Led by the increasing importance of services marketing in developed economies, the paradigms that guide marketing practitioners have shifted over the past 15 years.  An important emerging area for sports marketing is the study of customer relationships and their role in marketing mix design.  This qualitative study examines the process, benefits and costs of implementing the customer relationship paradigm in brand identity research and development.  A new baccalaureate university introduced athletics-and needed a mascot, colors and a visual identity.  Gronroos' model of external, internal and interactive marketing guided the process.  The results demonstrated the benefits of the approach and identified the need for stronger concepts and measures in this emerging research area.