PGA Tour Viking Classic Exec Dir Randy Watkins yesterday said that he “is confident about the future of the event given the number of calls he fielded after Viking decided to step aside” from its title sponsorship deal. Watkins yesterday said, “My phone rang all day yesterday and I’ve been in meetings all day today. I think we’ll be fine, though I have nothing to announce at the moment. We’ve sure got a lot of interest from folks new and folks who have been helping for a while.” PRO GOLF TALK’s Ryan Ballengee noted the “mark to reach is $1 million from whatever group of sponsors step in for Viking” (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/30).
THE RIGHT OF WAY: In London, Nina Lakhani reported ’12 London Olympic officials and sponsors will “speed past thousands of ordinary Londoners stuck in traffic during next year's Olympic Games as part of controversial plans which give so-called VIPs extraordinary access to the capital's roads.” Hundreds of BMWs will transport IOC members and execs “from top sponsors such as British Airways, Coca-Cola and Visa to events across London.” But Transport for London “denied reports in the Mail on Sunday that VIP cars would be fitted with devices that trigger red lights to turn green.” It said that "‘key vehicles’ would be monitored but there would be no special traffic measures for VIPs” (London INDEPENDENT, 8/29).
A BIRD IN THE HAND ... AD AGE’s Bruell & Zmuda reported Coca-Cola North America is “searching for an agency to help it with social-media monitoring.” Coca-Cola Senior Media Relations Manager Kerry Tressler said that “some 20 agencies have been involved in the selection process.” New York-based 360i is the digital agency of record “for a number of Coca-Cola brands” (ADAGE.com, 8/30).
