Krafts Continue Making Strong Business Moves To Market Patriots

Patriots Have Partnered With Team Grill To Become First NFL Team With Own Grill

Patriots Owner Bob Kraft and President Jonathan Kraft have "skillfully marketed, branded and licensed product rights for the team," and from a new team-themed lottery ticket to "stylish new ways to grill cheeseburgers, the Patriots are always taking care of business," according to Peter Howe of NECN.com. The Krafts, "builders of a cardboard packaging fortune before they diversified into football," are known as "champion businessmen, too, for their highly profitable licensing of the New England Patriots legend." Ocean Spray in October will "install a temporary cranberry bog at the Patriot Place mall as part of a marketing and promotion deal," while there also is a "AAA Travel Agency package offering travel to Patriots away games" debuting this fall. The Patriots this summer, in partnership with Massachusetts-based Team Grill, became the first NFL team whose logos and colors will appear on the company's line of sports-themed grills. Team Grill President Frank Azzolino said that he "thinks one aspect of why the Patriots have succeeded so well in off-field marketing is his own experience negotiating the deal with the team." The team "never lorded it over the tiny startup company that they are 'The Patriots' or bullied them in negotiations." Azzolino said, "I've never had a more pleasant and successful relationship." Massachusetts state Treasurer Tim Cahill "agreed that the Krafts are just as formidable off the field as on" (NECN.com, 8/11).

COLLECTIVE SIGH: Bob Kraft yesterday said that the upcoming CBA uncertainty in the NFL has "made it difficult to move forward in locking up his marquee players to long-term deals." He indicated that the team is "proceeding cautiously with contract negotiations because of the potential for a lockout." Kraft: "We know that our agreement is going to have to change. It's not sustainable the way it operates now. When you don't know what's going to happen, you don't want to put yourself in a box." Patriots QB Tom Brady, DT Vince Wilfork and DE Richard Seymour are among the team's "big-ticket players with expiring contracts in the next two years" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/12).