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From Crowns to Robins! How stepping into a moment changed the clubs future!

This week's The Hack episode, hosted by Leon, Paul and Jo, features Hull KR Head of Marketing Craig Franklin, discussing his role at the professional rugby league club which competes in the Super League.

Craig Franklin - The Hack Podcast

Being More Inclusive.

Craig explains how fans across all sports are changing how they consume content in the digital age and that competition for fans’ attention and interest has never been greater.

Craig was involved in a two-year process to redesign the club crest evolving it to a format that would maximise their exposure on digital platforms broadcast media and provide better commercial opportunities to secure the sport’s future whilst ensuring it

kept the club’s strong identity and respected its history, inspiring a new generation of supporters to carry their rich tradition forward.

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Be Bold to Drive Change.

Craig identified that change was needed, and a world-class identity was the reason underpinning the period of transformation the club needed to go through to rebrand and find a fresh new look.

During the initial research phase, fans were keen to ensure this was a natural evolution rather than an overhaul. They recognised the club needed to evolve to move forward in the digital world. After numerous variations involving the input from supporters aged 4 to 75 get engaged alongside key partners, former players, and club historians, the final design received overwhelming approval from the sounding fan board.

Everyone at the club is now focused on moving forward and building for the next 140 years of club history. The new badge merges the original concepts or the crown and the robin with a simple modern appeal, and changing for the digital future has enabled the club to tell their story in an 8mm x 8mm digital space!

We need to Rebrand Mental Health.

Similarly, the team discuss how we need to rebrand mental health.

‘Mental’ does not have the right connotation for health for a start. Clinical and medical environments can be daunting and feel unnatural. Often the best support can come from those around us, people we know and trust who we can open up and be honest around in day to day life.

Buddie schemes and learning to talk naturally by being around people we can trust to listen without offering to fix things. This is especially important for younger people. Therefore, changing the culture early on is essential, so it becomes a natural part of what we do!

Likewise, in the rugby word-despite being Rugby rivals. Hull FC and Rovers have a lot they can learn from and give each other, their community and their city. The clubs will always benefit by being there to help each other out.

You have to put the work in before getting the results.

Planning and preparation are essential for success. If you want to succeed, you have to work hard. Like the athletes, you dedicate time to practice. Both during training sessions and on your own, prepare yourself for the task ahead.

The day you wake up and dread going into work is the day you should quit! If you’re not happy, either fix it or solve it. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re not enjoying it anymore, take a step back and determine why.

Sometimes you need to work through conflicts, plan, be ready, commit and don’t look back! It can be challenging to walk away, but we have one chance at life and need to be happy.

Change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing; It can be the thing that propels you to new heights.

Remember, good things take time, take more fulfilment from your experience and embrace change!

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