Qualtrics and Utah Jazz announce plan to raise $50M over the next five years to accelerate cancer research via 5 For The Fight
Qualtrics will become the team’s Exclusive Fan Experience Insights and Analytics Provider
Silicon Slopes/Salt Lake City, Utah (February 13, 2017) — The Utah Jazz and Qualtrics today announced a partnership where the world’s leading customer experience management software will become the team’s exclusive Fan Experience Insights and Analytics Partner. Qualtrics, a fast-growing tech unicorn based in Utah, will also be the team’s jersey patch partner in a first-of-its-kind partnership among North American professional sports teams. Rather than placing the company’s logo on the jersey for the 2017-2018 season, Qualtrics is sponsoring the patch in the name of its charity — 5 For The Fight — to raise funds to accelerate the pace of innovative cancer research.
The 5 For The Fight logo will be placed on all Jazz game uniforms, calling attention to a global campaign that invites everyone to donate $5 to cancer research. Qualtrics will sponsor the patch and the Utah Jazz will integrate the groundbreaking effort to support cancer research into other highly visible Jazz platforms such as in-game signage and activities, digital and social media content, and arena signage and broadcasting.
“The Utah Jazz and Qualtrics are excited to form a partnership that will both transform the fan experience and make a tangible contribution to eradicating cancer by supporting some of the most important research being done today,” said Jazz President Steve Starks. “In addition, our partnership with Qualtrics will help us leverage greater analytics and innovation to take our team performance, employee engagement and fan experience to a whole new level.”
The cause-related jersey patch will feature the 5 For The Fight logo in the team’s colors. The patch will be located on the front left shoulder of the Jazz uniforms, measuring approximately 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches and coinciding with next season’s debut of new Nike jerseys.
“Qualtrics started when my dad called me to tell me he had cancer. I moved home and he and I started working on a tech project,” said Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Qualtrics. “That project eventually turned into Qualtrics. We vowed that if the company ever made any money, we would make it our mission to support cancer research. Today we’re excited to partner with the Jazz in our effort to raise $50M. We’re also excited to leverage Qualtrics’ technology and insights in a transformative business partnership with the Utah Jazz.”
“The generosity of Qualtrics in sponsoring the jersey patch on our uniforms is unprecedented. Cancer has impacted innumerable people in our community and we are pleased to partner with them to bring attention to this worthy cause,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and the Utah Jazz. “In addition, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Qualtrics to use their technology to help us innovate and improve performance.”
A key aspect of the partnership is the announcement that Qualtrics will become the Official Fan Experience Insights and Analytics Partner of the Utah Jazz. The team will leverage Qualtrics’ platform and expertise to collect and analyze fan data to transform their arena experience, including everything from concessions and apparel to parking and in-game entertainment. With Craig Sanders leading the effort as Chief Customer Officer, feedback and analytics generated by the Qualtrics platform will also be used as an integral part of the arena transformation that the Utah Jazz are undertaking later this year.
Based in Provo, Utah, with nine additional offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, Qualtrics is the world’s leading customer experience management platform. Founded in a basement in 2002, Qualtrics makes it easy to measure, prioritize, and optimize the experiences organizations provide across the foundational experiences of business. The company’s technology powers more than 8,000 of the world’s leading brands and 99 of the top 100 business schools.
Jersey sponsorships were approved as part of a three-year pilot program by the NBA Board of Governors in April 2016. The Jazz were assisted by the Properties team at CSM (formerly SJX Partners) in their jersey sponsorship efforts. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
Contributions to 5 for the Fight can be made at www.5ForTheFight.org or at paypal.com/fight, and 100% of every donation goes towards supporting groundbreaking cancer research.
