THE STREET's Brian Sozzi noted Rory McIlroy's withdrawal from the Olympics "may have also dealt a blow to his sponsor Nike." The apparel company was "poised to have its shirts, golf balls and golf clubs used by Mcllroy plastered all over TV screens and social media feeds." With Mcllroy out and "fellow Nike golf endorser Tiger Woods unlikely to play as a result of a back injury, the footwear and apparel giant will lack a major presence on a very grand stage." The marketing edge "may end up going" to Under Armour and endorser Jordan Spieth (THESTREET.com, 6/22).
SWEET TREATS: In Boston, Megan Woolhouse notes Patriots QB Tom Brady yesterday made a Facebook post showing his freezer "stocked with Yasso frozen treats." But the company promised that it "was not a promotional stunt." Following the post, Yasso co-Founder & co-CEO Drew Harrington said that the company's "server crashed for several hours as Brady fans flocked" to its website. Harrington "promises the only Brady connection is that the company has been an in-kind sponsor to Best Buddies, a charity" that Brady is a key spokesperson for. Harrington said, "It's very valuable and it's very cool. New people are now familiar with the brand" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/23).
ON THE RISE: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes under the header, "Simone Biles Is The Best American Athlete You Don't Know -- Yet." Even the prospect of "becoming a national celebrity doesn't faze" the U.S. gymnast. Biles is aware that her "face is on some billboards in her native Houston," and her sponsors -- Nike, Coke & Kellogg's -- "give her sneak previews of the commercials she's in but is unlikely to see again because she watches pretty much everything on Netflix" (USA TODAY, 6/23).
NUMBER CRUNCHING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Steven Perlberg notes panelists at a Cannes Lions advertising festival in France this week expressed "concerns about measurement in the media business." PepsiCo Global Beverage Group President Brad Jakeman said that "'billion-dollar decisions' are being made upon things like outmoded surveys." WPP Founder & CEO Martin Sorrell said that the digital world "needs to produce agreed-upon metrics made by an independent third party." Sorrell said, "We invested in comScore because we think Nielsen is not a perfect system ... and clients believe this, media owners believe this, and agencies believe this" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/23).
