Who’d’ve thunk? The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t the best sporting brand in the country, according to a recent survey by Insightrix research, which measured the branding among Canadian sporting teams.
The Montreal Canadiens can boast the strongest branding (though sadly, not the strongest team,) with the Leafs followed closely behind.
Across nine Canadian cities, 2,676 sporting fans were selected online and asked to name the first sporting team that came to mind, as well as their perception of loyalty among fans, popularity and the stadium atmosphere. Lest you think the Canadiens and Leafs made the cut because we’re a hockey-obsessed nation (though, that is likely true), the Saskatchewan Roughriders came in third, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays, showing off our sporting diversity.
On individual metrics, the Canadiens topped the list in the “most respected,” “perception of popularity,” “perception of most loyal fans” and “perception of best stadium/arena,” and second on the “first brand that comes to mind” measure.
Other teams that made the cut include the Toronto Raptors (fourth place on the “first brand that comes to mind,” “perception of best stadium” and “perception of most loyal fans” lists) and the Montreal Alouettes (fourth place on the “most respected,” “perception of popularity” and “perception of stadium” lists). Unsurprisingly, the research found that hockey teams were indeed, very popular, but largely in their urban cities.
Image via Shutterstock.
