Audible's Bob Reif Gives The Ed An Extreme Makeover

Stadium will undergo $30 million in upgrades prior to the 2009 NFL season

Stadiums are icons of their communities and help define teams success and their legacies.

When it comes to understanding the details required for stadium design, Bob Reif has consistently delivered solutions to some of the NFL's finest facilities, transforming the way people have experienced sporting events. His latest project, The Edward Jones Dome, is no miraculous exception.

As part of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission's (CVC) lease agreement set with The Rams when they became the first NFL team to move from the West, the facility has to still rank among the top 25 percent of NFL stadiums in terms of quality by 2015, the stadium's 20th anniversary.


Bob Reif led the charge of quality assurance with cutting-edge design and amenities, collaborating with a team from 360 Architecture, creating unprecedented upgrades and improvements for The Edward Jones Stadium, assuring The Ed remains a gathering place; bringing Fans together, enlivening the community and creating a public realm.

Reif's passion is undeniable. He approached the architecture of The Dome with a design vocabulary unlike anyone else; continuing to chart an inventive course for the St Louis Venue and Rams Franchise, creating new opportunities for comfort, convenience and commerce by offering unique and memorable experiences to its guests.

For instance, In an all-out effort to give access and extend engagement for avid, main and emerging fans, Reif has delivered on his promise of a new super-suite that will combine four suites to create roughly 72 seats that can be purchased as individual tickets. It's a business class upgrade to cool for Ram Fans, who may not have had the opportunity to buy a season suite like corporate America sponsors.. The price includes complimetary mojo on kickoff.

Upgrades from flat to fantastic will include newer and larger Daktronics HD-16 LED video and scoreboards in both end zones. Working hard to imagine and deliver a better future for St Louis, Reif created a public space on the north end of the concourse level that will allow viewing access of the field.

The promise of a great experience is what really sells. A great city with friendly people, united with a great stadium, will create fond memories and entice people to return, again and again; a new Premium Club in the south end of the club level and a renovated Rams Club in the north end of the club level are a means to these ends.

Both new clubs on the north and south ends will allow available daylight into the bowl area, and most of the dark blue paint in the bowl will be replaced with a lighter color scheme to brighten the bowl.

In addition:

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  The Premium Club will have lounge spaces, game areas and other amenities. The Premium Club also will have a private elevator and adjacent parking.


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  New upscale seating is being added to the bowl seating area, complete with individual snack tables and televisions, as well as table dining opportunities.
  
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  The large Interstate 70 marquee in front of the building will also be replaced with a new double-sided HD 16 LED display.

Edward Jones Dome Daktronics Bob Reif St Louis Rams

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 Terry Lefton 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 St Louis Business Journal, noted "Rams revenues were up 25%; including one of the largest beer deals in the league history as reported by SBJ.

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.

Mark Wright Tony Ponturo Bob Reif Anheuser-Busch St Louis Rams Sports Marketing

The US Border Patrol Teams Up With The Rams

“Traditional sponsors aren’t spending — you have to look hard for new money,” acknowledged Bob Reif, whose Audible Marketing and Sports sells for the St. Louis Rams. Accordingly,a new Rams sponsor is the U.S. Border Patrol, despite the team’s location in Missouri.

The United States Border Patrol has been recruiting US border protecting civil servants everywhere you can think of. Sure, they mostly target young males around Wal-Marts, but where else can you find that demographic of red-blooded Americans signing up for their $70K jobs? Football Stadiums like The Edward Jones Dome, that's where!

The United States Border Patrol is now sponsoring an NFL team, the St Louis Rams . Football has become America's game and now DHS has a golden opportunity to reach countless patriotic citizen fans who want to answer the call to help prevent another terrorist attack on American soil.

How do you add new sponsors when money is tight? Build new inventory, mine nontraditional categories and search in places you never looked before. So say four NFL sponsorship marketers, all of whom are having some success in the face of a shattered economy.

“Traditional sponsors aren’t spending — you have to look hard for new money,” acknowledged Bob Reif, whose Audible Marketing and Sports sells for the St. Louis Rams. Accordingly, a new Rams sponsor is the U.S. Border Patrol, despite the team’s location in Missouri.

Other teams are repeating the mantra that “flat is the new up,” ---

Read Terry Lefton's October 13,2008 full story Here at: Sports Business Journal

Forbes Reports: Rams Valuation Now Worth Almost $1 billion

Thanks to a solid television deal and great appeal to sponsors 1,the St Louis Rams Brand is now worth almost $1 billion, up $21 Millon from last year and up $172 Million from 2005.

