So far, the company is the most promising prospect in the effort to lure a company to pay for naming rights to Dunedin Stadium.
By LEON M. TUCKER
Published May 31, 2003
DUNEDIN - The Pepsi delivery truck that rattled to a stop outside the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training administration building Thursday didn't seem out of place - unless you were in the meeting upstairs.
There, the Dunedin Stadium Naming Rights Committee was discussing - over sandwiches and Pepsi - finding a company to pay $100,000 per year or more for 10 years for naming rights at Grant Field. The most promising prospect so far: Coca-Cola.
"We've met with three different companies so far, and there's interest with some of them, but they have to take it up to their higher officers," said committee chairman Cecil Englebert.
But it's still early in the game.
"We're always willing to listen to (cities) to see if we can help," said Joe Abreu, cold drink sales manager for Coca-Cola's St. Petersburg office. "I met with the committee and brought back the information. We're willing to consider their request, but nothing has come of it right now."
Both Wachovia and SunTrust banks had shown an interest in the deal, but both have since backed away, said city leisure services director Harry Gross.
"We're hoping to have a second meeting with Coke sometime in June," said Gross. "But they've got to look at the whole thing and see if it is worth it to them.
"As far as being able to finalize everything, it's hard to say what the time line will be because it depends on the response we get," he said. "You just don't know."
As part of its recent contract renewal with the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, the city secured the naming rights and budgeted $25,000 for a marketing effort.
So far, Dunedin's naming rights committee has spent $2,800 of an initial $5,000 budget to do the following:
Purchase a book listing the names and contact numbers of 4,000 Florida companies.
Put together and mail a marketing flier titled "Put Your Name on Our Game."
Research the hiring of a marketing firm with expertise in selling naming rights.
Produce a "Put Your Name on Our Game" video and CD-ROM to distribute with the fliers.
The video is hosted and narrated by former Mayor Richard Gehring. Among other things, it boasts about Dunedin's new 15-year contract with the Blue Jays and a newly-renovated, $13.5-million facility rated by Sports Illustrated magazine as one of the top five spring training facilities in the country.
"We know that in the market in Florida, others right now are announcing partnerships," said Dunedin Commissioner Dave Eggers, the city's liaison to the committee. "So we know that wave is coming, and we want to be part of that wave."
In October, the ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex took on the new name Cracker Jack Stadium after naming rights for the stadium were awarded to Frito-Lay/PepsiCo Inc. With the right to rename the park, which houses the Orlando Rays minor league team, come various sponsorships, promotions and commerce opportunities.
While putting the finishing touches on a new 15-year contract to stay in Port St. Lucie, the New York Mets announced plans last month for a $7.1-million renovation of its minor league park.
As part of its new contract with the Mets, St. Lucie County has given the team permission to sell the naming rights for Thomas J. White Stadium - and hopes to make $300,000 a year off the deal.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who hold spring training in Clearwater, also have a naming rights campaign in full swing.
"We're pitching it daily," said John Timberlake, director of Florida operations for the Phillies. "We had never considered that in our old facility, but since we're building this new $30-million facility along U.S. 19, and with thousands of cars passing by it each day, we're seriously pursuing it."
The Phillies put together a five-member team that since November has been doing market research and setting a price on renaming Jack Russell Stadium.
Its efforts, Timberlake said, have landed several prospects. Timberlake would not say which companies were interested, but he did say they were "local or have local headquarters."
The team is hoping the deal will start paying about $175,000 per year, with a 4 percent increase annually for 20 years. A third of the net proceeds will go to Clearwater.
"We feel very comfortable with that," Timberlake said of the figure. "When people start understanding what that will include, ... and with the amount of marketing we do, not only locally but nationally, it will be a major deal for our partner."
Back in the conference room at the Blue Jays' administration building, the question of whether Pepsi was approached about considering a naming rights deal came up.
"We are approaching Pepsi - obviously," Eggers said. "Our sense is we're not going to limit it to one bank or one drink company - we're looking for a candidate with strong interest."
