41. The Little League Rebrand: Relaunching an iconic brand in a global pandemic (part 2) w/ Liz Brown

Rebranding an iconic organization was a challenge in and of itself, but facing a global pandemic during the relaunch was something Liz Brown, Senior Vice President and CMO at Little League International, never expected when she started on the project back in 2019.

In this second part of a two-part series with Liz, she discusses the groundwork laid by her team that allowed them to successfully navigate the launch of the new Little League brand, even as a pandemic altered their plans, and what she learned along the way.

What we discussed:

- The importance of thinking of a relaunch as more of a brand evolution over time, rather than a single event with a set finish line

- How having a “copy playbook” allowed Liz’s team to share messaging that was both relevant to current events and in line with the new brand identity

- The tools Liz used to encourage open communication between the branding team and the organization’s volunteers during the launch

- How the marketing team handled instances of brand divergence by offering coaching and correction rather than confrontation or criticism

- What Liz says she wished she’d known at the start of the discovery process, and what she recommends to others just starting a rebranding project