Author Description

This paper examines the strategies and actions Canadian professional hockey teams implement in order to build and exploit their brand. Data were collected during one-on-one interviews with vice presidents and marketing directors of four teams: the Montréal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks. Our results, based on content analysis, show that Canadian teams (with the exception of the Toronto Maple Leafs), while aware of the importance of branding, do not have a formal brand strategy. Consequently, their marketing actions do not contribute in building, leveraging, and ensuring coherence of their team's brand. Admittedly, the economic model of the National Hockey League (NHL) needs to be adjusted, as 75% of the teams' revenues is spent on players' salaries. Furthermore, the NHL does not help its teams by centralizing teams' branding.