Tag: Jhoan Duran

After Jhoan Duran was traded to the Phillies last summer, Robert Miller learned some fans were complaining that the closer’s “Durantula” walk-out wasn’t going to be shown on every broadcast.

For Miller, managing partner at Wapner Newman law firm, it sparked an idea.

He connected with NBC Sports Philadelphia and made his pitch: Wapner Newman could pay to sponsor the closer’s walk-out and get the firm’s branding on a viral moment. And fans at home would be able to experience Duran’s intro — complete with images of spiders crawling through fire on the outfield walls — during every home game.

The lawyers figured “it’d be a fun thing for everybody that’s watching the game,” Miller recalled during a recent interview in his Center City office. And “we can help make this happen.”

A deal was inked, with terms Miller declined to disclose, and for nearly a year, Wapner Newman has enjoyed greater name recognition.

Potential clients sometimes mention the ads when they call the firm, Miller said, and occasionally, strangers on the street recognize him from the company’s midgame commercials. Miller said he is most heartened by the fact that more Philly fans now know about the personal-injury firm if they ever need legal help.

Brands “want moments of exclusivity, and that was the highest-profile opportunity,” said Bo Koelle, vice president of sales for NBCUniversal Local, which includes NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Everybody’s looking at when [Duran] is coming out” — and seeing Wapner Newman’s name on the screen next to him.

The Phillies own 25% of NBC Sports Philadelphia, with NBC’s parent company, Comcast, owning the rest. But the Phillies and the regional sports network do not share all advertising partners.

For dozens of local companies, advertising with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park or with NBC Sports Philadelphia provides almost-unparalleled visibility in a rabid sports town like Philadelphia.

So how much does this visibility cost? Anywhere from $100,000 to several million dollars, according to executives from the Phillies and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

That range includes advertising in the ballpark, on social media, or on TV, where hundreds of thousands of fans tune into each game. All Phillies sponsors with whom The Inquirer spoke declined to discuss how much they paid for their advertisements, citing the terms of their contracts.

This year, in-stadium ad visibility was even higher because Philly hosted the All-Star Game, which drew more than 8.7 million viewers nationwide.

But even in a normal year, the Phillies play many more home games than the city’s other pro sports teams.

“We’ve concentrated on the Phillies because they have 81 home games and for our in-park advertising we thought we’d rather be seen more frequently,” said Bob Mongeluzzi, founding partner at Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, which has several stadium ads including at the top of the scoreboard.

“I don’t think someone particularly chose us over any other lawyer just because we had an ad on the scoreboard,” Mongeluzzi said, “but it clearly reinforces our brand and keeps our name out there.”

Unique Phillies sponsorships drive revenue

Each season, the Phillies have between 75 and 100 sponsors who advertise everywhere — the ballpark’s giant scoreboard, the outfield walls, the premium seating sections — according to Brian Fling, the Phillies’ vice president of corporate partnerships. He said ad sponsors serve as a major revenue driver, supporting player payroll and ballpark upgrades.

“From Citizens [Bank] with their name on the building to Independence Blue Cross with their logo on the Phillies uniform, we work with a wide variety of companies looking to stand out in the Greater Philadelphia area,” Fling said in a statement.

One recent ad deal stood out due to controversy. In March, Eileen Kalas, widow of legendary Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, said the organization “betrayed” her husband by selling the naming rights of Harry The K’s to Ghost Energy. The eatery under the scoreboard had been named for her husband since the ballpark opened in 2004.

At the time, Ghost Energy founder and West Chester native Ryan Hughes responded to fan criticism, saying, “We’re hoping to bring some new energy to the space while also never forgetting Harry Kalas and the legacy that he left.”

Ghost Energy did not return a request for comment for this article.

Whether a Phillies advertiser is a longtime sponsor dating to the Veterans Stadium days or a newer partner, they “align with the team’s goal — championship-level baseball in a first-class ballpark where everyone feels welcome,” Fling said.

Some advertisements are tailored.

Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters, a Philly-area chain of pediatric dental practices, has sponsored the ballpark’s “smile cam” and a nursing mothers’ lounge.

King Swings, a Chester County swing set and playhouse company, recently built a playground for pint-sized fans inside the first-base gate.

Comcast, the Center City-based telecom giant and Phillies sponsor since 2010, is behind the digital Xfinity Mobile pitch speed clock in the ballpark.

“Pitch speed is one of the most closely watched real-time statistics in baseball, making it a strong fit for Xfinity’s focus on delivering fast, reliable connectivity for our customers,” Matt Lederer, Comcast’s vice president of brand partnership, said in a statement.

Executives with several Phillies advertisers said the goal is not necessarily to gain customers on the spot. Instead, they said, they want to increase brand awareness and get fans to associate their company with a beloved hometown franchise.

Some have seen tangible signs that this is happening. Philadelphia Insurance recorded a nearly 50% increase in website traffic since it started sponsoring the premium seating club, formerly known as the diamond club, earlier this season, said Brian O’Reilly, chief marketing officer for Philadelphia Insurance Cos. (PHLY).

As part of the partnership, the company’s name and Liberty Bell logo are emblazoned on the blue headrests behind home plate.

“It was amazing how many people texted and called me and said, ‘I saw Philadelphia Insurance during the Home Run Derby or All-Star Game,’” O’Reilly said.

Philly sports ads create consumer ‘trust’

Some Philly companies sponsor multiple local pro teams.

Independence Blue Cross (IBX), the locally based health insurer, has been advertising with the Phillies for decades and has partnerships with all of the city’s major pro sports teams, many of the college teams, and NBC Sports Philadelphia, said IBX chief marketing officer Koleen Cavanaugh.

In addition to advertising, this also gets IBX the ability to host events at stadiums, offer ticket and merchandise discounts to IBX members, and collaborate on philanthropic partnerships, such as a back-to-school supply drive with the Jesús Luzardo Family Foundation last week.

Other Phillies sponsors are considering expanding their sports advertising portfolio, especially with the recent news of superstar LeBron James coming to the Sixers.

The team “already reached out to us about season tickets and advertising,” said O’Reilly, of Philadelphia Insurance. “We were doing some business with them anyway, but maybe we’ll even do some more.”

At NBC Sports Philadelphia, conversations about Sixers ad partnerships are now underway, earlier than usual, Koelle said. As soon as James news broke, the value of Sixers TV ads increased exponentially, Koelle said.

Comcast, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s parent company, has a minority ownership stake in the Sixers, and recently acquired the naming rights of the team’s home stadium, now called Xfinity Mobile Arena.

A challenge for the sports network now, Koelle said: Remaining loyal to companies who’ve sponsored Sixers broadcasts since the team’s rebuilding years — and not jack up those partners’ advertising rates.

”But for those that are new, they’ll certainly have to pay the new value,” Koelle said.

Usually, it’s not hard to convince local companies of the value of advertising with any Philly team, he said.

“If [advertisers] want to truly reach people — and reach them in a pipeline that is direct and meaningful — it’s professional sports in Philadelphia,” Koelle said. “If you want people to trust your brand immediately, it’s a great way of doing it.”