Mississippi

For debate: when discussing the State logo and how to brand ourselves nationally someone made a comment about how neither Southern Miss nor Ole Miss use Mississippi as their brand...both use abbreviations. Someone else brought up the fact that State is a regional brand and depending on where you are changes who is referred to as State. In a quick search Ole Miss doesn't have a Mississippi logo that I could find online. Why couldn't we brand ourselves as Mississippi? I live in Alabama and we're referred to as Mississippi just as much as we are State...same with commentators calling our games. Many of those same people only know Ole Miss as Ole Miss not the University of Mississippi. Why not embrace Mississippi as our brand and develop that as an official logo? We're the largest university in the state and the people's university. Too confusing? Thoughts?

For the record I like State but that comment made me wonder if it's ever been considered.

As you stated, Mississippi is Ole Miss, just like Alabama is the University of Alabama.

The word "Mississippi" doesn't flow off the tongue well and sounds even worse when additional words are added. There's a reason neither schools uses the full word Mississippi.

Additionally at some point in the future, the nickname, "Ole Miss" (referring the plantation owner's wife) is going to be canceled. Several professors up there already want to get rid of the term.

This is also why the term, 'Sip is fairly popular.....and the term "land mass" (just kidding about the last one).

No SEC program is just a regional program anymore. And what does State have to do with being called Mississippi? Not a thing tThe large majority of people call us State.

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Originally Posted by Cooterpoot

No SEC program is just a regional program anymore. And what does State have to do with being called Mississippi? Not a thing tThe large majority of people call us State.

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"State" will always be regional. Too generic and won't catch on nationally as a reference to just Mississippi State no matter how much rebranding we do.

Mississippi is Ole Miss.

We could try to adopt Mississippi as our brand, but it would be an up hill battle. State is too generic. MSU is also generic/Michigan State is who most people assume MSU stands for.

We could go back to shortening Mississippi State to Miss. State. Get creative and try something like Sip' U, Maroon U, etc. or just stick with who we are, Mississippi State.

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Originally Posted by DawgFromOxford

We could try to adopt Mississippi as our brand, but it would be an up hill battle. State is too generic. MSU is also generic/Michigan State is who most people assume MSU stands for.

We could go back to shortening Mississippi State to Miss. State. Get creative and try something like Sip' U, Maroon U, etc. or just stick with who we are, Mississippi State.

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You may be surprised, I recently embarked on a tour of the eastern seaboard starting in Boston and ending ATL. When wearing my MSU gear in the Northeast, a lot of people ask me how "state was going to do this season." No one used the term Mississippi State.

Remember when OM fans got bent out of shape when Jackie referred to them as "Mississippi ".

Anyways, Mississippi is easy enough to say.... Arkansas fans and talk radio doesn't bother with making a distinction most times... we are always ..."the Mississippi schools".

Btw I hate the "Miss State". 1. OM and USM use Miss. 2. Miss is a term for an unmarried woman.

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Originally Posted by Bark

For debate: when discussing the State logo and how to brand ourselves nationally someone made a comment about how neither Southern Miss nor Ole Miss use Mississippi as their brand...both use abbreviations. Someone else brought up the fact that State is a regional brand and depending on where you are changes who is referred to as State. In a quick search Ole Miss doesn't have a Mississippi logo that I could find online. Why couldn't we brand ourselves as Mississippi? I live in Alabama and we're referred to as Mississippi just as much as we are State...same with commentators calling our games. Many of those same people only know Ole Miss as Ole Miss not the University of Mississippi. Why not embrace Mississippi as our brand and develop that as an official logo? We're the largest university in the state and the people's university. Too confusing? Thoughts?

For the record I like State but that comment made me wonder if it's ever been considered.

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CHILL BRO!!! WE ALREADY GOT A DR PEPPER COMMERCIAL!!! ***

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Originally Posted by drummerdawg

"State" will always be regional. Too generic and won't catch on nationally as a reference to just Mississippi State no matter how much rebranding we do.

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I disagree. State is who we are.

State in the South is Mississippi State.

Alabama State
Arkansas State
Tenn State
Georgia State
South Carolina State

Nobody cares about these schools. When people in the South mention State- they know who is being talked about. Even Florida State includes the Florida part in their cheers.

We arent going to be a national brand no matter what we do- so it doesnt matter

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Originally Posted by Coach34

State in the South is Mississippi State.

Alabama State
Arkansas State
Tenn State
Georgia State
South Carolina State

Nobody cares about these schools. When people in the South mention State- they know who is being talked about. Even Florida State includes the Florida part in their cheers.

We arent going to be a national brand no matter what we do- so it doesnt matter

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Agreed. I'm in East TN, "State" is used to talk about us by Vols fans. I also hear "Mississippi State". Nobody ever says "Miss. State" or even "MSU". They start with State and then go full name of the other person doesn't get it.

But you know what really improves the brand? Winning. Yeah marketing stuff matters, but the best PR is a good record and being in national conversations.

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Originally Posted by Maroonthirteen

Remember when OM fans got bent out of shape when Jackie referred to them as "Mississippi ".

Anyways, Mississippi is easy enough to say.... Arkansas fans and talk radio doesn't bother with making a distinction most times... we are always ..."the Mississippi schools".

Btw I hate the "Miss State". 1. OM and USM use Miss. 2. Miss is a term for an unmarried woman.

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On our jerseys, when we had MISS STATE, there was a period after MISS. So we weren't trying to be a 3rd "MISS" in the state. It was an abbreviation.
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https://s3media.247sports.com/Upload...33/3633181.jpg

I’ve literally never heard anybody refer to us as “Miss” State

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Originally Posted by Coach34

State in the South is Mississippi State.

Alabama State
Arkansas State
Tenn State
Georgia State
South Carolina State

Nobody cares about these schools. When people in the South mention State- they know who is being talked about. Even Florida State includes the Florida part in their cheers.

We arent going to be a national brand no matter what we do- so it doesnt matter

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That excuse from the athletic department was so dumb.

They were basically saying that we would rather have a crappy logo that our AD likes over what our fans like.

And we have almost 20 years of evidence that the national branding didn't work.

Never mind.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

That excuse from the athletic department was so dumb.

They were basically saying that we would rather have a crappy logo that our AD likes over what our fans like.

And we have almost 20 years of evidence that the national branding didn't work.

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1. The AD office has never said we could not be a national brand.

2. It wasn't just the AD that liked the "Banner M". In 2009, the project of branding was conducted. A national firm was consulted and all the logos that we use now were decided upon by people with Mississippi State best interests in mind.

3. Fact is Mississippi State has achieved far more athletic success in football and basketball (men's and women's), while wearing the "Banner M". You achieve that success by being known and attractive to athletes. We have experienced record crowds and sell outs. We have a contract with a national shoe company. On and on.

This might be the dumbest thread I?ve seen on ED. Did people really say ?Miss? State?

Michigan State is MSU, Penn State always includes Penn, and Florida State always includes Florida. Those are our biggest competitors for the State moniker and none of them are even trying to use it. We should accept it and embrace it because it is natural to us and many others.

Adding Texas, the largest brand in college football is going to help our national appeal. Win a few games against them and Oklahoma and there will be no problem for people around the country to know who we are.