Canadian Sponsors Reluctant To Sign Olympians To Endorsements
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Many Canadian Summer Olympic Athletes
Finding It Hard To Land Endorsement Deals |
Many Canadian companies that are hoping to leverage the Olympics to increase sales are "bypassing summer athletes altogether and are building ties" to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, according to Rick Westhead of the TORONTO STAR. While they will not publicly say it, many companies are "concerned that after they sign an athlete to an endorsement agreement, he or she might take a public stance on a controversial world event." In such situations, a "feel-good sponsorship fast becomes a PR debacle." One sponsorship consultant working for the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said, "It's the single biggest concern of the [COC]. They've had media training for athletes to drum into their heads not to say anything controversial." However, Westhead reports except for "rare exceptions ... there is rarely a pot of gold on the other end of a gold medal" during any Olympics. Canadian gymnast Kyle Shewfelt won a gold medal at the '04 Athens Games, but he earns just C$35,000-40,000 per year in sponsorships. Shewfelt: "You really wish companies stepped up in Canada and sponsored athletes but it doesn't seem that's how it is anymore." Meanwhile, Toronto-based Landmark Group President Elliott Kerr, who previously has repped several Olympians, said of companies holding marketing dollars until the 2010 Vancouver Games, "Canadian companies only have so many marketing dollars to spend. I think a lot of athletes this year are going to be in the same situation Kyle is in" (TORONTO STAR, 4/24).
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