Deardorff and Philadelphia KiXX Kick Up Winning Partnership
(Left to right) Deardorff Creative Director Dave
Parkin, Philadelphia KiXX Shareholder Bill Begley, KiXX EVP Don Pasquale
and Deardorff Founder and CEO, Jill Deardorff enjoy the KiXX home opener
on November 11, 2006.
Posted: November 29th, 2006
Deardorff Associates announced that the agency recently entered into an ongoing partnership with the Philadelphia KiXX to execute strategic marketing, advertising and promotional initiatives to support the team’s 2006-2007 season.The alliance between the award-winning integrated brand communications agency and the KiXX - a new business partnership with an unusual twist – is the result of a chance meeting at a networking function between Deardorff President and Chief Executive Officer Jill Deardorff and Philadelphia KiXX Vice President of Internal Operations David Deal. At the time, the KiXX franchise was looking to beef up its marketing efforts for the upcoming season.
Deardorff was looking for a pro bono opportunity to grow a new or somewhat unknown sports-oriented entity into a more powerful and recognized brand, putting its full range of marketing services behind the partnership.
“We wanted to move beyond the traditional industry channels for pro bono service relationships,” said Deardorff. “We wanted to create a partnership that not only allowed the firm to develop creative for a high-visibility project within the sports-marketing arena but one that would also benefit from our expertise across all marketing channels. The opportunity to work together with the KiXX to support their overall marketing objectives was a perfect fit.”
Deardorff began the project by developing an array of franchise building ideas that would support the team’s overall marketing strategy. The resulting
plan included strategic recommendations on promotional enhanced corporate partnerships, merchandising, theme nights, publicity and advertising.
The main goals were to expand the audience base, enhance the image of the team and the sport, increase fan loyalty and repeat business, and to build the KiXX brand using an integrated approach.
“We’re exceptionally fortunate to have access to Deardorff’s level of creativity, strategic expertise and marketing sophistication,” said Deal. “Jill’s
willingness to offer her team’s talent to the franchise says a great deal about her generosity, her passion for the sport, her out-of-the-box approach
to new business opportunities, and her belief in the brand value of the Philadelphia KiXX.”
Already the partnership has generated three provocative new outdoor ads featuring memorable headlines that include “Come see grown men dribble”
and “We’ll do the kicking, you do the screaming.” Located on billboards at three Philadelphia locations - namely I-76 at Spring Garden Street, I-95
at Columbia, and I-95 at Broad Street – the ads have already generated a heightened awareness of the team and sport among consumers.
“What matters most to us through this partnership is the campaign’s overall effectiveness, its creativity and the credibility of its ability to resonate with consumers,” said Darceé Edrozo, vice president, external operations for the KiXX. “The feedback on this new campaign has been very positive.
It’s all about raising awareness of the sport, the experience of attending a game and filling more seats.”
Deardorff maintains a long-standing commitment to not-for-profit pro bono work, supporting such well-known local organizations as The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, CHILD, Inc., and Goodwill. While the agency will continue pro bono efforts such as these, this innovative approach to new business relationships has proven to be very effective and is consistent with the company’s new mantra – Go Places! "What differentiated this new effort from other pro bono assignments we have pursued or accepted in the past was the desire to establish a long-term relationship that would allow us the opportunity to fully leverage our strengths to help a worthy for-profit brand receive the awareness and recognition it deserves and expand our work into a new category,” added Deardorff.
About Deardorff Associates
Founded in 1984, Deardorff Associates is an award-winning full-service integrated brand communications agency with expertise across numerous industries. Serving the advertising, public relations, interactive and communications needs of a global client list that includes Fortune 500 companies
and small businesses alike, the agency delivers solid results to clients who want to go places! www.deardorffassociates.com