Name of person interviewed: ​Ms.

Erin Cornell

Profession: ​Assistant to the Vice President of Corporate Partnership Sales & Marketing

Location and business name: ​Dallas Cowboys Football Club

Date of interview: ​November 16th, 2018

Time: ​9:00 am to 9:40 am

Interview Assessment

One of the main focuses of my research this year has been trying to figure which area of

marketing makes the most sense for me to pursue as a career. From agency work to corporation

campaigns, this world of marketing has limitless opportunities. At the start of the year, that idea

scared me. Not knowing which way to go made me increasingly fearful that there was a wrong

choice that could be made. However, as I continue to talk with professionals in scattered areas of

marketing, it makes the journey a little easier as they each serve as a point along a map that is

guiding me in the direction of where I want to be. My conversation with Ms. Erin Cornell served

as stepping stone into exploring an area of marketing that I had never even thought about:

partnerships. My time with her allowed me to see why they make such a big difference for a

company and how they can be beneficial for both companies involved.

The Dallas Cowboys have long been a business model that has been discussed by many

researchers and competitors. Mr. Jerry Jones and his family forever revolutionized the way that

team run the administrative side of their companies and the main way that they achieved that

was through the use of partnerships. A lot more goes into signing a deal with another company

than one might originally think. Ms. Cornell was kind enough to walk me through some of the
main steps that must occur before both companies sign into an agreement. One of the most

important things that must happen is making sure that both brands have the same goals and

overall mission statement, or that they at least line up. Entering into a contract with a brand is not

something that can be afforded to be taken lightly. The contract that they sign binds them into an

agreement that stands for a long period of time. If there is a discrepancy between what is right

and wrong between the two companies, that creates confusion among the audience of the two

brands and thus a confusion reputation. As well, the companies need to have a discussion

surrounding the capital that will be involved in the deal. Knowing how much each partner is

getting once they enter the deal is the most important part of the deal. However, this doesn't

always come in the form of a direct exchange of capital. Most times, the Cowboys are able to

provide exposure to businesses in exchange for free goods or products.

This all relates to marketing because partnerships build brands. The brand image of a

company is what makes it appeal to consumers. It is important to make sure that across the board

the way a company represents itself aligns. If not, then the message gets destroyed and thus is

meaningless. Using good brands to position your own is an effective form of marketing for

companies that have capital and mass exposure to a wide audience on a regular basis.

As for if I would ever want to go into this form of marketing, I do not think that I would.

Instead of selling from B→ B, I am more attracted to the B→ C type of work. However, I am

thankful that I got an opportunity to discover if this could possibly be for me.