bose

When Pat LaCroix joined Bose in 2014, he was one of very few marketers in a company founded and run by engineers. Bose, looking to capitalize on a growth opportunity spurred by MP3 players, had just signed on as an NFL sideline sponsor. So, call him an undercover agent. LaCroix found himself explaining and vindicating marketing expenditures in the tens of millions to an audience used to more scientific rigor than marketing sometimes can offer.

Today, the ROI numbers spill right out at him: sales, of course, along with an infinitely more positive brand perception from consumers aware of Bose’s top-shelf NFL deal. Overall, it meant far greater relevance for Bose.

“With the NFL sidelines visibility, we’ve better established what the brand means,” LaCroix said, “which is quality and high performance. We’ve got every NFL coach as a way to demonstrate our capabilities to make sound clear in an extreme environment.”

LaCroix pursued advertising after he finished college. A series of agency jobs left him with expertise in media buying and planning. Some years working on the Goodyear account gave him a taste for sports marketing and a skill set for melding sports activation with media buys.

The opportunity at Bose was suggested to LaCroix by an agency pal. “I felt like this was a good opportunity that might never come around again,” he said.

LaCroix began handling media strategy for Bose. Eventually his responsibilities grew to include sponsorships in North America, and then worldwide.

“Pat’s earned their trust inside by showing how to use a property as big and complex as the NFL to build their own brand,” said Renie Anderson, NFL senior vice president of sponsorship and partnership management.

“We’re still run by engineers,” LaCroix said, “but now we’re closer to where our consumers are — and they’re close to us.”

— Terry Lefton