Brand Management: 7% ($66mil) of the franchise's value is attributable to the management of Sales and Marketing by CMO, Chief Marketing Officer Bob Reif. 2

A football fan loves the game, as well as their team. It is not just a game for many people, it is a belief; and the fans believe in the brand. They connect on a huge level. It represents our country and everything American, and fans remain constant - regardless of individual team performances. It’s all about Americana.

Bob Reif's Financial Playbook

Pro football is the strongest,most profitable sport on the planet. See Forbes: The Richest Game Read the financial playbook of Reif and you will discover a game plan laced with more slick twists and sweet slants than any Super Bowl strategy. In fact, it should be required reading for all CEOs.

Page One: Go deep. From the mind of this master innovator came on-field tweaks that turned a once-flat sport into a made-for-TV bonanza, and fresh boardroom ideas that sparked a raging revenue engine, such as creating and selling a Fractional Naming Rights Deal, unprecedented in Sports Marketing history---negotiating a marketing pact with the Rams and Russell Athletic, a maker of sports apparel owned by billionaire Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, that included the right for its name to join that of investment-firm Edward Jones adorning the stadium for one day!

Page Two: Don’t fumble the basics. By staying true to some thick-armed American values, Reif, the Rams Revenue Architect, built a base of rabid consumers who come to worship each week with wallets wide open--- selling marketing platforms that help sponsors get the most out of their relationship with the team and fans year-round. Reif also improved the game-day experience by expanding activities at Baer Park, installing four, 125-foot LED ribbon boards inside the Dome; and replacing 30-second, in-stadium ads with “sponsored features such as ‘MasterCard Priceless Moments’ in Rams history.

Page Three: Timing is everything. In the front office, Reif has always created a brand around the team. Reif built on those heartland values by emphasizing team over individual.

The St Louis Rams not only came of age during the Greatest Show On Turf , they blossomed in an era when sports emerged as the new American religion. Hence, "I Believe", the St Louis Rams Television and Micro Site Campaign, headed up by Bob in 2007.

“Believe In Now” the season-long theme for the NFL’s 2008 campaign, is the Bob Reif marketing platform scaled to all 32 teams.

1.Bob Reif's Major corporate sponsors are Dodge, Anheuser-Busch (nyse: BUD), National City (nyse: NCC), United States Cellular (amex: USM), PepsiCo (nyse: PEP). Naming rights sponsor is Edward Jones.

2. Bob Reif is also President of Audible RSM, LLC - Reif Sports Marketing, a boutique sports marketing concern providing marketing and sales services to professional sports leagues, team owners, franchises, athletes and blue chip U.S. corporate sponsors.
Reif is co-founder with Mark Rockefeller of Sponsor Direct, a New York-based sponsorship marketing solutions company. Sponsor Direct maintains its headquarters in Tarrytown, NY and a sales office located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York

Sarah Fisher's Got A Guy---Again

Ten months ago, the world’s largest transmission specialist repair chain, AAMCO Transmissions signed on to sponsor the IndyCar Series’ Most Popular Driver, Sarah Fisher. The deal was negotiated by Bob Reif, President and CEO of Audible Marketing and Sports Agency.

Sarah stared in AAMCO’S $30 million “I Got a Guy” nationwide ad campaign which included television, radio, internet and print advertising.

In addition, Reif created the AAMCO Transmissions Pole position, whereby AAMCO Transmissions sponsored the Pole Award for Indianapolis 500, rewarding the pole winner with a $100,000 bonus. As part of an agreement with the IndyCar® Series, AAMCO also serves as the "Official Automotive Transmission Repair Company" of the Series.

"I Got A Guy" Sarah Fisher_Bob Reif AAMCO Spot



Déjà Vu

Last month, when ResQ Pure Energy Power Drink and Gravity Motorsports, pulled out as her major financial backer, Sarah was in a money crunch. Luckily, through a previous existing Bob Reif relationship, Fisher got herself a last minute primary sponsor for her No. 67 Honda powered Dallara, for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.

Exit Only (PINKSHEETS: EXTO) and its subsidiary TEXT4CARS.COM stepped up to serve as the primary sponsor. T4C was created for the purpose of giving FREE advertising to vehicle sellers while making car shopping convenient and efficient for buyers.

Read More: Marketwire press release.

