That's a fair answer.

All I'm saying is, the people that know NIU know NIU because they made the Orange Bowl, because they had a Heisman Trophy candidate, because they've been on ESPN at least a few times a season during this run.

If you don't know NIU after all of that, three letters on a helmet isn't going to help you.

(07-29-2014 07:03 PM)NIU8484 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 04:42 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  The helmet isn't only seen at the game. The front of the helmet actually say as Huskies, NIU has one pair of uniforms that says NIU on the front, ONE.

And your argument shows you don't understand branding. Branding goes beyond just watching the football game. It encompasses everything you push and everything that goes our for public viewing.

You think people watching PTI would have known the helmet was NIU if it didn't have those red letters screaming it and just had the huskie head?

This times x1000....f*ckin gold right here my friend, well done...the branding isn't for us, it's for a national attention grab...the pti point may seem slight but it's a fantastic point and is branding to tens of millions of viewers...simply there is no negative to keeping the helmet as is with alternatives, not to mention the USA helmets need the NIU for a place to hold the flag coloring!


Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

OMG you agree with me, GOLD!!!! We are so right!!!

(07-29-2014 07:03 PM)NIU8484 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 04:42 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  The helmet isn't only seen at the game. The front of the helmet actually say as Huskies, NIU has one pair of uniforms that says NIU on the front, ONE.

And your argument shows you don't understand branding. Branding goes beyond just watching the football game. It encompasses everything you push and everything that goes our for public viewing.

You think people watching PTI would have known the helmet was NIU if it didn't have those red letters screaming it and just had the huskie head?

This times x1000....f*ckin gold right here my friend, well done...the branding isn't for us, it's for a national attention grab...the pti point may seem slight but it's a fantastic point and is branding to tens of millions of viewers...simply there is no negative to keeping the helmet as is with alternatives, not to mention the USA helmets need the NIU for a place to hold the flag coloring!


Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

But yeah by all means feel free to continue to ignore the questions you don't have an answer to.

(07-29-2014 07:03 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  That's a fair answer.

All I'm saying is, the people that know NIU know NIU because they made the Orange Bowl, because they had a Heisman Trophy candidate, because they've been on ESPN at least a few times a season during this run.

If you don't know NIU after all of that, three letters on a helmet isn't going to help you.

Not everyone has seen the Orange Bowl, and it was a 1-time event. Marketing is a continuous process.

(07-29-2014 07:12 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 07:03 PM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  That's a fair answer.

All I'm saying is, the people that know NIU know NIU because they made the Orange Bowl, because they had a Heisman Trophy candidate, because they've been on ESPN at least a few times a season during this run.

If you don't know NIU after all of that, three letters on a helmet isn't going to help you.

Not everyone has seen the Orange Bowl, and it was a 1-time event. Marketing is a continuous process.

You didn't have to watch the game to know that NIU was in the game and it was a major story line.

If you didn't know what the NIU helmet looked like after that season then you don't care about college football and branding doesn't matter to that demographic. If you're not watching the Orange Bowl, you sure aren't watching any other NIU games.

All I'm saying is, the people that know NIU know NIU because they made the Orange Bowl, because they had a Heisman Trophy candidate, because they've been on ESPN at least a few times a season during this run.

I agree with this. These events have had monumental impacts on name recognition.

If you don't know NIU after all of that, three letters on a helmet isn't going to help you.
[/quote]

What the three letters underneath does is reinforces the fact that NIU's stock is rising. Most kids need ESPN to tell them what's good and what isn't. The NIU underneath doesn't make them like NIU better, it guarantees that they get the message that NIU deserves some national attention and is growing in popularity. This could turn into money down the road by increasing enrollment/ better recruiting classes.

Take the following scenario with a grain of salt as I know very little about marketing but I know what impacts high school aged kids.

I taught Caleb Reams a few years back and in the beginning of the year, whenever he noticed I had NIU gear on (for game days, days before games, after big wins, etc) he'd make a joke about how they aren't big time. At that point I think an offer from NIU would have been given very little consideration. Then NIU started making more appearances on ESPN, on billboards, people were wearing more NIU gear, etc and I think it might have changed his opinion a little. I'm not saying the helmet on PTI made him start thinking NIU could be a good place to play (I don't even know if we're high on the kid's list) but the cumulative affect of that, more kids/ teachers wearing NIU gear around the halls, NIU billboards, etc got him and others thinking differently about the University. Maybe we aren't "big time" but being on ESPN tells kids we're closer to big time than we are to mediocrity. Given that most kids aren't detail oriented, I wonder if the helmet, the billboards, shirts, etc would have been mistaken for UConn apparel or for wolves or whatever if they didn't say NIU? I honestly don't know but I say why leave it to chance? Then again what do I know, I graduated in 2000 and did not drink bottled water (NIU in hot water reference).

(07-29-2014 08:12 PM)NIUranger34 Wrote:  

Quote:All I'm saying is, the people that know NIU know NIU because they made the Orange Bowl, because they had a Heisman Trophy candidate, because they've been on ESPN at least a few times a season during this run.

I agree with this. These events have had monumental impacts on name recognition.

If you don't know NIU after all of that, three letters on a helmet isn't going to help you.

What the three letters underneath does is reinforces the fact that NIU's stock is rising. Most kids need ESPN to tell them what's good and what isn't. The NIU underneath doesn't make them like NIU better, it guarantees that they get the message that NIU deserves some national attention and is growing in popularity. This could turn into money down the road by increasing enrollment/ better recruiting classes.

Take the following scenario with a grain of salt as I know very little about marketing but I know what impacts high school aged kids.

