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Olympic Marketing Notes: Puma Already Making Plans For Life After Usain Bolt

PPR Chair & CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, whose company owns Puma, said that he “hopes that London 2012 will be the catalyst to complete the transformation of Puma from being a sports and trainers company into a major global lifestyle brand.” Pinault said that he has also “lined up a roster of potential global stars to take over from Bolt as part of the sportswear company's strategy to increase its sales” from US$3.74B to US$4.98B per year by ‘15. In London, Harry Wallop noted a “number of sports stars around the world have been groomed by Puma to take the baton” from Bolt, including Indian cricket players Yuvi Singh and Saurav Ganguly, U.S. women’s soccer team F Amy Rodriguez and golfer Lexi Thompson (London TELEGRAPH, 6/5). Meanwhile, the new Jamaican Olympic uniforms were recently modeled by sprinter Usain Bolt as part of a collaboration between Puma and designer Cedella Marley, daughter of legendary reggae singer Bob Marley. Marley said, “We wanted to bring in our colors, of course, but still put that Jamaican twist on it which is that we’re not scared of trying anything once.” The program noted that Bolt and the other Jamaican sprinters have “made the country one of the most marketable" in the world of sports (Bloomberg TV, 6/5).

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? Nike Brand President Charlie Denson said he expects the London Games to be "every bit as big" as any prior Olympics. Denson: “It gives us the opportunity to introduce some of our newest and biggest innovations.” He said Nike will introduce Flyknit technology, which “can create an aesthetic that has been up-to-date undoable.” Denson: “It will be a new look and from a performance standpoint, it will be a higher performing piece of equipment.” Denson added the Nike brand will be out in London "in force obviously with our relationships through the athletes through federations that we sponsor, uniforms and product" and through equipment that will be used during the Games in various sports (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 6/5).

THE SPANISH CONQUEST: The GUARDIAN’s Giles Tremlett writes with Spain “teetering on the edge of financial meltdown, sourcing free Olympic kit from a Russian supplier may have seemed like a good idea.” But the “cost-saving measure has pitched the Spanish Olympic committee into a fierce row with local designers.” The “1,000 red-and-gold tracksuits, blazers and skirts to be worn by Olympic and Paralympic athletes are being made by Russian company Bosco Sport.” Spanish Olympic Committee Chair Alejandro Blanco said, "The contract saves the state at least [US$9.9M], so I don't understand the controversy." Bosco will “not only produce the team kit for free, but is also an official sponsor" (GUARDIAN, 6/6).

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME: In Toronto, Morgan Campbell notes when the Canadian Olympic track and field trials take place in Calgary June 27-30, Athletics Canada “wants to ensure that anyone with internet access can keep pace with the fastest athletes in Canada.” In addition to a number, this year each competitor’s bib “will also include their twitter handle.” Canadian steeplechaser Chris Winter said, “We don’t have a lot opportunities to get our names out there. … It’s an opportunity for people to start their own brand or take their brand to the next level.” Campbell writes while the move “figures to boost the Twitter followings of some athletes, converting followers to tangible branding benefits is a different challenge” (TORONTO STAR, 6/6).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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