Natal Sharks - The Sharks Brand

The Sharks Brand

After being informally called the Banana Boys (or af: Piesangboere) for a substantial length of time it was decided in 1995 that the whole offering would go ahead with new branding - The Sharks. This Brand was conceived, presented and initially executed by Terry Kukle of Tag International Media. The Sharks mascot Sharkie was launched in 1995. To achieve this a substantial budget was allocated to refine this vision that would include the match facilities, the pre and post match activities and the team.

The local press at first were very hesitant to accept the new name and branding and fans were polarised by the radical proposed change that flew in the face of rugby tradition and convention. After much controversy in the media (which very rapidly brought the proposed brand to everyone's attention) and a very successful season supported by great products and promotions the Sharks were embraced by all. The Sharks' marketing has been widely acknowledged in marketing and rugby circles as best practice and included as a successful case study in many marketing text books.

There was initially significant resistance from many quarters. This resistance was ascribed to the traditional attitudes of the rugby loving stake holders. However the strategy was successful and the success of the marketing has been widely acknowledged. Crowd attendances, merchandising, suite holder and season ticket sales have all been very successful. The brand is now internationally recognised and the branding strategy is reaping dividends for all its stakeholders. Since 2001, The Sharks have averaged attendances above 30,000 in each Super Rugby game. The Sharks are well supported across South Africa, with sizeable fan bases in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Most of their supporters however live in the KwaZulu-Natal province, particularly in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Sharks supporters are some of the most loyal rugby fans in the world and often travel