RMFL TABS EX-RHINO, KEN PERKINS, TO BE FIRST EVER MARKETING DIRECTOR

Story Posted: March 5, 2007

OGDEN – The Rocky Mountain Football League announced today that ex-Rhino-Raider defensive back, Ken Perkins, has been hired as the league’s first ever Marketing Director. After a month long search, RMFL Commissioner, Jared Neumeier, announced that Perkins would be the “right man for the job.” “I am absolutely ecstatic that Ken put in for the position,” Neumeier said, “he brings not only a great Marketing background and experience, but he is also an ex-player that knows and understands what our league is truly about.”

Perkins, who has been in the marketing/advertising and design industry for almost 20 years, worked as director of marketing for Wardley Better Homes & Gardens for 5 years during that time the real estate company grew to the largest in the states with a 40% market share, over 2400 agents and 24 offices in Utah and SE Idaho.

Perkins served as a consultant in marketing/advertising for various companies over the years and continue to build those relationships as well as foster new clientele. He joined the Rhino-Raiders semi-pro team in 1999 to play football and quickly found himself in another marketing role under then owner, Stew MacInnes. He helped MacInnes and Dave Stireman over the next year or two and put together what has become a great team with multi-annual sponsorships and advertising deals, national and local recognition via various PR mediums.

Neumeier says that with Perkins there is a great opportunity to advance the position to be even more than he ever envisioned. “The primary reason I felt the position needed to be created was that this league has been around a long time and has a great wide marketing base,” he added, “it’s a great wide base that we have never really tapped into. I’ve never really wanted to “use” the league in that way before, but if we can do it without really ‘selling out’ our ideals, then we can go a long way towards keeping our team fees down AND providing more for all of our players.”

Perkins states, “ I believe that one role of the league marketing director is to get local press releases published to promote the each teams growth and standing in their community…A format of marketing/sponsorship programs should be made available for teams to use (if they having nothing in place and working). As far as league level sponsorships I could see getting some local company support for the league, but I see great potential from corporate and franchise chains. In fact, I have already discussed options with a hotel chain marketing director, with whom I have a great rapport, that is eager to work out a deal with the league to include sponsorship in the form of money to the league and special rates for all league teams/players.”

Perkins has also stated that he would like to explore league-wide agreements for buses, beverage companies, sports equipment companies, apparel/screenprinting companies, insurance companies, sports medicine clinics, etc.

Perkins may also be looking at exploring another option for the league’s message board hosting.

According to Neumeier, “we get a lot of hits on the home page of the RMFL site, enough to bring a lot of bang for the buck for potential sponsors, however, there is no site as active year round as our message board. If we can harness that site, and sell ad space, it could be a real revenue boon for the league.”

Perkins says he believes very strongly in the league’s primary mission being “about the players”.

Perkins recently earned his teaching license in communications and psychology and plans on teaching and coaching high school football.

The hiring of Perkins is just another step towards moving the league forward. At the January Kick-Off Meeting, Neumeier announced the hiring of a AAA Division Commissioner and a AA Division Commissioner, in Dave Sire and Ed Cerise respectively. Sire and Cerise will take over their respective Divisions as of the all-star game at the end of the 2007 season.

The hiring of Sire, who is the league’s current Head of Officials, will create a vacancy for a new RMFL Head of Officials that Neumeier expects to fill over the off-season.

Neumeier said he will also be considering hiring a new RMFL web master beginning in 2008 to take over one of the roles that he, himself has performed since the end of the 2000 season.

Perkins was one of the original players from the old "Raiders" team, before the team became "Rhino-Raiders". Pictured here in the teams black jersey of yore.