Will Cujo's Endorsement Appeal Suffer Playing For Champions?
|  | | | The Red Wings signed former Maple Leafs G Curtis Joseph to a three-year deal July 2, but in Toronto, John Heinzl wondered, "Will Cujo, the brand, thrive in Hockeytown?" Joseph's $3M a year in endorsement revenue puts him in the top five in the NHL. While Joseph "offers the complete corporate package of on-ice talent, a likeable personality and dedication to charity and family, ... moving to the Motor City could upset the Cujo business empire." Toronto-based Newport Sports Management's Wade Arnott, who handles Joseph's business affairs, "expects about three-quarters of Cujo's existing deals will be renewed after the move to Detroit." But Heinzl noted Joseph's three-year deal with Kellogg Canada, which began last season, "included a clause allowing the company to cancel if [Joseph] moved to a U.S. team" and his move to Detroit "already is creating complications for Kellogg. A Vector Energy Bar ad depicts the goalie wearing his [Maple Leafs] mask and a blue and white robe." Kellogg Canada spokesperson Jacki Nelson: "We really don't have any immediate news to share about our involvement with Curtis. We're going to review the situation and look at our business plans and make some decisions." Coca-Cola spokesperson Kari Kerr added that the company's relationship with Joseph is "up in the air," and that it "is exploring its options and expects to meet with" Joseph's reps soon. But Heinzl wrote Nike Canada "is committed" to Joseph, as Joseph wears the company's Bauer Supreme goalie equipment and training gear, and Nike "intends to renew his contract next month." Toronto-based sports marketing consultant Bob Stellick said, "There is a huge value to Curtis Joseph as a [Maple Leaf]. Curtis Joseph not as a [Maple Leaf] is just a good NHL goalie" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/5).
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