Opinion
A New Twist On Ambush Marketing And Other Interesting Events
6/1/10: With seemingly all eyes on the competitive sponsorship activity surrounding the FIFA World Cup, I submit for consideration a press release we received from Berkeley, Calif.-based GU Energy Labs, the maker of GU sports energy gel, which was pleased to announce that the Brazilian national soccer team would be using its product during World Cup training and matches.
This was not a sponsorship announcement, simply a notice that the team had purchased 200 boxes of the product for use. In fact, the release even stated: “Unlike partnerships with past and present sponsors like Kyocera and Volkswagen, the team’s use of GU product will not involve commercial considerations.”
This is a near-brilliant stroke on GU’s part, seemingly taking the restrictions placed on a vendor versus an official supplier/sponsor (no commercial considerations) and turning them around to make the case that the team’s use of the product is thus purely authentic. The company basically is saying: “While others may pay for a relationship with the team, the team pays us because it believes so much in our product.” To many people, that would be the definition of an “official” team product.
I find the question this raises from a legal and ambush marketing standpoint to be pretty fascinating: Was GU within its rights to issue a press release about the purchase or does its announcement infringe on the team’s rights to commercial use of its name? Put another way: Are there steps a property can take to restrict a vendor from announcing that the rightsholder has become a customer? I’m checking with sponsorship legal experts and will report back, so stay tuned.
Sponsorship Potential From New Caribbean Brew
For those properties with room in the beer category, a new player has entered the U.S. market and is looking for opportunities to create buzz and interact with consumers on the grassroots level. Presidente Beer from the Dominican Republic wants to establish itself as a leader among imported Latin beers, according to the marketing agency it has hired to help in that effort, Miami-based ViVA Partnership.
Defining the beer’s consumers as “interested in having a good time socially with a focus on sports, outdoor activities and get-togethers with family and friends,” Presidente is launching a campaign in June to introduce itself, beginning in South Florida with an aim to reach locals and U.S. tourists travelling to the Caribbean. The campaign looks to seamlessly integrate online and off-line elements, according to ViVA CEO Linda Lane Gonzalez.
Major Research Study To Examine ROI From Sports-related CSR Activities
We are always interested in research that examines the true impact of sponsorship and related activities, so we look forward to the results of a recently announced study under the auspices of the U.K.’s Cambridge Judge Business School that will explore the return on investment from corporate social responsibility and grassroots marketing activities run in conjunction with the London 2012 Olympics and other major British sponsorships.
The team behind the study, which includes sales and marketing consultant Ardi Kolah, is positioning the research as different from the relatively few previous academic studies into either sponsorship or CSR, due to its focus on actual ROI measures. The methodology for the project includes mathematical modeling to understand the relationship between CSR, grassroots marketing activities and ROI, according to the organizers.
Findings are due to be published at the end of the year. Those interested in the study’s progress can register their interest
here.
Wine, Not Whine
Finally, I recently overheard someone use the following analogy when discussing the proper role of the sponsorship salesperson and I couldn’t agree more: In working with prospects and existing partners, those who represent rightsholders need to move from a fast-food order-taker—“you want fries with that?”—to a sommelier—someone offering expertise and assistance, and whom the buyer trusts is helping them choose the offering that best meets their needs and budget.