Critic Sees No Profit Payoff in Arena Naming

Bank sponsorship of arenas and stadiums is not without its critics.

Brian Wansink, professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, said that buying naming rights can cut through advertising clutter. But he questioned whether the strategy would translate into profitable sales for banks.

"It has a favorable impact on perceptions of stability," said Mr. Wansink. "But the danger is, it brings in the wrong types of accounts," such as customers who keep low balances or occasionally bounce checks. "You don't want customers; you want good customers," he said.

But bankers said arena sponsorships do reach profitable customers.

Deborah Smith, senior vice president of marketing for KeyCorp's northwest region, said that most season ticket holders at professional sporting events have higher-than-average household incomes and often belong in the so-called emerging affluent group.

Mr. Wansink added that arena sponsorship is an effective way to build a brand identity for soft drinks, beer, or other "low involvement" products.

But he wondered whether the marketing strategy would be as effective with a product as potentially complicated as a banking relationship. "When you are looking at higher involvement products, which oftentimes is what certain bank purchases can be, it's not clear that that tremendous investment of money" will pay off in increased profits, he said.