Yes! Hurricanes
In a previous posting it was suggested that Hurricanes might not be a great name for the Carolina hockey team in the wake of recent events. Several people commented loudly and clearly that the name should stay.
To get a more professional perspective on this matter HockeyDirt.com contacted Athol Foden, the President of Brighter Naming, a Silicon Valley-based naming agency that also provides branding, marketing and positioning services. Athol's views on this issue follow:
Carolina Hurricanes is a great name for a hockey team. How on earth could you change and improve on it? Caroline Sunshines is not going to cut the mustard (or the puck).
- Should the San Jose Earthquakes change their name because we had an earthquake in the region?
- Or the Detroit Lions because someone was attacked by a mountain lion?
- Or the Texas Tornado because Texas got hit by yet another tornado?
- Or the San Jose Sharks because yet another surfer was eaten by a Shark while you are about it?
Only writers, analysts and academics (and maybe bloggers) analyze these names too closely .. but with a view from afar. Names like Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Sharks ironically only work in regions where there are hurricanes, earthquakes and sharks.
People in hurricane or tornado country treat it with a "cool - macho - exciting" feeling. You might think earthquakes are scary.....but so is Halloween and people embrace it to laugh at their fears. So locals here sitting on the San Andreas fault love that the seating sections in San Jose are called Shake, Rattle and Roll... and that the team mascot is named Richter!
How much more exciting than their old name that Nike came up with - Clash! What is that? What personality? And a singular noun too.. not a group.. of team members of fans.
You might think I am biased, because I personally convinced the old GM of the team to change the name to Earthquakes... because I had heard from all the fellow soccer fans in the stands how they loved the old San Francisco team with that name. And because I saw the success of the San Jose Sharks down the street. And the passion of their fans ... even to point of getting team to have more aggressively hungry shark logo! But check the soccer records. Earthquakes are leading league again. Earthquakes won league number of times since name change... and before they couldn't even make the playoffs. Names do affect people a lot...we are humans after all.
In summary.. names that can evoke strong passions and feelings are great names. The Carolina Hurricanes should start a big hurricane relief fund and turn it into a positive.. being a strong wind of support for Louisiana.
On this last point, the Hurricanes have already delivered. The club has turned over $63,291.41 to the American Red Cross, the entire proceeds of ticket sales from a preseason game vs the Caps.
Case closed - Go Hurricanes!
I grew up w/ Erik Cole and Jesse Boulerice, just wondering how to get in touch w/ them? The northern N.Y. boys git'R'done, thanks Chris Coffie
Posted by: Christopher Coffie | October 20, 2005 at 03:46 PM