How digital and social media helped 100-year-old Louisville Slugger brand stay relevant

Matt Whitaker and Kyle Schlegel

Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 2014, vol. 1, issue 4, 335-339

Abstract: Louisville Slugger was a brand that was long on history and short on a successful social media plan. Being the no. 1 bat of Major League Baseball meant little when sales with young players and coaches were fading. Slugger knew it would not be long until the youth of today turned into the baseball superstars of tomorrow, so together with integrated marketing agency MEplusYOU, it focused on crafting a smart, experiential-based digital plan and rebranding its storied brand. Rebranding the long-time client meant zeroing in on its purpose and using this to shift the brand’s focus naturally to innovation and engagement with fans and the Major League Baseball community. Even with seasoned brands like Louisville Slugger, maintaining brand relevance in a constantly evolving technical world can be difficult. MEplusYOU wanted to build on the brand’s heritage in a way that not only encouraged massive social interaction, but also engaged fans in the real world. By creating a marketing plan designed to smash the stereotype of a historic brand out of touch with the players of today, Louisville Slugger rebranded to become a company built on purpose. This critical shift built community — and was a lesson in innovation and modernisation.

Keywords: branding; social media; experiential marketing; Facebook (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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