With the arrival of winter comes hockey season for sports fans. The National Hockey League is now in full swing, with the Winter Classic set for New Years’ Day. Meanwhile men, women and children across North America play and watch “the fastest game on earth”.

Connecting with spectators and fans who also love to play the game is a big part of hockey’s success. Marketing efforts can include everything from a steady offering of both new and classic hockey gear, as well as bobblehead dolls and fun wearables like “ugly sweaters”. One sports creative director named Mark Raham explained hockey’s marketing prowess best by citing the power of human emotion.

"Fans don't see us as someone who makes a product,” Raham said. ”They see us as an entity that creates memories. So they want us to give them a product at a special event that they can bring home and display, and tell people . . . ‘I was there.’”

Whether it is wearables, branded drinkware, desk toys or souvenir print items, one major asset for hockey teams and any sports franchises are its logos. They are perhaps the most important part of organizations’ identities and, essentially, they become the brands in consumers’ minds.

That being said, it is not surprising so many sports-related entities have followed the lead of firms like Google and Verizon in revamping their brands. In the NHL, one Original Six team decided to turn over a new leaf, ditching current uniforms for ones with a new logo. Meanwhile, in preparation for their broadcast of Super Bowl 50, CBS Sports has created a crisp new logo as a part of its branding update.

Among the best eight of new logos in sports, Sportslogos.net nominated two professional women’s hockey teams along with a minor league baseball team and two collegiate programs among their 2015 finalists. This suggests that even among smaller sports entities, the logo is an important part of the club identity.

From a teams’ perspective, retooling the corporate identity provides other promising opportunities.

Update, upgrade and remain relevant in the conversation
What exactly does a rebranding campaign or a new logo do for a team (or a company)? Sure, it gains attention. But smart marketers know that a good logo also ensures that an organization is current and relevant to its fans.

This summer the Atlanta Hawks’ new owners sought to tighten up their brand. The Hawks immediately got to work on trademarking new logos for every use from promotional products to media promotion. After unveiling the new logo scheme, queries about the Atlanta Hawks skyrocketed on Google.

Renew any mission statements or value commitments and pledges
Slogans and taglines can work wonders for firms of all kinds. The Chicago Cubs ignored the past in 2015 and put to work a catchy campaign, pairing the Cubs logo with “Let’s Go”. For the Cubs and its fans, “Let’s Go” was a shorthand mission statement.

"Cub fans have had a long winter, but things are starting to thaw," said Denny Hebson, a creative director for the Cubs. “It's a call to action from the fans to the Cubs. It's 'we've got these guys, now let's go.’”

The Cubs not only boosted visibility and brought fans back to the park with these efforts. They built a momentum that steered the team to a winning and successful season.

Point to a new horizon and invite fans to participate
According to a few voices in the sports press around Toronto, like the Cubs the Maple Leafs were a club that needed a fresh start. This historic NHL franchise that won the first ever Stanley Cup hasn’t seen more than one post-season game in a decade.

After some market research and polling of Leafs fans, the club has decided to celebrate its 100th year, and honor the days of old, with a revamped logo. In doing so the club hopes to shake up its reputation, and invite fans into a new era.

Remind fans what the brand represents and sell new team premiums, promotional items
In 2012, Forbes listed soccer giant Manchester United as the top brand in sports. Although the English club has slipped back down to #6, behind American juggernauts like the New York Yankees and New England Patriots, Man United has a huge fan base in the U.S. and 670 million fans globally — the world’s largest support base in any sport.

While sticking to its classic logo, every season allows Manchester United a new opportunity to offer up new wearables and products. In doing so, the team reasserts its reputation for excellence.

Ultimately, in sports a logo or team emblem can be the embodiment of history and tradition, while also acting as the coat of arms to signal a new future. Institutions of all kinds can use an existing, classic emblem or launch new logos, but should be sure to use their brand identities to engage customers and turn them into loyal fans.