Barça is going through a period of restructuring and the finances are starting to match the club's stature. Although with a lot of controversy, Joan Laporta is leading the club down the right path, something that seemed impossible. The current president has had to deal with the poor decisions made by the previous board.
Joan Laporta has created many favorable things for the club, such as CAT, the mascot that is already an icon. It's present at every important match and young culés really enjoy seeing it. Now, the board's latest masterstroke with CAT could bring a lot of money to Barça thanks to sales.
Barça and CAT, a special relationship
CAT isn't a mascot that was created overnight; there were many months, maybe even years, of prior consideration. The board wanted the mascot to perfectly represent the club and its values. In the end, they succeeded, and Barça makes it very clear on their website what having this mascot means for the organization.
"This is the CAT mascot, which is a wildcat, a feline native to Catalonia that carries in its DNA all the most characteristic elements of Barça. The CAT mascot is known for being charismatic, innovative, a leader, demanding, creative, and inclusive, traits that have been the starting point for all the inspiration in its conception and creation process."
Representing Barça's homeland, Catalonia, CAT has become a true reference as a brand and as an inspiration for children. Knowing this, Joan Laporta has launched an exclusive line of CAT products on the website. The prices are quite affordable, so the organization could make a significant profit from all the merchandise.
CAT products, Laporta's masterpiece
Barça has released many products, but all of them are clothing; they range from €19 to €40, so parents could give products to their children as gifts. There are caps, t-jerseys, sweatjerseys, socks, and several other products that will appeal to younger fans. Barça needs to bring in money by any means, using CAT, according to some fans, is "a very good idea."
In any case, people keep asking for the CAT plush toy, which would surely bring a lot of money to the club. We will have to keep a close eye on the club's plans to see if they end up marketing the mascot even more.