SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL

Buffalo Bills

The North Face

Chad Ricks, Logan Blankenship,

Taylor Jones, Lindsay McGetrick

Table of Contents  

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Cover Letter…………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………… 4

Buffalo Bills Description…………………………………………………………………… 5

Buffalo Bills Youth Programs Description………………………………………………6

The North Face Description……………………………………………………………….10

Brand Alignment and Compatibility…………………………………………………….12

Sponsorship Package……………………………………………………………………….15

Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………….18

March 19, 2015

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Geoffrey D. Lurie Chief Executive Officer and Director The North Face, Inc. 2701 Harbor Way Parkway Alameda, CA 94502 Dear Mr. Lurie, The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs would like to invite The North Face, Inc. to be an exclusive sponsor and partner with our department. The North Face, named after the cold, unforgiving side of a mountain, is known for providing high-tech performance gear for the most extreme of outdoor enthusiasts. The Bills would like to enhance and promote your organization’s passion for the outdoors, adventure and perseverance. The attached sponsorship proposal covers areas of proposed opportunities that include: involvement in our youth programs, signage opportunities, and media/web awareness. The Bills have many possible opportunities for The North Face to partake in the positive image that we have been highly committed to. Below we have also shown many similar goals and missions of our two organizations that would demonstrate an ideal alignment. The Bills are looking for a compatible partnership that will grow and continue for many years. We will provide The North Face with increased brand awareness, an enhanced positive brand image, and stronger brand loyalty. The whole Bills program has worked together to create this sponsorship proposal tailored to The North Face and to meet the needs and wants of your organization. We look forward to discussing these possible opportunities with you in the future. Sincerely, Brent Rossi Executive Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Pegula Sports and Entertainment

Executive Summary

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When partnering with the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs, your organization will have many benefits. This sponsorship proposal is specifically geared towards The North Face and the goals of your organization. When looking at the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs as well as The North Face’s goals and objectives, many of these were commonly aligned. We think that The North Face would be a great fit for not only our organization, but for yours as well. The key elements in this proposal would be the increase in brand image and brand awareness that The North Face would receive when partnering with our organization. The Buffalo Bills are regularly broadcasted on different media outlets, and our youth programs receive a high level of media attention. The North Face could be included in the constant positive attention, comments, and stories that the Buffalo Bills and our youth programs have on local and national media. When aligning target markets, there are key demographics that both The North Face and the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs target. An alignment with the Buffalo Bills would help enhance your organization’s brand awareness and image among the local and national population. When looking into possible programs that would enhance the awareness and image of The North Face, we found several opportunities that align with your organization’s mission. The first program is the Buffalo Bills’ Gift of Warmth Program. Each year, the Buffalo Bills put on an event to collect new or gently used winter clothing to give away to those in need of warmth. This program is a great opportunity for The North Face to better their image in the mind of children that could potentially be new customers when they grow up and also increase brand awareness in the local community and northern region of the United States. A second opportunity for your organization to enhance your brand image and increase brand awareness is through our Play 60 program. The Buffalo Bills are dedicated to improving the health of the community by teaching kids to spend at least 60 minutes a day outside. This aligns with your organization’s goal of inspiring “a new generation of explorers- from their backyard to the Himalayan peaks.” Through this program, The North Face could play a huge role in inspiring a new generation of kids that spend more time being active and exploring the outdoors. In addition to these two programs, a partnership with the Buffalo Bills would provide your organization with available advertisement signage around Ralph Wilson Stadium. This partnership would also allow The North Face logo and other relevant information to be posted on our very popular website. The total package value is $300,000; however, the actual sponsorship investment is $275,000. We understand that proving the benefits is an upmost priority. At the conclusion of every regular season, the Buffalo Bills develop and distribute a survey out to patrons. We propose issuing out another survey or including another question about The North Face and how the crowd perceives the organization. We would also have community surveys and measure the amount of media coverage.

The Buffalo Bills

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OVERVIEW

The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team located in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the East Division in the American Football Conference, which is part of the National Football League. The Bills are the only professional team that actually plays in New York State. Local rivals such as the Jets and Giants play in northern New Jersey. Up until a contest to rename the team in 1947, Buffalo’s team was known as the Bisons. James Breuil, the owner of the organization, chose the winning suggestion and determined the team be called the Buffalo Bills. Recently on October 8, 2014, the team was unanimously voted by NFL team owners to sell the team to Terry and Kim Pegula after the former owner passed away.

