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Similar examples include Anheuser Busch and Miller Coors, ranked third and eighth
respectively in terms of highest levels of activity in sports sponsorshi (Crompton, 2014). In
1998, prior to US sanctions imposed on tobacco involvement, the tobacco industry ranked
second as primary investors in the sports industry (Crompton, 2014). This displays a clear
attempt to realign brand image to coincide with a positive sporting event, providing
evidence of the efficacy of sporting event sponsorship to manipulate brand image.
While sponsorship is effective in some cases of minor brand realignment, there are other
cases where a brand may be too far removed from the goals of an event to redefine
themselves effectively. McDonald’s corporate sponsorship of the Olympic Games has driven
many critics to question their intentions. Concern is growing over the suitability of
McDonald’s (and other brands affiliated with junk food, i.e. Coca-Cola) as an Olympic
sponsor considering the growing levels of obesity in the US. (Clark, 2012) Despite their
attempts at healthy lifestyle initiatives, many argue that these are small, insignificant pushes
that do nothing to solve the problem McDonald’s has helped to create (Clark, 2012). This
same pattern of thought can be used to describe the intentions of alcohol and tobacco
companies when undertaking sponsorship deals. In this way, there is the potential for
significant investment risk involved in becoming a sponsor when there is misalignment in
“fit” between brand and event.
Product Placement
Product placement is the practice by which companies gain exposure through strategic
placement of their brand or product throughout television or high profile events. In the
context of the sports industry, product placement has grown in prevalence as companies
realize the impact of its strategic implementation. Today, even video games find themselves
riddled with sponsored products.
Effective product placement is achieved through intentionality. When the camera pans to a
Gatorade bottle in the hands of an MLB Home Run Derby All Star, one can be assured it is no
mistake. In fact, Gatorade is a perfect example of the increased use of product placement in
the overall marketing strategy of a corporation. Effective use of this marketing tactic can aid
in the successful introduction of a new product, increase awareness, brand enhancement,
and market penetration through the sports industry.
Gatorade’s product placement in the NFL is a major benefit to their USD 348 million, 8-year
renewed sponsorship contract (Kaplan, 2004), indicating that product placement is often an
extension of a sponsorship deal. The individual act of product placement adds a level of
value outside the realm of previously mentioned sponsorship benefits. For example, while
DVR and various technological advancements are making it easier to fast forward through
televised advertisements, the tradition of watching the head coach get drenched with
Gatorade at the end of a winning game creates value for the Gatorade brand in terms of
increased exposure and affiliation with a victorious team (Kaplan, 2004). For example, Super
Bowl XLIX pulled in approximately 114.4 million viewers, pushing it to the top spot in most
watched broadcasts in US TV history (Pallotta, 2015). When 114.4 million pairs of eyes were
glued to the screen during the game’s final seconds, everyone saw Bill Belichick drenched
with Gatorade. The “Gatorade victory shower” is the epitome of coveted free advertising, as
stated by Bill Schmidt, former Head of Sports Marketing for Gatorade. The associations with
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