November 12, 2003

Volume 2, Issue 21

Jags “Hook-Up” Sponsors and Fans

Jacksonville implements new software system to increase sponsorship opportunities

2004 NSF ADchievement Awards

Now Accepting Entries

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If so, then enter your team/organization/event in the 2004 NSF ADchievement Awards. The NSF ADchievement Awards are the premier sports advertising awards showcase as they highlight the year's best sports advertising campaigns.  Applications for entries are now open until December 10, 2003.

Contact: Bill Prescott, CFO, Jacksonville Jaguars - [email protected]; Bill Burkett, Sales & Marketing Manager, IDS Solutions - (904) 645-8697 [email protected] 

Organization: Jacksonville Jaguars

Program Title: Maestro System

Objectives: The Jaguars had four main objectives with this system:

1. To control commercial on all televisions, projectors and plasma displays in-stadium.

2. Create new sponsor activities that will be tailored to specific areas of the stadium.

3. Add a new component in the overall upgrade of Alltel Stadium in preparation for the 2005 Super Bowl.

4. Enhance fan experience at the stadium

Program Description: The Jacksonville Jaguars have got a new program in place this season that has their sponsors salivating…mainly because it effectively cuts out the sponsors’ competition and precisely targets different demographic groups throughout the stadium. The new system is called Maestro, and here’s how it works…

The system is a unique scheduling software system that enables the Jags to flexibly display various forms of video content, including sponsor messages to all televisions, projectors and plasma displays throughout the stadium. This gives the Jaguars the ability to offer their sponsors exclusive advertising opportunities in specific parts of the stadium, no matter what network broadcasts the game. For instance, the Jags can guarantee that the only beer ads seen during the game at the in-stadium sports bar, “The Bud Zone”, are Budweiser ads.

Maestro gives users the ability to schedule, display, and switch between live broadcast, Macromedia Flash animations, live event statistical information, web pages, video clips, photographs and other digital media. Maestro allows for the content to be customized on a display-by-display basis and controlled from a single central location.

One of the features the Jaguars have found sponsors love is that the Maestro system automatically tracks the number of times each sponsor message is shown. The system then generates related reports to verify actual commercial airtime.

Partner: The Jaguars entered into an agreement with Information and Display Systems (IDS) to license the IDS Maestro software for use in ALLTEL Stadium. IDS implemented their Maestro program to help the Jags control commercials on all televisions, projectors and plasma displays in-stadium and to create new sponsor activities that will be tailored to specific areas of the facility. While Jacksonville is the first NFL team to implement the Maestro software, it has been previously used by IBM at the US Open in Flushing Meadows and Mercedes-Benz at the ATP Tennis Masters Series.

Sponsors: Several of the Jags sponsors have decided to utilize the Maestro program and have their message broadcasted into specific areas in the stadium. This specific target marketing is very appealing to these sponsors.

Results: Even though the program is still relatively new, it’s already proving to be a success! Several of the Jaguars’ sponsors have decided to utilize the Maestro program and have their message broadcasted into specific areas in the stadium. While the figures are confidential, the Maestro software has allowed the Jags to generate more sponsor revenue and let their smaller sponsors advertise in house during their game days.

Looking Ahead: Based on the positive results of the Maestro program the Jaguars will be marketing this opportunity to other sponsors in the coming months for inclusion into next year’s games.

Click the above link for more information on The National Sports Forum

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