Chastang Ford in Houston has long made supporting University of Houston athletics a top priority of its community outreach strategy, helping to fund camps and donating money for the construction of new football facilities.
But with the legalization of student-athlete compensation via name, image and likeness deals, referred to as NIL, the dealership has signed several star athletes to endorsement deals — helping to boost its reputation in the community and bring more potential customers through the door.
“Fans see that Chastang Ford is helping student-athletes,” said Patrick Chastang, the dealership’s general manager. “It’s another reason for them to pick up the phone and call us, whether it’s for parts, service or sales.”
The dealership in December inked a deal with Damian Dunn, a guard on Houston’s men’s basketball team who transferred from Temple University for the 2023-24 season, making him a brand ambassador for Chastang Ford. It’s the third instance of the dealership signing with Houston athletes since the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that the NCAA cannot bar students from receiving compensation for their name, image and likeness, allowing players such as Dunn to have endorsement deals with businesses.
Dunn follows former Houston football players Clayton Tune and Donovan Mutin, who both now play in the NFL. They’re examples of how NIL deals present dealerships in markets with college athletics with an opportunity to boost their reputations and name recognition.
As part of his role as brand ambassador, Dunn recorded a marketing video of him taking a test drive with a Chastang Ford employee that ends with him thanking the dealership for helping him make his first vehicle purchase.
The dealership connected with Dunn through LinkingCoogs, an NIL program set up to link University of Houston Cougars with businesses for endorsement deals and partnership opportunities.
Chastang said the dealership looks to sign deals with athletes such as Dunn who have experience and strong leadership capabilities and are respected in the community, all qualities the store would look for when hiring.
“We look for particular people that we want to hire for our organization,” Chastang said. “Damian is going to go on to do bigger and better things than ever work for Chastang Auto Group, but I think that he would be the type of person that we would want to hire if we could.”
The dealership, which sells about 2,300 new and used vehicles per year, has had more customers inquire about sales or service because of its public support of student-athletes and the university, Chastang said.
As an example of how these deals help the dealership connect with fans, he pointed to a conversation he had at a recent Houston basketball game with someone who praised the deal with Dunn.
“Hopefully I get an opportunity to sell them a vehicle, or they come in for service or they refer a friend by saying, ‘Hey, they’re good people, and they’re passionate about the same things I’m passionate about,’ ” Chastang said.
In addition to Houston athletics, the dealership has also supported other causes, including the Alzheimer’s Association, Meals on Wheels and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which raises money for scholarships. Working with important institutions in Houston is a way for the dealership and its employees to give back, Chastang said.
“We’ve been blessed with having really good employees,” he said. “It feels like an obligation for us to give back to areas that we’re passionate about, whether it’s time or money. If we’re not going to give back, are we really passionate about it?”