Hornets Leaders Say Rebrand Made Sense For Team's Business Metrics

What top Hornets officials "had to consider before they could resurrect the teal and purple was if the numbers would match the nostalgia," according to Jonathan McFadden of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Hornets Exec VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Pete Guelli said, "We wanted to make sure that we were making data-driven decisions." McFadden noted the team's research included "gauging whether fans would buy the merchandise, respond well to a redesigned basketball court and still watch games on TV." Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield said that a study by an independent market research firm showed that more than 80% of Bobcats fans "wanted to see" the Hornets name return to Charlotte. Whitfield, Guelli and GM Rich Cho talked about the team's rebranding on Wednesday, and Guelli said, "Every metric we measure our business by -- ticket sales, sponsorships, web traffic, social media -- has been positively affected by the rebranding." McFadden noted those metrics includes 3,500 "new season tickets sold this year and five game merchandising records broken within the first month of the redesign's announcement." Whitfield said that the team "still owns the retro Hornets brand ... marketing it under their 'legacy line' and selling it alongside the new merchandise" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/11).