A
s senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena, it’s Ailey Penningroth’s job to spotlight the team’s brand in Atlanta’s cluttered sports market. She has gone about that work in a way that has distinguished her, using nontraditional marketing efforts such as a word-of-mouth strategy to move the Hawks’ brand deeper into the community.
“It is very much consumer-to-consumer instead of business-to-consumer,” said Penningroth, a Harvard University graduate, of her grassroots approach. “The idea is to find champions of the Hawks out in the community to tell our story for us.”
Penningroth, a former NBA league office executive who came to the Hawks in 2004, played a key role in helping the Hawks market their bold plan that waives ticket fees for fans who buy tickets online. What started as a thank-you to fans after the 2011 lockout has become an integral part of the team’s marketing strategy. She also was the project manager for the team’s Red program, the Hawks’ sit-down, a la carte dining option offered to nonpremium ticket holders. The program included the design of a $2.6 million space inside the arena.
“We have turned our focus on making sure our fans know that we are Atlanta’s team,” she said.
— John Lombardo
“Ailey is a smart, solution-oriented executive with a tireless work ethic. From her early days working at the league office, we all knew that she possessed that special blend of intelligence and tenacity that would greatly benefit any organization. Fortunately, the Atlanta Hawks and the NBA have been the beneficiaries of her extraordinary talents.”
— Adam Silver | Deputy commissioner | NBA
