Marketing & Sponsorship

Cause-related marketing (CRM) has become one of the more popular tactics in the sales promotion toolkit for companies seeking to create a point of difference and drive short-term sales. This case study educates on the potential benefits and pitfalls of CRM campaigns, and places students on the marketing team of one of the country's leading sports trophy companies, Dinn Trophy. Based on the highly commoditized nature of the sports trophy business, this case challenges students to develop a transaction-based CRM campaign. Specifically, students need to research and recommend a charity that provides a compelling "fit" for Dinn, and then develop a transaction-based campaign that includes a digital and social media component that best leverages the chosen CRM campaign.

Written in conjunction with a real world sports and entertainment agency that specializes in naming rights negotiations, this case places students in the role of agency account executives tasked with building a strategic naming rights proposal for Ontario Airlines and the Buffalo Bills. With careful consideration of the brand's business challenges and marketing objectives, students must select, justify, and activate marketing assets, working against an average annual value (AAV) set by Ontario Airlines' CEO of $7M. Written from the front lines of the sports industry with a detailed rate card, this case challenges students to think critically about how naming rights deals are built, sold, and brought to life in market, while prompting a larger discussion of whether or not these large investments are worthwhile and, if so, for what kinds of brands.