Highlights From Relay Worldwide Sports Sponsorship Symposium

The 6th annual SBJ/SBD Relay Worldwide Sports Sponsorship Symposium kicked off yesterday in N.Y. Below are some highlights from the two-day event. For complete coverage, visit SBJ/SBD's free sports sponsorship community site at www.sportsbusinessconferences.com/sss-pov/.

Lewicki Says McDonald's Following Bids For 2016 Games

Beijing and beyond: The IOC’s decision about where to place the 2016 Summer Olympics will be a major factor in determining whether McDonald’s renews its TOP sponsorship, which expires after the 2012 Games in London, said John Lewicki, the company’s Senior Dir of Alliance Marketing. During a panel titled “Beijing And Beyond: An Assessment From The Corporate Stakeholders,” discussion turned to what might happen if Chicago doesn’t win the bid. “The decision on 2016 will determine whether we’re a sponsor after that,” said Lewicki. “The international market is very important to us, but some of the cities they are picking are not. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that if it’s not Chicago, that we won’t renew, but if it is Chicago, we probably will.” Meanwhile, Panasonic's Olympic sponsorship will expand to include the digital camera category in '09, said Panasonic Dir of Shows, Events & Sponsorships Terry Shorrock. Shorrock explained that Panasonic will take over that category because Kodak decided to end its Olympic sponsorship after '08. The deal is part of an agreement with the IOC that adds the digital camera category to the Japanese company's sponsorship through 2016. "I think we'll see a lot more activation around the digital camera space," Shorrock said. "It's all about capturing memories for us."

Opportunities IN TOUGH ECONOMY: During the panel discussion “From Global To Local: Marketing Leaders Weigh In On Where Sports Fit In The Big Picture,” execs from Citi, Subway, Coca-Cola Co., Anheuser-Busch and Volkswagen of America talked about taking advantage of opportunities that may arise during what are otherwise tough economic times. A financial downturn could mean lower prices, which can present opportunities. Subway CMO Tony Pace talked about the possibility of Subway not only sponsoring athletes, but an entire league. “The de-leveraging that’s going on in the financial space is going to make those deals a lot less expensive going forward for the leagues,” he said. “But I think that will make it more attractive for us." But in order to make future acquisitions, the panelists agreed, the storm of bad economic times must be weathered. Coca-Cola Senior VP/Integrated Marketing Bea Perez: “What’s going to be critical is having a long-term view and not making a short-term decision because of this current financial condition.”

CONSIDERING ENDORSERS carefully: The state of the athlete/endorsement industry is solid, according to members of yesterday’s final panel, “Aligning Athletes with Brands,” but the relationships are becoming more focused and, perhaps, more geared toward top athletes. “I think it’s more rifle than shotgun,” said Reebok Senior VP/Sports Marketing & Entertainment Tom Shine. “You have to get the right athlete in the right situation with the right morals and values.” Aligning with the right athlete was an overarching theme of the panel, including meeting the needs of both brands and players as it relates to available time and financial ambition, as well as risk. Continuing endorsement success for Olympians was a hot topic, with most participants up in the air about the future of Michael Phelps as a viable endorser. Shine was hopeful that Phelps will remain relevant, but compared him to Mark Spitz. “He flat disappeared as soon as the Olympics were over and he was never seen from again,” said Shine. 

Golden Discusses McDonald's Approach To Sports And Entertainment Sponsorships

MCDONALD'S ACTIVATION: McDonald’s approach to sponsorships in sports and entertainment has evolved from a wide array of partners that offer “short-term, unrelated … incentives” to fewer partners that the company can activate more deeply with today, said McDonald's USA Senior VP & CMO Neil Golden during a keynote address. “Think fewer ideas that endure rather than multiple ideas that fade,” Golden said. With that in mind, Golden explained McDonald’s screening process for sports and entertainment properties. He said the company looks for partners to meet key objectives, including: being relevant to key consumer segments; enhancing customers’ experience of the McDonald’s brand; being contemporary leaders in the world of entertainment; and providing a good return on investment. “We assess the potential of any sports sponsorship in terms of media potential -- that’s reaching customers in a way they’re most receptive, (and) activation potential -- that’s activation of our brand and not our property,” Golden said. “And, of course, we look for experience, which for me is a focus more on our restaurant experience than a focus on the (experience at the) stadium or the arena.”

VIDEO ON DEMAND: SBJ/SBD's free sports sponsorship community site includes video interviews with NBA Senior VP/Marketing Partnerships Mark Tatum, Amplify Sports & Entertainment President Michael Neuman, NFL Senior VP/Customer Marketing & Sales Ron Furman and several other sports business executives in attendance.

Visit the site for more exclusive interviews.