to Bath or Quins. We’ve always been a citywide club that brings together people from all sorts of backgrounds, from across the myriad of combination, schools, colleges and university clubs. Dockers up front, doctors in the backs. Whoever or whatever you are – as long as you’re Bris, you’re alright my luvver.

https://twitter.com/BristolBears/status/1104431392694460417

For me, the Bears rebrand is fine. It’s great for kids, and it helps market the club effectively. But the really important part of the brand is the Bristol part. And that’s what has come through this season. After so many missteps and mistakes in the professional era, it feels like we’ve genuinely got our club back.

So City fans, don’t worry about your rebrand. Especially as it’s based around your traditional nickname. Don’t forget, you could have been named after a Japanese all terrain vehicle like we were.

Accept that in the modern commercial world, professional sports clubs have to do this sort of exercise – and be thankful that in Bristol Sport we have an organisation that do it well.

If you keep turning up, keep chanting and shouting on your team; keep talking to your friends and family about famous afternoons and nights of old.

Keep passing on the stories and the memories of your club and just like us die-hard Bristol fans you’ll be keeping the real brand identity of your club alive.

Peter Blackman played youth team rugby at the then confusingly branded Bristol Football Club (RFU) before heading off to work in advertising and marketing. He would like everyone to know that he has played three games of rugby this season and scored four tries.

Various versions of Bristol City’s new club crest have appeared across Bristol since it was unveiled

Read more: Bristol City unveil new club crest