Indianapolis-based merchandising company MainGate is "reporting a record windfall" from Super Bowl 50, in part due to the popularity of Broncos QB Peyton Manning and the event's 50th anniversary, according to Anthony Schoettle of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. MainGate President & CEO Dave Moroknek said, "We sold out every single piece of Peyton Manning merchandise we had. In hindsight, we could have sold a little more, but not much because we loaded up really heavy." He added that while merch for Panthers QB Cam Newton also "sold well," no player-themed gear "sold as well as Manning." Moronek said that MainGate’s merch sales at Super Bowl 50 "even out-scored the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl, which was a big boon." Schoettle noted in addition to Manning-themed apparel, the "biggest selling items for MainGate at this year’s Super Bowl were 50th anniversary hats, T-shirts, a black Nike hoodie and women’s gear." Moroknek said that this year’s Super Bowl "will be one of MainGate’s top five pieces of business for a single event" in '16. The company has "been an official merchandise retail partner of the NFL at every Super Bowl" since '11 (IBJ.com, 2/29).
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: In Dallas, Cheryl Hall wrote Newton and Broncos LB Von Miller, the MVP of Super Bowl 50, "turned in decidedly different performances" when it came to "leveraging their endorsement value on football's biggest stage." Miller "went from zero to hero in the eyes of consumers," while Newton "came off as a spoiled brat" after his truncated postgame presser. Data from The Marketing Arm showed Miller’s value as a pitchman "soared," which was "particularly true among the youngest respondents, 13 to 24." On the flip side, Newton "met the media shrouded in a dark hoodie, fielded a few questions with monosyllabic answers and then stalked out." Consumers young and old "didn’t like it." Newton's awareness score is "on par" with musicians Miranda Lambert and John Legend, but fans "don’t like him nearly so much as they did before the big game." Miller "currently has two endorsement deals: Adidas and Zamst." Meanwhile, Newton has deals with companies like Under Armour, Beats by Dre, L’Oreal and Gatorade that earned him an estimated $11M last year. Meanwhile, Hall notes Manning's value "slumped after the game: He fell from the 438th most liked celebrity to 2,175th and from No. 10 in trustworthiness to 640." The Marketing Arm Managing Dir Matt Delzell said that Manning's plunge is "more likely the result of the sexual harassment scandal that surfaced immediately after the game and not Manning’s performance during it" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/29).
