Moving ad dollars to hockey in what executive vice-president of marketing Steve Silverstone characterized as a “significant way,” Boston Pizza has signed a new multi-year deal with Rogers and the NHL giving it “prominent placement” on Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada telecasts.
Boston Pizza will be featured in pre-game coverage and have an in-game presence that includes traditional advertising, sponsored content and what Silverstone described as “unique branding opportunities.”
The casual-dining chain will continue to maintain its on-set presence on Sportsnet’s weekday hockey show Hockey Central at Noon, and plans to build on existing partnerships with Hockey Canada and several NHL franchises. It will also continue to work with the Montreal Canadiens’ all-star defenseman P.K. Subban, who acts as the company’s spokesperson in Quebec.
“We will have more of our TV advertising and overall marketing spend associated with hockey,” said Silverstone, noting that the company also recently renewed sponsorship deals with the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, and is currently in the midst of agreements with the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets and Hockey Canada.
“When you put it all together, we’re in a great position to leverage hockey at a national and community level and deliver proprietary programming to connect with fans at all levels,” he said.
Silverstone said that Boston Pizza will assign a specific task to each of its different hockey sponsorships, with the Rogers partnership being used primarily to grow consumer awareness of its various promotions and extensive takeout and delivery offering.
“We believe this partnership with Rogers gives us a strategic advantage over other restaurant chains looking to speak with hockey fans,” said Silverstone. “It gives us the opportunity to promote our food, in-store experience, take-out and delivery offers and promotional windows throughout the NHL season from coast-to-coast on hundreds of live games.
“That’s something no other advertiser in our category will be able to do,” he added. “Any restaurant can have the game on TV, but Boston Pizza will connect with hockey fans on a much greater level through the Rogers deal and our local team agreements.”
Silverstone said that Boston Pizza is well aligned with hockey, serving as a major post-game destination for amateur and recreational players and featuring menu items that are perfect for team sharing. NHL games will be shown in its sports bars and dining rooms throughout the season, he said. “No other restaurant concept is better positioned to give Canadians a 360-degree hockey experience,” he said.
Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund in August reported system-wide sales of $255 million for the three months ended June 30, a $4.6 million increase from the corresponding year-earlier period.
However, same-store sales were down 0.1% for the quarter and 0.8% year-to-date, which Silverstone attributed to a harsh winter. He said that the company started to see some “positive momentum” coming out of the summer.
“The start of hockey season and this strategy will only help to build on this trend,” he said.
Disclosure: Rogers Communications owns MarketingMag.ca