I taught Caleb Reams a few years back and in the beginning of the year, whenever he noticed I had NIU gear on (for game days, days before games, after big wins, etc) he'd make a joke about how they aren't big time. At that point I think an offer from NIU would have been given very little consideration. Then NIU started making more appearances on ESPN, on billboards, people were wearing more NIU gear, etc and I think it might have changed his opinion a little. I'm not saying the helmet on PTI made him start thinking NIU could be a good place to play (I don't even know if we're high on the kid's list) but the cumulative affect of that, more kids/ teachers wearing NIU gear around the halls, NIU billboards, etc got him and others thinking differently about the University. Maybe we aren't "big time" but being on ESPN tells kids we're closer to big time than we are to mediocrity. Given that most kids aren't detail oriented, I wonder if the helmet, the billboards, shirts, etc would have been mistaken for UConn apparel or for wolves or whatever if they didn't say NIU? I honestly don't know but I say why leave it to chance? Then again what do I know, I graduated in 2000 and did not drink bottled water (NIU in hot water reference).

I'm going to agree with this. If there's even a SMALL chance that the NIU logo helps increase National exposure, then it's worth it - EVEN IF you think it looks less appealing.

stick with the logo as is....more people like it than not.....have gotten compliments in Nebraska on the logo

(07-29-2014 07:47 AM)7 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 03:09 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I much prefer the NIU not on the helmet.

WHAT? The logo on the helmet now is awesome. It needs to never be changed.

Just....a...preference.

I think letters on a helmet are lame. It's why I think Illinois had the worst helmet for the long time. The "I" helmet is a little better, I guess I'm okay with one letter sometimes, but letters on helmets look crappy to me.

My ultimate preference would be a return to the rabid looking running huskie logo. That thing is awesome.

(07-30-2014 03:47 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 07:47 AM)7 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 03:09 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I much prefer the NIU not on the helmet.

WHAT? The logo on the helmet now is awesome. It needs to never be changed.

Just....a...preference.

I think letters on a helmet are lame. It's why I think Illinois had the worst helmet for the long time. The "I" helmet is a little better, I guess I'm okay with one letter sometimes, but letters on helmets look crappy to me.

My ultimate preference would be a return to the rabid looking running huskie logo. That thing is awesome.

I'd be down with a more modern looking version of this on a helmet (and midfield for that matter).



And yeah, to your point this thing does look pretty BA.

7, those logos are indeed awesome.

This is my last two cents on this topic.
I've been referencing the USC and LSU examples like 100 times but it's getting waved off. So I'm going to reference nike and Adidas. Brand does not always sell an item on first glance. Brand builds a reputation, which in turn sells products and or services.

If we really think NIUs huskie head is strong enough to be on it's own without the NIU it will be like the 3 stripes or the swoosh, two very strong brands. If not, NIU should stay put.

Send a consistent message. Otherwise it's not worth trying to assemble a brand at all. I don't see texas, OU, etc just putting UT or the schooner on ****, because nobody knows wtf those are. People know the longhorn and the OU letters. It seems to work for them.

It hasn't been waved off. It's been addressed several times. If the person doesn't know the NIU logo they're probably not the audience you should be targeting in the first place.

(07-30-2014 11:05 AM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  It hasn't been waved off. It's been addressed several times. If the person doesn't know the NIU logo they're probably not the audience you should be targeting in the first place.

You don't want people who don't know about NIU to know about NIU? That's actually the whole point. For a 15 year old that only knows the big name school sees that NIU logo and goes who the hell is that. Researches NIU finds things he likes, best thing you know you have a bandwagon fan.

Going back to your point, people know OU and Texas because they win football games, not because of letters.

People don't know FIU (who also uses letters) because they don't win football games.

That has nothing to do with letters. If you don't recognize the Huskie by itself chances are you're not even smart enough/don't care to even know what NIU stands for.

As for your 15 year old example. I mean sure that could happen. But if they are seeing a helmet chances are they are watching a game where NIU is plastered all over the broadcast.

(07-30-2014 07:25 AM)7 Wrote:  

(07-30-2014 03:47 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 07:47 AM)7 Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 03:09 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I much prefer the NIU not on the helmet.

WHAT? The logo on the helmet now is awesome. It needs to never be changed.

Just....a...preference.

I think letters on a helmet are lame. It's why I think Illinois had the worst helmet for the long time. The "I" helmet is a little better, I guess I'm okay with one letter sometimes, but letters on helmets look crappy to me.

When I was a kid, I had NO idea who or what NIU was but I had that running huskie logo on my wall.

My ultimate preference would be a return to the rabid looking running huskie logo. That thing is awesome.

I'd be down with a more modern looking version of this on a helmet (and midfield for that matter).



And yeah, to your point this thing does look pretty BA.

As someone that likes to laugh, the anthropomorphic sweater wearing angry logos teams have always been a favorite. Bucky (Wisconsin, yeah, you probably know) always makes me laugh. Puff that chest out badger, you don't need pants!

When I was a kid, I had the running Huskie logo on my wall and I had NO IDEA what an NIU was.

(07-30-2014 11:25 AM)PrideinthePack Wrote:  Going back to your point, people know OU and Texas because they win football games, not because of letters.
People don't know FIU (who also uses letters) because they don't win football games.

What a pointless example! Nothing like apples and oranges when it comes to tradition, athletically or academically.

Texas established in 1883, probably first major campus shooting (1966), presidential library, national titles, bowl appearances, etc.

Oklahoma established in 1890, Barry Switzer, national titles, bowl appearances, etc.

FIU established in 1965
Football program began in 2002 as 1-AA, moved to 1-A in 2005.

Also my reference to OU and Texas was on their branding not of people know they win. They sell stuff with longhorns and the OU logo, they don't do anything without be brand aware.

This was a conversation about the helmet logo, not all merchandise logo in general. You're going off on a tangent.