Bobcats Revamp Marketing For New Season

There will be a new marketing campaign -- with the slogan, "Elevate" -- new uniforms, a cleanly designed court and even a new secondary logo.

But, in a transaction that might have required the most persistence, the Charlotte Bobcats finally have the simplest of names for one of their most public portals. The team Web site, finally, has the domain name of www.bobcats.com.

The Bobcats, who used www.bobcatsbasketball.com through the first three years of their existence, recently purchased the rights from a domesticated bobcat breeder in rural Montana.

"It's called business," said Barbara Roe, owner of Bitterroot Bobcat and Lynx in Stevensville, a town of 1,500 people located in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. "It's what you do. If you have a business somebody wants, you capitalize on it."

Roe said her business had used Bobcats.com for 10 years. She started receiving e-mails from Bobcats team officials in 2004 -- the team's first season -- about purchasing the name.

"They began at a couple of thousand dollars, but they wouldn't meet my price," said Roe.
In February, the Bobcats finally met that price of "about" $50,000, according to Roe.
"I'm certainly not getting rich from it," Roe said. "But I figured if I could get that amount, I would."

Said Bobcats president Fred Whitfield: "We're glad to have it. We weren't trying to hold her up."
The newly named Web site will include a redesign to be revealed in the next few weeks. The ad campaign (the work of Charlotte agency Boone/Oakley) is part of an overall effort to market the face of the franchise: The team itself and players such as newly acquired Jason Richardson and star forward Gerald Wallace.

Whitfield would not say how much the team is spending on the campaign.

The Bobcats, who have cut ticket prices each of the past two seasons, ranked 27th of 30 NBA teams in attendance last season and still haven't made the playoffs.

"This is about us improving as a franchise -- on and off the floor," said Whitfield, who is in his second year with the team.

Whitfield said the team is concentrating on selling premium seats. He said all but three of Bobcats Arena's 60 luxury suites have been sold and seating on the floor -- going for $1,000 per game -- is sold out.

The playing floor now has a less cluttered, more traditional look. Uniforms will be more classic, with changes in the lettering font. The Bobcats' colors of orange-and-blue will make a gradual switch to blue-and-orange. The team will wear blue uniforms for 25 road games this season, moving to blue for all of its 41 away games for the 2008-09 season.

Whitfield said the Bobcats are also increasing their efforts in the community, including partnerships with Presbyterian Hospital, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

source : charlotte.com