Despite the "social media hullabaloo that erupted" when the White Sox' naming-rights deal with mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate was announced two months ago, the newly named Guaranteed Rate Field "still will carry the mortgage provider's logo -- a downward-pointing arrow," according to Becky Yerak of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Guaranteed Rate President & CEO Victor Ciardelli yesterday "stood by his decision to keep the downward arrow in the logo for the ballpark." He said, "We've had it for 16 years, and we're not going to change it." He added the White Sox "asked us if we'd change it, and we considered it and looked at different logos, [but] felt it was important to keep it the way it was, as much as some fans disliked the down arrow." Ciardelli: "We wanted to be consistent with the corporate image and the name." He added that since the naming rights announcement, Guaranteed Rate has "seen a pickup in website visits, leads and job applicants" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/1). Ciardelli said, "I know that there are fans that don't like the fact that there's a downward red arrow on the ballpark, but I have a hard time understanding the relevance between our mortgage company's main logo and how that negatively impacts the team or the fans. The whole reason we're doing this is to build national brand recognition." He added that the White Sox "suggested replacing the arrow with an image of home plate" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 10/31).
