Club de Foot Montreal
In a move that came from seemingly nowhere, the Montreal Impact renamed the club to Club de Foot Montreal (CF Montreal) and introduced a brand new crest. And in a move that pretty much everyone (minus the board of CF Montreal) predicted, fans aren’t very happy.
There are a few parts to this update that are interesting from my POV with the change in name and the new crest. But I think the most interesting takeaway for any marketing or brand person at a football club is what caused fans to be unhappy.
The Montreal Impact was one of the few unique names left in the MLS. With memes sprouting about the newest [insert city] FC teams, in the MLS world, it was a somewhat universally appreciated name. But this renaming was about something bigger, and the owner, Joey Saputo stated it himself–“But here's the reality. To make an impact, we need to retire the Impact. The Montreal Impact will always be that local club that made global strides, and all that, we can be proud of. In fact, that is what this vision is all about. Building a collective.”
And this is where I completely disagree. To make an impact, you should have put the Impact front and center. It was core to who this team was–a team that built its way up through local divisions to play on the bigger stage. Removing the foundation of this team sets up CF Montreal for branding nightmares down the line. Why do people love Jamie Vardy and Leicester so much? Because they’re so true to their core as a local player/team that built up through the ranks and didn’t change a thing about themselves. Their brand as the team who is true to themselves is invaluable in a world of football that’s being taken over by corporations and billionaires. That stigma was one of the Montreal Impact’s truly distinctive assets.
The new crest, with its over-explained snowflake forms, M’s, and arrows, is fine. It’s a step in the right direction for a club that wants to play on a global scale. It’s more flexible but could use a bit of contrast in my personal opinion. It’s ruined and overshadowed by the naming strategy.
But why was all of this such a big deal? Because it was a surprise–an unpleasant one. Many diehard fans were upset, and the supporters’ group came out upset that they weren’t consulted. This was a corporate decision. And in modern football, that has yet to be a truly successful strategy. When fans are this upset, it’s best to look at Leeds United as a great case study. They introduced a new crest, fans were livid, they took it back and implemented processes to reach a decision everyone is happy with–a fan-approved crest.
So CF Montreal–you’ve changed your name and crest, fans aren’t exactly happy, how will you respond? If I were consulting you, I’d recommend taking a step back and acknowledging the amount of love for the Impact–people don’t get this upset over things that don’t matter to them. Next, if you truly can’t move forward with your name as the Impact, find a mutually beneficial solution for you and your fans. After all, they’re one of the few distinctive assets you have left. And next time around, make sure your fans are consulted and know that change is happening. If you take these steps to bring your fans along with you, I’d confidently predict that you’d have a bit more success.
