Kevin Sheehan got a Tweet from a listener on Tuesday about how Sheehan has lost enthusiasm about the Commanders but is fired up about a name change discussion, and it said, ‘it seems like you still have some feelings for your ex.’
Well, that sent Sheehan into a rant about his level of enthusiasm on Wednesday:
“I don’t view her as my ex, she’s still my current; I don’t have another, but I’m not an NFL bachelor. They’re still my team, I’m just more apathetic in recent years than I would have ever guessed. But Dan is right – I find the lecturing, specifically on social media, from the people who say a rebrand being anywhere near a priority for you means you’re not a real fan…that’s just dumb. This is a 100 percent subjective thing, and anyone who thinks that, to me, is very limited from an emotional quotient. This is emotion when it comes to a brand.”
Sheehan has gone into the idea that some activist groups have had about a name change being a financial boost because you’ll need all new gear, etc. – but “when you have a loyal following for a brand, there is great risk when you change the brand, because of consumer loyalty detachment.”
“It’s like when Coke changed the product in 1985 – it was a disaster,” Sheehan said. “I’m not comparing this to Coke necessarily, but people get attached to everything associated with the brand. Branding is very strong and emotional, and there was a visceral response to losing that Redskins name that you can’t lecture about if you’re not a fan of the team. To me, that’s obnoxious to lecture people about where a rebrand stands on their list, because you can’t tell someone to change the way they feel.”
Take a listen to Sheehan’s entire rant above!
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