THE BRANDING OF JEFF GORDON A RESULT OF "CAREFUL PLANNING"

          NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon's marketing success and
     strategy is analyzed by Bill Koenig of the INDIANAPOLIS
     STAR-NEWS.  Gordon's ads and endorsements are "the result of
     careful planning," as Gordon and business manager Bob
     Brannan, VP/Jeff Gordon Inc., developed a five-year
     marketing plan 18 months ago.  Brannan: "I look at Jeff as a
     brand.  As such, we needed to make sure Jeff was positioned
     correctly.  The decisions you make today affect
     opportunities you have down the road."  Hal Price, President
     of GA-based Mach One Marketing and Gordon's image
     consultant: "He's very appealing to sponsors, the way he
     looks, the way he talks."  As for his allure for sponsors,
     polls "indicate Gordon appeals more to women and young
     people than do other drivers."  Currently, Gordon appears in
     ads for Pepsi, Ray Ban and the milk industry.  ESPN Chilton
     Sports Poll Exec Dir Rich Luker: "He's definitely breaking
     out of motorsports" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 7/30).