Thank you everyone for all the love for Beloit River Rockers this year! The overwhelming support this rebrand proposal has gotten means a lot to us... and helps give it a real shot of being chosen by the team!
As we head into the holidays, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of the many different ideas which would make River Rockers a huge success. If you haven't done so already, please take a few minutes to watch this new video, which includes some of our main selling points. And if your crazy uncle keeps insisting on "Polka Pike" or "Sky Carp" over Christmas Dinner, hit him back with a few of these:
A rebrand…
That is the best of both worlds
We believe River Rockers is a compromise that both fans and management can agree on. The organization gets a new name and logo, tons of new merchandising opportunities, and fans get to keep our beloved Snappy mascot. As much as fans have always loved our badass turtle logo, we think most would probably agree that after 25 years it was probably due for a modern update. Why not give Snappy an extreme rock 'n' roll makeover as he moves into the new ballpark?
A rebrand…
Beloiters can get behind
River Rockers is of course a wordplay on the Rock River, which coincidentally runs alongside the team's beautiful new downtown stadium. It also pays tribute to the city's awesome music scene... notably music festivals like Riverfest and Beloit College's Folk 'n' Blues, music clubs like the Alumni House and the C-Haus, and local events like Music at Harry's Place and Fridays in the Park. It's worth mentioning too that Robin Zander, the lead singer of Rockford rock legends Cheap Trick, was actually born in Beloit as well. They don't call this Rock County for nothing!
A rebrand…
That expands Snappy’s universe
Every rock 'n' roll star needs a band, and Snappy could be joined at the ballpark by the rest of the River Rockers! The band could be made up of the other proposed mascots: think Skye Carp on guitar, Mr. Cheeseball on drums, the Polka Pike plays the accordian. Beloit's former mascot Brewsteer could even be brought out of retirement to join the band! And the gang's favorite hangout is where else but The Supper Club in right field. Our band of mascots would be instrumental in entertaining fans both young and old throughout the night.
A rebrand…
That creates new merchandising opportunities
The greatest thing about having a mascot band is it triples or quadruples the amount of merchandise the organization could sell at the team store. Consider for example the Milwaukee Brewers Famous Racing Sausages: each character is made into countless products... things like hats, t-shirts, bobbleheads and dolls could be made for the Polka Pike and Mr. Cheeseball, in addition to Rockstar Snappy or the entire band. And just like the Racing Sausages, the River Rockers mascots could also hold a nightly race between innings and other fun events around the ballpark!
A rebrand...
That promises an awesome gameday experience
We believe this rebrand could help create a rock concert atmosphere at ABC Supply Stadium for years to come! Rock 'n' roll music combined with stadium lights and the new videoboard would make every game night an event, for both baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. An in-house DJ could fire up the crowd between innings and at-bats, and local bands could be booked on weekends to perform before and after games. We also love the idea of hosting "Snappy After Parties" either at downtown Beloit bars or in the stadium club. Lots of fun memories could be made at River Rockers games to keep fans coming back to the ballpark!
A rebrand…
That widens ABC Supply Stadium’s appeal
ABC Supply Stadium is of course more than just a baseball stadium, it is a concert venue and entertainment destination. And the River Rockers name would certainly help drive home that point. Community events could be branded "Rock the Riverbend" and outdoor concerts called "Snappy's Summer Tour". One of owner Quint Studer's best ideas this year was renting out the Pensacola Blue Wahoo's stadium as an AirBnb. We could of course do the same thing in Beloit: "Rock Yourself to Sleep". This new stadium has the potential to be the centerpiece of a revitalized Downtown Beloit, a place people will want to visit year-round, not just on game nights!
So there you have it. Our reasons why we strongly believe Beloit River Rockers is the way forward for our hometown baseball team. But of course we can't make this idea happen alone. Please share this article and video with everyone you know on social media and across the community. Together we can show the organization that this is both what the fans want, and what's best for the team!