“There’s nothing that happened this week that we didn’t expect. We had anticipated it, “says Nadine Renaud-Tinker, president of the Royal Bank for Quebec, speaking of the mixed reactions to the display of the RBC logo on the CH jersey.
Posted at 8:17 p.m.
“It’s normal,” she said. We touch the Canadian. We touch the jersey. We touch a world-renowned team. We are the first to do so. They are the first to do so. It’s big. It’s bold. »
She specifies that we can talk about an evolution as much as we want and about changes in the industry, “but if we talk about the Canadian, there will definitely be a reaction. We expected it, but it’s worth so much more than that noise. »
Canadian players will play this season with a jersey showing the Royal Bank logo, but only during home games.
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Nadine Renaud-Tinker, President of the Royal Bank for Quebec
This logo could have been worn on the right shoulder or the left shoulder. “We thought that the best place to put it was at the front on the right side,” explains Nadine Renaud-Tinker.
The partnership is for an initial term of five years, but the bank’s goal is to make it a “long-term” agreement.
The value of the agreement has not been disclosed, but it is estimated at around 10 million per year, according to our information.
In 2002, Bell agreed to pay $100 million to name the team’s arena after him for 20 years. And that sum included $40 million that Bell had previously agreed to pay to sponsor the team.
To distinguish oneself
The Royal Bank generates 10% of its revenues in Quebec and the largest financial institution in the country wanted to invest more in the province to continue to make its presence felt there and get involved in the community by differentiating itself.
“We wanted something unique in Quebec,” says Nadine Renaud-Tinker.
Sport unites communities and has a huge impact on people’s mental health and well-being. We started talking to the Canadian and we reached a commitment. I obviously see it positively because there is an opportunity to help people through foundations that we want to support with this partnership.
Nadine Renaud-Tinker, President of the Royal Bank for Quebec
“It is certain that there is a financial aspect for the Canadiens and the NHL, and an aspect branding for RBC. But the donation of $20 per jersey sold that will go to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation is important to us. This foundation encourages sport and hockey by helping disadvantaged families. »
She maintains that the bank is also preparing to get involved with an organization that deals with mental health among young people in order to involve young people in various activities, in particular during Canadian games.
The partnership whereby the RBC logo will appear on the jerseys of Canadiens players was announced Monday at the team’s annual golf tournament.
The president of the entertainment sector at Groupe CH, France Margaret Bélanger, had indicated that the organization would have great difficulty in finding a more appropriate association than that with RBC.
The association of the CH with the banking institution has however been criticized in particular by Greenpeace. This environmental organization pointed out that the Royal is the Canadian bank that contributes the most to climate change because of the financing granted to the fossil fuel sector.
Last year, CIBC signed an agreement with the CH to put its logo on the helmets of Canadian players.