Latest news with #Bulman
Boston Globe
26-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Boston's professional women's soccer team has a new name. Say hello to ‘Boston Legacy FC.'
The original name, BOS Nation FC, Advertisement The name's chances of survival were not helped by the drubbed, Related : Over the last few months, an extensive renaming process took place, without the involvement of Colossus, the South End creative agency that helped work with the team on the first name, said Bulman. More than 500 name ideas were collected from an initial public survey of 1,500 fans and soccer brand professionals. From there, invites were sent to 400-plus people for smaller listening sessions where seven themes emerged, among them a name that celebrates women's soccer, withstands the test of time, steers clear of Colonial, Revolutionary War, and nautical themes, and requires no explanation. A list of 14 names was whittled, some of those well-liked but not able to clear legal or trademark hurdles. From there, the team applied some quantitative analysis, hiring an external market research firm that surveyed around 1,000 people that were all over the age of 18, had displayed interest in Boston women's soccer from a previous survey, and contained subgroups including LGBTQ+ sports fans and Hispanic Boston sports fans. 'The process was actually quite conclusive,' said Bulman. 'Consistently, Legacy scored at the top with every cohort and demographic that we tested it with. As somebody who comes from the marketing world, initially I was concerned about diverging perspectives, but the data was universally consistent that Legacy was the top choice. Advertisement 'We chose this name because it reflects the values our fans told us they wanted to see in our new brand, a focus on Boston, on the diversity of our communities, and the impact that this club can have for the next 100 years and beyond. We feel like it really is reflective of that fan feedback, and we see our role as stewards of this brand as a community asset.' Bulman was hired last month from the NFL's Washington Commanders, who changed their name in February 2022. Bulman, a graduate of The Winsor School, was senior vice president of corporate affairs and strategy during the Commanders' rebrand, before becoming chief brand & strategy partner when she was hired by the team now known as Boston Legacy FC. The renaming process for the Commanders 'was similar and that we wanted the brand to be rooted in the values that fans told us were important to them,' said Bulman. 'Obviously it was different, because fan sentiment about the prior name at the Commanders was much more mixed, and there was a 90-year history there. In this case, fans told us they wanted to see a new legacy, and they wanted us to be looking toward the future. And that feedback was pretty consistent throughout.' Asked if perhaps the franchise hopes that it will be able to turn the negatives from the initial attempt into a long-term gain, Bulman said, 'I think any time you can get fans engaged in the building of a brand, that's a win for the organization. So I'm excited that the club took this time to really deeply engage with our fan base and build a foundation of trust that I think will serve us well for years to come.' Advertisement A reveal of the team's wordmark and crest will be in late spring, early summer, said Bulman. Also in the works is finding a corporate partner for field naming rights at White Stadium in Franklin Park, where the team hopes to begin playing next March when it debuts in the NWSL. Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media Partners, The team also is nailing down a training site and front-of-kit partnerships. This spring-summer the team hopes to hire a head coach, which would be a precursor to signing players. Said Bulman: 'We're excited to shift the conversation to soccer.' Michael Silverman can be reached at
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston's new pro women's soccer team ditches name after marketing flop
After a marketing flop last fall, Boston's new professional women's soccer team will change its name, the club announced at a watch party for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season opener Friday night. The club, which will take the field in 2026, will ditch the name BOS Nation FC – an anagram for 'Bostonian' - which was unveiled in its October marketing campaign. Chief Revenue Officer Amina Bulman told Boston 25 News the new name will be revealed 'in a couple weeks.' Last year's campaign featured the slogan, 'Too Many Balls,' in reference to Boston's accomplished sports history achieved mainly by men. 'The city of champions, a legacy filled with trophies, banners, rings and balls. Old balls,' the now-ditched marketing video said. 'Boston loves its balls, but maybe there are too many balls in this town. So, let's add a new chapter to our city's legacy. New idols, new dreams and a new league to cheer for: the National Women's Soccer League.' The campaign sparked sharp criticism and was considered offensive to the transgender community, prompting an apology from the team. 'We've been spending a ton of time listening to fans and learning from their experiences and what they're excited to see,' said Bulman, who is leading the club's rebranding. 'We've done countless focus groups, research, lots of surveying, and we really feel fan input is at the core of how we're reimagining the brand.' General Manager Domè Guasch told Boston 25 News he is actively recruiting players and staff and is excited to play in the city of Boston at White Stadium. 'Building a home for our team not only with the stadium but down the line will come a train facility as well,' Guasch said. 'We're here to stay, and we're here for many years.' Fans Trevor Tuplin and Mitchell Beers have been eagerly awaiting women's soccer in Boston since the city lost its pro team, the Breakers, in 2017. 'Very excited. We had season tickets to the Boston Breakers, and we're just really excited to see the women's soccer team return back to Boston,' Beers said, adding that they are purchasing season tickets for 2026 as well. 'Oh, we already have the deposit down.' As women's sports nationally see a surge in popularity and revenue, fans at Friday night's watch party said they are thrilled to embrace that enthusiasm in their hometown. 'We started watching NWSL a decade ago, and so we saw the rise in women's sports,' Tuplin said. 'We went to the World Cup in 2019 in Paris, followed the US women win their championship, and now we're just super big fans and support equality in sports.' Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
