In January I asked suppliers if they thought Lance Armstrong’s doping controversy would negatively affect the Livestrong Foundation and the sale of silicone wristbands. Everyone I spoke to said they thought the organization and the product would both continue to do well, even though the foundation was already taking precautious, officially changing its name from “Lance Armstrong Foundation” to “Livestrong” in October 2012.
Last week the company took the next step in what I expect will be a year-long rebranding campaign: Livestrong unveiled a new logo. The new symbol is the first image change the company has ever announced, and as Business Insider points out, it fills the void in the original logo that said “Lance Armstrong Foundation.”
The new logo was revealed as part of a “State of the Foundation” ceremony held in Chicago, when Livestrong executive vice president of operations Andy Miller also announced that May 17, 2013 will be “Livestrong Day,” an event dedicated to highlighting the foundation’s successes, nine years to the day from the launch of the original bracelet.
It’s not a coincidence that the foundation picked that day to hold its event. The Livestrong bracelet has been its biggest means of funding, and a source at the company told Sports Illustrated that it would spend the year monitoring bracelet sales to see if fundraising efforts have been impacted. This shows that Livestrong knows its key fundraising avenue is in trouble, and it’s not a stretch to think it will launch its next big fundraising push on the anniversary of the last one.
The Livestrong bracelet is iconic, so the company won’t stop selling it, but it’s also unlikely that Livestrong’s new campaign that simply be a new wristband with the new logo. Attempting to recreate that wheel would be a step backward, and Livestrong has made it clear that it wants to move forward and away from its founder’s legacy. The dimensions of the new logo also don’t lend themselves to another silicone bracelet.
So, what’s the new fundraiser? It will be something two-color, something that can accommodate the rectangular logo, and something with a low price point; it is almost guaranteed to be a promotional product currently available in our industry. What that product will be is currently anyone’s guess.
As the industry’s foremost experts on the topic, that’s what I want you to do: guess what Livestrong’s next fundraising promotion will be. Whatever it is, if it captures the same lightning in a bottle as the wristband, you can be sure other clients will want to replicate it. I’d love to hear what you think the next big product will be. Leave your comments below and we’ll see who’s right come May.
