The Brand

As we approached the car after our son’s flag football game this past Saturday, there was a couple standing by our vehicle taking a photo of my license plate. As I have seen this many times before, I said to them, “Like that plate?” They said they did very much, that the message was a very positive one.

So you may ask, why are people frequently taking a photo of Jon Schmieder’s license plate? The answer is the acronym.

My license plate is simply “HUG.”

While those that follow us know that HUG is an acronym for the name of our company. The fact that those letters are what they are was very intentional. Let me explain.

When we created the Huddle Up Group (aka HUG) back in 2012, we had some coaching on what our name and brand promise should look like. We were advised that our logo and brand proposition should have a story behind it. There needed to be a personal story behind it, beyond just selling services or widgets or stuff, if you will.

Our logo and acronym has a LOT of background to it. We will give you a couple nuggets behind its creation and one takeaway. Here we go…..

The “Huddle Up” part of our company name came from our love of football and also to showcase that we would aim to bring people together. The huddle is the premiere gathering place for sports of all kinds.

My dad was a hugger, the ultimate team builder and coach. I’m cut from that same cloth, as is my wife Sharon. So when we were thinking about a company name nearly 13 years ago, we wanted to include this element into the company name. So the acronym HUG was born.

Through all of that, here is the big takeaway (or big “idea” as Pastor Frank says).

You may never intend for your brand to be important to people outside of your industry. I can tell you that HUG, whether on my license plate, a t-shirt or hat, or on a promotional document, it means something to people. People way outside of the sports tourism and events industry. So the takeaway for me is this…..

When you think about your messaging, logo, and brand promise, think about how it MIGHT apply to industries outside of your own. Give it a story and a life that can translate beyond what you see and do today.

While I’d love to tell you that we built the HUG brand to be relevant outside of sports, I’d be lying. So if I were to advise my 43 year old self (when we launched HUG), I’d say build the brand with an open door. Give it flexibility. Allow for it to pivot into other industries, other worlds, beyond the box you currently line in.

Hope to cross paths with each of you soon.

Huddle Up and Have a great week!