Sustainable Movements in Action: The Hartford Whalers Booster Club
March 27th, 2008
On Tuesday, Geno gave us his thoughts about what sustainable word of mouth looks like. And, as he mentioned, around here it is our goal to help create movements so powerful that if Brains on Fire – or our client’s budget – were to get hit by a bus (God forbid) that the movement would continue on.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Hartford Whalers Booster Club. If you don’t know the back-story, the Hartford Whalers were a pro hockey team founded in the 70’s (originally they were the New England Whalers and based in Boston). And they actually attracted an extremely passionate fan base. But then in 1997, the franchise was moved to Raleigh, NC and became the Carolina Hurricanes.
That’s right, they left Connecticut. But the Hartford Whalers Booster Club lives on. And strongly, I might add. They hold regular meetings, have frequent newsletters and get this: show up at Carolina Hurricane games in their Whalers garb and cheer on the team. Talk about sustainability.
I know what you’re thinking, “Sure, Spike. Its easy for people to get passionate about hockey.” And I say to you that you’d be surprised what people can get passionate about. Books. City parks. Health. Scissors and paper.
But it’s not only the “what” that people can get passionate about. If you build a movement in such a way that it allows people to own it and use their own talents and gifts to express their passions, then it’s hard to go wrong.
So long live the Hartford Whalers.
Update: Check out the documentary “Bleeding Green,” which “is the story of Hartford’s major league hockey fans…Find out why the Hartford Whalers, even though they don’t exist, still have a lot going for them!”
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BIG Kahuna says:
Once again you say movement and I say fanatic. There was a reason they left Hartford…no one was supporting them. No one went to games, even playoff games were half full. I know because they use to play the Bruins all the time. It was really sad.
If it was such a great “movement” they’d still be in Hartford. Just like the Quebec Nordiques who are now In Colorado.
I think it’s neat that they have their booster club but sustainable movement…I think not. Just a bunch of fanatics holding onto a past long gone by.
Now Jericho fans I can get behind. I hate CBS!
March 27th, 2008 at 9:08 amSpike says:
Scott, you’re missing the point, which is that when people get passionate they will carry the banner of those passions long after that company/product/service no longer exists.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:24 amChristy says:
What’s the difference between Jericho fans that will exist two years from now twittering about how much they miss it, getting together for Jericho trivia parties, using Jericho avatars everywhere… generally keeping Jericho alive long after it’s dead and this? It’s the same thing.
You know they’ll do it.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:25 amjosh says:
Great post, Spike. Puts some good context to Geno’s previous post. And long live the Whalers.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:46 amBIG Kahuna says:
Sure I understand and I think it’s cool. It would have been even cooler (making up new words now) if they could have been as passionate when they were around. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of “retired” brands like this.
I think bringing or keeping brands alive even though they are officially dead (insert Atari) can sometimes be a creative/cultural thing as well. It’s cool to wear a Space Invaders t-shirt even though people are now playing Guitar Hero.
March 27th, 2008 at 3:14 pmSpike says:
Ummm, Atari isn’t dead. In fact, they are one of the top software game producers around.
PS - “cooler” is a real word.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:26 pmBIG Kahuna says:
Really? Who knew… I thought everything was with PlayStation, Wii, XBox etc. Where does one buy an Atari system. I lost my version of Pong!
March 28th, 2008 at 3:13 am