Increasing Their Public Image
When people think of hockey, if they live outside of Orange County, the first team that comes to mind isn’t the Anaheim Ducks. They will recognize names like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers. These teams have a much larger market than the Anaheim Ducks, and thus, the Ducks don’t have much of a public image.
Henry and Susan Samueli have been great owners, but they could do a lot better with branding and advertising their team. The 25th Anniversary was a good effort, but it was overshadowed by Randy Carlyle and his dumpster fire. Nevertheless, adopting a team dog could definitely help the team increase their public image.
Their public image may not increase outside of California and Orange County, but the team needs to start somewhere. They have done a great job bringing hockey to the community, but they need to bring in more fans and increase their fan base, and who doesn’t love puppies?
The New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues have both done a great job increasing their public image having Radar and Barclay at home games and practices last season. Socializing their dogs has been very important for their training and it has given fans an extra incentive to come to games.
Wild Wing may be the Anaheim Ducks mascot, but if they adopt a team dog, that dog will be the talk of the town. Fans will want to socialize with the team’s dog because, in a way, they would feel like it was their dog. Fans could feel like they have a hand in the project. It would bring out a more carefree and fun side to the Anaheim Ducks, and after last season, they definitely need a reason to loosen up a little bit.