General issues with branding and fan apparel

Schlandy

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
Not sure if it’s been posted and also not trying to beat a dead horse here, but this has gone on way too long. I understand that there was a small push within athletics to get away from Adidas, and I am hopeful since we only re upped for two years. But why does the GT AA refuse to just use our colors and keep Adidas accountable to any sort of standards? If anyone has any idea why I would love to know. I’ve attached a few examples of some gear you can buy that atleast to me just looks plain tacky. The stadium is also covered in more Blue (not even Navy) than anything else. If you would ask anyone who is playing the new video game what our colors were they would tell you blue and yellow. At the end of the day I just want to win, but it just feels like another thing we can’t do right.
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4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,937
You are asking questions that have been tossed around on Tech message boards ever since they first popped up. You are asking questions for which NOBODY (at least those who post on these sights) has answers. We hold out hope that someday someone who understands marketing/branding/other exotic and vague business studies will explain it such a way that even us engineers can understand it. I will be checking back frequently to see if your post is the one that will summons these "experts" out of their hidden lairs. ;) FWIW, I agree with you. I wouldn't wear either of those two garments above if they were given to me. (That's a lie - I probably would keep them for yard work, fishing, etc.)
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,326
Location
Auburn, AL
The stadium is also covered in more Blue (not even Navy) than anything else.
I worked, late in my career, in supply and manufacturing to retail. All the usual brands.

Navy is the number one selling color. It’s not even close. For a small fanbase like Tech, there is substantially less risk to obsolete inventory if you manufacture against navy substrates vs anything else. Push the printing to late stage, and you almost eliminate it entirely.
 

Schlandy

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
I worked, late in my career, in supply and manufacturing to retail. All the usual brands.

Navy is the number one selling color. It’s not even close. For a small fanbase like Tech, there is substantially less risk to obsolete inventory if you manufacture against navy substrates vs anything else. Push the printing to late stage, and you almost eliminate it entirely.
Very interesting (although I still think from a design standpoint our stuff just isn’t attractive)
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
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5,326
Location
Auburn, AL
Very interesting (although I still think from a design standpoint our stuff just isn’t attractive)
That’s because nobody cares. I know programs that refuse generic navy and want exactly their color version. This is costly so you need a large fanbase to liquidate the inventory, It’s the same with design. You have to amortize the design cost over expected volume and Tech’s volume isn’t high enough. It’s the difference between paying $60 for a really nice baseball hat vs. $25.
 

boger2337

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,435
Not sure if it’s been posted and also not trying to beat a dead horse here, but this has gone on way too long. I understand that there was a small push within athletics to get away from Adidas, and I am hopeful since we only re upped for two years. But why does the GT AA refuse to just use our colors and keep Adidas accountable to any sort of standards? If anyone has any idea why I would love to know. I’ve attached a few examples of some gear you can buy that atleast to me just looks plain tacky. The stadium is also covered in more Blue (not even Navy) than anything else. If you would ask anyone who is playing the new video game what our colors were they would tell you blue and yellow. At the end of the day I just want to win, but it just feels like another thing we can’t do right. View attachment 16375View attachment 16376
Heads up. GT had to submit their colors to EA Sports for the new game. They said the primary color is NAVY and secondary is GOLD.

Do with that what you will, but sounds like navy is going to be around for a long time.
 

yeti92

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,042
Heads up. GT had to submit their colors to EA Sports for the new game. They said the primary color is NAVY and secondary is GOLD.

Do with that what you will, but sounds like navy is going to be around for a long time.
Source?
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,326
Location
Auburn, AL
Heads up. GT had to submit their colors to EA Sports for the new game. They said the primary color is NAVY and secondary is GOLD.

Do with that what you will, but sounds like navy is going to be around for a long time.
Tech has 3 primary colors:
Tech Gold (PMS 4515), Navy Blue (PMS 540) and White.

That in itself is a change as Navy was a Secondary color (less than 10%).

My guess is in digital applications, Tech Gold will not reproduce accurately, hence navy.

So yes. Tech is elevating Navy. Looks like Old Gold, our traditional color, is out.
 

LargeFO

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,419
Heads up. GT had to submit their colors to EA Sports for the new game. They said the primary color is NAVY and secondary is GOLD.

Do with that what you will, but sounds like navy is going to be around for a long time.

I'm trying to remember when this flip started happening. Collins seemed to push the navy hard but guess it was some before him even too.
 

AugustaSwarm

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
819
I'm trying to remember when this flip started happening. Collins seemed to push the navy hard but guess it was some before him even too.
As much as I'd love to blame something else on TFG, he had little to no influence on this. It's a simple demand issue - navy products sell better. Period. If you want to see more gold, then buy more gold products and increase the demand for it. I highly recommend Section103.com - They have great gold products and they're Tech people.
 

