When the Crew take the field next spring, it "could be with the Barbasol name plastered across players jerseys, or that of another corporate sponsor" once the five-year deal with the brand expires, according to Evan Weese of COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST. Either way, the "financial arrangement behind the advertising promises to be more valuable" than what Barbasol now pays the club. Based on the going rate for other recent sponsorships throughout MLS, the Crew should "expect its new multiyear uniform naming-rights deal" to be around $3M annually. Chicago-based Navigate Marketing Manager of Data Strategy Brandon Korody said, "The going rate ... kind of ranges between $2 million and $4 million." Stadium and jersey naming-rights are "crucial to financial viability" in MLS. Last year, the club "landed the first sponsor for its 17-year-old stadium -- Spain's Mapfre Insurance." Those terms "were not disclosed," but the deal was estimated at $1-2M annually. Crew President of Business Operations Andy Loughnane said, "It's unhealthy for us to continue to rank at the bottom of corporate investment (lists). We want to make sure we continue to rise with the high tide of Major League Soccer." Loughnane said that the club has "been in talks with Barbasol for much of the past year" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/2).
