Sports Marketing has become so big today that it has its own subdivision within the marketing industry.
Businesses started linking themselves to sport as far back as the 1870’s. The tobacco industry was the first to really seize the opportunity of linking their product to not only sport but also sports stars. They inserted cigarette cards showing the popular athletes of the day inside packets of cigarettes. Little can they have known just how collectable these would come in the future. Some individual cards valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The aim back then was simply to increase sales through the association of sports stars.
In 1928 Coca-Cola first partnered with the Olympic Games. Many in the industry attribute the success of this brand with that sponsorship arrangement. The partnership with the Olympic Games has certainly proved to be an invaluable connection for Coke, and that is why this partnership continues to this very day.
Coca Cola saw the value in being associated with sport and soon formed a partnership with football that ensured it had exposure at the two biggest sporting events in the world. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950. Coca-Cola is also now one of the longest-standing corporate partners of FIFA, with a formal association beginning in 1974 and an official sponsorship of FIFA World Cup starting in 1978. .
In America, Wheaties are knows as “the Breakfast of Champions.” It was in 1934 that General Mills spotted a great opportunity and began to feature famous athletes on their cereal boxes. The first athlete featured was American baseballer, Lou Gehrig. Hundreds of athletes have graced the cereal box since and what is generally a throw away item has also become highly collectable.
The Olympic Games up until 1992 did not allow athletes to receive money to compete. This affected their amateur status. However Adidas saw an opportunity as early as 1936 and gave a pair of running spikes to American sprinter and long-jumper Jesse Owens to wear. As the years went by some athletes did indeed receive cash to wear specific brands and at the 1968 Olympics Games some even took money from two competing brands. What could the shoe brand do? They could hardly complain to the IOC as they would find themselves in trouble and possibly banned completely.
Eintracht Braunschweig, a German football club, holds the distinction of being the club that pioneered shirt sponsorship in 1955. They partnered with local alcohol brand Jägermeister. The company’s logo appeared on their shirt and the idea spread across the globe.
In most of these cases the sport welcomed the money from these companies, and the various companies benefitted through the mass appeal of sport and sports stars.
There was a shift in 2006, when FC Barcelona announced their partnership with UNICEF. The Spanish club featured the charity’s logo on their shirts and they donated a portion of their annual revenue to the charity.
Today sports marketing is everywhere. The Super bowl attracts millions of dollars that brands will pay for those precious ad slots, which have become a phenomenon in their own right. Brands know that sport is universally loved and they want to piggyback off of that success. Now we are seeing Governments looking to get in on the act in the hope that it will keep them in power longer.
In the past decade we have seen an increase in Governments looking to do what businesses have done for over a century, and use sport to promote social messages. As this becomes more prevalent it is understandable that we are seeing more players pushing back. Unfortunately, the clubs they play for, and the competitions that they are part of, who are receiving the financial benefits are happy to take the money without considering the messages that they are promoting and if they are truly helping the cause. Many are not, as the money never reaches the areas that it is supposed to be helping.The education process that is supposed to be supporting these initiatives is frequently just tokenism. The focus lasts a few days until next year comes around. The Government departments never follow up and assess what has been done by the various organisations.
Recently this was explained by one Government employee as ‘not important as the government is flush with money.’ Yet as tax payers, many would prefer their Government to not have such a laissez faire attitude.
Those who work in the public sector are forced to work within very strict guidelines. They are told that they must remain apolitical and neutral at all times. So should the handing over of Government funding also be apolitical and neutral when it comes to sport and other sectors?
It is all well and good for the individual politicians to have a personal opinion, or even follow the party line, but when it comes to supporting the community. However, using a powerful and effective environment such as sport one can understand the argument that this space should also remain neutral and apolitical.
Sport after all has always been a place where all are welcome. A place where all different types come together as one to achieve a common goal. This messaging is in fact breaking down that belief. While some issues are being highlighted for one section of the community, it is inevitable that as soon as you do that you are going to alienate another section, for a variety of reasons.
A true sporting environment is for all. Irrespective of religion, skin colour, sexuality or political beliefs. So surely it is vital that clubs and sporting associations stand up and take the lead on this issue, and protect the integrity of all those who wish to be a part of that sport, that club, or that competition? Is it time to say enough is enough. Despite the money you are offering we are going to be a sport, a club, or a competition that is not going to become a political message board. No amount of funding will convince us that this is in fact going to benefit us or those we represent.
