The Greater Dallas Chamber and a coalition of Dallas-area chambers of commerce retained the team at Allyn Media in 1996 to handle public relations for the ARENA! Coalition, then later by Mavericks owner Ross Perot, Jr. and Stars owner Tom Hicks to handle branding, message strategy, advertising and public information for the “Yes! Let’s Build It” campaign including direct mail, radio and newspaper ads, professional phone banks, and a comprehensive speaker’s bureau including audio and visual materials and collateral. Dallas voters approved the referendum in January 1998.
Once the arena was approved, and the naming rights deal done with American Airlines, our focus turned to a branding campaign. Our challenges included: ensure American Airlines got the branding they bought for their record-setting naming rights deal, including making sure the media referred to the venue as “American Airlines Center” despite the fact that there was already an American Airlines Arena in Miami; creating a name, logo and graphic standards package for the different seat and suite sales and making sure that each of these separate sales opportunities adhered to the overall graphic identity of the arena; and finally, promoting the new home of the Dallas Mavericks and Stars as the place for entertainment – sports, music, circus, etc., through PR, marketing and advertising.
To achieve these goals, Allyn Media provided public relations services throughout construction, creating marketing materials for premium seating and sponsorship programs and handling media relations for the grand opening. The opening secured national and international media coverage, including Time Magazine and Reforma, Mexico’s leading daily newspaper.
