From the Independent's Simon Calder: "Travel group Thomas Cook today unveiled a new âsunny heartâ logo and the simple message âLetâs Goâ in a major rebranding, but some observers warned that it looked âblandâ and could lead to confusion. Chief executive Harriet Green has ditched one of advertisingâs most acclaimed slogans, âDonât just book it, Thomas Cook itâ, along with the groupâs longstanding globe logo. The sunshine heart and âLetâs Goâ message will be used across all the groupâs subsidiary companies, such as Condor, Neckermann and Elegant Resorts, although they will keep their own branding. It is the first time in Thomas Cookâs 172-year history that all its companies will have a unifying identity. The group largely carried out the rebranding in-house, as part of Greenâs efforts to turn around the company. It said research showed the new message and logo had âreal resonanceâ across different countries and languages. Jim Prior, chief executive of WPP branding agency The Partners, said: âThey have married a very warm, emotional concept, with the heart and the sunshine, with a very bland piece of typography. Rationally, I understand what theyâre doing. Emotionally, Iâm not sure it achieves the objective.â Thomas Cook could risk confusion as there is a student travel guide called Letâs Go, and Ryanairâs in-house magazine is called Letâs Go."
OLM you asked for people's views. Mine as follows. I think you perhaps need to be prepared to go along with some sort of compromise. But the line in the sand is that we need to still be called Hull City in this country for ever more, with our nickname as The Tigers. The definite article before the nickname is important. The 'City' part of our name is vital. If the owner wants to market the club abroad as 'The Tigers' (not Hull Tigers), and to generally make more of The Tigers name, I wouldn't have a problem with that as long as we're not officially called The Tigers. And I think we should completely oppose Hull Tigers, Hull City Tigers, or any variant. Hull City (The Tigers) would be fine for me but it's clumsy. I would prefer our official club name registered with the footballing authorities remains Hull City Association Football Club, but I don't care that much about the afc part. I don't care what the trading company is called. If Dr Allam wanted two versions of the badge, one with The Tigers on top and Hull City at the bottom and the other with Hull City at the top and The Tigers at the bottom and AFC nowhere to be seen then that might be a slight compromise to offer? You could also suggest that he might want to clarify that in calling City 'common', he was meaning that there are lots of them, rather than it's somehow inferior. I think it's also worth raising the no letters to colour in argument, and the importance of not destroying that quiz question ;o) (although as I think others have pointed out it's rather ruined by the AFC).
It's still bollocks, Mel. The Thomas Cook rebranding is a joke and proves nothing; in fact it should herald a cautionary approach. The ManU shares issue is about reducing debt, but are they changing their name off the back of it? I am as interested as you (well almost ) in fan shares, but they have nothing to do with this name change. This is all about power and AA creating a position of business intimidation against a customer base that he believes can be held to ransom over their historic allegiance to the football club identity. He is using this as a lever in a bigger scheme, which is property ownership and development; the same ambitions as the previous owners. There is only one way to deal with this guy and that is to tell him to poke his ideas where the sun don't shine! I have seen the representatives advised not to play the heartstrings angle, but go stick to business arguments. That, in my opinion, is the worst advice given so far. He is a businessman, he will argue his case and say 'wait and see, trust me'; what response can they give to that? An argument based on the break down of trust, respect and loyalty of his customer base, brought about by his dishonest manipulations must be the key driver in bringing peripheral business points into play. I have given OLM my unreserved support because he is a City Supporter first and a businessman second - that comes across to me in his posts and I hope I am right - if I am right then he will, hopefully, realise the priority of his argument strategy.
Fez the only bollocks is that you believe that this is about the imposition of power on a customer base. Show me where Assem Allam has said that this is about anything other than investment. He still needs to fund the club by 11m this season. He has to sell a stake in the club to do so. Shirt and ticket sales will not do enough.
After the way AA has handled a number of high profile issues, I would like to know how anyone can believe a word he says. By the way, you've got it wrong; the imposition of power on the customer base is only an element of his overall strategy, which has the objective of gaining ownership of the KC and its peripheral business opportunities - everything else is is obscuring this.
Fez, if there is a way of stying Hull City AFC without proving him wrong I'd take it. He has put £66 milion into the club and if there's a way of letting him change his mind gracefully we should let him take it.
I agree. Assam Snr needs a face-saving get out clause. Winning the City of Culture nomination might just provide that.
That's total mince that lad. Intimidation? Get a grip, he's trying to make his 'brand' more appealing in other markets - whether this proposed name change will actually deliver that, is the a matter of opinion - but to make out the stated aim is some form of calculated 'grinding down' of the fanbase, is paranoid drivel imo.
one point worth making maybe with regard to re-branding etc is how this process has changed with technology (internet, social networking etc) It is no longer possible to create a 'cool' or 'dynamic' or 'passionate' (& so on) brand & sell it to the masses because these constructed identities will simply not survive the intense & instantaneous scrutiny of the internet etc - they are too fragile & phoney. It's makes me cringe when cities (like Hull did) put together 'teams' to promote the 'dynamism' blah blah of their region / city, what works is the creativity & dynamism of the people in these places, just create the conditions - cheap accessible places where the population can go & be creative etc let em get on with it! Don't need the marketing crap - it's old hat. Look at Dortmand & even that Portland stuff on here & other Dutch stuff a while back - it made me want to be part of it cos it came from a real sense of belonging & energy from the supporters themselves. Even this anti-name change campaign has evoked some of the same creativity & unifying (& attractive) qualities amongst our supporters, this is what Assem should be harnessing & encouraging. Hull has loads of fantastic qualities amongst it's people (something he says himself) allow those qualities to develop & get known & Hull will become a 'brand' worth being associated with, same applies to the club. Ya can't make a thing cool / dynamic etc it has to be
I agree, but what have you seen from him that gives you any indication that he either needs or wants a graceful way of changing his mind? I have made it clear from the beginning that I believe the campaign to be worthwhile, yet futile. I think this meeting will define distance between hope and reality, so will prove useful to the supporters; AA will simply weigh you up and tick one of his consultation boxes. I hope I am wrong.
Some very good posts in the last page or so. My view: Company name: Don't give a ****. Teams often have company names that don't match their team name. Official team name: Hull City AFC Marketing as: The Tigers, if it's really necessary.
No problem with you having that opinion, although it appears that the campaign might be branded paranoid, also. I have not seen one single professional opinion that supports what you claim he is doing, but don't let that stop you believing the lie. He's flicking a finger at HCC and us because they derailed his fast-track plan for empire building.
