On December 17, 2019, MLS formally announced Charlotte had been awarded the 30th league franchise. Fast forward seventh months and the Charlotte franchise has an official name: Charlotte Football Club.
In addition to the name, the club’s colors and logo were also unveiled via video on July 22nd. If the first step was obtaining a franchise for fans to support, then step two is to build the Charlotte FC brand that fans can sink their teeth into.
The story behind Charlotte FC’s brand
It all starts with a name. As mentioned, the official name of the team is Charlotte Football Club, or Charlotte FC for short. Additionally, the club will use CLTFC as a secondary name and even created a separate logo for this abbreviated name.
The team will use four primary colors, all of which should come as little surprise given the team is owned by David Tepper who also owns the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Carolina blue will feature prominently, as will black, silver, and white.
The crest is circular to recognize the city’s status in the U.S. as a major hub of financial capital, as well as being the first American city with its own branch of the U.S. Mint. Within the circular crest is a four-point crown harkening back to the city’s nickname of Queen City dating back to 1768. The four spires on the crown represent the four wards of Uptown Charlotte.
Announcement increases social following
As you might expect, with a big announcement comes an increase in attention. As a result, Charlotte FC’s social following across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook saw sizable increases. By our count, from 30 minutes prior to the official announcement on the July 22nd until the evening of July 27th, the club’s followings increased as follows:
- Twitter: 45% increase in followers (nearly 9,000 new)
- Instagram: 92% increase in followers (nearly 20,000 new); also changed handle to @charlottefc
- Facebook: 134% increase in followers (more than 5,000 new)
What’s next for Charlotte FC?
Franchise gained, check. Branding settled, check. So, what’s next? Lots remain for Charlotte prior to their debut in the 2022 MLS season. They need to build a roster, although they recently began this process after announcing their first-ever player. They’ll need to continue building interest locally and increasing season ticket deposits. Through content like That’s the CLTea, Charlotte FC has done a good job of introducing the team and the sport to the Charlotte community.
On the sponsorship front, as announced in 2020, Ally Bank is the jersey partner of Charlotte FC in a deal that, according to reported figures, instantly became one of the more lucrative jersey sponsor deals in the league. The franchise also has, as reported in March, 60 area companies who have already committed to $100,000-a-year suite leases at Bank of America Stadium. Look for Charlotte FC to lock up more sponsors now that the branding has been decided and made public.
Ally is proud to help bring a new soccer team to Charlotte! Kicking off in 2021. https://t.co/gO9b2Kflix pic.twitter.com/BreCGGdhxw
— Ally (@Ally) December 17, 2019
Categories: Major League Soccer