In a piece on the marketing "home run" that is the Indians,
Sunday's Cleveland PLAIN DEALER notes local companies' decisions
to align with the team have "paid off in positive name
recognition, national exposure, local good will and added
business" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/7).... The NAPBL has
announced national corporations and brands, such as Office Depot,
Nestle Ice Cream, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Norelco/Wal-Mart,
Inglenook Wines, OFF! Skintastic and American General Insurance,
have committed to marketing programs with minor league baseball
worth more than $4M. This represents significant progress for
the Professional Baseball Promotion Corp., a subsidiary of NAPBL.
The group did not get into national marketing until the middle
of the '93 season, generating $1.7M in '94, $2.5M in '95 and over
$4M this year (NAPBL)....Chicago's annual marathon is reportedly
"in jeopardy" as title sponsor LaSalle Bank may not renew
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/8)...."NBA Inside Stuff" reported on the
popularity of the Nike "Li'l Penny" spots ("Inside Stuff,"
4/6)....The Tigers, which switched from Ball Park Franks to Thorn
Apple Valley hot dogs three years ago, will return to Ball Park
this season after fan requests (DETROIT NEWS, 4/9)....Projected
No. 1 NFL pick Keyshawn Johnson reportedly has signed a shoe deal
which will be announced three days before the draft (NEWSDAY,
4/7).... ....David D'Alessandro, the John Hancock exec credited
with saving the Boston Marathon, says the Boston Athletic Assoc.
"could make another $3 million, easily, and find ways to pour it
back into the community" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/7).... Asics Tiger
Corp. named San Diego-based VitroRobertson as its new ad agency
(ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 4/6)....Stores in the Chicago area are
fighting to keep new Dennis Rodman T-shirts in stock. The cream-
colored shirt has designs up and down the sleeves, like Rodman's
tatoos, complete with the "body art" around the navel (CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES, 4/9).... ESPN reported German Formula I star Michael
Schumacher has become the highest paid professional athlete after
signing a two-year deal worth $25M a year ("SportsCenter," ESPN,
4/6).
