In-Depth
The Gatekeepers: Jay Coldren
Managing director, Dean & DeLuca
Upscale food retailer Dean & DeLuca dipped a toe in the industry this year when it signed its first sports deal, taking over title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s venerable Colonial Tournament in Dallas and renaming the event the Dean & DeLuca Invitational.
The six-year agreement is a new strategy for Dean & DeLuca, which opened its first store in New York City in
1977. The boutique food seller is banking on its title tournament deal to boost its profile as the company adds more locations to its current 11-store U.S. footprint.
“We loved what the tournament stood for, and for many years, Dean & DeLuca has been stuck in time,” said Jay Coldren, managing director of the retailer. “The Colonial was in a spot where it needed a new infusion of energy and it was a great fit. It was our first foray into sports sponsorships and it gives people a broad idea of what Dean & DeLuca is all about.”
The company went into its first year as tournament sponsor with a deliberate and limited strategy given it had only three months to create activation plans. Dean & DeLuca built a pop-up store on the course that allowed the company to introduce itself to fans in the Texas market where there are not yet any Dean & DeLuca stores.
“We got in late in the game and we gently introduced ourselves,” Coldren said.
The company also created a new, cleaner look for on-course signage to reflect the company’s brand. “We have a simple and clean identity and when we added those touch points around the course, it really popped,” Coldren said.
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Dean & DeLuca used a pop-up store as part of its golf tournament sponsorship.
Photo by: Dean & DeLuca |
While the pop-up store and the refreshed logo look gained notice, the company has much bigger plans to leverage the title sponsorship. “We learned that there is a whole lot more opportunity for our brand,” Coldren said. “We will do more public-facing activation.”
The company, along with its agency in Lagardère, wants to build a stronger brand identity for longer than only the week of the tournament and could add more events to its sports sponsorship portfolio.
“We will work to make golf a 365-day partnership instead of a one-week partnership,” Coldren said. “Because we got in it so late in the game, we were more concerned about being a great partner and representing the heritage of the Colonial. We saw sales lifts in all our categories but didn’t make a push to monetize it so much during our first year.”
■ A TREND HE'S WATCHING: “We are looking at what other different sectors of business are entering sports sponsorships and how are they using it in the lifestyle category. It’s not just insurance companies or giant companies. It’s how smaller, boutique companies are using sports sponsorships and how they make it fit into their brands.”
■ WHAT PROPERTIES COULD DO BETTER: “The way we looked at it was thinking about sponsorships as a more 360-degree fan experience. There is an opportunity to do more. What can you do for the fan throughout the day? Where can you go?”
