‘Nets Name May Change, But Will Definitely Be Brooklyn’

By Sarah Ryley
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Seattle-based Jones Soda Company officially joined U.K.-based Barclays Bank and the New Jersey Nets as the third out-of-town company expected to make a grand entry into the Brooklyn marketplace once the planned Atlantic Yards arena is built.

The Nets, owned by Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner Companies, announced yesterday that Jones will be the exclusive carbonated soft drink and bottled water provider once the team moves into the Barclays Center, named after the British bank for a reported $400 million.

Most potential fans interviewed by the Eagle said they’ve never heard of Jones, and balked at being denied the right to purchase Coca-Cola or Pepsi during events. But the deal reflects a trend in the team’s sponsorship rights of giving little-known brands a platform in the nation’s largest media market to introduce themselves to consumers.

“I think you’re going to find that the sponsors and our partners, they’ll be some that are very new to the marketplace. And we firmly believe that the Barclays Center is going to help build brands that want to come into the metro area,� Brett Yormark, president and CEO of Nets Sports and Entertainment, told the Eagle. Yormark declined to disclose the terms of the seven-year deal, but Conde Nast reported it as $1.7 million per year.

“Our goal has been and always will be to try to capture the culinary experience of Brooklyn and bring it into the building,� he added, noting that ethnic foods would also be part of the mix. Brooklyn Brewery currently serves beer at the Nets’ arena in New Jersey, but Yormark said, “We haven’t done our beer deal yet.�

Some, like basketball fan Shakena Blake of Queens, said they would prefer if the Nets just stuck to Coke or Pepsi.

“Coke and Pepsi is like the tradition of New York,� she said. “People probably don’t know what [Jones] is,� added fellow basketball fan Joseph Rivera of Brooklyn.

When told that Jones could be considered a healthier option because its 28 flavors — ranging from Ginger Ale to Chocolate Fudge — are made with pure cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup, Blake asked, “Is that for people on diets? Well some people would want to drink that and it should be an option, but just an option, not the only option.�

Rivera was concerned that the boutique brand would be more expensive than Pepsi or Coke products. “People like the cheap stuff at games because it already costs so much.�

Anthony Martone of Brooklyn said he prefers Mountain Dew, but would be willing to try Jones soda.

Jones, unlike Coca-Cola and Pepsi, was able to offer the team customized flavors and packaging. A Jones Soda Shoppe inside the arena will be open daily, where fans can put their pictures on the bottles. The Seattle Seahawks is the only other professional team to name the company as its official soda.

“We’ve worked with all of them before [Coca-Cola and Pepsi], we currently work with all of them in New Jersey,� said Yormark. “At the end of the day, Jones was the most compelling opportunity for us when you factor in the financial benefits, but most importantly the brand activation opportunities  to not only glamorize the Barclays Center but to glamorize our franchise.�

As for the team’s new name once it moves to Brooklyn — depending on the outcome of pending legal challenges — Nets spokesman Barry Baum said, “Brooklyn is the name for sure. It hasn’t been determined if it will be the Nets yet. The working title now is Brooklyn Nets.�

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007
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