The Do’s and Dont's of Building a Winning Pickleball Brand.

Pickleball is exploding in popularity, and with that growth comes a wave of new brands, clubs, and franchises looking to make their mark. Whether you’re launching a new pickleball brand or refreshing an existing one, it’s crucial to craft a visual identity that resonates, stands out, and lasts.

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Here’s a guide to the do’s and don’ts when building a strong pickleball brand, logo, and style guide.

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The Do’s

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Understand Your Audience

Before diving into design, it’s essential to know who you’re designing for. Is your brand targeting competitive players, casual enthusiasts, or families looking for fun? Understanding your audience’s preferences, values, and lifestyle will guide every aspect of your brand’s visual and emotional appeal.

Also think about what types of Pickleball Players appeal to, making your brand warm a friendly is a great way to attract New Players to the game, whilst Expert Players will be looking for something more exclusive.

So make sure you understand your target Pickleball Players and aim to strike the right balance.

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Establish Clear Brand Values and Experience Goals

Ask yourself what experience you want your customers to have when interacting with your brand. Should they feel energized, welcomed, or part of an elite community?

Define how you want them to engage with your brand. This clarity will help you create a visual language that aligns with your goals, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.


We like to provide a Brand Questionnaire to our clients, to help form the basis of a strategy moving forward.

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Think About Shape and Form

Before moving to color, make sure the shapes in your logo and brand assets can communicate without the need for color, this ensures your brands message is never lost.
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How does the design make you feel?

‍Rounded shapes often convey friendliness and inclusivity, while angular designs suggest dynamism and movement, so make sure you create the right feeling in the shape of your brand.

Pro Tip: Your logo should be able to work in Black and White, and color should only be added to the logo, once the shape has been established.

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For a pickleball brands consider shapes that reflect the sport’s agility and energy. The goal is to create a logo that is both distinctive and scalable, looking good on everything from jerseys to social media icons.

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Be Strategic with Color

Colors evoke emotions and create associations: For pickleball, consider colors that convey energy, vitality, and community. Bright greens, blues, and yellows are common in sports branding for their vibrancy and inclusivity.

However, ensure the colors you choose reflect your brand’s personality. Consistency is key; your color palette should be used consistently across all brand materials to build recognition and trust.

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Good Color Tools to help you decide your pickleball club theme: Coolors, Adobe Color.

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Prioritize Accessibility

A good brand is one that everyone can engage with: Ensure your color contrasts are strong enough for those with visual impairments, and avoid overly intricate designs that don’t scale well.

Consider how your brand will look in black and white, and make sure your typography is legible across all devices and platforms.

An accessible brand is a brand that resonates with a broader audience.

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Create a Comprehensive Style Guide

A style guide isn’t just a document; it’s the blueprint of your brand’s visual language. It should cover everything from logo usage to typography, color palettes, and tone of voice. A well-crafted style guide ensures consistency and helps anyone working with your brand maintain its integrity, no matter the medium.

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Focus on Building Brand Recognition

Your goal is to create a brand that is immediately recognizable, even at a glance. Achieve this through consistency in visuals, messaging, and experience. From the color of your website buttons to the tone of your social media posts, everything should align with your brand’s identity.

Make your brand clean and easy to remember, with its own unique look and feel.

A good brand will tell you what it is, without evening reading it.

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The Don’ts

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Don’t Default to Using Pickles

It’s tempting to lean into the “pickle” in pickleball, but it’s a cliché that can limit your brand’s appeal and longevity. The best brands transcend literal interpretations, focusing instead on the emotions and values they want to convey.

Avoid pickles and instead focus on elements that reflect the sport’s vibrancy and spirit.

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Don’t Overcomplicate the Logo

Simplicity is key in logo design. A complex logo might look impressive on a large scale but will lose impact when scaled down. Your logo should be clean, memorable, and versatile enough to work across a variety of mediums, from merchandise to mobile apps.

Finely drawn illustrations look great, but often don't scale well or are hard to work with.

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Don’t Skimp on Research

Research isn’t just about understanding your competition; it’s about understanding your own brand. What do you want to be known for? What gaps exist in the market that your brand can fill? By answering these questions, you can create a brand that not only stands out but also serves a real purpose in the pickleball community.

As the popularity of Pickleball continues to grow and attract new players, it is important to regularly monitor and analyze the latest trends and insights in order to stay informed about the evolving demographics of the sport.

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Don’t Neglect the User Experience

Your brand is more than just a logo and colors; it’s the entire experience you provide. From the ease of navigating your website to the feel of your merchandise, every touchpoint should reflect your brand’s identity and values. If users struggle to engage with your brand, no amount of great design will save it.

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Don’t Lose Sight of Consistency

Inconsistent branding is confusing and unprofessional. Ensure that your visual and verbal language is consistent across all media online, in print and at your location.

This Uniformity will build trust, especially if you're building a pickle club franchise.

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Conclusion

Building a strong pickleball brand requires a thoughtful approach to design, strategy, and user experience. By focusing on what truly matters—your audience, values, and brand consistency—you can create a brand that not only stands out but also endures.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to create a logo, but to build a brand that resonates emotionally and grows with the pickleball community.

Ready to take your pickleball brand to the next level? Let’s work together to create something exceptional.

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