Coca-Cola and Visa Int'l "have been outspoken in
private dealings" with the IOC over the recent bribery
scandal, according to sources of Gregg Krupa in a front-page
feature in the BOSTON GLOBE. Sources say that Visa is
"telling the IOC" that it wants IOC President Juan Antonio
Samaranch to resign. But Visa's Dir of Int'l Corporate
Communications Michael Sherman said, "Visa has sent no
letter discussing Mr. Samaranch's position." Advantage
Int'l Senior VP/Strategic Planning Bob Heussner: "There are
several sponsors who share [John Hancock President David]
D'Alessandro's concerns, but for whatever reasons they don't
want to be as public about it" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/19).
DEALS: Sydney Olympic organizers announced that three
new sponsors -- transportation group Linfox, electrical
goods manufacture Mistral and furniture company Ramler --
signed deals for the 2000 Games. The pacts are "believed to
be worth" a total of A$15M (US$9.6M) in cash and in-kind
services, "making only a small dent" in the Games' target of
raising another A$230M (US$146.6M) (AUSTRALIAN, 2/19).
Australia-based The Boyer Group is the exclusive outdoor-
sign sales agent for Stadium Australia, a venue for the 2000
Games. The seven-year deal is "expected to generate" at
least A$30M ($19.1M) in advertising for Boyer (AGE, 2/19).
