BrandRapport sports marketing exec Nigel Currie said that tennis player Andy Murray's Wimbledon championship will be worth about £50M ($75M) as global consumer companies such as Gillette and Coca-Cola "will consider bidding for Murray's signature," according to Danielle Rossingh of BLOOMBERG. Currie said that the title "gives him the chance to earn as much as Nike players Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland." Murray "was beaten in last year's Wimbledon final by Federer." Currie: "The British side is important, but he's moved into a global range now. It showed when he moved from Fred Perry to adidas. He moved from being a big U.K. athlete to being a world athlete, and that will continue for the next few years." Murray "is the company's main tennis endorser." Currie: "Adidas will be desperate to hold on to him. Nike has been pretty dominant in recent years. Murray is now becoming a big established name, and that will be a big bonus for adidas." Branding consultant Jonathan Gabay said that the tennis player's annual earnings potential "may triple from endorsements and prize money." A person with knowledge of the player's thinking said that Murray is targeting clothing makers such as Ted Baker Plc. and Burberry, "which are the type of fashionable consumer product makers he wants to be associated with." Gabay said that Murray has a chance to end the year as the No. 1 player on the men's ATP World Tour and his Wimbledon victory "will have resonance as the U.K. economy struggles to grow." Gabay: "Having a home-grown champion means a lot in the U.K. He will be inundated with offers, but he has to choose the appropriate offer. It's all about very astute brand management" (BLOOMBERG, 7/18).
