Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesPractice paper
The evolution of naming rights agreements in the United States
Journal of Brand Strategy,
9
(2),
163-170
(2020)
Abstract
Companies have used naming rights of sports venues in the United States for over a century. Up until approximately 30 years ago, sponsors utilised these investments almost exclusively for building brand awareness. More recently, marketers that have invested in naming rights opportunities have utilised the platform provided by these high-profile venues to create fully integrated marketing programmes. This paper, through several examples as well as a case study, outlines the various objectives a sponsor seeks to achieve through their naming rights agreements. In addition to the significant branding afforded sponsors that affix their name to a venue, naming rights can also provide a showcase for a company’s technology as well as a means to drive significant revenue either directly or indirectly from the rights holder. By tracing the evolution of naming rights sponsorships, a reader can see why they are typically the most expensive marketing expenditure a company will make with a rights holder.
Keywords: sponsorships; naming rights; sponsors; venues; marketing expenditure; branding; sports marketing
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Tim Mcghee is the Founder of MSP Sports & Entertainment, a consultancy based in Summit, New Jersey. MSP specialises in helping brands and rights holders maximise sponsorship value. Recent clients include Citizen Watch, Topps, DailyMail.com and US Olympic & Paralympic Properties. Between 2010 and 2012, Tim worked for IMG as Managing Director in the Consulting Group. In that role, his clients included Marriott, Coca- Cola, Kia, Kraft Foods, USAA Insurance and Visa. From 2005 through 2009, McGhee was Executive Director of Global Sponsorships at AT&T. He oversaw a portfolio consisting of over 80 local and national properties, such as The Masters, the AT&T Williams F1 team, New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys, as well the telco’s naming rights agreements with the AT&T Center and AT&T Park. From 2002 through 2005, he was Group Account Director with IMG Consulting, overseeing numerous client engagements, including most notably, Verizon Communications. Before joining IMG, McGhee was the Director of Marketing at PSP Sports, a sports marketing and publishing firm based in New York City. In this position, he oversaw all client service, creative and production functions for the agency’s accounts. From 1998 through 2000, he was the Director of Client Services at Contemporary Marketing, a full-service promotional marketing company that was part of SFX. Tim began his career at Momentum, as the Account Director responsible for the agency’s engagements with Lucent Technologies and American Express. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia University.
