A living case study on multi-cultural communications

There is a fascinating PR/marketing case study taking place here in Houston ... it's one of those rare occasions where you can watch and learn in real time.

The issue is the name of Houston's new MLS team -- Houston 1836. But please ... don't stop reading just because you don't like soccer. There is a lesson here for everyone.

First, some background.

The San Jose franchise was moved to Houston in December of last year. Play begins April 2. That meant coming up with a new name in short order. The moniker Houston 1836 was selected for its European-style convention and its historical signficance -- 1836 is the year Houston was founded.

But 1836 is also the year of the Alamo and Santa Ana's defeat at San Jacinto -- basically, the year that Texas became independent of Mexico.


Vetting the name

Knowing there might be some sensitivities with the Latino community, the Houston team president, Oliver Luck, met with several Hispanic business leaders and politicians to vet Houston 1836 prior to the announcement.

According to reports, Luck was assured that the name would be well-received by Texans of Mexican heritage. In fact, City Councilman Adrian Garcia even appeared on stage at the news conference announcing the name, addressing the crowd in Spanish.

Now, the sticky part ...

When the name was released, there was a small outcry. A few complaints. But an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle by a UH history professor led to a New York Times article which led to an LA Times article which led to Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia calling for a name change.


A handful of protests

There was never a blow-up. Never a huge rallying force. Just a couple of very visible folks saying "change the name." But the team's potential sponsors caught wind that something was amiss, and they grew skittish at being associated with a team that might be in the crosshairs of an ongoing controversy.

So the team decided to change the name (yet to be decided). Now, people who loved the name -- and there are many -- are upset that the club's owners bowed to political correctness and refused to stand up for Texas and America.

In other words, it's a mess.


Making the best of it

To his credit, Luck has been open and honest throughout the whole situation -- returning e-mails, appearing in the media, even sitting down with fans one-on-one to listen. He's obviously caught in the midde of a no-win, damned if you do situation.

Some people claim that the front office bombed on this ... that the club is paying the price for a poor marketing and public relations decision.

Others are furious that a handful of "professional sensitives" can force an entire region to avoid a historical fact. They say the team should stand firm and let the issue blow over.

For us as communicators, there are plenty of lessons here. But before I share my thoughts, I want to hear from you. Here are two questions to get you started:

1) Is the name choice a royal screw-up or a brilliant choice that just went wrong? Remember that the name was given a thumbs-up by Hispanic leaders, and that it was very popular among hard-core soccer fans. But it also had the potential to alienate fans of Mexican descent.

2) If you were responsible for PR/marketing for the team, what would you be focusing on now?

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, PR, Marketing, Houston 1836, Multi-Cultural