How MLB’s Guardians Walk Sports’ Unique Branding Path: Explained

Many learned the Cleveland Guardians already existed as a roller derby team only after the city’s Major League Baseball team announced it would adopt the name.

Attorneys for the Cleveland Indians, though, all but certainly knew long before.

Social media buzzed with derision on Monday at the apparent oversight. But a closer look at the trademark activity of the team reveals the methodical process teams take to forge a brand that they hope will prove valuable for decades.

All companies put considerable thought into their brands, but major professional sports carry a particular dynamic, because fans become invested in the ...