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Position Paper 4 - Wild Card

Brand Deals of the St. Louis Blues

    The St. Louis Blues are doing everything right when it comes to their brand deals and paid sponsorships. With the ability to house sponsorships on their helmets beginning during the 2020-21 season, these opportunities expanded greatly for every team in the NHL, and the Blues jumped on it. Teams are able to promote, through their helmets, partnerships both on helmets at home games as well as away games. So far, the Blues have kept the helmet sponsors consistent over the two seasons this has been available. At home games, they feature the Stifel logo on their blue helmets. During road games, their white helmets sport the Enterprise logo, taking a piece of their home arena with them. The league has extended a new opportunity to the teams, offering the ability to have sponsorships on their jerseys. Beginning the 2022-23 season, teams will have the opportunity to earn extra revenue through these jersey advertisements. On another note, will these advertisements ruin the classic look of sweaters when it comes to fans wanting to represent their team? That road will be crossed when we get to it.

    One of the most classic brand partnerships that the Blues have is with Anheuser-Busch. This deal continues “the relationship between two of St. Louis’ most recognizable brands and includes alcohol beverage advertising exclusivity on St. Louis Blued radio on KMOX, area signage and grants Anheuser-Busch rights usage of the famed “Blue Note” mark.” Bud Light has been the Official Beer Sponsor of the NHL since 1998, but the St. Louis Blues have a special relationship with the Anheuser-Busch company. This marketing agreement has no foreseen end as extensions and expansions to their deal just keep going. In 2019 after the Stanley Cup win, Bud light celebrated their championship by brewing a “batch of beer infused with the sounds and spirit of the Blues’ unofficial victory anthem, “Gloria” as performed by Laura Branigan. To create the beer, Bud Light will be playing “Gloria” on repeat, 24/7 for the entire brewing process.” Before the 2018 season enterprise Center installed an Anheuser Busch Biergarten which is open before, during, and after the game. Additionally, the Enterprise Center houses the Bud Light Sports Pub. This Pub is open to all fans at the Blues games. It is accessible via the escalator located within the Biergarten. The Bud Light Sports Pub serves good, Anheuser-Busch products, and has TVs playing the Blues game as well as other major sporting events happening.

    In 2018, the St. Louis Blues facility shed the name the Scottrade Center and picked up their current name: Enterprise Center. Enterprise Holdings, a St. Louis originated company, signed a 15-year agreement for the naming rights, with an additional five-year option. Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, the president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation remarked, “St. Louis means a lot to our company – it’s where my family founded our business and where many of our employees and customers live and work.” Enterprise’s senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer said NHL fans are three times more likely to rent from Enterprise three or more times a year compared to the non-hockey fan customer. These naming rights deals help with exposure within a loyal fan base. In addition to the Enterprise Center, the Blues also have a naming rights contact for their practice rink. They have an agreement with local healthcare company Centene Corporation. This ten-year agreement led to the naming of the Centene Community Ice Center. The company’s branding will feature on signage, marketing, and communication elements at the facility.

    Another partnership that the Blues’ have with a large name is with Wendy’s. They have partnered up to offer those in the St. Louis area a free small Frosty with no purchase necessary at any area location. 37 participating St. Louis area Wendy’s location offer this deal. Wendy’s is just one in a handful of sponsorships that the Blues have. Other companies have partnerships with the blues, with certain sections in the Enterprise Center being names after those certain companies. For example, Together Credit Union added the “Together Credit Union Terrace,” a 700-seat terrace that features all-inclusive, in-seat food and beverage service for fans. The CEO of the company stated that “partnering with an amazing organization like the St. Louis Blues is a natural fit for Together Credit Union because we both have a long history of serving the St. Louis community.”

    Any brand expose that is facilitated through the Blues is undeniably impactful as Blues TV ratings rank third amongst American NHL teams. This season the Blues have drawn the best October TV ratings in the team’s 25 years on Bally Sports Midwest. If you want to partner up for promotion in St. Louis, the Blues are the ones to hit up.

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