PANTHERS REBRAND PROJECT MANAGER RICHARD DURGAN

Hear from lifelong supporter, club sponsor and Panthers rebrand project manager, Richard Durgan

Q – Why is the time right now to rebrand the club ?

RD – “Times are changing, and we need to move with the times. Everything is now about brand awareness and having a marketable product. I know that sounds clinical and corporate, however that is the direction of travel now as we have seen in lockdown. More and more we are seeing online brands getting stronger and the old is dying out. Just this week we have seen Arcadia go in to administration. If we don’t change then we die.”

Q – What made you get involved ?

RD – “First and foremost I am a fan and I want the club to do well. I was asked to get involved and head up the project. My main role has been the budget and coordinating what has been a very proficient and effective team.” 

Q – What was the process of the rebrand ?

RD – “The first part was about what are we trying to achieve and how do we get there. Sounds simple but actually that was the question we consistently asked ourselves throughout. The name had already been decided and so it was bout how do we deliver an effective message and with excitement about why we are doing it. From then on, Jonathan and Lee really kicked on with the ideas and that has got us to where we are today. I cannot overemphasise the level of expertise that we have had on board. Jonathan has worked on some huge projects for major brands both within sport and outside. The costs we would have paid for this if we had done the project externally would have been eye watering. Jonathan and Lee have done all this for nothing which shows the commitment and the passion they have for the club. Most of you know Jamie, his enthusiasm alone is incredibly infectious. This really was his brainchild and therefore he deserves an awful lot of credit to get this moving.”

Q – Tell us about your your team in project Panthers ?

RD – “Lee Kenny, who is basically a marketing guru and a current director of the club. Jonathan Durgan, who has a resume that is way too long to list on here and specialises in advertising and brand awareness. Jamie Gray, who is the man to thank for this idea and bleeds Blue and White. Then myself, I have experience in running a business and coordinating the men in the know who are way more qualified than me to do their thing.”

Q – What message have you got for the people of Halifax as we start a new exciting era for the rugby league club ?

RD – “Henry Ford said “If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done, You’ll Always Got What You’ve Always Got”.

“I don’t want that for this club. I want us to move forward. This is the start of a much bigger project for Halifax. I know the change will not be for everyone, I totally understand that. However we had to move forward somehow in order to not just survive but to flourish. It has been a shocking year for most of us  but I think the future is really exciting both off and on the pitch so let’s look forward now and be excited for what the future holds.”

Richard Durgan

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