Pen in hand, he draws an undulating line on a piece of paper.

To many people, it's known as the "swoosh," the corporate symbol of Nike.

Robert McAuliff draws the Nike symbol to help people understand the concept of "branding."

"It's learning the brand, knowing the brand. It's feeling comfortable with the brand. It's trusting the brand," said McAuliff, president and CEO of The Venture Group, a Wood Dale marketing firm.

McAuliff is on a mission to make the Allstate Arena as much a household name as Nike.

His marketing firm's first responsibility is to educate the public: The Rosemont Horizon has a new name.

"If we don't do a good job, some disc jockey is going to say the concert is at the old Rosemont Horizon. Then we're dead. We must get people to repeat, 'Allstate Arena. Allstate Arena. Allstate Arena,' until it rolls off their tongues," McAuliff said.

To accomplish this feat, McAuliff is using his favorite device: partnership marketing, or the teaming of corporations that want to reach the same customers for their products.

Robert McAuliff

Allstate Insurance Company's agreement with the village of Rosemont to purchase the naming rights to the Allstate Arena is a form of partnership marketing. The sign outside the arena, which includes the names Allstate, Budweiser and the Daily Herald, is an example of partnership marketing. This special section, an alliance among Allstate, Rosemont and the Daily Herald, also represents partnership marketing.

This type of marketing is becoming increasingly popular because it is efficient, not only from a cost standpoint, but also in reaching a targeted audience, McAuliff said.

"I believe this is the future of marketing," he said. "More companies are discovering the benefits of such strategic alliances."

Consider how the Allstate Arena agreement and marketing took shape.

When Allstate Insurance was searching to become more involved in its local community, McAuliff suggested the company secure naming rights to the Rosemont Horizon. Not only was the arena's visibility appealing to Allstate, but the people who attend the concerts, family shows and sporting events also have characteristics similar to the company's customer base.

The Village of Rosemont, meanwhile, was planning a $20 million renovation of the building. Reaching a 10-year, $10 million naming rights agreement with Allstate helps defray remodeling costs.

And Allstate worked with the Daily Herald to produce the Allstate Arena special section to get the word out to readers who also mirror the insurance carrier's customers. The Daily Herald, in turn, sought to boost readership and advertising revenues through the special section.

"This was a beautiful example of partnership marketing," said McAuliff, who helped foster relationships between each entity. "Everyone benefits from the relationship."

Allstate also is getting the word out about its new arena through a partnership with Jewel-Osco. McAuliff is working with Jewel-Osco to develop a "family pack," in which families can get discounts on tickets to certain events like the circus or ice shows. Consumer products companies, such as Pepsi, also may join the partnership.

Ideally, the promotion helps Allstate Arena draw people to the events, Jewel draws customers to its stores and Pepsi sells more products.

"It's a win-win-win situation," McAuliff said. "It would be very costly for any one of these companies to do this kind of marketing on their own. Together, the expense is greatly reduced without losing any of the impact."

Clients of The Venture Group said they are pleased with the results of such partnerships.

"The Venture Group has provided cutting-edge programs to Jewel-Osco that drive traffic and provide our consumers exclusive promotions and benefits," said Jay Kramer, director of advertising for Jewel-Osco.

McAuliff believes the consumer benefits most from partnership marketing.

"The real winner in this is the fan, the customer," he said. "They are getting discounts on tickets and coupons or discounts on the products. It's a relationship that pays off for everyone."