Miami's New Do

The Miami Marlins may still have the foundation of the Florida Marlins, but with a quick glance you’d think otherwise. A new manager, a new stadium, a new name, a new shortstop (and therefore a new third baseman), and a new logo. Major League Baseball is a creature of habit and tradition. Teams rarely make major changes because of the repercussions to their brand and reputation if not done properly. The Marlins decided to be extremely bold this off-season and revamp their image. They took on the risk that their fans wouldn’t appreciate the changes and lose faith in the team.

After 28 months of back-and-forth decisions between MLB licensors, Marlins front office personnel, and expert branding partners finally agreed upon the “warm red”, “sunshine yellow”, “nightclub black”, and “energy silver” sunset “M”. Within an hour after the launch of the new logo, there were already critics and fans speaking negatively about that change. If so many people are speaking out about their disapproval of the new logo, then why is it number #2 on the charts for best sales of MLB teams licensed products behind only the Yankees?

On the contrary, the on-the-field issues for the Marlins may still exist. Their Opening Day loss to the Cardinals ended with the home fans chanting “Let’s Go Heat” as their NBA counterparts took on Oklahoma City simultaneously down the road.

With the influx of a new brand, stadium, location, and team personnel, can the Miami Marlins fulfill the ultimate goal of “butts-in-seats”? How do you see the Marlins sales doing this season? Please share your comments.

-Written by Hayley Zedeck

@hzedeck