2014 Branding Fiasco: UL-Lafayette or UL-L (SBC Reference Guide)

[Damon]

After a night to reflect, I am really starting to believe this is the work of "stay in your place" politics combined with our huge planned improvements to athletic and campus facilities.

So, the tough decision is: stick to your name or improve those facilities. I don't think this is exclusively an SBC thing. This reeks of what I watched happen to the sign outside of Blackham in the late 80's.

[CajunNation]

Have the t-shirt.

me too

maybe we should get more made....

[ULalum06]

I made this chart depicting how i see things and how the misunderstanding can occur when referencing Louisiana as opposed to The University of Louisiana. I'd appreciate your feedback.

sorry for so blurry.

[CajunJack55]

After a night to reflect, I am really starting to believe this is the work of "stay in your place" politics combined with our huge planned improvements to athletic and campus facilities.

So, the tough decision is: stick to your name or improve those facilities. I don't think this is exclusively an SBC thing. This reeks of what I watched happen to the sign outside of Blackham in the late 80's.

I hope you are right with the facility improvements, however they need to tell us what is going on. This sitting around speculating is exactly what is wrong with our leaders. They know that the name issue is the most important issue to us and they are saying nothing. The longer they wait the worst it is going to be.

[CajunNation]

Que in Cajun Nation with his beloved Darth Vader in 5... 4... 3.. 2..

Already did in another thread....but let us not forget that there is more than one way to join the Dark Side of Ragin Pagin.

Supporting another name change is one way.

Today, this board is full of potential converts.

The Dark Side is growing my friends....it is growing......

[ULalum06]

this was taken directly off of:

http://www.louisiana.edu/about-us/me...iversitys-name

[Yep]

After a night to reflect, I am really starting to believe this is the work of "stay in your place" politics combined with our huge planned improvements to athletic and campus facilities.

So, the tough decision is: stick to your name or improve those facilities. I don't think this is exclusively an SBC thing. This reeks of what I watched happen to the sign outside of Blackham in the late 80's.

Then come out and say that.

[Frenchie35]

Sorry Frenchie, but that is not what I heard. I heard a whole lot of Louisiana Lafayette, and Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, but not one Louisiana, and of course no UL.

That is not what I posted. I said we were Louisiana Lafayette all night....don't know who edit my post.

[barisaxman]

FYI....Jay will talk about "Hyphen-Gate" on BEV this afternoon. basically said he was blindsided by the announcement yesterday, but is making phone calls and will talk about it today.

[ulforlife]

OK so now that this board is completely filled with complaining and moaning, let's try to come to terms with what the thought process was that T-Joe may have used to make a decision on what the conference would refer to us as.

First of all, he had to choose something. Long before the Sun Belt told him he needed to choose something, he needed to choose something. Why? Because no one knew what to use. All we've ever done is tell people what NOT to use. Can you blame them? Seriously, think about that.

So he sits down, and he starts to think about it. "What would we as a university like to be called?" Well the first thing that pops in his head is "UL". After all, the interlocking logo is on our baseball caps, it's on our athletic uniforms, it's on the decals for sale in the university bookstore; you get me. But wait, we can't use that. You all know why. OK, so scratch that one.

What comes up next, hm maybe "ULL"? No, that certainly won't work. Why? Well, because that's what we've been telling everyone NOT to use. After all, it would look too similar to "ULM" and in addition that, it goes against the interlocking UL we've been using all this time. OK, scratch that too.

So then come other ideas, I would imagine he had a number of them. He knows we want to be referred to as "Louisiana" so maybe he thinks LOU would be an idea. Well, no, that won't work because it's too much like Louisville. And on and on.

So finally he decides to go with UL-L. Why? Because he felt it was as close to UL as we could get (we don't have to change our branding this way), and it's different from ULM. So hey, two birds with one stone right? And that's where we find ourselves.

Well here's what I think the problem is: too much confusion. He makes a decision that was forced upon him because of complaint and confusion, and creates more from it. But, is that his fault? What did you want him to do? Given the circumstances he didn't have many options.

This university needs a re-branding of it's image something fierce. Just do it all at once. The pepper, the color yellow, the 300 different names we go by, whatever. If Louisiana is truly what the school wants to be known by, then an abbreviation should not (and will not) matter. That being said I am highly against the hyphen, as it only allows for more confusion (same reason why you avoid them in web addresses). This is Marketing 101 people. Until this university gets serious about our image then we will continue to not have one.

[CajunEXPRESS]

@Frenchie, probably an error on your part. Only Turbine has that power, or some really cleaver hacker.

[CajunJack55]

Again...then why not just tell everyone this? Why no comment? He knows how important the name issue is.