NEW YORK, July 13, 2017 – The NBA recognized excellence in team sponsorship last
night when it presented the 2017 NBA Team Partnership Awards at the NBA Summer
Meetings in Las Vegas. All 30 teams were invited to submit a nomination in each
category and a selection committee of representatives across multiple
departments from the NBA and the teams chose the winners.
The Toronto Raptors received the NBA Partnership of the Year award, while the
Cleveland Cavaliers were honored with two 2017 NBA Team Partnership Awards – the
NBA Pitch of the Year and the NBA Best Relationship Management Plan. In
addition, Marlene Hendricks, the Charlotte Hornets’ Vice President of Guest
Services & Event Staffing, was named the first recipient of the inaugural Pete
Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award.
“The 2017 NBA Partnership Awards represent an opportunity for the league and our
teams to celebrate sponsorship innovation,” said Amy Brooks, NBA Executive Vice
President, Team Marketing & Business Operations. “This year’s winners are a
prime example of the NBA’s ability to engage our fans and partners in unique,
innovative ways.”
NBA Partnership of the Year The Raptors received the NBA Partnership of the Year
award for delivering the best partner marketing campaign for the 2016-17 season.
Toronto created an engaging initiative for GoDaddy to drive NBA fans to the
company’s new website and design tools. As part of the multimedia campaign, the
team developed an entertaining, content-based theme with Raptors center Jonas
Valanciunas as a fictitious small-business owner looking to grow his company by
using GoDaddy’s new Website Builder tool (ittybittyballer.ca). Featuring
appearances by fellow Raptors Lucas Nogueira and Patrick Patterson, a contest
for small business owners and a charity component based on Valanciunas
figurines, the campaign resulted in 580 million total impressions across, TV,
digital and social media.
NBA Pitch of the Year The NBA Pitch of the Year was presented to the NBA team
that delivered the best new business or renewal pitch for the 2016-17 season.
The Cavaliers received their 2017 NBA Team Partnership Award for their
integrated approach to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, resulting in one of
the league’s first jersey patch deals. By showcasing its creative resources,
distribution channels and strong leadership, the team created a program designed
to leverage the team’s popularity and spur greater sales of Goodyear tires
through this dynamic partnership between the Cleveland-based Cavaliers and the
Akron-based Goodyear.
NBA Best Relationship Management Plan The Cavaliers also earned the NBA Best
Relationship Management Plan award, which recognizes a team for its 365-day
approach to marketing partners. Seeking to demonstrate the value of partnering
with the Cavaliers, Cleveland established a game plan that featured clear
standards of practice and communications and led to stronger business
relationships and trusts. From business-to-business communications to
entertainment to hospitality to best practices to performance results, the team
showed that its partners were valued members of the Cavaliers family.
Pete Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award Hendricks received the annual
Pete Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award. Named in honor of the late
Pete Winemiller, Senior Vice President of Guest Relations for the Oklahoma City
Thunder, the award recognizes an NBA team executive who creates a world-class
service experience for fans.
Hendricks, who has been in her role since Charlotte’s Spectrum Center opened in
2005, oversees Service Promise, the cornerstone of the Hornets’ acclaimed guest
relations efforts. By following the motto “Spectacular Fun and Memories that
Marvel,” she and her team have built a fan-friendly environment based on five
key pillars – Passion, Positive, Prideful, Proactive and Problem-Solving – that
each member of her team must adopt to interact with fans. From warm greetings to
polite farewells, Hendricks’ goal has been to create a great experience for each
and every fan.
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/partnership-award-170713
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Cavaliers
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