Blue Diamond Growers
will join forces with another Sacramento institution, the Sacramento Kings,
in a multi-year sponsorship beginning with the 2017 season of the National Basketball Association.
“This marketing investment is multi-year and multi-layered, giving us many ways to showcase the
Blue
Diamond
brand to basketball fans every time they attend or tune in to a Sacramento Kings’ game,” said
Mark Jansen,
Blue Diamond
President and CEO.
The most visible aspect of the partnership comes in the
placement of the cooperative’s iconic logo on the left chest
of the Kings’ team jerseys beginning next season, 2017/18.
The NBA is the first U.S. professional league to allow
uniform branding, and
Blue Diamond
is the second company
to secure branding rights for a team. “Just as we aim to be
first to market with our products, our early involvement in
this kind of opportunity will be significant,” said Raj Joshi,
Blue Diamond’s
Senior Vice President of Global Retail.
Kings President Chris Granger highlighted the importance
of agriculture to the greater Sacramento community in their
decision to partner with
Blue Diamond
. “For decades,
Blue
Diamond
almonds have been one of Sacramento’s most well-
known products around the country. We are proud of this
community’s history of high-quality agriculture. It’s why
we’ve committed to supporting local producers by using
locally sourced food in our arena and why our players are
proud to showcase the
Blue Diamond
brand on the court and
around the league.”
Additionally, the Sponsorship
Will Include:
• Four seasons as the Official Snack Nut of the
Sacramento Kings
• Use of the Kings logo in media and specified programs
•
Almond Breeze
signage within the suite-level bridge in the
Golden 1 Center, Sacramento’s state-of-the-art new arena
• Golden 1 Center chef-inspired menu items will be sold
at the stadium and communicated through videos on
Kings’ digital, social media and in-arena channels
This innovative marketing partnership also includes
Blue Diamond
visibility in design elements at Sacramento’s
brand-new Golden 1 Center, the world’s first LEED
Platinum indoor arena. The new Center features the
NBA’s first open door arena, which will allow the Delta
breeze to blow past almond trees planted in the arena’s
main entry plaza. Within the arena,
Almond Breeze
will be
TV-visible on the sideline “aprons” in front of the home
and visiting team benches.
“We are thrilled for this opportunity to further secure local
and global top-of-mind brand recognition, share the story
of our grower-owned 106-year-old cooperative, and boldly
communicate our health and wellness message that the best
almonds come from B
lue Diamond Growers
,” Jansen said.
“This partnership is a big deal and supports our ongoing
commitment to maximize the returns of each grower who
entrusts
Blue Diamond
with their almonds.”
Sacramento Kings and
Blue Diamond
Announce Multi-Year Partnership
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016
Almond Facts
21
