Nike has "scheduled a photo shoot" with Dale Jarrett in
Charlotte this month to "prepare for a racing ad campaign
debuting early next year," according to Erik Spanberg of the
CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL, who writes the addition of Nike
"is yet another sign" that Jarrett is "building a racing
endorsement and business portfolio eclipsed only by those
of" Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. Jarrett's portfolio
also includes Ford, Coca-Cola, Outback Steakhouse, Planters
and Action Performance Cos. Dale Jarrett Inc. VP Jimmy
Gaither "declines specifics" but says that "there are
several product categories he'd like to see Jarrett enter as
an endorser," one being communications and another being
golf. Gaither: "Dale loves Titleist and Davis Love III, so
who knows?" Jarrett, along with Rusty Wallace and Mark
Martin, is considered to be in the "second tier" of racers
after Gordon and Earnhardt in terms of total merchandise
sold, with sales of about $70M in '98. Industry analysts
"expected" Jarrett to "increase his sales 14%" this season,
but that was "before he made his" bid to win the Winston Cup
championship. Gaither says that Jarrett "now judges many
business deals by two criteria: quality of the company and
how many appearances, if any, he'll have to make." For that
reason, "it's unlikely" Jarrett will take on more than a few
new deals to add to his current contracts. Muhleman
Marketing Exec VP Steven Moore, on Jarrett: "He's the Joe
Montana of NASCAR. There are no negatives with Dale.
Everybody likes him" (CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/8).