Roll to Text4cars.com right now and add to the traffic!
Behind The Music

Sarah Fiser Bob Reif Audible Marketing and Sports Agency Indy 500 AAMCO Text4Cars.com

NFL Prefers The Present Tense of Rams Marketing Platform "I Believe"

The Power Of NEW

“Believe In Now” is the season long theme for the NFL’s 2008 NFL campaign. The league introduced the marketing platform, along with the logo for Super Bowl XLIII, to about 300 licensees, team officials and retailers who gathered at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., last month for the sixth annual summit of “hard lines,” or nonapparel, licensees.

“We want fans to feel like they can’t miss a moment, because there might be a ‘now’ moment at any time during the season.” said Jaime Weston, the league’s director of brand management and integration marketing and sales. “ We decided to go with something new that focused on the emotion and passion of the NFL while dialing up the sense of urgency,”

That Something new was last years proof of concept,"I Believe", the St Louis Rams Television and Micro Site Campaign, headed up by Bob Reif, President of Audible Marketing & Sports.

Welcome Believers!
Watch TV Spots HERE.
"I Believe" Micro Site HERE.
Download Audible Feed To Itunes
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2008 "Who Believe's Now?" KC CHIEF'S SPOT




2007 "I Believe" ST LOUIS RAM'S Spot

I Believe Believe in Now NFL St Louis Rams Bob Reif Audible Sports And Marketing

Welcome Believers! CEO's 90 Second Spot

To kick off the 2007 NFL season, the St Louis Rams Marketing Team, led by Bob Reif, President and CEO of Audible Marketing And Sports Agency launched a campaign thanking their sponsors for "believing" in their product.

Cartier, Simons Jewellers Players of Excellence

The 2007 Cartier, Simons Jewellers Players of Excellence on and off the field of play are; Isaac Bruce, Mark Bulger, La'Roi Glover and Steven Jackson. Each player received a specialized Players of Excellence Cartier Santos 100 watch in recognition of their efforts. In addition an identical watch will be auctioned to help raise funds for each of the four players' charity of choice.

Bob Reif, President of Audible Marketing And Sports Agency, worked with Clayton, Mo., retailer Simons Jewelers and Cartier to secure a two-year deal with the NFL St Louis Rams, through which the jeweler awards a $7,000 Cartier Roadster watch to the player of the week on the weekly coaches show on FSN Midwest. Coach Scott Linehan is wearing the same model watch, adding some branded content to the mix. Here's a clip from FOX Midwest Rams All-Access:

Waste Management Signs Green Sponsorship Deal With NFL’s Rams

In a three-year, low-seven-figure deal, Waste Management has signed on as the founding sponsor of the St. Louis Rams’ new 4R environmental platform, St. Louis Business Journal reports.

Other than the green marketing platform, Waste Management will get its logo on the back of all Rams tickets, along with stadium signage, a “bug” during scoreboard highlights and co-branded recycling bins.

Bob Reif, whose Audible Marketing & Sports negotiated the deal, said there have been preliminary discussions with the National Football League about a leaguewide green deal for Waste Management.

For A Timeline of Bob Reif's First $250 million worth of sponsorships for the teams and the stadiums over three years with Wayne Huizenga's Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers, Waste Management and Huizenga Holdings Download Audible Feed To Itunes
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"Every business of size is looking for a way to address environmental issues,'' said Bob Reif, whose Audible Marketing & Sports does sponsorship sales for the Rams and negotiated the deal. "This is something that could work for any team or league, because you raise awareness on a key issue and monetize it at the same time.''

Rams Ink Multi-Year Branding Initiative With Waste Management

December 18, 2007

At a time when many brands are looking for "green'' marketing programs, Waste Management has signed a three-year, low-seven figure deal with the Rams, making it the founding sponsor of the team's new 4R environmental platform. The Rams deal, which does not include any WM services for the team or city of St. Louis, is expected to be rolled out at tomorrow night's game against the Steelers in St. Louis, when RB Marshall Faulk's jersey is being retired.

Other than the green marketing platform, WM will get its logo on the back of all Rams tickets, along with stadium signage, a "bug'' during scoreboard highlights and co-branded recycling bins. "Every business of size is looking for a way to address environmental issues,'' said Bob Reif, whose Audible Marketing & Sports does sponsorship sales for the Rams and negotiated the deal. "This is something that could work for any team or league, because you raise awareness on a key issue and monetize it at the same time.'' Reif said there have been preliminary discussions with the NFL about a league-wide green deal for WM; the company's other sports sponsorships include NASCAR team and league deals, which are not expected to be renewed for the '08 season.

Naming Rights Waste Management St .Louis Rams Bob Reif Audible RSM