This is regarding “Signs pointing to end of era; Ads may hit bricks behind home plate” (Business, Sept. 3). The Cubs’ mission to put advertising on the historic brick wall behind home plate at Wrigley Field joins a long list of shortsighted actions (logos in dugouts, additional lighted scoreboards, hardball tactics with rooftop owners) that will increase near-term revenue but reveal a stark incomprehension of what creates unique, lasting value.
Not to mention a clear disregard for what’s really filling the seats in years good and bad. (Hint: It’s not all the championship teams.)
Wrigley Field’s unique, pristine, historic qualities are without question the Cubs’ greatest asset and the cornerstone of their brand. The more its landmark elements become merely vehicles for delivering other brands’ messages, the more the Cubs dilute their own brand.
The argument that “everyone else is doing it” is precisely the reason not to.
