The American Way and The Rams-A Business -Class Ticket To Cool
NFL Training Camp: Patching Things Up
For Audible CEO and Rams Exec VP/Sales and Marketing, Bob Reif, the sky is the limit.
Reif is credited with pioneering a little known niche of sports sponsorship inventory for The Saint Louis Rams, the practice jersey patches.
While marketeers have been scratching their heads, during the flat economy, Reif has been using his: creating yet another revenue stream and sponsorship inventory category for the midwest NFL franchise.
The Rams' American Airlines practice-jersey patch is part of a three-year air charter and marketing campaign at the St. Louis airport hub.
Reif said that American also will receive "all of the team's charter business while tripling their marketing spend." The airline gets use of the Rams' "e-mail and text messaging marketing programs, fixed and electronic stadium signage, and other team-controlled media."
The new three-year sponsorship will "step up several levels," according to Terry Lefton. (
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/27 issue
).
In addition, American will have "gate agents and other ground personnel decked out in Rams apparel every Sunday during the NFL season" at Lambert-St. Louis Int'l Airport, while the airline "will decorate some airport vehicles with a Rams paint scheme."
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Marketing/Sponsorship
Many NFL clubs still perfecting approach to practice patches
Published July 27, 2009 : Page 09
The recession’s stranglehold on marketing budgets has forced even the largest sports properties to create new sponsorship inventory. Liquor, lottery and practice jersey patches are now permitted targets in the NFL, though from what we have heard from the clubs, only the ability to market with state lotteries has yielded significant new revenue.
While advertising logos on NFL practice uniforms were trumpeted as a panacea for NFL marketers desperate for new sponsorship revenue, with training camps opening this week, we think it is fair to say they have proved to be a mixed bag. Since they were only authorized in late March, and the league required that the 3x4 patches be submitted for approval by July 1, some club marketers are holding off.
“A billboard on practice jerseys could be great inventory for the right partner,” said
Kevin Rochlitz
,
Baltimore Ravens
vice president of national sales and partnerships, “but we just needed more time, so we’re shelving it until next season.”
Echoed
Kansas City Chiefs
Executive Vice President and COO
Mark Donovan
, “We didn’t find the right deal and we didn’t want to rush into anything, so we’re waiting.”
Denis Gallagher, Philadelphia Eagles
director of corporate sales, agreed, saying, “It’s great to have something new to sell, but they [practice uniform ad patches] are a tough thing to quantify yet, since we’re not sure how much [TV] exposure they will get.” The Eagles are another team that won’t have a uniform patch this season.
On the other hand, the
St. Louis Rams
were able to induce incumbent airline sponsor
American Airlines
to step up several levels by including the practice jersey patch as part of a new pact. American signed a three-year deal under which they will get all of the team’s charter business while tripling their marketing spend with the Rams, said CMO
Bob Reif
.