Presenting Sponsorship First of Its Kind for Pistons
Livonia, Mich. – Sept. 30, 2003 – The Detroit Pistons announced that Rock Financial, a Quicken Loans company and Michigan’s largest mortgage company, will be the team’s presenting sponsor for the 2003-04 regular season. The agreement marks the first time in the Pistons 46-year history that the team will have a presenting sponsor for the regular season.
“ROCK Financial presents the Detroit Pistons” marks only the second time in NBA history that a franchise has been presented by a sponsor for the regular season. Rock Financial is a Quicken Loans company and operates two mega-brick and mortar branches in Southeast Michigan that are considered among the highest producing mortgage branches in the country.
“The breadth and depth of this agreement is unsurpassed,” said Bill Emerson, CEO of Quicken Loans Inc. “Rock Financial and the Detroit Pistons will be fully integrated into each other’s organizations, right down to the Rock Financial logos that will be placed on Piston’s staff uniforms. All Palace and Sports Entertainment employees will be enrolled in the Quicken Loans/Rock Financial Home Loan Benefit program – a turn-key employee benefit program through which they will receive specialized service on their home loan needs.”
The sponsorship agreement involves a number of marketing elements, including Rock drops/logos on all Pistons television, radio and print ads; Pistons tickets and pocket schedules, game programs and media guides; on all turnstiles in the arena; in-arena advertising; and on the Pistons.com Web site. The Rock logo will be incorporated into Pistons staff uniforms and point-of-sale signage at all “Locker Room” stores. Rock will be included in all Pistons Detroit-area television and radio broadcasts and Pistons celebrities will participate in Rock Financial radio spots throughout the season.
“This multi-tiered agreement allows us to leverage the Pistons’ phenomenal success and popularity to drive business and create additional brand awareness throughout Southeast Michigan for Rock Financial,” said Emerson.
The financial terms of the agreement were undisclosed.
Earlier this year, Quicken Loans announced a multi-tired marketing agreement with Penske Racing, Inc. Quicken Loans’ logos appear on cars driven by this year’s Indianapolis 500 Mile Race winner Gil de Ferran and two-time winner Helio Castroneves. Penske Corporation and its affiliate companies’ 35,000 employees also are enrolled in Quicken Loans’ Home Loan Benefit Plan.
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