9781422285305

Patrick Klinger is one of America’s most influential sports marketers. Klinger is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Patrick Klinger & Company, a leading sports marketing agency. Before starting his own firm, he served as the vice president of marketing for the Minnesota Twins for 14 years. While he was working there, the baseball team was named “Sports Organization of the Year” in 2002 by Horizon Awards, and Klinger was the Horizon “Sports Person of the Year” in 2006. While with the Twins, Klinger managed all areas of advertising, promotion, broadcasting, game presentation, special events, and emerging markets. He was a leader in the design of the Twins’ new ballpark, Target Field, which often is considered among the best in baseball. He also has been widely credited for the bobblehead doll craze that has swept sports. “A typical day is dependent upon where we are in the season,” said Klinger. “The off-season is a time of planning and preparation, including development of the advertising campaign, creation of collateral materials, coordination of promotions and special events, and determining pricing. We also have off-season events to keep the team in the public eye. During the season, everything is adjusted based on the team’s win-loss record, trades, player acquisitions, etcetera.”

12 C areers O ff the F ield • Sports Marketing