Want to brand a public building?

Sedgwick County plans to reveal soon which company bought naming rights to the new downtown arena.
Why stop there, though? The city needs to get a piece of the naming rights action.
My Friday column offers up some other branding opportunities, including the Days Inn Wichita Public Library, Weber Grill Keeper of the Plains, and Hooters Cowtown.
Bloggers, give me your own ideas for renaming possibilities.

6 Comments

  1. JWink
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 3:45 am | Permalink

    I will offer $100 to name the “mistake on the plains” downtown arena.

    Appropriately name it after Wichita favorite son, two time candidate for President of the United States in 1936 and 1940, loser both times of course, on the ticket of the American Communist Party, Earl Browder.

    The proposed name?

    THE BRODERITE WHITE ELEPHANT DOWNTOWN ARENA.

    For brass marker: “Take from the many hard-working Wichita taxpayers … give to the few who needed the money regardless of contibution of anything of value … for a purpose that will benefit no one in proportion to the 1/2 billion dollar cost of this monstrosity.”

  2. Writerdog
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 6:55 am | Permalink

    LOL I seem to have gotten some praise for coming up with “Albino Pachyderm VI” for the new Arena.
    But I will take a shot at others, how about for the new Kellogg fly-over “the commercial free programming highway”. The new Wal-Mart at 53rd N and Meridian, “ North West China imports ”. The next time a Black man is stopped by the Police in East bough instead of calling it “racial profiling” it could be called “Ethnicity-sensitivity-realignment counseling”. South Meridian the next time it rains could be refer to as the “Wichita/ Valley center flood control project diverse over flow outlet”. Mid-Continent airport could be called “KCMO and Will Rogers airport parking lot”.

  3. Regular
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 9:45 am | Permalink

    Kellogg, the “Orange Cone and Traffic Barricade Highway” should have a sign reading “Construction Highway.”

    Wichita Public Library could be renamed “Home Depot Homeless Relocation Center.”

    Wichita Chamber of Commerce could be named “Fedex Missed Chances and Casino Referral Center.”

    Park City could rename one of its empty buildings and racetrack to the “Purina Greyhound Retirement Center.”

    City Council Chambers could be renamed to “Pyrex Hall of Smoke(free) and Mirrors”

    Wichita Eagle could be renamed to “Georgia Pacific Recycled Trees and News Center.”

    Wichita Public Service Vehicle Department could be renamed “Quicktrip Consumer Participation Program.”

    Wichita’s Old Town could be renamed “Kohler’s Outdoor Toilet Facility.”

  4. ProudMan
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 10:25 am | Permalink

    $200,000,000, and counting, and we don’t even get to name it.

  5. Get real
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 11:11 pm | Permalink

    ProudMan, if you have offered enough, they would allowed you to. There was talk of auctioning off various naming rights to other areas within the arena. Its common practice these days. I noticed a similar thing last year on something else, the winner could choose the name, within reason.

  6. Get real
    Posted January 5, 2008 at 11:22 pm | Permalink

    White Elephant in Spanish or Esperanto might slip by unnoticed.