Branding Your Gym

My first year to be involved in the All Star world was 1994. This emerging sport was in its infancy and modeled very closely after the world of school cheerleading.  Routines were similar, the rules were the same, and at that point, uniforms were identical to the high school uniform model. In most cases, the letters of the gym/program were simply embroidered on.



But All Star Cheerleading quickly evolved.  And an All Star “team” became a “program,” which then became a “cheerleading gym.”  Gyms were built as a business—albeit a business focused on the well being of children—but a business nonetheless.  With the business came a new focus on marketing, branding, and identity. It can be argued that the programs that emerged as early industry leaders all had a similar characteristic in that their marketing and brand identity components were well thought out and executed.

Uniforms have moved light years beyond that first model from over 15 years ago. Uniforms and logos aren’t just created with the objective of making a squad look clean and sharp out on the floor; they are like billboards that sell an All Star program.  A uniform or logo that is clean and crisp says your business is organized and professional.  A uniform or logo that is flashy and shiny speaks to a program’s emphasis on performance and visual appeal.

Everyone can think of examples in which a local gym has become synonymous with an image or a logo just by association.  When I say the name of a program, what image comes to your mind first? (I’ll put my response in parenthesis.)

World Cup (black and gold)
Cheer Athletics (the claw)
Ace of Alabama (an Indian)
Maryland Twisters (tornado logo)

We’ve come a long way from the days of picking team colors that rhymed well with the other words in your cheers.  Now, selecting the colors, deciding on a mascot or theme, and creating a logo that will stand the test of time are crucial to developing a business.
I want to hear your perspective.

For those of you that used the success of your marketing strategy to build your business, how did your brand identity, logo and uniform come to be?  Did you trip into an opportunity or was there a well thought out plan that made success inevitable? 

And for everyone, what are some of your favorite identities in the All Star cheer and dance world?  Who has done a great job, either with their identity, their logo, or their uniform selection in defining their program and communicating that to the masses?