by Hayley Baldzicki
When did Cleveland become cool?
From the mistake on the lake to a town on the rise, Cleveland has become the place to be, and 2014 was the year of the CLE, and those who live in it.
It is my belief that the word Clevelander comes from Latin roots, and means to have idiotic hope at all time, and we embrace it. There are no fancy beaches, beautiful weather or fabulous shopping centers.
You know what we have got? Our sports teams
Browns, Tribe, Cavs- ’til we die.
One of the amazing things about Clevelanders is amidst to all of our losing seasons, between our three beloved teams, we are still hopeful. That eventually, it will be our year. Maybe our child-like hope is misplaced, but our town continues it’s dedication to sports.
After sitting through disappointing season after disappointing season, Clevelanders finally got their big break.
When the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel, 2012 Heisman Trophy Winner, the Browns went from a team no one cared about to a team no one could stop talking about. FINALLY!
A few months later, a man seen as a traitor came back to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers. Yes, I am talking about LeBron James.
We burned his jersey a few years ago, and rushed to buy another when he came home.
But hey, that’s Cleveland. We are quick to react when we feel betrayed, however we forgive and forget when given the opportunity.
So what does this mean in the PR world?
It is not odd for companies to go through rebranding to give fresh ideas to their name. In this case, it just happened to be a whole city.
This affected the city and the fans within. Cleveland became a huge point of interest for many media outlets, any sports channel during those few months most likely was talking about Cleveland, and for once, in a good way! Cleveland’s rebrand helped it become a place people cared about and paid attention to. Sure, championships are not going to come easily, however it is a fact that media and the public are beginning to take notice.
Eventually, the “Mistake on the Lake” reputation will be forgotten. This is only the beginning of big things happening in Cleveland!
Hayley is a senior, with a major in Communication Studies specializing in Organizational Communication & Health Communication with a minor in Journalism. Post graduation she’d love to work in sports, health, or entertainment. Follow her on @hayleybaldzicki