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Papa John's awards Cleveland Browns Sports Partners of the Year

Sports partnerships play a critical role in the success of Papa John's marketing mix worldwide, with more than 150 partners in the U.S. alone.

May 22, 2015

Sports partnerships play a critical role in the success of Papa John's marketing mix worldwide, with more than 150 partners in the U.S. alone, the company said in a press release. Papa John's recently created an all-new Sports Partner of the Year award to acknowledge top performers of this marketing strategy. The company recognized the Cleveland Browns as the first-ever recipient.

Papa John's chose a winner based on how the partnership with Papa John's tapped into the passion of fans and connected them to the Papa John's brand.

The company nominated The Browns due to the team's ability to excel in leveraging fans' passion for the team and connecting the Papa John's brand to the things fans love about football. This included developing and offering an in-market product for Papa John's, the Cleveland Brownie, a dessert that linked them to a long-standing Cleveland Browns icon: Brownie the Elf.

The partnership also encouraged an organic brand connection between Papa John's and the Browns by enabling fans to redeem Papa Rewards points, the brand's digital loyalty rewards program, to earn exclusive team items and nostalgic collectibles, the announcement said.