NHL signs new partner for Canadian market

Yoghurt brand Oikos has agreed a Canada-focused sponsorship deal with the NHL ice hockey league.

Oikos, part of the DanoneWave Canada group, will serve as the official yoghurt of the NHL in Canada for the three-year period covering the 2017-18 to 2019-20 seasons.

Oikos will launch an integrated marketing and retail strategy to promote the partnership.

The partnership will coincide with the launch of Oikos’ new Triple Zero product line in February. Triple Zero is the brand’s first product line in Canada targeted primarily at active male consumers.

The NHL shield and an accompanying official partner designation will be present on all Triple Zero packaging as part of the agreement.

Oikos will also benefit from product sampling and brand activations at Saturday’s NHL100 Classic outdoor game between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens at Lansdowne Park.

In addition, Oikos’ Snack to Win promotion will feature a prize of a trip to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Official Stanley Cup branding will feature on Oikos products and point of sales material during the promotion.

Mélanie Robitaille, marketing director at DanoneWave Canada, said: "This sponsorship takes Oikos into a bold new territory, allowing us to leverage the NHL's brand equity to introduce healthy snacking to new consumers, including men – a growing target for us. We're excited to work with the NHL to realise the full potential of this opportunity."

In other news, NHL team the Columbus Blue Jackets has renewed its multi-year partnership with Kemba Financial Credit Union. The company will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation’s 50/50 Raffle fundraising initiative.

Kemba will also continue to benefit from in-arena brand exposure, while the two parties will collaborate on contest-based digital initiatives.