BRIEF HISTORY

• 1960- Began competitive play in the American Football League • 1964 & 1965- Won two consecutive AFL titles • 1970- NFL and AFL merger; became a part of National Football League • 1988-1991- Won the AFC East Division Championship four consecutive years

*The Bills are the only team to win this many division championships and attend the Super Bowl consecutively; however they are also the only team to have lost the Super Bowl four years in a row.

• 2000-Present- Only team that has yet to make NFL playoffs in 21st century

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs

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Mission Statement

The Buffalo Bills are committed to improving the quality of life in Western New York through community outreach and charitable investment in the areas of fitness, health, and safety. The Buffalo Bills remain dedicated and committed to the people that comprise the Western New York region and proudly represent the city of Buffalo.

Goal

The goals of the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs department is to enhance opportunities as well as improve the quality of life for children in the Western New York region by investing and taking a hands-on approach in the areas of fitness, health, and safety.

Description

For the past 55 years, the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs Department has maintained an active presence in the community. These youth programs bring NFL excitement to children who may not have the opportunity to experience the thrill of a Bill’s football game in person. The Bills conduct over 20 events and assist with hundreds of initiatives each year. Some of the Buffalo Bills programs that are dedicated to making a difference in the community include:

Ø Play 60 Ø Fuel Up to Play 60 Ø Hometown Huddle Ø Coach of the Week Ø Punt, Pass & Kick Ø USA Football Ø NFL Flag Ø Heads Up Football

Ø Breast Cancer Awareness Ø Moms Clinic Ø Salute to Service Ø Rookie Club Ø Touchdown for Teachers Ø Gift of Warmth Ø Holiday Outreach

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs

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The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs Impact

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Through charitable outreach and hands on efforts, the Buffalo Bills programs have reached not only the thousands of youth that participate each year but also parents and guardians and the community of the 260,000 residents that call Buffalo, New York home.

The primary goal of our organization is to positively impact the community and youth programs, but we also strive to provide a successful experience for our sponsors. In the past, national brands such as Pepsi, Visa, and New Era have benefited from our partnership with increases in brand awareness and brand image. The Buffalo Bills believe that The North Face could be the next to partner to benefit from our successful youth programs.

For the past 55 years, the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs department has conducted and assisted with hundreds of events and initiatives each year. Our programs bring in hundreds of participants of many different ages, and generate a large amount of media coverage. The city of Buffalo contains numerous media outlets that cover the youth programs and their impacts within the community including television stations, print media, and websites

Television Coverage

As a sponsor, The North Face name and logo will be included on all proper signage but also mentioned as an official sponsor on all broadcasts. There are 6 main television channels that cover the majority of our youth programs. They include: WGRZ, WIVB, WKBW, WGRZ follow-up show, Channel 7, FOX PSA, and Channel 2.

Print Media Coverage

A number of different print media outlets cover our youth programs. They include: Buffalo News Sports Section, Buffalo News City & Region, Game Day Program, Bills Digest, Democrat & Chronicle, and the Niagara Gazette. As a sponsor, The North Face will be mentioned in all articles that cover our programs.

Internet Coverage

The Buffalo Bills highly functional official website contains information regarding the youth programs and sponsors. This website is the primary resource and includes the most coverage of the youth program events such as photos and videos, live coverage, news and audio channels. As a sponsor, The North Face will have advertisements on the website as well as The North Face name and logo will be visible on all sponsored event photos and videos.

Social Media Presence

The official Buffalo Bills Twitter page has an excess of 339,000 followers. The Buffalo Bills official Facebook page has over 714,000 likes. The Bills also use other social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram, Google Plus and Tumblr – all of which are linked and contain numerous followers.

Gift of Warmth Program

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs Impact

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• Participants o 50 volunteers o 10 student leaders o 25 Buffalo Jills o 1,000’s of donating fans

• Media Coverage of the Event

TV PRINT INTERNET WGRZ Buffalo News Sports Section Buffalobills.com WIVB Buffalo News City & Region WKBW Game Day Program WGRZ follow up show

Bills Digest, Democrat & Chronicle

Channel 7 Niagara Gazette FOX PSA (Ran 349 times)

Channel 2

Buffalo Bills Hometown Huddle Program

• Participants o Over 150 children from different

parts of Western New York o 4 Buffalo Bills players

• Media Coverage of the Event

What Moves U Program

• Participants o 1,600 5th-8th graders

attended the kick-off event

TV PRINT INTERNET WGRZ Buffalo News Buffalobills.com WKBW Buffalo Digest Jointheteam.com Game Day Program

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs Impact

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o 2,000 5th-8th graders received program materials o 725 students completed the four-week event

• Media Coverage of the Event

Just from these three examples, you can see the impact that our programs make on youth in the community and the large amount of media attention that they generate. We believe that our programs are a great opportunity for The North Face to enhance their brand awareness and brand image while making an impact on the community.

