Ready To Run: Brand Signing Propelled 76ers To Early Sales Goals

By Erik Swanson, Staff Writer

POSTING UP: The Sixers utilized Brand exclusively in marketing materials for four to six weeks after his signing, partly because other players like guards Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala had not yet re-signed with the club. After Williams and Iguodala signed in August, the team expanded its marketing efforts to include eight Sixers players, Blankenship said. And while the Sixers have featured new acquisitions in marketing materials in the past -- the most recent example being the February ’05 trade for forward Chris Webber -- Blankenship said marketing Webber was “nothing compared to Elton Brand, it was a completely different dynamic.” Even former Sixers stars like guard Allen Iverson did not received the entire spotlight, as the team previously had focused on multiple players. Blankenship: “At the end of the day it is a team.”

READY TO RUN: Spending on the “Run With Us” campaign was not disclosed. Blankenship said defining an exact cost for the campaign would be difficult as the slogan permeates all of the team’s materials, from flyers to posters to video boards. And while Brand -- a 6’9”, 254-pound power forward -- may not seem to fit into the running theme, Blankenship joked, “Tell him that.” Blankenship said Brand “views himself as a very mobile type of player” and “firmly believes that he’s going to come in and basically add to the type of style that we have."

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