Two candidates from the U.S. Women's World Cup team who
have "big earnings potential" from endorsements are G Briana
Scurry and D Brandi Chastain, according to ET's Bob Goen,
who said "the sky's the limit" for endorsement opportunities
for team members. USA Today's Melanie Wells told Goen,
"These women are naturals," and said that "sporting goods,
health food, soft drinks, fashion" were all possible
categories for deals ("ET," 7/10). On "NBC Nightly News,"
Roger O'Neil examined the marketability of the U.S. team
with a 2:50 minute "In Depth" feature last night. O'Neil:
"Will it be a commercial sweep for America's newest heroes?
... A blunt prediction from one sports marketing expert
today: Of the 20 women on the team, only one, maybe -- it's
to early to say who yet -- will have any long-term sports
advertising star power." O'Neil mentioned Mia Hamm, Scurry
and Chastain as possibilities. But Women's Sports &
Fitness Editor Lucy Danziger said, "I don't think there's
any danger we're going to forget these women. We're going
to see these women selling cars, on the news, being anchors,
selling all kinds of products" (NBC, 7/12). CT-based
marketing firm Elkinson & Sloves Partner Jay Sloves said the
players are "terrifically marketable. ... You can hit two
markets -- the mothers and their daughters. Considering
that women make up more than 50 percent of the population,
that's a pretty darn good start" (HARTFORD COURANT, 7/13).
CRUNCH TIME? While ABC's Betsy Stark reported that
Wheaties said it "has no plans to feature the team on its
cereal boxes ("World News Tonight," ABC, 7/12), PBS' Susie
Gharib reported that General Mills "is having a little bit
of a change of heart. Executives are saying that the team's
dramatic overtime win ... is just the kind of 'gutsy
performance' that they look at when they decide who to put
on the Wheaties box" ("Nightly Business Report," 7/12).
WHERE WAS THE SUPPORT AT RETAIL? In N.Y., Richard
Sandomir writes that "one area of business" around the WWC
which "failed to ignite" was retail sales of licensed
merchandise. The WWC "succeeded only in selling licensed
goods" at game venues. WWC Senior VP & COO June McIvor:
"Merchandising was a missed opportunity. It didn't catch
on. Retailers underestimated what the event was about, and
by the time they understood it, it was too late" (N.Y.
TIMES, 7/13). ABC's Betsy Stark said "corporate America is
not yet sold" on the U.S. team. Sports Business Group's
David Carter: "At the end of the day, soccer in this country
will fail if corporations cannot use it as a vehicle to sell
more merchandise" ("World News Tonight," ABC, 7/12).