.BACKGROUND:
Following is an article in today^Òs New York Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/72455p-67007c.html
City's Going on the Block; Naming Rights to be Offered
By David Saltonstall
It won't be Citibank Central Park, or even the KeySpan Brooklyn Bridge.
And it's doubtful that, say, Clearasil soon will become the official
acne treatment of the New York City school system.
But in a bid to raise some extra cash for the city, Mayor Bloomberg
announced plans yesterday to sell New York's good name to companies
eager to tap into the city's image as a vibrant, tough-as-nails
metropolis.
"I don't think you will see a big Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola sign across
the front of City Hall," joked Bloomberg. "The key is, we want to keep
it tasteful."
The mayor offered few details, choosing to leave those to the city's new
chief marketing officer, Joseph Perello, a branding expert whom
Bloomberg also appointed yesterday at an annual salary of $150,000.
Trying a harder sell
But senior advisers said the initiative could include everything from
creating a line of official New York City products, to selling naming
rights on Parks Department facilities, to designing a "proud sponsor"
seal that companies could slap on everything from bottled water to
computers.
NYPD and FDNY logos also could be more aggressively marketed, aides
added, although both agencies have licensed their seals for years. Last
year alone, that brought in $1.1 million to the Fire Department ^× and
countless more millions to street vendors selling unlicensed knockoffs.
Firefighter union officials said last night they supported the idea but
they wanted the proceeds from any FDNY logo agreements to continue to go
to the department.
"It represents the blood, sweat and sacrifice that thousands of
firefighters have made for generations," said Steve Cassidy, president
of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
Either way, aides suggested, the city has enormous marketing potential,
possibly in the same league as Nike or Disney. And with the city facing
a $3.5billion budget gap, it no longer can afford to pass up those
dollars.
Ad execs enthusiastic
"Whether it is the [city's] energy and the excitement, or more recently
the resiliency and courage, those are attributes that companies want to
associate with," Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff said.
Most independent ad executives yesterday agreed, suggesting that New
York could reap tens of millions of dollars.
"Everything the city buys, from tires for the police cars, to paint for
buildings, to uniforms for park employees and trash bags for sanitation
workers, those are all products that could be put into a relationship
with the city," said Douglas Pirnie, a senior vice president at
marketing rights giant IMG.
But there would be limits, other suggested, especially when it comes to
the city's most revered landmarks.
"It can't be the Statue of Liberty Mutual, or the Statue of Liberty
Media," joked Jon Bond of the advertising firm Kirshenbaum & Bond.
"That would be inappropriate."
But an official soap of New York City? That you could sell, Bond joked.
"I mean, who wants the official soap of Columbus, Ohio?"
The Daily News' Top 10
Top ten things New York City could endorse:
10. Preparation H: The hemorrhoid treatment of choice for New York
City's bureaucracy.
9. Meineke Mufflers: Official sponsor of the Belt Parkway.
8. Poland Spring: Almost as good as New York City tap water.
7. Depends: Official sponsor of New York City's senior centers.
6. Dunkin' Donuts: Preferred by New York City cops everywhere.
5. Crayola: The official writing tool of the New York City Council.
4. Marlboro: New York's favorite cigarette ^× as long as you smoke
outside.
3. Windex: When you can't find a squeegee man ...
2. Victoria's Secret: Lingerie worn by New York's finest hookers.
1. Right Guard: Official deodorant of the New York City subway system.
<------article ends here------->
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)