Branding In Sports
...ch as, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Die Hard 500, Craftsman Truck Series, McDonald’s All-American Game, and the Lipton Championships. This short list shows some corporate names involved in sporting events. The reason corporations invest so much money in these events and sports stadiums is the advertising they get out of it. Every time the event or stadium comes up in conversation the name of the company will be said and talked about. In many cases the company connected to the event may have nothing to do with the sport but yet they still invest money in sports for advertising purposes. Corporate branding doesn’t just exist in North America either. In Europe, many soccer and rugby teams wear a sponsors name on the front of the jersey as supposed to the team name. Could you imagine that happening in America? It’s possible; you see it in youth sports where they need the money for equipment and other fees. So they get sponsors and wear the sponsors name or logo on their chest. Although it is at a much lower level it is possible for it to proceed to high levels. Branding also goes beyond stadiums and teams, many athletes’ today are hit with a brand of some sort in which they advertise or are a spokesperson for. One of the greatest examples of this is Jordan. When he first started in the pros he had a contract with Nike. His shoes became so popular because of his success, and the design and comfort of his sneakers that they branched of and started his one company within Nike. Team Jordan and the Jumpman logo are commonly located anywhere around a basketball court. Team Jordan branch alone probably makes just as much as smaller sneaker and basketball products. Reason being is the high standard of products and the great reputation they have with athletes and society in general. The classic idea that is, Michael Jordan wears them and you were them, you can be like Mike. Not always are athlete’s this successful in their corporate life. Reebok and Shaquille O’Neil have not really gone anywhere over the last couple of years, and Kobe Bryant and Adidas, didn’t go anywhere, cause as of this season he is no longer under contract with them. Jordan’s case is definitely in a league of its own just like he was in the prime of his playing entire career. Team Jordan and the Jumpman logo have grown from just a model shoe to a multi-million dollar department for Nike Corporation. Is branding profitable for the companies that invest so much money into the team? If you ask the corporations that invest all the money the answered would probably be no, but to me I think it’s a little out of hand. An example of the negative aspects of stadium branding is last year with the whole Enron scandal. The Houston Astros elected to call of the deal with the company for the bad reputation they had gained and wanted nothing to do with the company. Corporations have come to realize that sports have a dramatic affect on society and they’ve come to realize that by investing money into advertising through sports they can help the company. One of the most ridiculous examples of how much money these corporations put into sports is the Super Bowl. Companies put up more than two million dollars for a mere thirty second commercial. This commercialism of sports shows the significance sports can have on society. The Super Bowl is considered the biggest sporting event of the year and that’s why company’s put so much money into it. They know that lots of people will be watching and they feel it is beneficial to the company to advertise during the Super Bowl. Can branding go too far? I think it already has. Every open spot at a stadium is covered with and ad for some company that might not have anything to do with the team playing there. However, there is also room for it to get worse. Could you imagine if all the professional sports teams in America had company logos on their uniforms? That would be too much. And back in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Nike tried to spark a deal where all the journalists would wear Nike. Although it was disallowed back then, it would be surprising if some years down the road things like this were to occur. As long as sports and corporate advertising exist, and doesn’t look like there will be an end anytime soon, this type of money and branding will exist. Being as we go to school in Philadelphia, and it is football season, I will now talk about the Eagles and some there sponsorship contracts, and their star athlete, Donovan McNabb and some of his. As noted at the beginning of the paper, the Eagles already have signed a contract giving its naming rights to Lincoln Financial. That is just where the sponsoring begins. Next they signed a multi-year deal with Pepsi. The deal gives Pepsi exclusive rights for all soft drinks and water. They also gave Pepsi, the entire southeast section which will be called the “Pepsi Quadrant.” The deal was for a reported 7 figures annually. They have also signed a new contract with Sovereign Bank. The partnership enables Sovereign to more sponsorship benefits and they’ll be allotted an interactive zone in the new stadium. Donovan McNabb, the Pro-Bowl quarterback, has a few contracts himself. He as many know is a spokesperson for Campbell’s soup, where he appears in commercials with his mother. He also is in a recent ad for Sierra Mist. He also...