Charlotte, N.C. – June 20, 2011 – The Name the Team Campaign powered by OrthoCarolina, which ran from April 1 – June 10, engulfed the fans and community in the creative process from start to finish. After determining geographic agenda, identifying brand attributes, exploring and voting on name/design concepts, the fans have spoken!
Vote 4: Final Vote (June 1-10) came down to Legion, Monarchs and Hounds. In a close race, Hounds beat out Legion by 21 votes.
During an early discussion on the team’s facebook page, the Plott Hound was suggested as a possible name because it is the state dog of NC. It was among 251 other unique name suggestions offered by fans during the campaign. “I really encouraged the fans and community to look at the big picture…brand, identity, gameday experience. It’s definitely unique. I think its popularity derives from a combination of the Plott Hound’s uniqueness to the Carolinas and it’s distinguishing characteristics – both of which are are perfect fit for the sport here in Charlotte,” said Wade Leaphart, Director of Sales & Marketing. By definition, the Plott Hound breed is active and they are vicious fighters on game. They are quick to learn, athletic, muscular and agile in appearance. Their appearance suggests the capacity for speed, stamina and endurance.
The blue used in the logo is representative of the City of Charlotte’s flag and can be tied to the City’s Scottish heritage, which was a topic of discussion during the campaign. The tan and grey personify the Plott Hound.
Charlotte Lacrosse, LLC is one of a handful of professional sports teams to allow the fans name the team but may be the first ever to have the fans run the entire creative process. “We went into the process really wanting to engage with the community here in Charlotte and, as a bonus, we ended up with what I now think is a great name and logo for our team moving forward. We certainly didn’t end up anywhere close to where I envisioned back before we opened up to the fans – and I think that is a good thing. Actually, the logo/name I liked best got voted second-to-last place in the first round of voting and that smarted a little bit. But that was the whole point – that fans should be involved in naming the team and hopefully feel a vested interest in the team moving forward,” said Team President, Jim McPhilliamy.
“Our management style in running this team is one of fan engagement – it has to be. The Name the Team Campaign powered by OrthoCarolina was just the first step in starting to engage with our fan base. We are already spending our weekends out at area tournaments, visiting lacrosse camps and otherwise trying to put ourselves where we can interact with our fans and potential fans,” added McPhilliamy. “Our players and management are going to be in the community helping to grow the sport of lacrosse and trying to make Charlotte a better place to live.”
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About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Major League Lacrosse commenced play in June of 2001 and is comprised of six teams located in Boston, Chesapeake, Denver, Hamilton, Long Island and Rochester. Expansion markets for 2012 include Charlotte, NC and Columbus, OH.
Major League Lacrosse’s 2011 Sports Authority All Star Game will take place on July 9 at Harvard Stadium in Boston. The 2011 Sports Authority MLL Championship Weekend, Presented by Warrior, is scheduled for August 27 & 28 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD.
For more information, please visit the Official League website at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com
About OrthoCarolina
As one of the nation’s leading orthopedic practices with offices across the region, OrthoCarolina is your destination for comprehensive orthopedic care. Leveraging our physicians’ expertise in the areas of foot and ankle, hand, hip and knee, shoulder and elbow, spine, sports medicine and pediatrics; and providing services that include physical therapy, MRI and post-surgical support; we can offer you a continuum of care unmatched in the region. OrthoCarolina. You. Improved.
For more information, please visit http://www.orthocarolina.com/
About Casscles Design, Inc.
Casscles Design, Inc. is a New York based design studio that strives to achieve visual excellence from every angle within the creative spectrum.
The studio was founded in 2000 by Brian Casscles following successful tenures at such prestigious New York design firms as Landor Associates and SME Branding. The studio specializes in the fields of sports and entertainment branding, corporate identity and package design with a goal of solving each new design challenge in the most strategic way, creating successful brand identities that are both dynamic and memorable. Clients include the NBA, Major League Soccer, Bobcats Sports & Entertainment, along with design consultation for many of the most prominent design firms throughout NYC.
For more information, please visit http://www.cassclesdesigns.com/
About Sports Media Challenge | Buzz Manager, Inc.
Since 1988, Sports Media Challenge has provided solutions for leading university athletic departments, professional leagues, teams and world-class sports personalities to protect and enhance their brands through strategic communications, consulting and training. Through its Buzz Manager, Inc. arm, the company has become the industry leader in social media and reputation management, providing intelligent social media strategy and execution services, as well as social media monitoring services through a proprietary BuzzMgr™ listening tool. Some of the prominent clients include, Penn State University, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas, THE PGA TOUR, The NFL, MLB and NBA, ESPN, the Big Ten Network, teams as well as Peyton & Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Shaquille O’Neal, Jeff Gordon & Kasey Kahne.
For more information, please visit http://www.sportsmediachallenge.com/
About WeVote | Indaba
WeVote is part of the Indaba Application Network, where the mission is to “build better tools for better democracies.” Indaba is a Zulu word that means “collaborative forum.” Indaba’s founder, Craig Simon, Ph.D., designed WeVote as a community consensus building tool that combines an interactive ranked choice ballot with a rich visualization of results. Dr. Simon, a database programmer with an academic background in Political Science, anticipates that 2010s will see huge growth in Interactive Crowdsourcing technologies, serving markets as diverse as online Town Halls, reality show voting, corporate governance and web-based education.
For more information, please visit http://www.rkey.com/
