With Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), being quoted as saying that he would not be averse to selling naming rights to the home of English rugby, Twickenham, on the proviso that the original name was preserved, we wanted to take a look at what naming rights partnerships in the digital age mean and the brand benefits they can deliver.
Brands have traditionally secured longterm naming rights partnerships with iconic stadiums and arenas to drive brand exposure and increase engagement with the thousands of target consumers who pass through their doors and the millions more who read and listen to mentions in the media every year.
SportsBusiness Journal calculated a 5:1 return on investment for American arena and stadium naming partnerships and with multimedia platform promotion, the argument for doing so is compelling.
Naming rights partnerships are not without their challenges, especially where they are perceived to impinge on traditional identities such as the emotional response to Sports Direct at St James’ Park. There are numerous other examples, however, such as the Aviva in Dublin or O2 in London, that demonstrate the power a successful partnership can bring to a brand when executed correctly. As venues diversify their event offerings and become less synonymous with a specific team, any emotional disruption is reduced.
To ensure he maximises the value of any partnership, Ritchie will have to go well beyond the ‘brand badging’ of a traditional naming rights partnership and provide meaningful engagement opportunities.
The Football League’s recent tie-up with IntechnologyWiFi is a great example, allowing sponsors to improve the matchday experience by revolutionising digital fan engagement. The proposed infrastructure will also facilitate in-play betting and therefore have an immediate and tangible impact on the title sponsor Sky Bet’s ROI.
Guy Dunstan, general manager for the Genting and Barclaycard Arenas in Birmingham and former chairman of the National Arenas Association, is only too aware of the need to develop strong partnerships with sponsors in order to enhance the visitor experience:
“We have invested significantly in our venue and in particular our Wi-Fi capabilities to enable our customers to better communicate with one another via social media and to ensure they have the best possible experience,” he said. “There is still work to do, but Wi-Fi presents another opportunity for us to data-capture our audience which, when integrated into our customer management system, enables us to more accurately define our visitor profile and provide valuable data to our key partners. Whilst our venue partners continue to benefit from the global exposure they gain through association with our venues, they also have the unique ability to profile, segment and target our visitors to more accurately address their needs.”
Dunstan added: “The recent £26m refurbishment of the Barclaycard Arena created further opportunities for brand activation including bespoke hospitality lounges and pre-show stages, adding increasing value to our partners and ensuring the Arena continues to be a leading event destination.”
Following a successful five-year partnership, including the launch of the Barclaycard Arena in December 2014, the agreement with Barclaycard is coming to an end. As a result there is a compelling opportunity for a brand to benefit from an association with a national, city centre icon which attracts over 650,000 annual visitors and secures global event interest with stars from the world of sport, screen and stage. With a unique event calendar and a greater representation of non-music acts, the arena can boast a more varied audience and an abundance of meaningful brand engagement opportunities.
Naming rights deals have moved on significantly from the brand-tagging exercises of old to create 365-day marketing partnerships which extend far beyond the event or matchday fan experience.
Let’s hope the Pimms Big Ben April Fools prank was just that, but the financial and promotional benefits of a Twickenham naming rights partnership may prove too much for Mr Ritchie to ignore.
