MLB Properties spokesperson Carole Coleman said the Mariners
had jumped from 21st in licensed merchandise sales to 7th through
July. That does not include fan interest heightened by the
team's playoff run (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 10/10)....The
Avalanche's new look is the "hottest selling sports merchandise
in Denver," according to Chance Conner of the DENVER POST. Scott
Franklin, Dir of Merchandising and Retail Ops for the Avalanche
and Nuggets, said the team expected to do "about $5 a head" in
merchandise sales for the sellout crowd of 16,061 at their home
opener. That figures close to $80,305 in Avalanche goods (DENVER
POST, 10/8)....Over 1,000 financial analysts rated 389 major U.S.
corporations on brand equity in a recent study conducted by CDB
Research & Consulting. Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Sysco and
Walt Disney received perfect ratings of 10. Rounding out the top
ten were Nike, Wrigley, Gillette, Microsoft and McDonald's
(BRANDWEEK, 10/9 issue). ....Although Barry Sanders works for the
Ford family, who own the Lions and Ford Motor Co., he is doing a
Cadillac commercial for General Motors. Lions VP Bill Keenist:
"It's a fabulous spot. The only thing better would have been if
it were a Lincoln" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/8).
....Organizers of the first Fieldcrest Cannon LPGA Classic say
"crowds and sponsorships exceeded expectations at the recent
event." Sponsorship and ticket sales generated an estimated
$800,000, "which should help the event break even," according to
the CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL. Title sponsor Fieldcrest Cannon
"hopes to pursue a TV deal for next year" (CHARLOTTE BUSINESS
JOURNAL, 10/9 issue)....The ATP Tour has announced that Adidas
will be presenting sponsor of ATP Tour Fan Fest in Frankfurt in
conjunction with the IBM/ATP Tour World Championships in
November. The FanFest, an interactive event featuring a skills
contest and exhibits, will run November 13-15 in the Festhalle
where the World Championship will be played (ATP)....The "CBS
Sport Show" with Pat O'Brien visited the set of "Space Jam," the
movie starring Michael Jordan and featuring other NBA stars,
including Reggie Miller, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and
Shawn Bradley. Producer Ivan Reitman, of "Ghostbusters" and
"Twins" fame: "I wasn't sure, first of all, how they could act.
... But they were wonderful, they were used to being in front of
a camera, used to being in front of a lot of people. We gave
them lines, spontaneously very quickly, and they added to them.
They were very funny" (CBS, 10/7).... Sponsorship of professional
rodeo is examined by W.D. Murray of BLOOMBERG BUSINESS NEWS.
Among the companies "spending thousands in sponsorship dollars on
rodeo TV broadcast" include VF Corp.'s Wrangler Jeans, Anheuser-
Busch, Adolph Coors, and Chrysler (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH,
10/9).
