Branded bats

1. Brand: Louisville Slugger. The Hillerich & Bradsby Co. essentially began in 1884 when 17-year-old Bud Hillerich slipped away from work to watch Louisville’s major-league team play. The Louisville Eclipse’s star, Pete Browning, broke his bat during the game, and Hillerich invited the player back to his father’s woodworking shop to make him a new one. Browning had three hits the next day and the reputation Hillerich’s specially made bats, which were dubbed Louisville Sluggers, spread quickly. Today, Louisville Sluggers are used by 65 percent of major leaguers. In the 1970s and 80s, H&B nearly went out of business when little leaguers, softballers, and college players began using aluminum bats. Today, metal bats are H&B’s biggest moneymakers. The company also sells baseball and softball gloves, hockey equipment and PowerBilt golf equipment. The Hillerich family and H&B employees own the company.
2. Image: History and specially tailored bats. H&B tries to predominantly feature two images of its Louisville Slugger brand: The historical aspect of the bats and the fact that the bats are specially tailored to each individual customer. Not only is there a Louisville Slugger Museum, but the company’s literature always refers to the past greats like Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, who used Louisville Sluggers. H&B also trumpets the fact that for hundreds of years, it kept cards on every player to note the weight, length, wood and cut of the bats he liked.
3. Message audiences: Major leaguers, fans, metal-bat users. The Louisville Slugger brand tries to connect with a number of different audiences. Major league players are still one of H&B’s biggest customer bases, so the company tries to play up the individually made aspect of the bats as well as the fact that great players throughout history have used them. Fans are told about the former greats and offered the opportunity to have their own names etched onto a personalized Louisville Slugger. Metal-bat users, meanwhile, are given charts and instructions on how to select a bat that will perfectly fit their swing.
4. Louisville Slugger’s greatest bit of branding is on every one of its bats. The logo with the familiar oval surrounding “Louisville Slugger” is burned onto every wooden bat and painted on every metal one. This image is frequently used along with the burned-in signature of former and current players to convey the historical aspect. And though the metal bats may not have the same historical appeal, they are given historical appeal in ads by relating them to college baseball championships and dynasties.
5. This message is strongly related to the culture of baseball, and somewhat America. People in Japan, for example, can relate to the brand if they follow baseball, but those not familiar with the sport would not care if Eric Gagne plays with a Louisville Slugger.