                                                                             

 

TV PRINT INTERNET WKBW Buffalo News Buffalobills.com Buffalo Digest Game Day Program

Description of Potential Sponsor: The North Face

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The North Face, Inc. • The North Face was established in 1966,

introduced as a small retail store on San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.

• In 1968, The North Face moved to the Berkeley area, and began designing and manufacturing its own brand of technical mountaineering apparel and equipment.

• In the early 1980s, The North Face expanded the ski world, adding extreme skiwear to their product offering.

• The 1990s saw the greatest expansion of The North Face brand, as they debuted in the sportswear market with the launch of Tekware™, an innovative collection designed to provide rock climbers, backpackers, hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts with the ultimate fit and function. The North Face half dome logo began to appear with greater regularity on marathon courses, high-country trails, etc. Shortly before the new millennium in 2000, The North Face launched its own line of trekking and trail-running shoes.

• Today, The North Face delivers an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear, as they have become the first choice of the world's most accomplished climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers, snowboarders, endurance runners, and explorers.

Mission Statement: “Never stop exploring” Community Service: The North Face is active in several areas of community outreach and service, including: Clothes the Loop- This program allows customers to bring their old/used apparel and footwear to any The North Face retail store (Any brand is welcome) and in exchange, you earn a reward, which can be redeemable towards the purchase of The North Face goods. The items dropped into the bins are sent to a recycling center, where they are carefully sorted based on over 400 categories. They are then reused to extend their life or recycled into raw materials for use in products like insulation, carpet padding, stuffing for toys, and fibers for new clothing. In addition to protecting the outdoors from textile waste, all proceeds from the program are donated to The Conservation Alliance. Chemical Responsibility- The North Face business is built on designing products of unrivaled performance to allow people to push the limits of what is humanly possible. They focus on this goal each day, while also holding firm to high standards of consumer, environmental and worker safety. When they design these products, we ensure that the manufacturing processes and procedures exceed or are compliant with all federal and international regulations. The North Face is a member of eleven sustainable/environmental organizations which promote the use of safe chemicals in textile manufacturing. In addition, The North Face has a Restricted Substance List (RSL), which prohibits the use of harmful materials in the manufacturing of their products.

Description of Potential Sponsor: The North Face

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“At the heart of The North Face is a mission to inspire a global movement of outdoor exploration and conservation.”- Todd Spaleto, President of The North Face Product Leadership Through life cycle assessments of products in their apparel, footwear and equipment categories, they have determined that the majority of their environmental impact comes from materials processing and product manufacturing. This is where they direct the majority of their focus. They incorporate recycled materials into The North Face products and take responsibility for their products’ end-of-life through a long-standing commitment to durability and their “Clothes the Loop” take-back program. The North Face has engaged its suppliers in efforts to reduce chemicals, water, energy and waste in their mills, with savings equivalent to removing over 100 tanker trucks of chemicals and over 230 Olympic swimming pools of water since 2010. Operational Efficiency The North Face believes that using resources efficiently is both a responsible business practice and a means of reducing their environmental impact. They have made important strides in promoting renewable technologies and in reducing the energy, water and waste associated with their facilities. While the greatest impacts come from the manufacturing of their products in suppliers’ mills, their control over the facilities they own and operate allows them to change those operations more rapidly. In 2012 and 2013, The North Face opened new headquarters offices in the United States and Europe that combine renewable energy with green building innovations. Community Engagement As a responsible business, The North Face aims to enable outdoor exploration and to protect our outdoor playgrounds. Their employee engagement and social compliance initiatives ensure the safe and fair treatment of the people who are making their products.  The North Face shares their passion for the outdoors by inspiring and enabling the next generation of explorers through funding for non-profit organizations that are working to connect children with nature. Since 2010, The North Face has reached over 100,000 youth by supporting over 250 organizations through The Explore Fund.

Brand Alignment and Compatibility

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Comparing the Organizations

The values for both organizations are similar in the fact that they are helping to give back to the community as well as providing a safe and healthy environment for future generations. The Buffalo Bills organization is committed to charitable causes around the Western New York region. The Bills will continue to prioritize efforts to build awareness and support for the promotion of health, fitness, and safety of the younger generation. The North Face strives to  inspire and enable the next generation of explorers by working with organizations to re-connect children with nature. They believe in the physical, emotional and social benefits of a healthy, active outdoor lifestyle, and that a strong connection with the outdoors will lead to greater support and protection of the world’s natural landscapes. The North Face encourages youth outdoor participation, as well as providing education for both personal and environmental health. Both organizations share a passion for promoting healthy, active lifestyles and educating the younger generation.

