Branding experts give props to the Hawks

By Leon Stafford

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

They may be two games down in the second round of the NBA playoffs, but branding experts say the Atlanta Hawks already have achieved something they hadn't in the past decade: an identity.

After years of not even being an afterthought in Atlanta — playing second fiddle to the Braves and Falcons would have been a step up — the Hawks are pulling in fans at Philips Arena and getting solid playoff TV ratings.

"They have maintained the crowds," said Bob Hope, a local sports marketing guru and co-owner of the public relations firm Hope-Beckham. "I've been to their games and it's a lot of fun. They've done what they need to do to keep their base happy."

Now the challenge is to grow beyond that base. Overall buzz for the team has been a bit muted compared to post-season play for the Falcons and Braves, the experts said, because the Hawks have yet to turn new supporters into true believers.

"They are still building," said Mark Newton, program director of the hotel, restaurant and tourism management program at Gwinnett Tech. "I don't think getting people to go bananas is going to happen overnight. I think they are a few players away from that."

And because metro Atlantans increasingly hail from somewhere else, it's difficult to convince them to switch allegiances until the Hawks have a consistent record of winning, Newton said.

Making it to the second round in the tournament — eclipsing last year's first-round elimination by the champions-in-the-making Boston Celtics — will help, the experts said. Doubters who saw last year as a fluke are now paying attention, Newton said.

"It's probably not so much about the Hawks themselves, but the skepticism of human nature," Hope said.

Tim Mescon, president of Columbus State University, said he wonders if the Hawks' success could have more local impact if the team's owners, the Atlanta Spirit, weren't embroiled in a lawsuit that's lasted for more than three years. Closing arguments in the trial over how seven of the partners can buy out the eighth were Friday in Rockville, Md.

Instead of fighting, the owners could be blanketing Atlanta to squeeze out fans from every nook and cranny, he said.

"People ought to be killing themselves to get tickets," he said.

The biggest challenge, though, may be to get star power — either by showcasing current players or finding new ones, the experts said. While Hawks Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby and Josh Smith are strong players, none command the recognition of Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant or Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James.

"If you get marquee players, you get people," Newton said. "Cleveland was dead before LeBron came along."

Hope said he expects next year to really take off for the Hawks.

"I think the Hawks are on the verge of being sensational," he said. "It's close to what the Braves did before they had straight pennants."