Kentucky Farm Bureau and Kentucky Athletics

The Opportunity:

The University of Kentucky Athletics Director, Mitch Barnhart challenged our team to find partners that made the UK Athletics venues look and feel like a reflection of the values of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As our team began engaging with the Kentucky Farm Bureau, the entity that represents the agricultural and rural communities of Kentucky, we realized the institutions shared values and a commitment to the state that made them a great fit for a partnership.

The Solution:

To strengthen the synergies, Kentucky Farm Bureau wanted to specifically promote Kentucky farming and agriculture through the Kentucky Proud brand, which represents food products, nursey items, crafts, agritourism sites, farmers’ markets, state parks, and many of the other products and destinations with roots in Kentucky soil. Therefore, we sought to create a platform that leveraged UK Athletics to promote the products produced in and by the communities our institutions serve.

UK Athletics was investing $49M into a new state of the art baseball stadium. The naming rights of this new venue created an opportunity to full integrate the Kentucky Proud brand into the fabric of the venue, while capitalizing on the media and fan exposure generated by the new facility.

Kentucky Proud Park allows both UK and Kentucky Farm Bureau to celebrate the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The entrance to the stadium features a marquee in the shape of the state of Kentucky. Concessions stands throughout the facility offer a variety of products produced and sold by Kentucky farmers and restaurant owners. Former UK baseball players from the state of Kentucky are featured throughout the stadium.

The Results:

Kentucky Farm Bureau has effectively provided a spotlight for the Kentucky Proud brand and the producers of the products that the brand represents. The Kentucky Proud brand is prominently displayed on the exterior of the stadium.  Interior signage provides national exposure for the Kentucky Farm Bureau and Kentucky Proud brands as UK baseball games are played on the SEC Network.

Kentucky Farm Bureau is proud to be a long-time supporter of University of Kentucky Athletics. With this partnership, we found a truly unique way to draw our worlds a little closer together. Naming the university’s brand-new baseball stadium Kentucky Proud Park allows us to highlight our own deep agricultural roots while also sharing the spotlight with so many of our members who grow and raise the products marketed under the Kentucky Proud banner. This partnership is a home run for Kentucky agriculture and a great way to further our support of UK Athletics