John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance "may parlay" a
sponsorship deal with MLB into an "all-new sports marketing
strategy," according to Cosmo Macero of the BOSTON HERALD.
The company is sponsoring MLB's All-Star Game FanFest at the
Hynes Convention Center, and company President David
D'Alessandro said, "Basically we're hedging our bets on the
Olympics, and we have been for some time. ... If we were to
drop out of the Olympics, we could pick up [MLB]." Hancock
"has secured an option to be MLB's national 'financial
services' sponsor for the upcoming season." D'Alessandro
says MLB could be "a piece" of the company's entire sports
sponsorship package that could replace the Olympics: "We've
looked at NCAA football and basketball, too." Macero writes
that "image means a lot to Hancock," particularly as the
company could go public in the near future. Image is also a
reason why D'Alessandro is not eyeing the NBA, as he said an
affiliation with MLB "beats the hell out of the NBA" (BOSTON
HERALD, 3/29). For more on John Hancock, see (#24).
