Powered by Partnerships, Rawlings Makes 'Greatest Brands' List For First Time
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, has for the first time made the "America's Greatest Brands" list presented by the American Brands Council. Rawlings joins Major League Baseball and NASCAR as the only sports-centric brands in the ninth annual review of the country's strongest and most valuable brands. Robert Parish, President and Chief Executive Officer for St. Louis-based Rawlings, credited social media, sponsorship and endorsements for the expansion of the iconic baseball brand.
"We are aggressively activating our endorsement and sponsorship assets to better attract and communicate with our target market of 'next-level' players," said Parish. "Because our brand is the number-one baseball brand worldwide, the Rawlings story is as true to players in St. Louis, New York and Los Angeles as it is in Caracas, Tokyo and San Juan."
Rawlings says it maintains the largest social media following of any baseball-centric sporting goods company today and engages its fans daily with unique content such as the fan-voted Rawlings Gold Glove Award Play of the Day and exclusive promotions for authentic memorabilia, unique experiences and custom fielders' gloves.
"We are thrilled to have a powerful and long-lasting brand like Rawlings among the best in the country," said Carl Meyer, publisher and chief executive officer of America's Greatest Brands, and head of the American Brands Council. "Rawlings was the highest-scoring sports brand among Council members, and considering some of the brands in the sports marketplace today, this clearly illustrates the power and affinity of the Rawlings brand, and its innovation and evolution over the course of its distinguished history."
The American Brands Council is now in its ninth year of creating the America's Greatest Brands list, which according to Meyer, starts by asking marketing's universal question, "What makes a great brand?" Some criteria the Council considers when nominating a brand include the brand's quality, resilience and longevity, customer loyalty, market leadership and social responsibility.
"To be recognized as one of America's Greatest Brands is truly the culmination of the outstanding effort, passionate dedication and unparalleled craftsmanship all Rawlings employees have poured into their careers and their products since the company's inception in 1887," said Parish. "The Rawlings brand and its iconic red patch are recognized by athletes around the world as symbols of quality, authenticity, innovation and performance, and our status as the official baseball and batting helmet of Major League Baseball drives that point home."
