Today’s column offers cereal and candy. Huh? Read on.
Wheaties Field is my name of choice for the new Twins stadium. The ballpark named after the hometown cereal. Wheaties: the “Breakfast of Champions.” What name could be more appropriate?
The Twins should aspire to build on their legacy of success when the downtown stadium opens in 2010. Their mission statement: Minnesota Twins, World Series champions. Feed the boys Wheaties and watch them win.
The Twins are likely to expect a hefty rights fee and long term agreement for any stadium naming rights deal but General Mills and its famous cereal can benefit from more than hometown pride by stepping up to the plate. The Twins and the stadium will be a cultural force in this marketplace via merchandising, advertising, promotion, news coverage and stadium events including 81 baseball games per year. Only the bean counters and the Lord himself know how many times per year consumers will hear or read the name Wheaties Field.
Why not include a Wheaties Hall of Champions in the stadium? Display all the famous athletes who have been on the Wheaties cereal boxes over the years. The Wheaties name could be branded on the Twins’ youth clinics at the stadium and other sites. Kids attending the clinics receive some good advice on nutrition and a free box of Wheaties. And those Wheaties box tops could be good for half off admissions on Wheaties Days for kids and families.
Let the whole country in on the wholesome theme with a Wheaties-scholar athlete program. The winners receive college scholarships and a trip to Minneapolis where they attend a Twins game and are honored at a special General Mills luncheon attended by Twins stars.
In the early years of the stadium the Twins are likely to host major league baseball’s all-star game. Wheaties Field will be showcased across the country, just as it will be most summer nights on ESPN SportsCenter.
Back in the 1930’s Wheaties had signage in Nicollet Park, home of the Minneapolis Millers. Wheaties sponsored the Millers on radio broadcasts. Wheaties can tie its local baseball past to even more prominent future branding if the new stadium is named Wheaties Field.
If the Twins nix the idea of using any corporate name on the new facility, call the stadium Pohlad Park. Carl Pohlad’s piggy bank has helped save the franchise and the elderly Twins owner deserves the honor. Please, no more politically correct names like Metropolitan Stadium, Met Center and Metrodome. Boring! And by the way, not one of these facilities was ever financed by the seven county metro area.
Now back to the candy topic. How about a candy bar named after Joe Mauer? I approached the subject playfully with the Twins’ hometown hero and received this response regarding possible interest in a bar made locally by Pearson’s Candy Company: “Maybe. I don’t know. That’s the first I’ve heard about it. Yeah, definitely.”
Mauer’s buddy, Justin Morneau, good naturedly endorsed the idea. “Well, I am sure people will buy it,” he said.
Would it be a best seller here? “Joe can put his name on anything here and people will buy it,” Morneau answered.
Neither Mauer or Morneau offered a name for the candy bar. How about Pow-Mauer?