Branding Champions: How the New England Patriots’ Branding is Unbeatable

What’s one element that is essential to all good branding? Strong messaging. Year after year the New England Patriots reveal a new slogan to represent their upcoming season, motivate the players and excite the fans. Each slogan embodies the mission that the players and coaches believe in and the fans root for. They differentiate themselves from other NFL teams while building their brand awareness, brand loyalty and strong brand messaging.

You can find the following slogans branded across the Patriots social media, while the players and fans wear them proudly across apparel. We’ve covered NFL marketing before, but coming off of the Patriots past Super Bowl win, we wanted to dive into what makes the Patriot’s branding so remarkable.

Do Your Job (2014-2015)

Born from a saying that Bill Belichick tells his players over and over again, the mantra “Do Your Job” is about the players taking on every responsibility of their job in order for the team to win. This battle cry is effective because it’s the team’s actual driving mission that the players and staff exemplify on and off the field. When creating a slogan it is certainly important to ensure it is catchy for customers, but it should also be purposeful and symbolize what the organization is all about. With a clear message, it can be easily replicated in hashtags, videos, photos, signs, and clothing to represent the entire New England Patriots brand.

One More (2016-2017)

Throughout the 2016 season, the motto  “One More” was used to demonstrate the team’s ongoing mentality toward winning games and resisting to look too far ahead. They always focused on one game at a time with a laser focus solely to win “one more.” The players themselves often immersed themselves in the campaign by using “One More”  in their own pre-game and post-game interviews. It is clear that these sayings are much more than just words, but they bring tremendous value to the organization and are something the players really believe in. The importance of this can be applied to any organization. Employees should fully adopt and believe in the organization’s branded slogan to guide their work each day.  

No Days Off (2017-2018)

The 2017 expression “No Days Off” all began with a chant from Bill Belichick during the 2016 Super Bowl Championship parade. Even on the days when they don’t have practice, players are so dedicated that they can be found at the stadium lifting, running, or watching film. This way of thinking is one thing that separates the Patriots from other NFL teams, and by branding themselves with this phrase the team is able to differentiate themselves as the team so dedicated that they take no days off.

Not Done (2018-2019)

Lastly, the Patriot’s most recent battle cry this past season was “Not Done.” “Not Done” fires back at all of those hoping for the reign of the Patriots to come to an end, yet they prove year after year they will work tirelessly for more and never be fully satisfied. This slogan works so well because it sends a clear message to others about who they are. Just like all of the previous slogans, this is phrase is simple, concise and memorable.  Tom Brady exemplified the value of this phrase best by saying, “Every team has its own unique identity and this team cares a lot about each other. We play for each other and we’re playing to win.”

By branding themselves with these phrases year after year, The Patriots succeed at remaining fresh and maintaining the organization’s overall mission. They create phrases and mantras that truly connect the team to its fans and use them to generate brand awareness and loyalty. The fans then feel connected and buy into the mottos, using them in hashtags, wearing them on clothing, or yelling them at their TV on football Sundays. Slogans like these are what helps the Patriots win championships, and great messaging can help your organization too.

At Stirling Technologies, we help clients establish successful and clear branding through our design and marketing services. If you’re ready to have a brand as great as the New England Patriots, contact us to get started.