IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys and Nationwide Insurance announced a new partnership, which will officially begin when Nationwide sponsors the Aug. 24 preseason game at Cowboys Stadium against the Bengals.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones sat next to Nationwide chief marketing officer Matt Jauchius and defensive end DeMarcus Ware to announce the partnership Tuesday at Valley Ranch.
"We've got a lot in common," Jones said. "They don't have any stockholders. Their stockholders, in a matter of speaking, are their customers, their fans, and so that's what they appeal to. It's a real privilege and an honor for Nationwide to take their initial foray into football and the NFL and do it with the Dallas Cowboys."
In addition to the Bengals game, Nationwide will also be active in the Game Day Plaza at three additional home games and will introduce a fan promotion at the beginning of the season.
"A lot of what we're going to do is really show our presence in that first game," Jauchius said. "We were so impressed when we got to tour Cowboys Stadium and see all the assets there. What you really want to do is have your brand presence felt."
Jauchius said the Cowboys are a first-rate, first-class professional organization that strives to be the best in everything they do, and that's also what Nationwide is about.
"This is a sports marketing platform and franchise and opportunity like none other," Jauchius said. "But I want to emphasize what Jerry said as well, the affinity and partnership between our organizations and what we stand for is very strong."
In addition to singing the, "Nationwide is on your side" jingle, Ware, who sat next to Jauchius, explained why he decided to become a member of Nationwide Insurance and sign a personal services agreement with the company.
"All season long, you're going to see me telling Dallas Cowboys fans all the benefits of Nationwide," he said. "Nationwide has really good rates. That's the first thing that attracted me to them. But as you get older and you mature a little bit and you sort of make a name for yourself and have the star behind your name, it really means a lot and has a lot of clout that goes with that. Companies know if they get associated with that, their rapport ups a little bit, too, and their reputability heightens a little bit."
Nationwide Insurance incorporates sports sponsorships into its marketing mix to build awareness, consideration and relationships with fans. Many of the company's sports sponsorships are designed to raise funds for Nationwide Children's Hospital. In six years, Nationwide Insurance's sports sponsorships have generated more than $6 million to support research and patient care at the hospital.
