By Ojeikere Aikhoje
ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com
Nigeria Premier League Logo
Kenyan Premier League Logo
The Nigeria Premier League may have recorded some achievements, but there is more work to be done. Despite the abundant talents in the league, the NPL has continued to suffer from poor branding.
It needs a surgical operation to boost its image in the brand world at a time its PR rating has reached an all-time low.
ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com believes the rebranding process must begin with the NPL’s logo.
As it is now, the Logo of the NPL doesn’t convey any message to potential consumers (sports fans/sponsors). I don’t know the history of the logo, but it has lost its relevance.
Critics argue that the English Premier League has taken its toll on the local league, however the trend can be reversed if the NPL initiates a rebranding process that will gradually have an effect on the larger society and participating clubs.
There is no way the clubs can get it right, when the NPL is still in the dark.
If in 2012, the NPL still displays an unexciting logo, then what will the clubs do.
A brilliant Logo is a must to build brand image because it conveys the qualities and thoughts of the business to consumers. A brand must have a logo to make branding easier and more possible.
According to Dennis Hahn, executive vice president of Portland, Ore.-based ID Branding; "The logo of a brand can be thought of as its "flag": distinctive, memorable, and signaling value and allegiance in the brand it represents."
Since you don’t have a second chance to make a first impression, then your logo must send a message at the first instance.
NPL Logo:
When telecom outfit, Globacom, sponsored the Nigeria Premier League, there was no place for the NPL logo because of its poor rating.
It’s obvious that the NPL didn’t learn enough in their bid to follow the example of the English Premier League.
Brand managers of the EPL ensured it has a creative logo and the title sponsor, BARCLAYS Bank, simply found a way to incorporate their logo.
This wasn't the situation with the NPL which had a different logo. However, the vibrant Globacom Premier League logo gained more prominence.
Everyone knows Nigeria’s colours are green and white so we don’t need the logo to be packed with both colours to remind us. Besides, the long flag with its confusing position has no place in the logo.
At any rate, the flag doesn't even look like that of Nigeria.
The ball in the logo is supposed to represent the ‘image’ of the beautiful game, but the NPL’s bold initials were used to cover its symbolic status.
A good logo for a sports brand must:
• Have the ability to create excitement
• Be energetic
• Stimulate movement
• Be touchable
• Remain relevant to the industry in question
The present logo of the NPL has failed to fulfill any of the above.
English Premier League Logo
Design Elements of the English Premier League Logo
The English Premier League is a model that every aspiring league has deliberately copied due to its massive success. There is no crime in following a good model after all.
South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Kenya Premier League (KPL) created their logo with the aim of establishing a strong presence in the minds of consumers (football enthusiats).
Both leagues followed the English model just like the NPL.
Premier Soccer League Logo
Kenya Premier League Logo
Information gathered from www.famouslogo.us, reveal that the English Premier League logo had a retouching in 2007 with changes brought to its resolution and color shades.
The lion is the core element of the logo with its confident and elegant look.
Shape of the Premier League Logo:
The Premier League logo is a depiction of a ferocious lion that signifies the authority that dominates the game. It is a display of the challenges the league presents to the competing 20 teams. It also depicts the willingness of the competing team members to take on the challenge that they may face during the course of the league.
Color of the Premier League Logo:
The English Premier League uses vivid red and blue colors that portray the vibrancy and lively nature of the football league’s fast paced games.
Font of the Premier League Logo:
The switch to uppercase instead of the lowercase of the English Premier League font is a reflection of its growing importance in the world of football.
Bundesliga Logo
2010/2011 Bundesliga Logo:
In a strategic attempt to develop its brand presence, the Bundesliga laucnhed a brand new logo in August 2010.
The comprehensive relaunch not only included a modernisation of the logo, but also a new design for all media-related departments and other DFL platforms, such as the trailer prior to Bundesliga programmes, TV graphic sets for broadcasters and a number of collective logos for the DFL's partners.
"The modernised logo is an integral component of the further development of the Bundesliga brand. The Bundesliga will be fresher and more up-to-date in the future," said DFL Chief Marketing Officer Tom Bender. "The new corporate design meets the demands of our media partners both here and abroad. We have stayed true to the basic design of the 2003 logo, that gained swift acceptance."
Role of Agency:
Hamburg -based design agency, Mutabor, was responsible for the Bundesliga's new brand presence.
Market research has confirmed the wide reach of the Bundesliga brand, with over 92 per cent of football fans familiar with the Bundesliga logo. In Germany, the figure is closer to 100 per cent.
Till date, the NPL lacks a PR agency and that explains why it remains a house with many troubles.
About ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com
ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com has since established itself as the premier network and resource for brands in the business of sports in Nigeria.
Published by Ojeikere Aikhoje, a Lagos based Sports Brands Consultant, who is Founder of Sports Brands Nigeria Awards (SBNA), ojeksaikhoje.blogspot.com connects Advertising, Marketing, Media &PR.
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