MERGER MANIA: The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Andy
Bernstein reports that Dallas-based Corporate Marketing
Associates (CMA) and Toronto-based Lang & Associates have
"joined forces and renamed themselves The Global
Experiential Marketing Group." CMA Founder Rick Jones said
that "combined annual revenue" for the merged company will
be "about" $14M but added that the new firm "hopes to grow"
to $100M in revenue by the end of 2000 "through additional
mergers and acquisitions" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/2O).
QIERO CIEN PUNTOS: In OH, Bob Finnan writes that "most"
of the 13,241 fans at last night's Rockets-Cavs game "could
care less" that the Cavs ended their six-game losing streak
with a 98-85 victory, as they "just wanted to get their paws
on a free Chalupa." The Cavs are running a Taco Bell promo
where fans get free Chalupas when the Cavs score 100 or more
points. But the Cavs have "failed in their last seven
attempts" to score 100, and when G Earl Boykins' "shot was
blocked" with time expiring last night, it sent "a round of
boos throughout" Gund Arena (OH NEWS-HERALD, 3/21).
WILSON'S PUSH: In Chicago, Maura Webber profiles Wilson
Sporting Goods, which "saw its profits soar" 35% to $42M
last year on sales of $587.2M. In '99, "all Wilson
divisions," including golf, tennis and team sports, were
"profitable," but Webber adds, "What remains unclear is how
long Wilson can sustain its double-digit growth rate."
While the company "still has endorsement contracts" with
some athletes, it is "putting an increasing amount of its
budget into grass-roots advertising." In golf, Wilson added
1,500 "more local pros to make a total of 2,500 who will
hold 7,500 demonstrations this year" (CHI. SUN-TIMES, 3/21).