Free advice to Sanford Health
There’s a minor bru-ha-ha today in the Twin Cities, thanks to the announcement that Sanford Health, the large health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will be sponsoring a large banner on the side of the downtown Target Center building. For those not familiar with the sports scene around here, this year the Minnesota Twins opened a new outdoor stadium next to Target Center called Target Field, a stadium that already has been ranked the top “stadium experience” by ESPN The Magazine. Having attended a number of games in the new stadium, I can attest to its beauty and the wonderful experience of outdoor baseball. (Keep in mind the Twins played indoor for years in perhaps the worst stadium experience, the Metrodome). The controversy stems from the placement of the Sanford Health banner, which is part of a sponsorship with the metro’s NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The banner will hang on the side of Target Center facing Target Field, looming large over the plaza entering Target Field, and will be visible to many within the stadium through a large gap in the stands over right field. The hope is to capitalize on the banner’s prominent position during the Twins upcoming playoff games. (You can read more on the story in today’s Star Tribune.)
Here’s where the free advice to Sanford Health comes in. The Timberwolves have won the right in court to have the banner hanging on the side of Target Center overlooking the new baseball stadium, and it’s hard to argue against advertising overall in this setting, given the many sponsorships, ads and signs within and around Target Field. The problem starts with the banner itself – a large, white “beer-tent style” banner that doesn’t appear (at least from the comped photo in the Strib story) to fit the surrounding design environment at all. The heart of the issue is that this approach fits the perception of the Minnesota Timberwolves to a T – a mismanaged, almost- joke of an organization with little long-term vision that has “slapped together” coaches and players over recent years, producing one of the worst teams in the NBA. The banner seems to fit perfectly with this perception – another short-term solution associated with the Twolves that doesn’t reflect any forethought or planning, and comes off as something slapdash and “duct tape” in nature. From a sports perspective, that’s the opposite of the perception most have for the Minnesota Twins – an organization that “does things right,” plans ahead, and consistently puts a strong product on the field. The stadium is another example of that, and clash between the Sanford sign and the Target Field design couldn’t be more apparent.
So Sanford Health – looking beyond your overall marketing strategy, your desire to build a brand in the Twin Cities, or the benefit of having a giant banner overlooking Target Field during the playoffs, the question you should be asking is this: are you sure you want to introduce yourself into the Twin Cities by tying your brand to the disrespected Timberwolves brand? While many will blow off the controversy started by the Strib article, many others will hold that negative vibe every time they visit Target Field and see your sign. Might be worth reconsidering your approach – just my two cents as someone close to the story.
New story in Strib says Sanford Health open to options. Of course trick is Twins have exclusive sponsorship with Mayo Clinic. But good PR move by Sanford.
Here’s the updated story:
http://www.startribune.com/local/104317653.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsr