FIFA’s Local Merchant Crackdown Offers Golden Opportunity For Sponsors
Posted: 4/15/2010 12:23:09 PM by
Jim Andrews | with 0 comments
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports on FIFA’s efforts to control ambush marketing and the sale of unlicensed merchandise in conjunction with the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.
Much of the tournament organizers’ concern has to do with street vendors selling goods to both locals and tourists. As is customary, FIFA has set up “Exclusion Zones” around each of the World Cup venues to control both ambush marketing activities and the sale of unauthorized goods.
As the article points out, street hawkers are extremely upset at being shut out of the potential windfall of new business from folks visiting for the World Cup. They are part of the local culture and many of them would otherwise have little ability to support themselves and their families without the income from their micro-businesses. FIFA, in legitimately trying to protect its business can’t help but come off as a big bad bully.
Or can it?
What if one or more of FIFA’s worldwide and World Cup partners—who have real estate within the Exclusion Zones—were to share some of that space with local street vendors and allow them to sell authentic crafts, produce and other wares (not including counterfeit World Cup merchandise!) that would not impinge on official products?
Such sponsors could rightfully position themselves as hometown heroes and help to alleviate the threat of protests and boycotts currently being discussed among local traders.
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Filed under: backlash, international, sports, ambush marketing