NFL Senior VP/Sponsorship & Partnership Marketing Renie Anderson said that there has been "no measurable impact" on the league's sponsorships in the wake of recent domestic violence issues. On a panel yesterday at the ‘14 CSE Sports Marketing Symposium in N.Y., Anderson said that all of the league's partners "are with us." Anderson: "We've gone partner to partner, speaking with them to understand their needs and concerns." Coca-Cola Senior VP/Sports & Entertainment Marketing Partnerships Sharon Byers said that changes have to be made in the way that sports addresses such issues, and that all partners should work towards the same goal. Byers: "Sports are a happy experience, so when terrible things like this happen, we all have to come together and work to find a solution, whether you're a sponsor, owner or a league. Sponsors can be part of the solution."
Quick Hits:
**Madison Square Garden Co. Exec VP/Marketing Partnerships Ron Skotarczak, on the sponsorship model: "The model hasn't changed dramatically. What has changed is the amount of tools at your disposal, making categories that were undefined now defined, and those that were very defined less so." JPMorgan Chase Head of Retail Financial Services Sports & Marketing Steve Pamon added, "The best sponsorship partners know when a partnership is not working and make changes before they're asked."
**CSE President Adam Zimmerman, on the state of deals and contracts: "We would be remiss if we didn't rework how we were doing deals compared to the past 20 years. Brands are demanding higher levels of sophistication." Pamon added, "You're seeing 25-year naming rights deals for buildings that are being destroyed in 20 years. That makes no sense." Byers: "At the U.S. Open, we noticed a player loved the Coke brand. We gave him a special bottle, and he tweeted about it once he got home. That's something that was not in our contract, but is a new way that makes sense."
**Skotarczak, on being partners and just sponsors: "It's telling that when I came to MSG that my title says partnerships over just sponsorships." Pamon added, "These relationships are beginning before the agreement, and have the ability to adapt and evolve beyond just the contract." Anderson: "The best deals are the ones that make our game better in a very authentic way. We were using Polaroid pictures last season. Now our coaches have access to Microsoft Surface tablets. Anyone can slap a logo on something, but we’re not looking to put something on the sideline simply for exposure."
