The Power of The NFL :Wright, Ponturo, Shaw and Reif
Beer has historically been the lifeblood of sports, from the sale of suds at venues to the beer companies soaking up sports media.
The iconic great American lager, and "The King of Beers", Budwesier, has led the way.
"Anheuser-Busch has a domestic share of around 50 percent and an annual media budget of better than $510 million. A-B In Bev’s Super Bowl media stranglehold is safe — the 18-year-old deal that grants America’s largest brewer alcoholic beverage exclusivity runs through 2012." according to
of Sports Business Journal
The Best and the brightest in the business are
Mark Wright
, SVP Busch Media;
Tony Ponturo
, EVP of Anheuser Busch Sports Marketing;
Bob Reif
, CEO of Audible Marketing and Sports Agency and
John Shaw
, President of The St Louis Rams. They have a proven track record of value creation through operational and marketing excellence, respectively.
Shaw
reorganized the club's marketing department to better leverage the Rams brand and enhance its value in the community by hiring Bob Reif of Audible Sports Agency.
Soon after, the
, noted "Rams revenues were up 25%; including one of the largest beer deals in the league history as reported by
Reif, took a new marketing approach. He started selling marketing platforms that helped sponsors get the most out of their relationship with the team year-round.
Instead of just signage and beer-pouring rights, Anheuser-Busch, for instance, now sponsors the Rams live-game experience. When the team is in the red zone, for example, beer advertisements are posted on the stadium's LED boards and heard on the radio broadcasts.
