Southeast launches Redhawk country

What do McDonald's golden arches, the Nike swoosh and the MGM roaring lion have in common?

Sounds like a crazy kid's joke, but it isn't. The answer: a company logo recognized the world over.

The first step in mastering product marketing is having a positive, well-recognized logo, experts say. And the same goes for university athletic teams.Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau is set to unveil its new Redhawk mascot at a basketball game Jan. 22.

The mascot name change from Indians to Redhawks created some controversy during the last year and was a challenge for marketing. But the

"Every major university in the nation has a mascot," explained Dr. Charles Wiles, Director of Athletic Marketing for Southeast Missouri State University. "Now we have one, too."

Even Wiles admits there will probably be some die-hards who will resist the change from Indians to Redhawks. But, he adds, even those die-hards will have a tough time resisting the looks on children's faces the first time they give the new Redhawk mascot a big hug.

"I was at a St. Louis Cardinals game where there were 50,000 fans. When Fred Bird was on the field, all of those eyes were on him," said Wiles.

The university's mascot will be officially unveiled during pre-game activities on Jan. 22 when Southeast faces Austin Peay at 5 p.m. at the Show Me Center. About 1,500 new T-shirts featuring the Redhawk will be given away at the pre-game ceremony.

The new look was unveiled during a fashion show in early December but there's plenty of excitement left for the pre-game party Jan. 22 at the Student Recreation Center. Activities will include university students, Booster Club members and the public.

With every appearance by the new mascot, Wiles think public affection will grow. He said the mascot will be appearing at more than 100 athletic events each season.

Marketing for a new mascot is "really is all common sense," Wiles said. I think the college students, the children, and the public in general will enjoy having a mascot that can be the center of attention and stir up a lot of crowd excitement. It will just make a huge difference to have a mascot that is touchable and huggable. Eventually, I think even the die-hards will see this as a positive thing."

businesstoday@semissourian.com