Brussels branding agency Base Design hertekent imago baseballteam New York Mets

De New York Mets hebben een consortium van gespecialiseerde bureaus opgericht, onder leiding van Range Media Partners, een toonaangevend Amerikaans bedrijf op het gebied van entertainment, strategie en culturele marketing. Het doel? Het merk Mets verder ontwikkelen, innovatie versnellen en de vooruitstrevende visie van de nieuwe Mets-eigenaren Steve en Alexandra Cohen uitvoeren.

Tot de partneragentschappen van Range behoort ook sportmarketing en -analysebureau 4FRONT, dat door de National Baseball Hall of Fame geloofd wordt voor zijn creatieve en lucratieve merkpartnerschappen. Het bedrijf werkt o.a. voor Chicago Cubs, Las Vegas Raiders, Oklahoma City Thunder, Liverpool FC, Minnesota Wild, UFC en de Nieuw-Zeelandse All Blacks. Ook het bekroonde Base Design, met als klanten onder meer Apple, de Louis Vuitton Foundation, Union Square Hospitality Group, Milk Studios en de Prince Estate, behoort tot het consortium. Base werd opgericht in Brussel door Belgen Thierry Brunfaut en Dimitri Jeurissen, maar heeft vandaag studios in Brussel, New York, Genève en Melbourne.

"Het is een enorme kans voor ons om zowel de bestaande fans te enthousiasmeren als nieuwe fans aan te trekken. We zijn ervan overtuigd dat we met de gecombineerde expertise en middelen van Range, 4Front en Base Design van de Mets een van de meest iconische sportteams kunnen maken. We willen zowel onze fans als onze stad eren door de beste partners binnen te halen om de Mets te ondersteunen in de evolutie van het merk," zei New York Mets President Sandy Alderson.

New York Mets Enlist Innovative Interagency Team, Led By Range Media Partners, to Evolve Brand, Strategy & Storytelling, Tech/Digital Engagement, and Fan Experience

The New York Mets have enlisted a best-in-class team of highly-specialized agencies, spearheaded by entertainment, strategy and cultural marketing leaders Range Media Partners, to evolve the Mets brand and accelerate innovation and engagement across the organization, bringing new owners Steve and Alexandra Cohen’s progressive vision for the organization to life as it intersects with popular culture and innovative digital technologies. Range’s best-in-class agency partners include sports marketing and analytics leaders 4FRONT, recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for creativity in revenue-generating brand partnerships, whose clients include teams such as the Chicago Cubs, Las Vegas Raiders, Oklahoma City Thunder, Liverpool FC, Minnesota Wild, UFC and the New Zealand All Blacks, and award-winning branding agency, Base Design, with clients including Apple, the Louis Vuitton Foundation, Union Square Hospitality Group, Milk Studios, and the Prince Estate.

Together with the Cohens and the Mets senior leadership team, including Mets Team President Sandy Alderson, Executive VP of Marketing and Chief Content and Communications Officer David Newman & Executive VP and Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Deline, Range, 4FRONT & Base are tasked with evolving the Mets brand identity and bolstering new excitement for the team and its authentically passionate fans through innovative uses of technology and digital engagement, brand partnerships, and cultural activations that will further cement Citi Field as not only as a sports destination, but a hub for culture and entertainment.

“We have an enormous opportunity in front of us - to both excite existing fans and entice new ones with the additional expertise and resources of Range, 4Front and Base Design as we make the New York Mets one of the most iconic teams in all of sport. We wanted to both celebrate and honor our fans and our city by bringing best-in-class partners to support the Mets organization as we evolve the brand,” said Alderson.

Leading from Range Media Partners are CEO Peter Micelli and Managing Partner Natalie Bruss, a veteran trend forecaster, strategist and venture investor who joined Range last fall to spearhead business development and strategic innovation efforts across the firm. As leaders in the entertainment and business industries, Micelli and Bruss will draw upon decades of experience and high-profile relationships while working in tandem with the club’s executive team to merge the realms of sport and entertainment in new and original ways by integrating the iconic Mets brand into film, television, fashion, social media and music globally. The internal Range team also

includes sports marketers (with previous roles at Momentum Worldwide covering brand partnerships with leagues from the NBA to NHL), social media specialists Andrew Weiss and Kai Gayoso (with experience from Facebook to Some Good News and When We All Vote), music leaders Matt Graham, Jack Minihan & Evan Winiker, and Range’s production and development teams, who are working to build content extensions from Mets IP.

“Range was built to empower exceptional storytellers, and the aspirations of this team go far beyond the field - to the intersection of sports, entertainment and culture. We are thrilled to partner with Steve, Alex, Sandy and the entire Mets organization and support their commitment to be the most innovative owners in professional sport - many of us at Range are lifelong Mets fans ourselves, and we know how important the responsibility of remaining true to the Mets narrative is,” said Micelli and Bruss. “In addition to celebrating the authenticity, warmth and determination that define the New York Mets (and the city itself), we’re excited to be developing forward-thinking partnerships that will bring fans even closer to their favorite players.”

4FRONT’s team, led by Katie Foglia, includes Dan Migala, Tim Hirst, Brian Gainor, Ruchir Shah and AJ Stoner. Base’s team, led by creative director Min Lew, includes Geoff Cook, Harry Laverty, Gavin May and Ross Gendels.

The commitment to an innovative brand evolution is another indication of the Cohen family’s dedication not only to the Mets organization, but to the fans. Since taking control of the team in September 2020, Cohen has consistently surprised fans with his unorthodox and unprecedented level of accessibility. He engages directly with the fanbase, creating a space for ongoing social media dialogue rooted in an equal enthusiasm himself - a lifelong fan who grew up going to Mets games at the Polo Grounds, and a commitment to making the Mets champions both on and off the field.