Community Relations

The Buffalo Bills Youth Program focuses a lot on youth development and education. Our programs also allows children to try new things and let them experience the excitement of meeting NFL football players. The North Face has a rich history of partnering with organizations with the goal getting youth to experience the outdoors and to try new things. Some examples would be Big City Mountaineers and Paradox Sports. Big City Mountaineers is an organization that to tries to help a group of diverse, urban youth experience the outdoors and teach them how to be active and healthy. Paradox Sports is an organization that allows disabled children to participate in rock climbing. Their goal is to help children do things that they did not think were possible. We believe that the Buffalo Bills and The North Face would be great partners because we share the same goal of helping youth be active in the outdoors and to experience new and exciting opportunities.

Business Plan

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs department remains active to promote health, fitness, and safety among a diverse population in the community. The North Face strives to inspire a new generation of explorers across the entire world. Both organizations have a strong focus on diversity in youth.

Brand Alignment and Compatibility

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Family Connection

The Buffalo Bills and The North Face organizations focus heavily on youth. The programs they both provide prove that families are very important to both sides. By partnering together, we can create a strong bond in the households of the community and therefore provide a safe and healthy environment for children to explore and be active.

Brand Alignment and Compatibility

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Target Markets

The Buffalo Bills Youth Program department’s target market is the youth around the Western New York region. This includes a very diverse group of children and families. The target market of The North Face is middle class youth and adults with an interest in the outdoors. The North Face also focuses on geographical areas with colder temperatures. For the sponsorship, the target

market would be the youth from the Western New York region that have interest in being active.

The Buffalo Bills Youth Programs and The North Face are a perfect fit for each other when it comes to a partnering sponsorship. This partnership can help create a new, building trust between The North Face and the Western New York region.

ü Both target the youth in their programs

ü Both target similar geographical areas

ü Both attract a diverse demographic youth group

 

Sponsorship Package

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Gift of Warmth Program

• The North Face will receive 5 highly visible signage areas surrounding the event. • The North Face will receive media exposure at the event. • The North Face will have a co-sponsor opportunity with the Salvation Army. • The North Face will receive a booth at the event for the purpose of product trial and

sampling by the participants. • The North Face will receive better brand awareness through media exposure and direct

contact with participants at the booth. • The North Face will better their brand image by helping give warm clothing to those in

need. • The North Face will have the opportunity to enable a new generation of explorers by

providing youth with the necessary apparel for the outdoors.

Play 60 Program

• The North Face will receive 3 highly visible signage areas at the event. • The North Face will have a co-sponsor opportunity with the United Way. • The North Face will receive a booth at the event for the purpose of product trial and

sampling by the participants. • The North Face will receive promotion opportunities by being able to pass out coupons or

brochures at the event. • The North Face will receive media coverage and exposure at the event. • The North Face will receive increased sale opportunities through their booth and

promotions. These two items will get parents’ attention and influence them to shop at a North Face store.

• The North Face will enhance their brand image and increase brand awareness through this event. Helping with this event will show the community that The North Face cares about the health and education of the youth.

Signage in Ralph Wilson Stadium

• The North Face will receive 2 signage areas within the stadium. • The signage will increase brand awareness and provide media exposure during Buffalo

Bills home games.

Sponsorship Package

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Web Visibility

• The North Face logo will be featured at the head of the Buffalo Bills Youth Programs web page.

• The North Face logo will also be listed with our other sponsors on the team’s main website.

• This will provide The North Face with another form of media exposure.

                                                                                 

                                   

Sponsorship Package

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Total Package Value: $300,000   Actual Sponsorship Investment: $275,000

Evaluation

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Fan Surveys

• At the conclusion of each regular season, the Buffalo Bills organization distributes a survey out to patrons.

• The goal of this survey is to determine how people rate their experience at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

• We propose re-drafting the survey to include questions about The North Face and how the crowd perceives the organization.

Community Surveys

• Distribute a survey to members of the Western New York region and surrounding communities once this sponsorship agreement is finalized.

• The initial survey will be used to determine how people perceive The North Face organization prior to the brand alignment with our Youth Programs Department.

• At the conclusion of our Youth Programs fiscal year, we will conduct another survey to see where The North Face is positioned in the minds of those in the community.

• For the duration of the sponsorship, the Buffalo Bills will be responsible for the conducting of the surveys.

Measuring Media Exposure

• Note the number of times The North Face was featured in the newspaper, local television, etc. due to its partnership with the Bills Youth Programs.