According to this week's AD AGE, Dole Food Co. CEO David
Murdock was present at meetings with Fox execs and World Golf
Tour organizers last week "and indicated extreme interest in
sponsorship and advertising opportunities." Reebok Int'l would
also be interested, according to Richie Woodward, the President
of Reebok's golf division. World Tour organizer Greg Norman has
a "lifetime endorsement deal" with Reebok (Jeff Jensen,
ADVERTISING AGE, 11/21 issue).
DOES SIZE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?: In an article in this
morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL, Stephanie Mehta reports that small
sporting goods manufacturers "have found a way to score big sales
gains in the product-promotion game," by side-stepping
"potentially budget busting tactics" and "consciously steering
clear of glitzy player endorsements." Odyssey Sports, for
example, "began handing out hundreds of free putters to
professional golfers at senior tournaments earlier this year" --
and sales jumped significantly after Jim Albus and Tom Wargo
"started winning rounds with their free Odyssey clubs" (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 11/22).
