What's in a Name: Ontario Airlines' Stadium Naming Rights Deal

For nearly a century, owners of U.S. professional sports teams have lobbied respective governmental bodies for public subsidies to build stadiums and arenas across the country, using franchise relocation as leverage. Myriad justifications have been used as a defense for the public subsidization of this private enterprise, ranging from the economic impact of capital intensive projects to the psychic regional benefit of being a host city to a professional sports franchise. But do these justifications hold up under increased scrutiny? In this case, students are placed in the position of the Mayor of Oakland as she is faced with a dilemma regarding publicly subsidizing a new Raiders stadium. Students will examine the issue through the lens of multiple key stakeholders, and will ultimately have to decide whether the city should utilize public funds to keep the Davis family happy and the Raiders in Oakland, or withhold funding for public good and risk the franchise relocating elsewhere.

This case study places students in the real world decision-making process acting as the Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) brand protection team faced with high-profile incidents of ambush marketing that arise in the months prior to the 2014 Sochi (Russia) Winter Olympic Games. The case study provides the actual ambush marketing assessment form utilized by the COC to assess the severity of ambush marketing incidents and challenges students to provide a course of action from both a legal and business perspective.

Michael Phelps’ long time endorsement deal with Speedo has expired. For the first time in his career, and with the 2016 Rio Games approaching, Phelps is a “free agent” in the swimwear category. This case study challenges students to critically analyze Phelps’ options in light of his desire to become an “iconic” sport brand transcending the sport of swimming. Should he renew with Speedo … or create his own swimwear brand? Potential courses: marketing, branding, sport marketing.

A long time sponsor of FIFA, National American Brewing Company (NABC) is fresh off a wildly successful 2014 Men’s World Cup activation when scandal rocks FIFA’s leadership group and casts a shadow on all involved. As the optics get worse and pressure mounts from media, fans, and internal stakeholders, NABC has a decision to make, one that may shape the future of their sponsorship portfolio and directly impact their business for better or worse. Students are tasked with conducting a cost benefit analysis on both sides of the issue, and creating a management recommendation to senior leadership outlining both the company’s path forward, and a communication plan to execute it. Learning opportunities abound from this real world case touching business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sponsorship management.