Coyotes' Rebrand Leading To Increased Engagement, Stresses Commitment To Arizona

The Coyotes have "embarked on an aggressive rebranding effort that celebrates the uniqueness of their team and pays homage to the dedicated fan base they have accumulated," according to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY. The team has "created a video entitled 'A Pack Apart' that trumpets the fact the Coyotes are 'outsiders' and a 'new breed.'" Coyotes CMO John Pierce asked people within the organization and fans what it means to be a Coyote, and "what he discovered is that everyone associated with the team was weary of analyzing, or discussing, the struggle it’s been to keep the team alive in the desert." Rather, they "want the Coyotes to be about the hockey." Pierce: "Don’t water down the hockey culture for the people in Arizona who haven’t grown up with the game. Leave the uniqueness of hockey alone. When people who didn’t grow up with the game come under the tent, they will get it. (Fans said,) 'Don’t water it down for them, because you will ruin it for us.'" Allen writes the rebranding effort has "had a strong impact in improving the local awareness of the team." The team’s Instagram following has "increased 100% since last October, rising above 100,000 followers recently." Pierce said that social media engagement "is up 72% from the same point last October." Allen notes the "unspoken message is that the Coyotes are staying in Arizona." Although the lease deal in Glendale "expires in two years, the ownership group has made it clear that it plans to keep the team in Arizona even it means moving elsewhere in the state" (USA TODAY, 10/20).