U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, who were involved with Ryan Lochte in the controversial early-morning incident in Rio last week, will swim for their college teams this fall, but some marketers claim that turning pro down the road and "scoring future business opportunities are now next to impossible," according to Liana Baker of REUTERS. The Marketing Arm Managing Dir Matt Delzell said that marketers "are now unlikely to put their dollars behind" Bentz and Conger when they are finished swimming collegiately for Georgia and Texas, respectively. Delzell: "It's relatively hard for any swimmer to break out and to attract sponsors, but if you couple it with how they all corroborated a fabricated story, it's a black eye." Baker noted the ability for Bentz and Conger to "attract big sponsorship deals was already paved with obstacles" prior to the incident in Rio. Delzell said that they could have landed "smaller marketing deals in their home towns after a medal win, making money from local appearances or radio ads." However, Delzell indicated that those opportunities "have likely dried up" (REUTERS, 8/19).
 |
Polo Ralph Lauren already has removed
Lochte from its advertising
|
LOCHTE ALREADY FEELING THE FALLOUT: Speedo this morning announced it has cut ties with Lochte after partnering with him for more than a decade following the incident at the Rio gas station. USOC sponsor Polo Ralph Lauren also removed Lochte from its Olympic advertising. In an email titled “Congrats to Team USA” sent to customers yesterday, the clothing brand omitted Lochte from its list of sponsored athletes, which includes BMX rider Connor Fields, wrestler Jordan Burroughs, beach volleyball player April Ross, marathon swimmer Haley Anderson and paratriathlete Melissa Stockwell. Polo Ralph Lauren officials did not return calls seeking comment (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer). Lochte addressed the possibility of losing sponsors in his weekend interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, saying, "That's something that I'm going to have to live with. That's something that I'm going to have to deal with" ("Rio Olympics," NBC, 8/20).
DO THE DAMAGE: AD AGE's E.J. Schultz noted Lochte's appeal as a product endorser "might be irreparable, at least in the short term." Sports marketing agency Revolution Exec VP/Consulting & Research Darren Marshall said, "Lochte just blew his window. He's radioactive now" (ADAGE.com, 8/19). Washington Univ. Dir of Sports Business Patrick Rishe said, "All the characteristics that corporate sponsors want to see, someone that’s a champion, someone that exudes class -- he has exuded none of that with his actions." He added, "I don't think that corporate America is going to want to embrace Lochte" ("Power Lunch," CNBC, 8/19). ESPN's Julie Foudy asked, "Who is going to endorse someone who lied to his mom? Who lied to the U.S. Olympic Committee? Who then went on national television and told a lie? Who then continues to lie and try to cover it up? Who is totally tone deaf and leaves his teammates when they're back here in Rio struggling?" She added, "I hope he's not going to get any endorsement deals because it is just dumbfounding" ("GMA," ABC, 8/21).
