Century Homes Park

Is that Gortakeegan? When did that change?
What do people think of naming NL grounds?

Gerry

I think it's a clever idea for the clubs and a stupid one for the sponsors. There's been a lot written about this in the tech magazines, because of all the dotcoms that went ape doing this in the last few years. The story usually runs something like this:

o Company pays club enormous fee and agrees to contract for a defined period, to rename park/field/pitch.

o Club has to use the name in all company literature, and pressure the bum off the media to use it in reports.

o Fans steadfastly refuse to use the new name, as do the media.

o Company runs out of money, sees it was a stupid idea, but still has to fork over the wedge every month/year, etc.

In the US it backfired a lot though, because of the dot.bombs. I hope it does here too, it's a stupid idea all round, but I reckon the company's get what they deserve. A first year marketing student could tell you what would happen. It's the graduate marketing students you can't trust. :)

adam

hey Adam u casting slurrs against Marketing grads....
why I oughta?
:mad:

Good insight into the crazy world of marketing grads, Vet!
Anyone confirm that it IS Gortakeegan though? Assume that it is...

BTW, how about a little fun suggesting appropriate sponsors for NL grounds? Any ideas?

Gerry

Ah but how do you whose a marketing grad? ;)

I believe the Monaghan deal runs for 5 years & involves a 5 figure (between 10k & 99k so) sum each year.

I believe these "deals" can work well sometimes when you are naming a new ground or something similar.

Look at Longford (Flancare) & whens the last time someone called it Stokestown Road? OK so i'm not in the business to be using Flancare services as a company but I do know who they are now.

Rovers new stadium at Tallaght would also be a prime naming rights target. It doesn't have a name already so might as well be Guinness park as Tallaght Park?

Ones that wouldn't work at Tolka & Dalymount as everyone would still use the name being used for decades.

eL clubs need cash badly & can't really lose out from such deals can they?

...was eircom Park, surely? Never built, yet never so much publicity. Huge debate in the National media with the latest eircom Park twist etc etc

Gerry

Ericom Park was great publicity for a "new" company but didn't do them much good did it? ;)

Yeah, Longford is case in point. The ground was even referred to as Strokestown in a lot of reports - not even strokestown road. Mullologher is still what I call it - Flancare are only jumping on the bandwagon ;)

I thought Rovers were naming their ground Glenmelure Park, after a row of houses....

Marketing graduates - you can stick your 4P's up your a rse!

Quote:

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I believe these "deals" can work well sometimes when you are naming a new ground or something similar.

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Well, if it's a new ground, of course people will use the name, since it'll be the only one there is. I will concede that it *can* work in cases where the ground has been heavily redeveloped though. It's still tricky though, it has to be explicitly seen that the investment by the company is advantaging the club. If the money is used behind the scenes, which it so often is, it doesn't work.

Like I said, it's good for the clubs, unless the money runs out of course. But in cases where the ground already has a name, and more importantly a history, it's like flushing money down the toilet. With so many clubs in Ireland run like hobbies in Ireland, I don't believe it's worth the risk. But of course there are exceptions. There's always exceptions.

And there's nothing wrong with marketing people in general. It's the ones who come up with some of the crap we see on TV and in the papers I dislike so intensely. I'm amazed these people were able to market themselves into the company. I've seen more imagination in accountants.

adam

Said adam, slurring another career in order to defend his slur of another.

Excuse me, I have to remove my foot from my mouth.

adam