United Looking For Multi-Dimensional Relationships With Sports Properties

United Airlines’ efforts to improve passenger experience and its emphasis on data and social media were among several topics CMO & Senior VP Thomas O’Toole discussed during a featured interview on Day 2 of the ’15 Intersport Brand Engagement Summit. No topic had more relevance to the crowd of execs from throughout the sports industry than his take on what a sports property should deliver to United. O’Toole said that United’s conversations with sports properties touch on three dimensions: conventional elements like signage, customer data and content. “More and more, what we’re looking for are multi-dimensional relationships and different types of assets, and these are raising new questions,” O’Toole said. He added that he understands the challenge this poses. O’Toole: “I can tell this is challenging for our sponsorship partners, but this is how we are creating more value that lets us answer the question of what is the value of these sponsorships to the business value of United.”