-OBTAIN ENDORSEMENTS FOR SPORTS/EVENTS

SEM II-2.07A

Endorsement(s)

Is an act of giving one's public approval or support to someone or something.

Testimonial in advertising, written or spoken statement endorsing a product.

Athlete/Entertainer actually becomes a ‘human brand’. Must possess two kinds of key attribute groupings:

those you see on the field those you see off the field

On-field Attributes

Performance qualityWinning recordSkillStylePotentialThese attributes speak for themselves.

Brands want their endorsers to be successful, to be skillful and to play the game in style.

Off-field Attributes

PersonalityPhysical attractivenessUniqueness or unique personal backgroundRole modelRelationship with fans

Brands should look for athletes who possess most of the off-field attributes above.

Even when one of these attributes is clearly not achieved, possessing the on-field attributes and the other off-field ones may just be enough. 

Considerations in Obtaining Endorsements

Must be positive, charismatic, trustworthyMust be someone consumers knowCareer must be active…usuallySomeone who presents few risksMust be believable

Reasons for Obtaining Endorsements

Add to credibility of product/companyCut through commercial clutter

Benefits Obtained from Endorsements

Fans will buy endorsed productsViewers less likely to turn commercial offConsumers believe celebrities

Why learn how to develop a sport/eventlicensing program?

Sales of licensed products: Generate billions and billions of dollars each year Create plenty of work for sport/event marketers

It’s important for the people in charge of licensing to: Develop licensing systems carefully Maintain licensing systems carefully

Licensing mistakes can prove to be disastrous: For licensors For licensees In finances

Licensing programs exist for three main reasons:

ProfitPublic relationsProtection

One company allows another to use its trademarked property to manufacture and sell products.

Licensors legally protect all of the organization’s names, logos, slogans, and graphics by registering them as trademarks. Without a trademark—any manufacturer could use a logo

on its merchandise and profit from it. With a trademark—licensors have the right to charge that

manufacturer to do so and to collect part of the profits.

The Basics of Trademarks

Trademark: a word, name, symbol, or device used by a person, generally a manufacturer

or merchant, to identify and distinguish its goods from those manufactured andsold by others.

Includes/covers:WordsNamesSymbolsDevicesInternet domain namesPicturesSlogans

Examples—“Monday Night Football,” Churchill Downs, Nike “swoosh” logo, Rollerblade, www.reebok.com, trading card pictures, “Sports is life…the rest is just details.”

Service mark

a word, name, symbol, or device used to identify and distinguish a company’s services, including a unique service, from those of another service provider.

Signifies services rather than goodsProfessional sport franchises are considered sport

services.Examples—“NFL,” “The Chicago Bulls,” “MLB”

Personal training and fitness are also sport services.Example—World Gym name and logo

Trade Dress

a particular type of trademark that protects the distinctiveness of the appearance and image of a good or service

Protects a product’s packagingGraphics SizeTextureShapeColor or color schemeParticular sales techniquesExample—athletic shoeboxes

Protects distinctive décor and atmosphereApplies heavily to stores and restaurantsESPN Zone

Collective Mark

a trademark or service mark used by members of a cooperative, association, or other group or organization. Nation Hockey League Players Association Major League Soccer DECA

Mark

a shorthand reference to any type of mark, including trademarks, service marks, and collective marks

Registered Mark

a mark registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office © TM ® SM

Trademarked Property

trademarks are owned by the entity (licensor) that registers them and no other entity may use them or the likeness without permission from the licensor.

Trademark infringement

the reproduction, counterfeiting, copying, or imitation, in commerce, of a registered mark

In commerce—the company copying the mark is using it to sell its own products.

Copy doesn’t have to be exact, just enough to cause customer confusion. A four-ring logo would be close enough to the Olympic

five-ring logo to cause confusion.

CAPS (Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos)

“Logo cops”Formed in the early 1990sAddresses trademark protection and enforcement

concerns for all the major sport leagues and college athletic departments

Works closely with law enforcement to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trademark violators

Offers guidelines to educate consumers on how to distinguish real merchandise from fake High product quality Tightly woven embroidered logos Intact garment tags