Re: Brand strength : Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:13 am  

Smack him Jimmy wrote:

This a no-brainer question.

Bulls is by far the name associated with the modern game.

I'm well over 40 and still have my lucky Bradford Northern scarf.

The answer is simple;

THE NORTHERN BULLS

Take Bradford out of the title and you immediately attract a wider audience
(Like Radio Leeds did with their unsuccessful and misleading "West Yorkshire Sport")

The Northern Bulls title could attract fans from all over the North (that are not yet into RL).

Northern can also be interpreted as Northern Hemisphere - remember how many Bulls players have pulled on an England/Scotland/Ireland/Wales/GB shirt.

It could also open up a marketing opportunity for a Southern Bulls side if some rich southerner wants to pay us ££££'s to use the name.

You heard it here first - Our new brand name is The Northern Bulls

The problem with this though is that I think that it is important that club names highlight the place that they represent more than anything else.

For example, in football up here, when the two bigger Inverness sides (inverness Caledonian and Inverness Thistle) amalgamated there was a dispute over what they were going to be called. The fans of both teams wanted their suffix first in the new name as if to show "prominence" as the city's biggest club. They became Caledonian Thistle FC in the first instance. However, Inverness Council felt that their city was losing exposure without the Inverness name in the title and agreed to financially support the club on the understanding that the city name was re-introduced.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle may well seem like a mouthful but that is the reason for it.

Similarly, over the last twenty years, Orient have re-introduced the "Leyton" prefix and Morton have reverted to the "Greenock" prefix.

St Johnstone FC are from Perth and I know that they have looked at ways at incorporating this in their name. How many people know that Port Vale play in Stoke etc etc.

The bread and butter for any team IMO is to appeal to the local support who have an identity and an affinity with the team. A successful team (not neccessarily a winning team but a top-flight team) can promote the city and attract people to the city too.

Northern Bulls I DO like, but it would have to be Bradford Northern Bulls for me. Trying to attract support from other areas is all fine in theory, but the locals are the ones who are there week-in week-out helping the club out most financially and this should be reflected in the name of the club.

[Bulliac]

Re: Brand strength : Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:20 am  

Not too sure about 'Northern Bulls', to be honest, but otherwise, pretty much agree with that. 'Bradford Northern Bulls' is far too much of a mouthful for me - a bit like 'Wakefield Trinity Wildcats' - basically one name too many in the title, which should be as short, snappy and memorable as possible.

There would be a problem with 'Leo's' though. As everyone knows, Leo is a lion, and lions and bulls are a poor mix, they just don't get on!

Re: Brand strength : Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:46 pm  

TBH, the last 5 years have severely damaged the Bulls brand both within the sport and the wider community.

We need a stabilizing period with an owner who can not only ensure the club survives but thrives. There are fans out there who've been jaded by the whole "going out of business saga" that we've been on for the last few years and they need to be assured that these end of season antics are going to be a thing of the past. Lessons need to be learned from our footballing neighbours who, despite being in the third tier of their sport are pulling in home crowds that are outshining some Serie A teams and have one of the biggest home supports outside of the Premier League.

There are things that could be done to make this club great again, and despite his naysayers, Marc Green did help put some of the roots down to make this club great again. It just seems that his reach was not as long as his grasp and we have again fallen and to be honest, I'm not sure that we're getting back up this time.

[Bulliac]

Re: Brand strength : Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:09 pm  

Agree the 'brand' has been devalued by events, but people have short memories and a couple of successful seasons and all the negativity will have been forgotten. So too, of course, would be the name Bulls, if it were changed. Much would depend on both the level of any success and the marketing accompanying that climb from the abyss. Oh, and much would depend on there actually being a rise from the abyss..

Bradford Northern anyone? : Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:06 pm  

It seems highly likely that we are to be reformed with new owners fairly soon, in my opinion in quite a shambolic fashion.

However looking at the success of Wakeys "retro" rebrand, I personally would like to see the boars head back on Bradford shirts.

It may also help draw a line under the past 5 years, while giving a tip of the hat to our heritage.

Before anyone says it Northern Bulls sounds garbage!

who agrees?

[Bullseye]

Re: Brand strength : Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:10 pm  

Whatever antagonises Wakey, Fax and Udders fans the most.

Re: Brand strength : Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:19 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Whatever antagonises Wakey, Fax and Udders fans the most.

Wakehuddersfax Red Amber and Black Sox?

Re: Brand strength : Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:37 pm  

Bradford Trinity. We have had 3 admins after all.

Re: Brand strength : Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:54 pm  

We're all over the news anyway. National as well as local. Brand strength indeed

Re: Brand strength : Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:59 am  

In terms of 'rebranding', why not go for real tradition? If the reformed club wants to demonstrate that it is returning to basics it could do worse than adopt a name associated with the original heritage of Bradford rugby = Bradford FC. At the same time it could revive the classic white strip of Bradford FC with red, amber and black band as later worn by Bradford Northern.