Inside Pitch: Swimmer Katie Hoff Making A Splash With Sponsors
By Brian Helfrich, Staff Writer
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Hoff One Of Most Marketable
Swimmers At Beijing Games |
While perhaps a new name to most Olympic viewers, 19-year-old Katie Hoff is by no means a fresh face among those in the swimming industry. Following Hoff’s breakthrough performance at the ’05 World Aquatics Championships, Speedo wasted no time in moving its marketing dollars behind the California native, signing her to a 10-year endorsement contract, the longest in the brand’s storied history. Hoff entered the Beijing Games as one of the marquee stars on the U.S. swim team and a Gold Medal contender in several events. Hoff finished third in her first race in the Water Cube, the 400 IM, an event in which she held the world record heading into Beijing. But her agent, Octagon’s Peter Carlisle, does not think Hoff’s lack of a Gold Medal, so far, will be a problem. Carlisle: “Normally, you need to have success -- winning a Gold Medal -- if you want to be marketable much beyond the sport. But there are a couple of exceptions to that rule, one of which is Katie.” Hoff is the only female U.S. swimmer ever to qualify for all 13 different events at the Olympic Trials, and Carlisle says because of that, “whether you win Gold or not, if you’re competing in and winning medals in so many different events, you’re obviously marketable.” The chart below lists all of Hoff’s endorsement deals.
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PARTNER
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CATEGORY
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SINCE
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Speedo
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Swimwear
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'05
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Visa
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Credit Card
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'06
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Omega
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Watch
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'06
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| Rosetta Stone |
Language |
'07
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STAYING POWER: Because of her age, Hoff likely will compete in two more Olympics, including London in 2012, and Carlisle says the likelihood of her longevity makes her extremely marketable. Carlisle said, “Everything will change with these Games.” Carlisle said as a result of NBC’s primetime coverage of the swimming events, in addition to the recognition Michael Phelps brings to the pool, viewers and sponsors in the U.S. are “paying attention to all of this, and for that, someone like Hoff stands to benefit.” Carlisle said of building Hoff’s sponsorship portfolio, “We’re looking to establish a portfolio of sponsors that are key to the swimming industry and the Olympic movement that will serve as a great foundation for years to come. Then you can layer that with appropriate companies in different categories that are specific to the athlete, and that’s the approach we take with Katie.”
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