Jersey advertising was met with both skepticism and optimism during the opening panel of the '16 Intersport Brand Engagement Summit today. In the wake of the NBA’s decision to allow small branded patches on uniforms, up next in the grand experiment with sports fans is the World Cup of Hockey this September. The NHL already has sold some sponsorships on the shoulders of the jerseys, said NHL CMO Brian Jennings. It is a test, and the league will be listening carefully to see what fans think. "With the use of technology, you’re in a real-time dialogue that lets you know what they think and feel about it,” Jennings said. MiLB CMO & Chief Commercial Officer David Wright suggested his domain could well be next. He said, “The gate’s been swung open. ... It’s not for every brand, but if you think about it, it’s the closest position to the passion points of the consumer.” He stressed nothing has been decided with MiLB. Wright: “We’ll see. It’s obviously a big opportunity and one that’s never been allowed, but we’ll see as we move forward.”
STILL NOT CONVINCED: Two panelists with marketing budgets were far less enthusiastic. Enterprise Holdings Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Pat Farrell said his car rental brands always want to be front of mind, so a jersey sponsorship is not out of the question. However, the cost has put off the company for now. Farrell: “A shirt deal at some point might be of interest, but we chose not to go that route for budgetary purposes.” TD Ameritrade CMO Denise Karkos answered a flat “no” when asked if the online trader would ever buy a uniform deal, adding that the company has a familiarity problem, not an awareness problem. “I don’t know that a logo on a team’s jersey is going to accomplish that objective,” she said.
