As both a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and an IP attorney, I especially enjoyed the recent reports of a new consumer survey, the 2007 Turnkey Team Brand Index, that compares the relative strengths of various professional sports brands in their home markets.
As reported in USA Today and Sports Business Journal this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers ranked #1 as the sports franchise having the strongest brand in its local market. The Turnkey Sports & Entertainment survey considered many factors to assess brand strength, including economic factors (e.g., game value, team success at driving consideration for sponsors) and intangible factors (e.g., the degree into which the teams are intertwined into the fabric of fans’ daily lives).
The ranking is timely for Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, whose new book about his life with the team published this week.
Of course, as a fan I’m not going to spend too much time sitting back and enjoying this win: it’s only mid-way through the season, and the Steelers face the Cleveland Browns (#46 in the Turnkey Team Brand Index) this Sunday.
IP Spotlight 