Lil G

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
704
Tech has 3 primary colors:
Tech Gold (PMS 4515), Navy Blue (PMS 540) and White.

That in itself is a change as Navy was a Secondary color (less than 10%).

My guess is in digital applications, Tech Gold will not reproduce accurately, hence navy.

So yes. Tech is elevating Navy. Looks like Old Gold, our traditional color, is out.
This is a good take
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,937
Tech’s volume isn’t high enough.
While I am in no way disagreeing with anything you have posted in this thread, there is some element of "chicken and egg" regarding our volume of merchandise. I try to make at least one home game per year (6+ hours from BDS). I budget time and money beforehand wanting to go into the bookstore and purchase some nice GT gear. I am constantly amazed at the poor quality and selection. I am not buying GT gear in gray or navy or green or whatever. So, it's been several years since I have left the bookstore having made a purchase. Meanwhile, all of my neighbors, friends and golf buddies have no issue finding golf polos, sweaters, hats, etc. in what you would recognize as their school's traditional colors. I do recognize our alumni numbers relative to our football peers but I have given up hope of finding quality GT gear and apparel in gold and white. What's interesting is that this wasn't the case (as I recall) as a student many moons ago.
 

Schlandy

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
Heads up. GT had to submit their colors to EA Sports for the new game. They said the primary color is NAVY and secondary is GOLD.

Do with that what you will, but sounds like navy is going to be around for a long time.
Who is making these calls? Sounds like one persons preference is taking precedent over tradition. (I wouldn’t be surprised if our band is switching to blue this year and that’s accurate)
 

Schlandy

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
Tech has 3 primary colors:
Tech Gold (PMS 4515), Navy Blue (PMS 540) and White.

That in itself is a change as Navy was a Secondary color (less than 10%).

My guess is in digital applications, Tech Gold will not reproduce accurately, hence navy.

So yes. Tech is elevating Navy. Looks like Old Gold, our traditional color, is out.
I take issue with Navy being above white
 

yeti92

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,042
I'm trying to remember when this flip started happening. Collins seemed to push the navy hard but guess it was some before him even too.
We wore navy more than we should have under CPJ. That would be when the current trend started as far as I can tell, I don't think Gailey's teams ever wore navy.
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,326
Location
Auburn, AL
While I am in no way disagreeing with anything you have posted in this thread, there is some element of "chicken and egg" regarding our volume of merchandise. I try to make at least one home game per year (6+ hours from BDS). I budget time and money beforehand wanting to go into the bookstore and purchase some nice GT gear. I am constantly amazed at the poor quality and selection. I am not buying GT gear in gray or navy or green or whatever. So, it's been several years since I have left the bookstore having made a purchase. Meanwhile, all of my neighbors, friends and golf buddies have no issue finding golf polos, sweaters, hats, etc. in what you would recognize as their school's traditional colors. I do recognize our alumni numbers relative to our football peers but I have given up hope of finding quality GT gear and apparel in gold and white. What's interesting is that this wasn't the case (as I recall) as a student many moons ago.
FWIW, I haven't bought GT SWAG in years for the reason. My former contacts at the GTAA got me some Adidas warmups from the team that are superior to retail. Those I like and wear them, but again ... those are limited run and specials. Mass market merchandise is noticeably lower in quality and fit to appeal to a larger potential market.

Simply put, the standard operating procedure today for many schools is simply to license to CLC and let them manage the process it. It's mailbox money. Easy.

It wasn't always like that. CLC didn't start until 1981. So, if you are like me (Class of 82), the gear and the industry was very different than today.
 

wesgt123

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,825
Yeah my only complaint about the new game is that the crowd is good and navy, but mostly navy. Even the cheerleaders are navy heavy. The band is navy. I hate it.

I thought maybe EA got lazy on us a bit but someone said Tech submitted their colors to EA as navy and gold? If that's true, then I'm super disappointed.

At 32, I'm feeling like an old man yelling at clouds with this one.

And yes. The navy apparel in stores is maddening
 

AugustaSwarm

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
819
Yeah my only complaint about the new game is that the crowd is good and navy, but mostly navy. Even the cheerleaders are navy heavy. The band is navy. I hate it.

I thought maybe EA got lazy on us a bit but someone said Tech submitted their colors to EA as navy and gold? If that's true, then I'm super disappointed.

At 32, I'm feeling like an old man yelling at clouds with this one.

And yes. The navy apparel in stores is maddening
Join the club! I'm 41 and I've been the angry old man ranting about colors for a long time...well, that and those damn kids that keep walking on my yard...
 
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