When it comes to marketing, the playoff run has been good to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pens’ marketing has turned the team into one of the fastest growing brands in sports.
The team’s young guns like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have helped translate marketing themes like energy, drive and youth into the Pen’s image.
In fact, the Pens seem to be more popular now than when hall of famer Mario Lemieux was on the ice.
That’s according to television ratings, ticket and merchandise sales.
The success of the team in recent years, especially in the playoffs helps the Pens’ popularity of course.
Also, Forbes Magazine found the Penguins have grown some 88 percent in the last three years.
The Pens are at the top of the list in terms of growth.
The Edmonton Oilers are second with 71 percent growth recently.
And when it comes to where the Pens rank sports-wide, they are third, just behind the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.