ST. LOUIS -- Saint Louis University’s John Cook School of Business has named the winners of
its first annual Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards.
Visa, AT&T, Nestle Purina Petcare and Hardee’s Food Systems are this year’s award winners for the most innovative and fan-focused sponsorship relationships in the sports industry.
“All four of these winners really exemplify innovative sports promotion,” said Brett Boyle, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at the Cook School and coordinator of the Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards.
Overall Award Winner: Visa
Visa is the 2004 Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards overall winner for its promotion of the 2004 Olympic Summer Games. Visa partnered with the IOC in an integrated marketing campaign that included TV ads, promotions for cardholders and incentives for member financial institutions.
“There is no other brand that was more associated with the Olympics,” said Boyle. “This is a solid example of what can happen when a corporate sponsor commits significant resources into a partnership with the world’s largest sporting event.”
Professional/Single Event: Nestle Purina Petcare
Nestle Purina Petcare is the 2004 Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Award winner for the Professional/Single Day Event for its “Dog Days of Summer” event with the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 21, 2004.
San Francisco residents had the opportunity to bring their dogs – dressed in San Francisco Giants uniforms – to the ballpark for this promotion. The event included a pre-game parade, an on-field demonstration of the Purina Dog Chow Incredible Dog Team and opportunities for dogs to sample products.
“Dogs at the ballpark—how could this not make Bill Veeck proud?” asked Boyle. “The Purina-Giants partnership was highly effective for both parties. The Giants got extra fans to the stadium, while Purina got the chance to share their product with a large, captive audience. This was also a great example of getting the brand involved into the fan’s experience in a positive way.”
Cause-Related: Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.
Hardee’s Food Systems is the 2004 Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship co-winner in the cause-related category for its St. Louis Cardinals “Go Cards” Rally Band Promotion to benefit Cardinals Care.
Hardee’s sold the rally bands with the Hardee’s logo and “Go Cards” carved into them at all 62 St. Louis-area restaurants with the proceeds going to Cardinals Care. Through the promotion Hardee’s created an opportunity for its brand to be associated with the St. Louis baseball tradition.
Cardinals fans from 29 states placed orders for the bands through St. Louis-based relatives and calls to Hardee’s corporate office. Hardee’s sold-out of the rally bands, raising over $150,000 for Cardinals Care.
“Associating your company with a winning sports team is a great move,” said Boyle. “Not only does Cardinals Care benefit from this sponsorship, but Hardee’s has 200,000 people with their logo wrapped around their wrist.”
Cause-Related: AT&T / Steven A. Cox Classic
AT&T is the 2004 Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship co-winner in the Cause-Related category for its AT&T Steven A. Cox Charity Classic. The tournament, which has become the largest one-day amateur charity golf event in the country, has raised more than $5 million in its 15-year history for childhood cancer and SIDS.
Beginning in 1990, the tournament started with eight friends raising money for friend Steven Cox, who was dying from cancer. Fifteen years later the AT&T Cox Charity Classic now attracts a field of 750 golfers and more than 100 corporations.
“AT&T has effectively partnered with this worthy charity to not only help raise $5 million dollars for very worthy causes, but also to give back to the community with this event year after year,” said Boyle.
Each of the winning organizations will be recognized with a stainless steel trophy.
The award is named after Hall of Fame baseball owner Bill Veeck who is best known
for his unusual promotion of America’s favorite pastime. Sending a 3-foot, 7-inch part-time actor to bat and hiring a clown to play third base are just some of the tactics baseball Veeck used to draw people to major league baseball games. He also made a lasting imprint on the game by putting names on the back of player’s uniforms and firing off fireworks after home runs.
According to Boyle, having Veeck’s name associated with an award of this kind is a natural fit.
“Bill Veeck was innovative, but he also kept the fan in mind in any of his promotions. That’s what
we were looking for in recognizing outstanding sponsorship relationships; It’s gone way beyond simply putting a brand name on a piece of property. Those doing sponsorship right know that the brand has to be involved in the fan experience in a positive way.”
For more information on the award or winners visit www.billveeckawards.com or call Brett Boyle at (314) 977-3865.
The department of marketing in the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University is one of the top business programs in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. The department’s mission is to provide a practical and career driven education in the discipline of marketing to undergraduate and graduate students that will enhance their prospects for meaningful employment and substantive contributions to society at large. The department is committed to providing all marketing students an education of the highest quality, with an emphasis on preparing each student to compete effectively and face the challenges of a global marketplace.
Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of 11,500 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching, research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University is the place where knowledge touches lives. Learn more about SLU at www.slu.edu.
