
The Indiana Fever’s new President of Basketball and Business Operations, Kelly Krauskopf, has announced a plan to use Caitlin Clark as a starting point to rebrand the team in the same mold as Apple.
The Fever aims to encapsulate similar values of excellence, innovation, and fan engagement.
This rebranding strategy involves not just a change in aesthetics but also in how the team operates, engages with fans, and positions itself in the market.
The vision is to make the Fever synonymous with top-tier women’s basketball, mirroring Apple’s status in technology, where brand loyalty and high-quality experience are paramount.
“We have a foundational player in Caitlin Clark, and we’re going to continue to add to that. But I want this team to be a leader in the country and an enduring brand like Apple,” Krauskopf said. “We have a real opportunity here.”
She’s certainly not wrong, if you look at the impact Clark has had on the WNBA.
Indiana Fever Looking To Rebrand With Caitlin Clark
While some in the media suggest the rebrand is linked to recent accusations that the Indiana Fever fanbase has been unkind to other WNBA athletes, Krauskopf states that the move is designed to drag the franchise out of the doldrums of their losing ways.
Losing fortunes that turned around the moment Clark showed up.
“This is the moment where it takes a generation some time to get to that level,” Krauskopf said at her introductory press conference.
“I would tell our players, ‘Look, we’re building this for someone else. We’re building this for someone’s 10-year-old daughter now,’ because that’s what you do. We wanted to keep moving it forward, pushing it forward and paying it forward,” she added.
“I know what kind of support we have and we have it and that’s where I feel empowered and very confident in the direction that we’re going because we have that level of support.”
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Paying It Forward
Krauskopf went on to explain that paying it forward and rebranding all start with the interest generated by Caitlin Clark. Especially young Indiana Fever fans.
She also believes Clark gives them a recruiting advantage. Much like superstars in the NBA attract top-level talent because they want to team up with the best.
“If you’re a smart basketball player and you watch the way [Caitlin Clark] plays, you would want to play with her,” Krauskopf said.
That’s in direct contrast to WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, who claimed players would want to flee Indiana because they don’t want to play with the pressure of expectations.
“So, as a player, do you want to continue to stay in a situation where you keep yourself vulnerable to all of the hate that you know is going to come to you if you’re not playing the way everyone thinks you should be playing?” Swoopes said.
Yeah, if it means winning a title. I’m sure most players in the league have thick enough skin to handle criticism and use it as fuel to make their game better.
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