Tag: Julian Duncan

In aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Rockets host storm relief drive for Houston community

In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, affected Houston residents got an assist from the Rockets courtesy of Friday’s storm relief drive.

HOUSTON — As resilient residents of Houston and its surrounding areas continue to stand united in the recovery from Hurricane Beryl, which left homes and properties damaged and millions without power, the Rockets’ organization and its local partners joined forces Friday to provide much-needed support.

“When in need and you have the resources, and you have the ability, then it is your responsibility to give back and make sure that those in need have the support,” said Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations. “As soon as we realized that (Hurricane) Beryl was going to leave some effects longer than people anticipated, we immediately got together with our wonderful partners.”

Such was the urgency and demand for support that cars began lining up in front of Toyota Center in the early morning hours, well before the scheduled start of the distribution. This was a testament to both the community’s resilience and the need for immediate relief.

The free supplies were provided by the Rockets in collaboration with Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis; the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region; Pepsi; Reliant Energy; Second Servings of Houston; and Cotton Global Disaster Solutions.

Volunteers from the Rockets teamed up with WNBA legend and former Houston Comets guard Sheryl Swoopes and hip-hop artist Trae tha Truth to distribute boxed lunches, water, fruit, snacks, and other relief items, including charging devices from Reliant.

“It means everything,” Swoopes said. “The city of Houston has done nothing but show me love and the Comets when we were here. Everyone was impacted differently by this hurricane that just came through, and even though this may not seem like a lot to other people, it means everything to me to come back and be a part of this community and be a part of what the Rockets are doing today.”

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Giving back to those whose lives were changed by the devastation was emotional for Julian Duncan, chief marketing and strategy officer with the Rockets. Duncan is also a native Houstonian and Rice University graduate, and the relief efforts are personal to him.

“I’m H-Town, and the Rockets are all about Houston, as well,” Duncan said. “What I hope people see is not just an organization doing community service, but the people behind me [volunteers and staff] don’t have power, themselves. They are pushing their inconveniences to the side to help out those who are less fortunate in Houston. We are just all about ‘The H’, and we want to use our platform, our relationships, and partnerships to help out however we can.”

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Rockets bring back pinstripe blue City jerseys in 2022-23 season

“We’re going to bring back the pinstripes from last year, because there was such great energy around that uniform,” says Julian Duncan, Houston’s chief marketing and strategy officer.

Last season’s new City jerseys for the Houston Rockets — the blue, pinstriped uniform with an old-school logo as a nod to the 1990s and early 2000s era — were clearly a hit among the team and fan base.

If desired, NBA teams can change their City Edition uniforms each year, as part of the league’s current jersey deal with Nike. But as the Rockets see it, there’s no reason to rush into a change when the status quo is as popular as the blue pinstripes became during the 2021-22 campaign. When worn at Toyota Center, those uniforms were also accompanied by a custom blue court, for matching purposes.

Based on that popularity, the team is standing pat with those jerseys for at least one more year. Julian Duncan, chief marketing and strategy officer for the Rockets, confirmed the decision to our Ben DuBose in the latest episode of “The Lager Line” podcast:

Let’s just break the news right here, on your podcast. We’re going to bring back the pinstripes from last year, because there was such great energy around that uniform.

The fans really responded, and just as important, the team absolutely loves them. Josh (Christopher) can’t stop talking about them. He came by the office a couple weeks ago, and we were just having a conversation. He was like, ‘Hey, are we bringing the pinstripes back next year?’ I was like, ‘Absolutely.’

So we’re going to be bringing that uniform back, and we’ll be making some noise around that, as we go into this season.

As was the case last year, the blue City uniforms will be joined in Houston’s 2022-23 jersey rotation by Nike’s red Icon, white Association, and black Statement sets. The uniform schedule, in terms of which jerseys will be worn for which games, will be released closer to when the 2022-23 campaign actually begins in October.

In some years, NBA teams also have a fifth jersey in the rotation known as the Classic uniform, which directly replicates a past era. For example, in the 2019-20 season, the Rockets wore throwback jerseys to commemorate the look of their 1994-95 championship team, as part of a 25th anniversary celebration. They have not worn one since.

Earlier this month, however, Dave Hardisty of ClutchFans reported that the Rockets would release new Classic jerseys in August, giving them a fifth uniform for the 2022-23 season. While Duncan did not confirm that in his interview, he certainly didn’t deny it, either.

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“I’m not at liberty to discuss anything beyond that (the blue pinstripes), but just know that we’re always looking to have fun with our uniforms, here at Toyota Center,” Duncan said on the podcast.

Stay tuned! The complete podcast can be listened to below.

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Podcast: Rockets marketing execs on 2022-23 schedule, reveal video

In today’s podcast, Rockets marketing execs Julian Duncan (@jdhtown) and Paul Suarez (@psuarii) share insight on Houston’s new schedule release and the epic video accompanying it.

In Friday’s episode of “The Lager Line” podcast, Rockets marketing executives Julian Duncan and Paul Suarez share their insight on the release of Houston’s 2022-23 season schedule, as well as the epic video that accompanied its reveal on social media.

Duncan is the team’s chief marketing and strategy officer, while Suarez is vice president of digital marketing with the Rockets.

Topics discussed on the podcast with our Ben DuBose include:

  • Highlights from Houston’s new schedule and games of interest in the upcoming season;
  • What the logistics process is like of working with the NBA to put the 82-game schedule together;
  • Behind-the-scenes information on how the release video featuring players, coaches, and executives came to be;
  • What to watch for over the remainder of the 2022 offseason, including jersey announcements, fan engagement strategies, and new digital content on the horizon at Rockets.com and via the team’s official social media outlets.

Friday’s full episode can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Houston Rockets name new chief marketing and strategy officer

Julian Duncan is joining the Rockets from the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was also the chief marketing officer for the team.

The Houston Rockets announced Monday that they have named Julian Duncan as the team’s new chief marketing and strategy officer. He most recently served as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of social responsibility for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

In addition to directing the marketing, promotional, and branding efforts, Duncan will also oversee fan experience, digital content, retail, and community engagement. The press release reads as follows:

“Julian has a proven track record for brand innovation and leadership.” said Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations for the Rockets.  “We believe Julian’s impact will resonate not only within our organization and fanbase, but throughout the Houston community.”

“As a native Houstonian, it is a dream come true to have the opportunity to come back home and join the Rockets,” said Duncan.  “I am excited to be part of an organization with such a rich history and to help build upon a brand that is endeared by Rockets fans across the globe.”

Duncan played football at Rice University while double-majoring in Sport Management and English.  He earned an MBA from Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business in 2006.

Following a stint as a player in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League, Duncan returned to Houston as a business analyst in the energy field.  He later joined Nike’s Marketing Development Program and became their Global Brand Director.  During his time at Nike and later Under Armour, Duncan’s work promoted the brands of numerous athletes and cultural icons, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Serena Williams, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Along with a collection of global CMOs, Duncan serves on the steering committee and advisory board for Adweek’s Brandweek platform, whose mission is to catalyze the growth and development of marketeers worldwide through event experiences, online and print engagement, mentorship, and training.

With Houston set to pick at No. 2 in the first round of the NBA’s 2021 draft next week, it’s an opportune time for the franchise to bring in an established leader to lead their marketing push. From a branding perspective, the player they select at No. 2 (assuming they keep the pick) will instantly become the team’s most visible player since James Harden.

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