Slagle Design featured in IAPPF’s Facilities Magazine
Why Branding is Critical to Your Club’s Success
September 2026 edition of IAPPF Facility Magazine
By CHELSEA DONOVAN, IAPPF
Pickle & Chill in Columbus, Ohio, and Major League Pickleball's Columbus Sliders have drawn plenty of attention nationwide. They can thank design agency head Jeremy Slagle for building the brands behind them. After running a Columbus design agency he co-founded for 12 years, Slagle launched Slagle Design. He grew up playing tennis, but his father introduced him to pickleball, and he was hooked. As more facilities open, Slagle says branding matters more than ever. IAPPF's Chelsea Donovan asked what operators should-and shouldn't-be doing to build one.
Q: When we say "branding," what does that actually mean? Is it basically your logo?
Slagle: Branding is much more than a logo. It's the ethos of your business-tone of voice, personality, mission, and vision- all visually represented. Your colors, fonts, textures, writing style, photography, and the experience someone has with your organization should feel consistent and unified. Your logo is an important element, but not the entire brand. Building one requires intentionality and real understanding of your identity, your audience, and what sets you apart.
Q: Why is that especially important for pickleball and padel facilities right now?
Slagle: When Pickle & Chill opened, there was zero competition in Columbus. At that point, you're selling the promise of pickleball and community. Now there are multiple indoor options in the same market. Suddenly you have to help people understand why you're the best one. That's much more nuanced, and that's where you get into brand identity. A lot of pioneers are facing this now. It's the moment to build a foundation.
Q: What's the biggest branding mistake you see facilities make?
Slagle: A good brand identity does two things: It identifies you, and it differentiates you. People go heavy on identification. That's why there are a million pickleball logos with crossed paddles and the facility name underneath. People need to know you're a pickleball facility, but your brand also has to give them a reason to remember you. If five clubs in your market use similar names, paddle imagery, bright colors, and the same messaging about fun and community, what gives a member a reason to choose you?
Q: So what's one of your biggest branding DO's?
Slagle: Identify who your audience actually is. Some clubs are dedicated to elite play. Others cater to a crowd where learning and camaraderie matter more than medals. Both are legitimate. There's room for clubs built around beginners and players who won't be 4.0 and above. There's community there, and opportunity. But everybody wants to look elite. The problem comes when clubs try to appeal to everyone. They end up saying nothing instead of embracing their own story. Your audience should influence everything-how your facility looks, the language you use, the photography, your programming, and the experience members have walking in the door.
Q: How does a facility develop that story—and does branding extend into programming?
Slagle: Ask yourself: Who are we? Who are we serving? What do we believe in? What experience are we trying to create? What makes us different from other facilities in our market? Then be consistent about telling it. Don't be afraid to do something different, because that's what separates you. If you keep doing what everybody else does because it worked for them, you look like somebody chasing rather than leading. And branding isn't just your website or your sign. If your brand says you're a welcoming, social club for recreational players but your programming caters to competitive ones, there's a disconnect. Same with your space, staff, and events.
Q: What's at the top of your DON'T list?
Slagle: Don't use AI-generated imagery just because it's easy. I'm seeing facilities post Al images with paddles that aren't correct, court lines that don't make sense, and people who don't look real. People are getting better at recognizing it, especially younger generations. If what makes you special is building community, then imagery that clearly looks computer-generated works against the thing that makes you special. Look at Pickle & Chill. Their social media is members holding medals, people playing, people having fun. That's all you need. Use your iPhone. Real members and real events communicate far more than a generated image will.
Q: What's another big DON'T for facility owners?
Slagle: Don't get bored with your brand. Owners see their branding everywhere-the sign outside, the website, the uniforms, social media—so eventually it feels boring. But customers aren't seeing it as often as you are.
Q: What do you say to an owner who thinks, "I don't need a designer, I have Canva"?
Slagle: It doesn't have to be either-or. What I often do is help brands establish their logo and overall look and feel, then hand them the assets to work with themselves. Pickle & Chill is a great example. They're using Canva. I'm not designing their social media, but they're consistently using the colors, the branding, and great photographs of real people enjoying the facility. I established the guardrails. They work within that sandbox and are still creative. It's not about having a designer make every graphic forever. It's about doing the work upfront to understand your identity, then building a system everyone can work from.
Q: What about club names? We see a lot of "pickle," "dink," and other familiar terms. Is there a danger in everybody sounding alike?
Slagle: Same principle as the rest of your brand: identify yourself, but differentiate yourself. You don't need every obvious pickleball reference in your name for people to know what you do. The more crowded the market gets, the more it matters whether your name gives you room to build a distinctive identity and tell a larger story. Don't choose something because it sounds like what a pickleball club is "supposed" to sound like.
Q: Are there certain colors facilities should or shouldn't use?
Slagle: Colors are another way to differentiate, but I'm not someone who says, "Never use red" or "Never use this color.” A color might be perfect for you, but it needs to align with your story and your values. Picking one because another successful club is using it isn't really branding. There should be intention behind those decisions.
Q: Where is design headed as AI becomes more prevalent?
Slagle: I think you're going to see a major shift toward intentionality and handmade, hand-touched work-work AI can't reproduce. For facilities, that makes authenticity even more valuable. Your members, your space, your culture and your community are things no other club-and no AI program-can duplicate.